Hasta La Gadget!

Eizo may not be aiming this one directly at average consumers, but there’s nothing stopping you from picking up its new 17-inch FlexScan T1751 monitor to make your industrial-style mutlitouch dreams come true. As you can sort of see above, this one can either be used upright or titled nearly flat, and it packs a non-widescreen, 5:4 aspect ratio — albeit with a slightly disappointing 1,280 x 1,024 resolution. The monitor will work with a touch pen and gloved hands, however, and you’ll get a decent 178 degree viewing angle, along with a 1,500:1 contrast ratio, a pair of built-in 0.5W speakers, a headphone jack and, true to its industrial nature, a non-scratch surface made of reinforced glass. No official word on a price or release date, unfortunately — Eizo is simply telling folks to check with their local distributor for details.

Continue reading Eizo rolls out 17-inch FlexScan T1751 multitouch monitor

Eizo rolls out 17-inch FlexScan T1751 multitouch monitor originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Oct 2010 00:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Need further confirmation that an IV drip of 5-Hour Energy is what your body really needs? Look no further than Murata’s newfangled fatigue sensor. Demonstrated at CEATEC in front of thousands of jetlagged Americans, Europeans, Easter Islanders and Samoans, this compact device is built by “integrating a photoplethysmographic sensor, which measures a pulse and a blood oxygen saturation level, and electrodes that measure electrocardiogram (ECG).” We’re told that the unit measures a fatigue degree (reported on a 1 to 100 scale) based on the “pulse, blood oxygen saturation level and electrocardiogram measured by the sensing parts,” and while we’re guessing the prototype will have to shrink significantly before it happens, the company seems focused on cramming this thing into cellphones and portable game consoles of the future.You know — so Nintendo actually can know when you need to lay down the gaming and step outside for a bit.

Murata’s fatigue sensor demoed, coming soon to mobiles and handhelds near you originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wondering where you’ve heard of Berkeley Bionics before? These are the same whiz-kids who produced the HULC exoskeleton in mid-2008, and now they’re back with a far more ambitious effort. Announced just moments ago in San Francisco, the eLEGS exoskeleton is a bionic device engineered to help paraplegics stand up and walk on their own. It’s hailed as a “wearable, artificially intelligent, bionic device,” and it’s expected to help out within the hospital, at home and elsewhere in this wild, wild place we call Earth. Initially, the device will be offered to rehabilitation centers for use under medical supervision, and can be adjusted to fit most people between 5’2″ and 6’4″ (and weighing 220 pounds or less) in a matter of minutes. We’re told that the device provides “unprecedented knee flexion,” and it’s also fairly quiet in operation; under ideal circumstances, speeds of up to 2MPH can be attained, and it employs a gesture-based human-machine interface that relies on legions of sensors to determine a user’s intentions and act accordingly. Clinical trials are going on as we speak about to begin, and there’s a limited release planned for the second half of 2011. We’re still waiting to hear back on a price, so keep it locked for more as we get it live from the event.

Update: We just got to see the eLEGS walk across stage, and you’ll find a gallery full of close-up pics immediately below. We also spoke to Berkeley Bionics CEO Eythor Bender, who detailed the system a bit more — it’s presently made of steel and carbon fiber with lithium-ion battery packs, weighs 45 pounds, and has enough juice to run for six hours of continuous walking. While he wouldn’t give us an exact price, he said they’re shooting for $100,000, and will be “very competitive” with other devices on the market. Following clinical trials, the exoskeleton will be available to select medical centers in July or August, though Bender also said the company’s also working on a streamlined commercial version for all-day use, tentatively slated for 2013.

Continue reading Berkeley Bionics reveals eLEGS exoskeleton, aims to help paraplegics walk in 2011 (update: eyes-on and video)

Berkeley Bionics reveals eLEGS exoskeleton, aims to help paraplegics walk in 2011 (update: eyes-on and video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the seemingly perpetual battle to rid this planet of cancer, a team of neurosurgeons from Washington University are using a new MRI-guided high-intensity laser probe to “cook” brain tumors that would otherwise be completely inoperable. According to Dr. Eric C. Leuthardt, this procedure “offers hope to certain patients who had few or no options before,” with the laser baking the cancer cells deep within the brain while leaving the good tissue around it unmarred. The best part, however, is that this is already moving beyond the laboratory, with a pair of doctors at Barnes-Jewish Hospital using it successfully on a patient last month. Regrettably, just three hospitals at the moment are equipped with the Monteris AutoLITT device, but if we know anything about anything related to lasers, it’ll be everywhere in no time flat.

Neurosurgeons use MRI-guided lasers to ‘cook’ brain tumors originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Oct 2010 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Be a hero and save a life with Zoll’s PocktCPR. Intended to be used by people already trained in CPR, it reminds the user what to do and gives feedback on whether it’s being done correctly.

Performing CPR incorrectly may harm the victim. For that reason, many bystanders are often reluctant to step in and be the hero. PocketCPR issues step-by-step audio and visual instructions on what to do.

By placing the PocketCPR on the victim’s chest before beginning CPR chest compressions, the device can give real-time verbal feedback and visual indicators to ensure it is being done correctly. If it’s done correctly, PocketCPR will say, “Good compressions,” and flash four LED lights. Otherwise, it will say “Push harder,” and flash just one LED.

The accelerometer inside the device measures the rate and depth of chest compressions and an audible metronome helps maintain the rate and rhythm.

Before beginning the compressions, the instructions remind you to calm down, check for the victim’s responsiveness and call for help.

There is a silent mode to suppress audible feedack. The lights continue to flash in silent mode.

The battery lasts about 12 hours before needing to be changed.

PocketCPR is approved by the FDA and is available for $149 online. Disposable sanitary slip-covers are sold separately. An app is also available to transform the iPhone into a PocketCPR. The app is not cleared by the FDA and should be used for training purposes only.