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Health
Energy-generating sOccket soccer ball scores a goal in off-grid villages
By Jeff Salton
21:08 February 8, 2010 PST
What kid doesn’t like kicking around a soccer ball? Imagine if this fun activity could also provide enough energy to power something useful in a modest off-grid African village, like a reliable light to cook by or an emergency mobile phone. The sOccket is a prototype soccer ball that captures kinetic energy when it is kicked or thrown, stores it in an internal battery and makes that energy available for a myriad of small but useful purposes. In other words, it’s a fun, portable energy-harvesting power source that is designed to take a kicking. Read More
Wearable wireless health sensor for remote bio-monitoring
By Rick Martin
17:07 February 2, 2010 PST
With it's rapidly aging population, few countries stand to gain as much from developments in the remote monitoring of bio-signals as Japan. As a culture that reveres the elderly it's likely that the Japanese will be one of the countries leading the charge in the growing field of bio-signal telemetry. Just one example is the HRS-I, or the human recorder system, that gathers health-related information and transmits it wirelessly to a mobile phone or PC. Read More
Increasing magnesium intake can boost brainpower - at least in rats
By Jeff Salton
02:08 January 29, 2010 PST
Your mother was right – eating your “greens” (which contain magnesium) is good for you. In fact, according to neuroscientists at MIT and Tsinghua University in Beijing, rats who were fed a new compound that increased their brain magnesium demonstrated enhanced learning abilities, working memory, and short- and long-term memory. The dietary supplement also boosted older rats’ ability to perform a variety of learning tests. Great, if it’s not hard enough getting rid of the rodents now, imagine trying to remove smarter rats! Read More
Withings WiFi body scales weighs in with Google Health
By Jeff Salton
20:54 January 28, 2010 PST
If you’ve stacked on a few too many pounds over the festive season, this could be just the thing to help turn the tide. Withings, maker of the world’s first WiFi-connected personal scale has integrated its product with the Google Health service. The Withings WiFi Body Scale can provide updates to a user’s Google Health profile in real-time using its built-in WiFi connection. Read More
Envelop desk: ergonomics meets comfort to get the job done
By Jeff Salton
00:12 January 22, 2010 PST
Study the picture above – is that how you look at work or are you more like the typical computer slave – hunched forward, limbs at the wrong angles, wrists askew – just a repetitive strain injury waiting to happen? If you suddenly straightened up when you read this and felt the tension in your shoulders, neck, arms and back, is it time to invest in some ergonomic furniture to make your working or gaming life more pleasant and productive and also help justify the money you spent on your computing power? The Envelop is a design inspired by a pioneer in ergonomics, Herman Miller, and has been developed to enhance the human relationship between seated postures and computer-based technology. Read More
Death knell for the dentist's drill?
By Ben Coxworth
13:38 January 20, 2010 PST
With the possible exception of those singing, mounted fish, there is likely no piece of technology quite so universally hated as the dental drill. Well, a new invention may soon make that device obsolete - in many situations, at least. When it comes to the treatment of cavities, the current approach is to treat small ones with fluoride therapy, then wait for anything larger to reach the stage where it needs to be drilled. Now, dental technology company DMG is offering a cavity infiltration system called Icon, that allows dentists to treat no-longer-small cavities before drilling becomes necessary. Read More
Biosensor paper strip test for safe drinking water
By Jack Martin
16:19 January 18, 2010 PST
Engineers at the University of Michigan have developed a strip of paper infused with carbon nanotubes that can quickly and inexpensively detect a toxin produced by algae in drinking water. The paper strips perform 28 times faster than the complicated method most commonly used today to detect microcystin-LR, a chemical compound produced by the blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) commonly found on nutrient-rich waters. Microcystin-LR is among the leading causes of biological water pollution and is believed to be the culprit of many mass poisonings going back to early human history. Read More
Blue Monday: enough to get you really depressed
By Gizmag Team
21:54 January 13, 2010 PST
If you live in the Northern hemisphere (75% of Gizmag readers do), and you’re prone to depression (20% of all people are clinically depressed at least once in their life), your outlook is quite probably headed towards its bleakest early next week - Blue Monday occurs next Monday, January 18, and is the day when a series of combined depressive effects, identified in the aforementioned equation as weather (W), debt (d), time since Christmas (T), time since failing our new year’s resolutions (Q), low motivational levels (M) and the feeling of a need to take action (Na). It all sounds so plausible, but sadly it’s a total crock of BS, and the story is still being perpetuated. Read More
China a rising star in regenerative medicine
By Gizmag Team
19:16 January 9, 2010 PST
Chinese researchers have become the world's fifth most prolific contributors to peer-reviewed scientific literature on clock-reversing regenerative medicine even as a skeptical international research community condemns the practice of Chinese clinics administering unproven stem cell therapies to domestic and foreign patients. According to a study by the Canadian-based McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health (MRC), published this week by the UK journal Regenerative Medicine, China's government is pouring dollars generously into regenerative medicine (RM) research and aggressively recruiting high-caliber scientists trained abroad in pursuit of its ambition to become a world leader in the field. Read More
Your expensive running shoes could be destroying your knees, ankles and hips
By Loz Blain
01:12 January 6, 2010 PST
It's early January - you're probably looking to work off some of your Christmas kilos and shed that festive spare tyre. For millions of people around the world, that means making a New Year's resolution, buying a new pair of runners and hitting the road for a jog. But a new musculoskeletal study has concluded that the average modern running shoe is significantly more damaging to your knees, hips and ankles than running barefoot - or even walking in high heels. With osteoarthritis of the knee representing the biggest cause of disability in the elderly, this is a serious finding that's worth taking into account if you want to protect your joints. Read More
Mobile MaxPure solar filters bring pure water to refugees
By Jeff Salton
23:01 December 22, 2009 PST
Recently we reported on Marines and their deployment of GREENS solar-power for technological devices on the battlefield. World Water and Solar Technologies (WWST) has also placed solar-powered water purification units throughout the world including war-torn Darfur, Sudan. Working with the Humanitarian International Services Group (HISG), two high-volume Mobile Max Pure (MMP) water filters have been installed that use the sun for their power. Placed in a carefully selected location where it could do the most good, each unit can generate up to 3.5kW of solar electric power and provide 30,000 gallons of clean drinking water for the many thousands of displaced civilians. Read More
IBM forecasts the next 5 big ideas for the next 5 years
By Darren Quick
19:20 December 20, 2009 PST
Casting one’s eye into a crystal ball is a risky undertaking that can leave the forecaster as visionary or fool – particularly if they are short term predictions that can easily be checked. But that hasn’t deterred the soothsayers at IBM coming up with their fourth annual “Next 5 in 5” list of innovations that will impact our lives in the next five years. Based on market and societal trends as well as emerging technologies, the latest list focuses on innovations that have the potential to change how people live, work and play in our burgeoning cities. Read More
Millipore Scepter shrinks cell counting technology
23:42 December 15, 2009 PST
From identifying anemia by counting red blood cells to tracking the growth of cell/ tissue cultures in a laboratory, counting cells is the basis of many life science activities. Designed to replace the process of counting cells manually under a microscope using a hemocytometer or an expensive desk top automatic cell counter, Millipore's Scepter crams cell counting technology found in much larger instruments into a hand-held device the size of an automated pipette. Read More
Zilico’s cervical cancer screening device: could this mean the end of pap smear testing?
By Jude Garvey
23:30 December 2, 2009 PST
For most women, pap smear tests are a necessary but often uncomfortable experience they have to endure every few years. And afterwards, they may have a stressful few weeks waiting for the test results. A cervical cancer screening device currently being trialed in Europe could signal the end of pap smear testing. Zilico’s system consists of a portable, handheld device and a base unit and as opposed to pap smear tests, can provide a result in a matter of minutes. Read More
New plasma device disinfects human skin in seconds
By Darren Quick
18:10 November 27, 2009 PST
Low temperature plasma is currently used for the sterilization of surgical instruments. This is because plasma works at the atomic level and is able to reach all surfaces, even the interior of hollow needle ends. Its ability to disinfect is due to the generation of biologically active bactericidal agents, such as free radicals and UV light, which can be delivered to specific locations. Research into how and why these biologically active agents are generated has led to the construction of two prototype devices: one for the efficient disinfection of healthy skin in hospitals and public spaces where bacteria can pose a lethal threat; and another to treat infested chronic wounds. Read More
No pain, no strain - the SmartFish ErgoMotion Mouse
By Mick Webb
13:47 November 24, 2009 PST
Ah, the humble mouse. Enabler of functions, the bridge between human and machine, and, evidently, the cause of much discomfort for millions of users the world over. With repetitive strain injury a major health problem linked to PC use, the long awaited Smartfish ErgoMotion Mouse is hoping to alleviate the pain. It features a tilting base that swivels in unison with a user’s natural hand and wrist movements, promoting circulation and comfort with the aim of reducing injury. Read More
Dating sites use DNA to find your perfect match
By Darren Quick
22:56 November 18, 2009 PST
If you’re looking for love online you can forget listing your hobbies and favorite books. Dating sites can now find your perfect match based on DNA. Numerous studies have revealed that chemistry, in particular body odor, plays a big part in the art of attraction, but such physical chemistry is usually impossible to identify when searching for partners online. Dating sites such as ScientificMatch and sense2love.com say they can bring chemical attraction back into the mix to increase the chances of finding someone genetically compatible with your DNA. Read More
Researchers ease monthly burden for world's poorest women
16:16 October 25, 2009 PDT
For most women the obligatory monthly visit that is the menstrual cycle is a quietly endured and discreetly dealt with occurrence. Feminine products in every size, shape and color, and available for purchase from supermarkets to public restrooms, lessen the burden. But contrast this reality with that of women living in impoverished countries for whom these commonplace hygiene products are unaffordable luxuries. This glaring discrepancy has prompted Sustainable Health Enterprises (SHE), together with researchers from North Carolina State University, to create affordable, quality sanitary pads to ease the lives of millions of women who, for several days a month, know another kind of period pain. Read More
The interactive 3D Virtual Autopsy Table
By Paul Ridden
16:17 October 20, 2009 PDT
Swedish researchers have developed an interactive touchscreen 3D autopsy table that allows pathologists to examine virtual representations of real bodies in minute detail and from numerous viewing angles. Using data provided by scans of an actual body, the table allows the user to remove layers such as skin and muscle, add or remove tissue and circulatory systems, zoom in and out and cut through sections with a virtual knife. The video below is a "must watch". Read More
Magnetic leaves indicate levels of air pollution
By Darren Quick
00:54 October 19, 2009 PDT
Measuring the level of magnetism of tree leaves could be a powerful tool to monitor the air quality of streets. A new study has shown that leaves along bus routes were up to ten times more magnetic than leaves on quieter streets. The magnetism comes from tiny particles of pollution, such as iron oxides from diesel exhaust, that float through the air and either stick to the leaves, or grow right into them. Read More
Vioguard Self-Sanitizing Keyboard
By Paul Ridden
14:43 October 13, 2009 PDT
Does your job require you to move from workstation to workstation on a regular basis? Does your nursing station have only one computer terminal? Is all the experimental data input via one interface? If the answer to any of these questions is in the affirmative, then Vioguard thinks its self-cleaning keyboard system might be just what you need to keep your PC safe from harm. By flooding the input device with germ-killing ultra-violet light for 90 seconds, Vioguard claims that nasty microbes will cease to exist and so reduce the risk of users inadvertently spreading infection. Read More
The Cruzbike Silvio - form and function in a front wheel drive
By Mick Webb
22:05 October 4, 2009 PDT
For many, the words “recumbent bicycle” conjure the image of a strange-looking vehicle with the rider set low to the ground achieving less than remarkable speeds. That perception could well become a thing of the past with the Cruzbike Silvio, the world’s only recumbent racing bike that is not only fully compatible with road bike components, but aims to eliminate many health problems associated with standard cycling. Read More
Hookworms may protect against asthma and other allergies
By Darren Quick
00:24 September 29, 2009 PDT
There has been a worldwide increase in the prevalence of asthma and other allergies over the last century. With the biggest jump in cases coming from the developed world, it's been theorized that the rise in such diseases could be the unintended result of the success of modern hygiene in preventing childhood infections. A new study conducted in Vietnam has added credence to the view that parasitic gut worms, such as hookworm, could help in the prevention and treatment of asthma and other allergies. Read More
Breathe easy (or not) with the Dust Alert sensor
By Darren Quick
02:48 September 28, 2009 PDT
Out of sight might mean out of mind, but it doesn’t necessarily mean out of danger, particularly in the case of small airborne particles. Such particles can severely affect your health, with effects ranging from asthma and bronchitis to lung cancer. If you’re worried about the possible presence of airborne particles in your home researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU) have developed a sensor called ‘Dust Alert’ that could confirm your suspicions or better yet, set your mind at ease. Read More
Time to relax with the StressWatch
By Jeff Salton
19:10 September 27, 2009 PDT
Most of us need a little bit of stress in our lives to operate effectively - the saying: “if it wasn’t for the 11th hour I'd never get anything done” rings true for many of us. But those with highly demanding jobs, or who live in stressful environments, know how damaging long-term exposure to stress can be. The StressWatch concept is intended as a stress-reducing device that provides a visual alarm for those sufferers who want to reduce the impact stress has on their health. In the past, Gizmag has witnessed a few stress-relieving devices like the HeartMath emwave PSR and the 'stress sensor vest' - it seems stress just won't leave us alone, so we better learn to deal with it. Read More
dariusvons
- February 10, 2010 @ 00:56 UTC
