During a press conference in Copenhagen on Wednesday, prosthetics manufacturer Ossur announced the release of an implantable sensor that allows users to mentally control a mechanical limb. The technology, known as an Implanted MyoElectric Sensor (IME…
While there are a number of smart home solutions out there in the market, here is one particular solution that might just make you think twice and consider, especially if you happen to have a soft spot for the environment. Ecoisme claims itself to be the world’s most intelligent home energy monitoring system, where it will be able to offer consumers as well as homeowners a simplified solution for cutting energy consumption and household costs. Certainly cost cutting measures are music to anyone’s ears, especially if you are the “boss” or person in charge.
Ecoisme is an exclusive project on Indiegogo, where this smart home energy system works this way – it will detect the usage of all home appliances, and upon doing so, be able to calculate and provide real-time alerts as to when devices are left powered on, coaching you gently and yet firmly in the art of reducing energy consumption.
Ivan Pasichnyk, CEO of Ecoisme shared his ideals on this Indiegogo project, “We spent almost 2 years developing Ecoisme and have finally come up with the easiest and smartest energy monitoring solution. One sensor is all it takes to make your home truly intelligent. And although Ecoisme has powerful and complex technology behind it, the system is extremely easy to use. It’s like Shazam for energy usage.”
Ecoisme was specially designed with simplicity in mind, where using it is as easy as placing the clamp on your main power line as well as inserting the plug into the power outlet. From there, one will be able to access the Ecoisme dashboard via the user-friendly mobile app or web interface, and check out a full breakdown on the energy consumption for individual household devices. Ecoisme will also be smart enough to single out all of your home appliances, check up on their energy efficiencies and suggest the best ways for you to save energy.
Ecoisme is available now for pre-order on Indiegogo, and if you would like to be an early adopter, you will be on the receiving end of a special discount of $50 off of the $149 price.
Press Release
[ Ecoisme claims to be the world’s most intelligent home energy monitoring system copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
3D movies certainly became a hit once again with the release of Avatar all those years ago – and you can be sure that each blockbuster that comes out these days which is chock full of action will also be filled to the brim with 3D goodness, although some might say that the premium forked out for a 3D movie is not worth the effects seen. Still, it looks like new research might make 3D movie watching more favorable, as it claims that doing so might actually help improve one’s brain power.
In other words, to end up smarter. The study said that viewers’ cognitive processing has improved after watching a 3D movie, since it happens to be rather beneficial to brainpower in the same manner as that of indulging in some dedicated brain training games. The findings were backed by a Vue Cinemas and RealD study, so it is no surprise to hear that watching 3D content have managed to improve viewers’ cognitive processing powers by an average of 23%, now how about that?
The tests were experienced by over 100 members of the public, and those involved were asked to watch 30 minutes of 3D footage. Other than brain power getting an increase, participants’ reaction times also improved by 11%, while those who viewed identical clips in 2D managed a 2% increase where personal performance is concerned. What can we make out of all this? Could learning in schools be augmented with 3D videos?
Watching 3D Movies Might Improve Brain Power , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use. 
When we see the kind of future technology shown in the world of Star Trek and Star Wars, it is jaw dropping to say the least, as we are well far away from such levels of achievement in the medical field at this point in time. Well, baby steps will need to be taken regardless of where one is, and an Icelandic company intends to assist amputees when it comes to stepping out, literally, by offering a spanking new brain-powered bionic foot.
Ossur, which is headquartered in Reykjavik, has just revealed its advanced version of the Proprio Foot. Subjects have been testing out this bionic foot in secret for more than a year, and it seems that this particular invention has just broken cover, and Ossur intends to bring it to a larger scale of test subjects with more trials. The Proprio Foot which tips the scales at 3.14 lbs happens to be the only bionic leg in the market that is brain-controlled.
To use such technology, one will need to go under the knife first, where an extremely small implant that comes equipped with myoelectric sensors designed by Ossur will be placed inside the brain. This procedure takes 15 minutes, and its inventors claim that the surgery is an easy one to perform. Such sensory technology will then allow the brain to control the bionic part, and the ultimate goal would be to replace the function of the lost limb.
Bionic Foot Powered By The Brain , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use. 
It looks like air ambulances will soon come armed with yet another interesting piece of technology – one system that can assist in the detection of serious cases of internal hemorrhaging. This is crucial and an important breakthrough, since such capabilities used to be available only at a well equipped hospital, so to have air ambulances sport such a system that does as it is intended to en route to better and more proper medical care is certainly a boon.
This new system is currently being tested on medical helicopters in the Boston area, and it is also a rather simple one since it comprises of no more than your standard patient monitor which will keep track of the heart and respiratory rates, in addition to other details such as blood pressure, where it will remain connected to a computer that does all of the data processing.
Known as APPRAISE (Automated Processing of the Physiological Registry for Assessment of Injury Severity), this system is currently undergoing testing at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) alongside another two trauma centers, in addition to the U.S. Army and Boston MedFlight, the air ambulance service. This means such en route diagnosis and prognosis would be able to lead to better decisions in crucial situations that might just save a life.
Air Ambulances Can Now Detect Internal Bleeding Automatically , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use. 
What you see in product photos and what you see in real life are usually quite different. Sometimes an item that looks good in photos might not necessarily look so good on you, which is pretty much what can be said about the Apple Watch Sport and its rubber straps. Now some of you guys might have gotten straps of a certain color but might not be too pleased about it.
Now the good news is that according to the folks at 9to5Mac, it seems that later this week customers should be able to head into an Apple Store and have their bands swapped out for a different color. Before you get too excited, there is a catch and there are certain priorities that Apple’s retail employees will have to tend to first
For starters the strap inventory is said to be limited and they will be prioritized for customers who want to swap the band that came pre-bundled with their Apple Watch. The initial batch of bands received will also be used to replace the worn out bands from the various Apple Watch try-on stations, and it is only then that the remaining bands will be sold to customers seeking an alternate look.
What this means is that there is a chance you could walk into an Apple Store in hopes of getting a new band, only to walk away disappointed. We expect that all of this should clear up once Apple Watch supply levels begin to normalize. In the meantime there are alternative options you can consider, such as visiting a band swapping website where users can trade Apple Watch bands with one another.
Apple Watch Bands Should Arrive In Stores Later This Week , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use. 
iTunes Radio at the moment is only available in the US and Australia, hardly the widespread coverage that we’re sure Apple had originally intended, but if the reports are to be believed, Apple could be gearing up for an international launch of the service. This is based on a report from Russian publication Vedomosti (via Billboard) who claims that Apple is currently in talks with Russian labels.
According to the report, it seems that Russia could be amongst the first countries in which Apple will launch its new music service which has been dubbed Apple Music. The company is negotiating with the labels on digital rights to streaming and it is apparently moving along pretty well, although unsurprisingly Apple’s Russian branch did not respond to comments about the claims.
Russia does indeed seem pretty ripe for music streaming. According to numbers given by the IFPI, it seems that streaming in the country has actually grown by 214% to $5.97 million. It also seems that Apple could have an advantage in the country as their competitor, Spotify, decided against launching in the country, citing a variety of reasons why which includes the slowing economy as one of them.
In any case more details about Apple’s rumored relaunch of their music service should be made clear in the next couple of weeks when WWDC 2015 kicks off, so be sure to check back in with us then for the details.
Apple Reportedly In Talks With Russian Music Labels , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use. 
We’ve seen teens lash out in all sorts of ways, but with technology being so prevalent in our lives and with us depending so much on it, it seems that one way teens might have found a new way to disrupt our lives. According to a report from KTVB News, it seems that a teen from Idaho launched a DDoS attack on his school district’s entire network.
This resulted in knocking them completely offline which in turn disrupted more than 50 schools in the process, including activities such as payroll to standardized tests. It also disrupted students such as those who were taking the Idaho Standard Achievement test and who had to keep redoing them as the system kept losing their work.
Now the teen in question did not do the attack himself. Instead the 17-year old had hired third-party help in order to launch the DDoS. The teen in question has since been arrested after he had been tracked down using his IP address, and it is possible that he could now face State and Federal felony charges.
This could result in the teen going to jail for 180 days as well as being expelled from the school. The parents of the teens are also expected to pay for any losses that might have been incurred as a result of the DDoS.
Teen Launches DDoS Attack On His School District’s Network , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use. 
I will never forget the image of my father’s body lying peacefully in his casket. His face was pale and the remaining hair on his head was snow white. I could still feel the presence of his spirit, a spirit that carried him through life and made him what he was: a man who never gave up no matter what. At that moment, I asked myself, “What was the secret of my father’s life? What was the source of his will power, his determination and his energy?”
I recalled my father giving a very simple answer to these questions more than 20 years earlier, when I was still a teenager. We were sitting side-by-side at my family’s Christmas Eve dinner when I said, “Father, there is no God.” I had expected my declaration to provoke a strong response, but my father only gazed gently into my eyes and said: “Son, I told you all about how I survived as a prisoner of war, when many others gave up and died. There is only one reason why I did not give up: God.”
At that moment, I felt ashamed for having tried to take God away from my father, the very reason that gave him the will to survive the most hopeless circumstances. This was one of the most important lessons I had ever received in my life. It made me realize how our souls long for meaning and purpose, for a reason to live. My father taught me that if we find purpose or meaning in our lives, it empowers us to overcome great adversity, to have a more optimistic outlook and to flourish in life.
This insight was reiterated by Viktor Frankl, a psychologist and survivor of the Nazi concentration camps, who wrote: “Man’s search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life.” Frankl had observed in the camps, that while a person cannot always avoid suffering, he can choose how to respond to it. By finding meaning, even in the most challenging circumstances, he can gain the willpower to overcome adversity. Viktor Frankl himself surviving the Holocaust is a prime example of that.
Viktor Frankl, and my father too, found meaning through suffering, but Frankl emphasizes in his book, Man’s Search For Meaning, that suffering is not the only way to find meaning. He suggests that meaning can also be found through the experience of love and through the work somebody creates. While he describes in detail how one can find meaning through suffering as well as through love, he only briefly touches on how one can find meaning in work when he states, “everyone has (to find) his or her own specific vocation or mission in life…”
But how does someone find his or her own specific vocation or mission? To answer this question, I developed The Boomerang Approach, a straightforward process to help people find their true vocation and mission. Many people have used The Boomerang Approach to change to careers with purpose, that allow them to work on overcoming the world’s most pressing challenges.
To learn more about how to find your specific vocation or mission in life you may want to read my book: The Boomerang Approach.
–Reiner Lomb
www.boomerangcoach.com
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It seemed like a small miracle that my third grade daughter’s dance routine was the second act in the two-hour lineup of her school talent show. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw her name so close to the beginning, knowing that we were off the hook if (when?) our 3-year-old was unable to make it to the end of the show.
As I scanned the program, I saw that the final number was called “Brave,” and it featured nine 4th grade girls. I had a feeling it would be worthwhile for us to make it to the end of the talent show — for whatever reason, I just sensed it would be special.
Fortunately, with the assistance of an iPad on mute, several trips to the drinking fountain and a few seating adjustments, our preschooler made it through the entire show. We had moved to the very back of the auditorium to minimize any disruptions to those around us, and it was time for the final song. A line of girls wearing white T-shirts and holding large white poster board signs filed onto the stage, and the opening strains of Sara Bareilles’ “Brave” filled the room.
The first student held up her sign:
“You are amazing.”
Another sign came up:
“Stronger than you know.” I felt my eyes burning with tears.
And a third:
“More beautiful than you think.”
“Learning. Growing. Not Alone.” By now, tears were spilling down my face.
“Flawed. Whole. Scared. Brave.”
As the messages kept coming, the audience cheered on the girls, and Sara Bareilles’ beautiful words poured from the speakers. It was overwhelming, moving and powerful.
The very first girl to hold up her sign accidentally had it upside down. When she realized it and turned it around, everyone cheered her on. She got back up and kept going; it actually seemed to fit in perfectly with the message of their performance. At the end of the song, the girls donned hats and boas, picked up toy guitars and microphones, danced and did their thing. They showed all of us what it means to truly be yourself — flaws, silliness and all. I cheered and applauded with a lump in my throat, and I as returned to my seat, I saw that my friend had also been crying during the performance. Here we were, two 36-year-old women weeping at an elementary school talent show. And I suspected we weren’t the only ones.
Why was this message so powerful that it brought me to tears? As the mother of two little girls, the words of this song and the words on the girls’ signs encapsulate exactly what I hope my children are able to internalize as they navigate the world around them. I want them to believe in themselves. I want them to feel strong and proud. I want them to understand that it doesn’t matter if they look like the girls in the magazines or on TV — that they are more beautiful than they think.
The words on the signs came from an incredibly powerful poem called “You. Are. Amazing.” by Tia Sparkles Singh of Your Life, Your Way.
As we send our young daughters into the world, they are vulnerable and highly susceptible to insidious messages about what it means to be a girl in this world. You should be pretty. You should dress like all the other girls. You should be skinny. You should do whatever it takes to fit in. You should be like everybody else. When I was 10 years old, I certainly didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin, strong or brave.
Historically, girls have been socialized to be attractive, polite and good. But today’s girls are finally being given permission to transcend those roles. Of course we want them to be kind and considerate to others and to take pride in their appearance. But we also want them to be strong, to believe in themselves, to let their own unique light shine. To be brave.
When I asked how the girls got the idea for this performance, I discovered that it had actually been a few of their moms’ idea. I thought that was fantastic — it’s equally inspiring that these girls have mothers who are aware of the importance of this positive message. If we want our girls to embrace confidence, courage and self-acceptance, it’s going to have to start with us. As mothers, fathers and mentors, we have to teach our girls these values — they’re not likely to stumble on them on their own while being bombarded by other less-constructive messages from the world around them.
But the girls had their own ideas about the powerful message they had to share. Here’s what they had to say:
“It can inspire people to encourage others.”
“Spreading this message can make people more confident about themselves.”
“Help stop bullying.”
“Be yourself, not someone else.”
“I want to be liked for who I am.”
“We all have our own personalities.”
“Don’t be afraid to be yourself.”
“This message can change people’s lives and the whole world.”
This transitional age — from the tween years to the teen years — is absolutely transformative, and it is a crucial time to instill feelings of empowerment, security and a strong sense of self in our girls. What if we could really help them to believe and internalize these messages and to get that message to spread to other girls in the school, in the city and beyond? What would it take for parents, daughters and community members to join together to change the way we think about girls and women in the world? I don’t think there is any better gift we can give our daughters than to help them discover that they are powerful, valuable, and brave.
These girls threw a pebble, and it made ripples. They stood on stage in front of their entire school and shared who they are — quirky, kind, strong, beautiful, and confident. They were, in a word — brave.
You can watch their fantastic performance here:
This post originally appeared on Mommy, for Real. Connect with Stephanie on Facebook.
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This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
