Mar 07
A new study, involving half a million participants from across Europe, shows that eating processed meats appears to increase the risk of dying young. More »
Mar 04
By now, you’ve almost surely heard at least some mention of the notorious “pink slime” that’s invading fast food and, by consequence, our children’s lunches. More »
Mar 04
It has been several months now since we talked about a bizarre USB-powered product from Thanko. Last time out it was a hairbrush that automatically misted your hair with water as you brush. The new product from the purveyor of strange gadgets this time is a USB-powered UV Air Purifier.
The air purifier is able to clean the air around your desk of dirt and odors. The purifier has a two-speeds and stacked filter elements to clean the air as the air is pulled through the purifier. The filter set up has six layers total and is capable of trapping particles in the air as small as 0.3 µm.
That is an impressively small particle size and the device could go a long way towards improving the air quality in your office or cubicle. The purifier also features an integrated ionizer to help capture dirt and other allergens. Another feature inside the device designed specifically for killing bacteria and germs is an integrated ultraviolet light.
Hospitals all around the world use ultraviolet light to kill airborne bacteria and germs so as strange as using UV light sounds, it is a proven method. The USB purifier sells for $65, so the device isn’t exactly cheap. You could probably go down to your local Walmart for Target store and pick up a plug-in air purifier that would do much better job, and do it quicker.
[via EverythingUSB]
Thanko unveils a new USB-powered air purifier is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Feb 27
How to Prevent Running Blisters
Posted in: Today's Chili
Getting blisters on a run is the most annoying of injuries. They hurt. They can keep you sidelined when you’re trying to train. They heal slowly. Worst of all: They’re not even cool enough to brag about. So let’s see how we can prevent them from happening in the first place. More »
Feb 21
A man walks out of a restaurant into the night and sees street lights and brightly lit shop windows. He’s so thrilled by the spectacle that he stands there for 10 minutes, just looking. The reason for his joy at such a mundane sight is the fact that he is normally totally blind. More »
Feb 20
If you have short telomeres, you’re basically screwed. We’ve known these dwarfed pieces of DNA are connected to aging-related disorders like dementia and heart disease, but they also might make you more likely to catch a cold. More »
Feb 19
One of the best things to do if you’re watching your weight is to just be careful of portion sizes. Eating a whole bag of Doritos? Not good for you. Eating a small handful? Less worse! Something even better to do is to eat more low calorie foods and less calorie dense items. Less bang for your buck can actually be good! Here’s what 200 calories looks like in food. More »
Feb 18
A ten year project, the Brain Activity Map, that attempts to fathom the deepest workings of the human brain at a cost of billions of dollars is expected to feature in President Obama’s budget proposal next month, scientists have revealed. The collaborative research effort, hoping to do for our understanding of neurology and brain activity what the Human Genome Project did for genetic discovery, will see federal agencies along with private institutions receive a huge boost in funding, sources told the NYTimes, with potential applications in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s treatment, in the development of artificial intelligence, and other avenues.
Four scientists and representatives of research institutions have confirmed they have already been involved in planning the Brain Activity Map project, though the US government would not comment on the speculation. However, it’s expected to be managed by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, insiders claim, with involvement from DARPA, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institues of Health.
The new project was, in fact, teased during Obama’s State of the Union address last week, where the president pointed out that brain research should be among the top ideas the government must invest in. Apparently pre-empting concerns about the costs the Brain Activity Map project might involve, Obama highlighted that each dollar invested into human genome mapping “returned $140 to our economy.”
As for private sector involvement, although neuroscientists and nanoscientists are expected to do the heavy lifting, there are some familiar names believed to already be adding their input. Google, Microsoft, and Qualcomm are all said to have had representatives at a mid-January planning meeting, the subject of which was developing computers that could collect, store, and manipulate the sort and scale of data the Brain Activity Map project would involve.
Such technology did, in fact, exist, was the conclusion, though the technology to actually gather the data still needs work. Current methods of tracking brain activity are either inaccurate or demand invasive application of probes. One possible alternative is using tiny, molecule-scale machines that would individually monitor brain cells, though it’s unclear how close to such systems we are in practice.
[Image credit: Kelly Stoltz]
Obama’s Brain Activity Map project expected to receive billions in budget is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Feb 15
The FDA approved a new technology this week that promises to give limited vision to people who are blind. The technology the FDA has approved is called the artificial retina. It allows people with certain types of blindness to be able to detect crosswalks, people, cars, and some can detect large letters or numbers.
FDA approval for the system marks a new point in the field of vision research promising to help restore sight to some people who are blind. The artificial retina is a sheet of electrodes that is implanted into the person’s eye. The patient is also fitted with glasses that feature an integrated camera and a portable video processor.
The entire system is known as Argus II and allows visual signals to bypass the damage portion of the retina in be transferred directly to the brain. The artificial retina doesn’t allow the blind to see in the conventional sense that most of us are used to. It does give those fitted with the system the ability to identify outlines and boundaries of objects. It is said to be particularly effective when there is high contrast between light and dark areas.
The Argus II is made by a company called Second Site Medical Products and is specifically designed to treat people with severe retinitis pigmentosa. People with this condition have deteriorated photoreceptor cells in the eye that are meant to take in light. About 100,000 Americans are believed to suffer from this medical condition and somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 are expected to qualify for the Argus II system. To qualify people have to be over 25 and had previously useful vision. The system will cost about $150,000 not counting surgery and training and it remains unclear if insurance companies will cover the system.
[via NYT]
FDA approves artificial retina for the blind is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Feb 14
Wahoo Fitness has unveiled a new product for avid bicyclists that iPhone users will find very interesting. The product is called the Wahoo RFLKT and it is claimed to be the world’s first iPhone-powered bike computer. Wahoo says that the little device gives you all the power of your iPhone in the footprint of a sleek cycling computer.
The idea of the product is that you can keep your iPhone secure inside a pocket or bag with no risk to the phone in the event of the crash or drop and still have access to needed information. The RFLKT has buttons on the side allowing the user to control the app, change data screens, start and stop the timer, and control other app functionality including the ability to play music. The little bike computer is only 2 ounces and measures 2.4 x 1.6 x 0.5-inches.
A replaceable coin cell battery powers the bike computer so you don’t have to take it off your bike and remember to recharge before each ride. The computer connects to the iPhone using Bluetooth 4.0. Since bike computers are likely be subject to bad weather and accidents, the RFLKT is IPX7 certified for all types of weather and terrain. The device is compatible with the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4S.
The bike computer is compatible with multiple applications, including the new Wahoo fitness version 3.0 app for cycling. It will also work with other cycling apps that will be coming soon including Cyclemeter and Strava. The RFLKT bike computer is available now for $129.99.
[via Wahoo Fitness]
Wahoo Fitness unveils RFLKT iPhone-powered bike computer is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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