Google Unveils Smart Contact Lens That Lets Diabetics Measure Their Glucose Levels

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This isn’t Google Glass in a contact lens, but it may just be Google’s first step in this direction. The company’s Google X lab just teased a smart contact lens on its blog that is meant to help diabetics measure their glucose levels.

The company says it is currently testing prototypes of this contact lens that use a tiny wireless chip and a miniaturized glucose sensor. These chips are embedded in between two soft layers of lens material.

In its announcement, Google notes that scientists have long looked into how certain body fluids can help them track glucose levels. Tears, it turns out, work very well, but given that most people aren’t Hollywood actors and can cry on demand, using tears was never really an option.

According to Google, the sensor can take about one reading per second, and it is working on adding tiny LED lights to the lens to warn users when their glucose levels cross certain thresholds. The sensors are so small that they ”look like bits of glitter.”

Google says it is working with the FDA to turn these prototypes into real products and that it is working with experts to bring this technology to market. These partners, the company says, “will use our technology for a smart contact lens and develop apps that would make the measurements available to the wearer and their doctor.”

It’s worth noting that other companies, including Microsoft, have previously shown similar lenses. Until now, though, it doesn’t look like there are any smart lenses available in the U.S. yet. Given Google’s reach, however, it may just be able to find the right partners to bring this technology to market.

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[image via recode]


The sum of 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + … until infinity is somehow -1/12

The sum of 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + ... until infinity is somehow -1/12

Here’s a fun little brain wrinkle pinch for all you non-math people out there (that should be everyone in the world*): the sum of all natural numbers, from one to infinity, is not a ridiculously big number like you would expect but actually just -1/12. Yes, the sum of every number from one to infinity is some weird negative fraction. What the heck?

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Researchers reveal the language of Kickstarter success

Referencing cats is one indicator of a successful campaign.

(Credit: Daniela Acosta/Wikimedia Commons)

If you want your Kickstarter to succeed, it appears there are some definite do’s and don’ts when it comes to phrasing. According to a new study by Tanushree Mitra and Eric Gilbert of Georgia Tech’s School of Interactive Computing, the language you use can be pretty indicative of whether or not you’ll get your funding.

The pair analyzed more than 45,000 Kickstarter campaigns launched since June 2012, 51.53 percent of which were successful. Controlling for categories (some of which are more successful than others; you’re more likely to have a successful campaign in design than fashion, for example); the presence of video; funding goals; social media; and pledge levels, they were able to compile a dictionary of more than 100 phrases that they say can more or less accurately predict success or failure.

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Google’s new wearable project is a smart contact lens with medical uses

Google loves wearables and this time it’s getting even closer to your body with a developmental smart contact lens. Through miniaturized electronics, it can apparently measure the levels of glucose in your tears, offering diabetics an easier way to …

The Simpsons To Begin Streaming Onto Mobile This August

The Simpsons To Begin Streaming Onto Mobile This AugustThe Simpsons has to be one of the longest running cartoon series in the world and is beloved by millions around the world at the same time. Now the good news for those living in the US is that if you were hoping to catch up with some older The Simpsons episodes, you will be able to do so come August 2014 as all 530 episodes of The Simpsons will be made available for streaming via a VOD app for FX Networks. To make it even better, all seasons will be available at all times, meaning that you should be able to catch up to any episode you want at any given time ,as opposed to being cycled through various intervals which can be a little annoying and frustrating. The episodes are also expected to be cross-referenced and searchable in a variety of different ways.

Now there is some bad news and that is not everyone will be able to stream it. Like we said this is a US-only offer at the moment, and to top things off, the content will only be available to those who are authenticated subscribers of the FX Networks, meaning that not everyone in the US will be able to stream it either. It is unclear if the app is available for both iOS and Android, or if it will be exclusive to one platform only, but we’re guessing it’s probably the former. In any case if you’re a subscriber to the FX Networks and live in the US, come this August you will have a ton of content you can catch up on.

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    Dyson’s Latest Vacuums Ditch Not Only The Bag But Also The Filter Maintenance

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    I hate vacuuming but I actually like using my Dyson, and the UK company has a few new models it’s unveiling today. For the U.S. market, there’s the DC59, which is a handheld cordless stick vac that bumps up the suction, and for the UK, there are new Cinetic models of three of its canister vacuums that do away with the sole remaining piece of maintenance required by Dyson hardware: the occasional filter cleaning.

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    The DC59 is the latest in Dyson’s Digital Slim line, with a cordless design that provides up to 26 minutes of use on a single charge. It improves over the previous DC cordless vacuums with suction power that’s up to three times as powerful as any other one currently available on the U.S. market, the company tells me. Mothballs have met their match, in other words.

    That one’s impressive, but the real trick here comes from the brand new Cinetic line, which is launching in the UK now but will make its way to other global Dyson retailers in due time. The Cinetic offers up the same ball-based design you’re probably familiar with from its existing line of motorhead, turbinehead and multifloor vacuums, as well as bagless operation, but also introduces a solution to the last annoyance associated with using Dyson cleaners: you no longer have to clean wash and dry, or even ever replace the filter in these bad boys.

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    It essentially means the new Dyson vacuums are maintenance free, unless you accidentally vacuum up a huge hunk of cheese or something and you gunk up the tube. Dyson even claims that it can operate with the equivalent of 10 years’ worth of accumulated dust, without any kind of filter cleaning at all, without any loss of suction at all.

    Of course, Dyson charges a premium for its swanky designs and newfangled technology: the Cinetic line starts at £419 and ranges up to £469 (roughly $685 to $766) and is on sale this month in the UK, and the DC59 starts at $499 when it goes on sale January 19 in the US. If you’re a weird design snob like me, however, you’ll pay the extra and you’ll like it, especially since you can just use the thing to clean, and not really have to worry about cleaning the thing that cleans the other things.

    SteamVR protoype device demoed at Dev Days, won’t make you sick

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    Pew Study Finds E-Books Are On The Rise

    Pew Study Finds E Books Are On The RiseJust like how music lovers have started to embrace the digital life, we’re sure book lovers are starting to do so too with e-books and e-readers. Given that an e-reader can store hundreds, if not thousands of books in a device that’s thinner and lighter than a book, it makes sense especially if you’re tight on space or you want the convenience of your library being with you wherever you go. This is why it is not surprising to find that according to a recent Pew study, it has been found that Americans in general are starting to read more e-books, with the numbers rising from 23% at the end of 2012 to 28% at the end of 2013. However despite the rise in e-books, it’s a bit strange because a different Pew study has found that 46% of Americans own a tablet or e-reader, suggesting that not everyone who owns a tablet might actually be using it for e-books, despite its ability to do so.

    Now you might be thinking that with these numbers, it’s a scary thought to think that e-books might eventually replace physical books, but that does not appear to be the case. In fact the study found that e-books are actually supplements to physical books, with seven in ten adults claiming to read both physical and e-books, while only 4% claim to read e-books exclusively. Personally I find that reading a physical book is somewhat more comfortable and also a lot more familiar compared to an e-book. The benefits of e-books cannot be denied, such as environmental friendliness due to the lack of paper used, and also convenience, but sometimes going old school is not such a bad thing either.

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    Microsoft: Xbox One is #1 in the US for December with 908,000 consoles sold

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    T-Mobile Might Pay You To Switch From A Smaller Carrier In The Future

    T Mobile Might Pay You To Switch From A Smaller Carrier In The FutureWhen it comes to getting consumers to switch from a different carrier, T-Mobile has not been shy and has actually been pretty damn aggressive. Their latest offer, Uncarrier 4.0, will actually pay customers to switch from major carriers and onto theirs. T-Mobile will not only pay you for your old phone, but will also pay your early termination fees, all of which could add up to about $650 if you’re lucky. Now the bad news is that this is only for major carriers, but according to T-Mobile, they told the folks at Re/code that they plan to loosening their requirements in the future and extend that offer to smaller carriers, such as US Cellular being one of them.

    In fact they are so aggressive to the point where they will take in any phone, regardless whether it is in a working condition or not. Naturally phones not working will fetch a much lower price, but it is a good way to shave off a couple of bucks here and there, and put your old broken phone to good use. Naturally investors are worried since this would ultimately affect T-Mobile’s bottom line, although the carrier expects that this will most likely pay off in the long-run, and also the fact that not every customer will be getting the maximum payout of $650. Like we said it’s pretty aggressive, although we’re sure some would call it desperate, but what do you guys think?

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