Dog Walks Again With Four Bionic Legs

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Alan Shazan

In a world where technology is sometimes considered to be more harmful than helpful, it’s always nice to hear stories that support the opposite approach.

A Red Heeler cattle dog named Naki’o was abandoned in a frozen puddle when he was just a puppy. Severe frostbite resulted in the amputation of all four of his paws, and the dog was kept at a Colorado rescue center.

Veterinary surgeon Christie Tomlinson came across Naki’o and took him home as a playmate for her golden retriever. She explained: “I’ve always had a soft spot for animals with problems. I knew I had the skills and knowledge to be able to take care of him properly. I took him to work with me every day and was able to x-ray his legs regularly to see how they were developing.”

She explained that when Naki’o was small, he was light enough to hold himself up on just the stumps. However, as he gained weight it became too painful for him.

Christie said: “I felt so bad for him as his condition worsened. He is such a hyper and happy dog, but I was having to take him for walks in a stroller and carry him around. He couldn’t be a normal dog, he couldn’t lead the life he wanted.”

A company called Orthopets in Denver, Colorado, caught Christie’s attention. The company, founded by husband and wife Martin and Amy Kaufmann, was established with Martin realized that human orthopedic devices can be used on animals too. They offered to help Naki’o free of charge, and fixed four bionic legs for the dog. He is now walking, jumping and playing with other dogs as naturally as he would with his own legs.

For more information and images, visit the Daily Mail.

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Obama Proposes Doubled Sentence for Internet Hackers

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Alan Shazan

For quite some time, the White House has implied that the sentences for breaking into government and other private networks should be made more severe. Now, following the recent incident during which both the CIA and the Senate’s websites were hacked, the Obama administration is urging Congress to instill stronger, more reliable internet security, as well as to double the maximum sentence for such crimes, to 20 years in prison.

The proposal has not yet been approved, but the issue of cyber-security and internet crime is becoming more and more serious in recent months. Computer hackings have been targeting large, international companies and organizations such as Sony Corp, Citigroup and the International Monetary Fund. Other loosely organized groups have claimed to have broken into both the Senate’s and the CIA’s websites.

“It’s been a busy month,” said James Lewis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Lewis explains that the “hacktivists” made a “big mistake” by hacking the FBI and CIA sites. “That bumps it up immediately,” he explained. “That could make it a grudge match.”

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The Cube and Adopting Clean Energy Technologies

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Alan Shazan

Psychologist Mike Page of the University of Hertfordshire has recognized that people are reluctant to adopt clean energy technologies in there homes. The question he asks is Why? This is a video presenting a 3×3 meter house called ‘The Cube’, which demonstrates the various technologies and their uses in a regular home.

http://youtu.be/LLzFBaFE1gk

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Verizon Wireless to Change Service Plans

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Alan Shazan

Verizon Wireless has revealed plans to change smartphone packages by removing the option that allows unlimited Web access for a set price. Instead, the cost for web access will be tiered. The switch will mean a significant increase in costs for heavy data and smartphone users.

According to Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo, the switch will be followed by a new option: family plans. This move is intended to soften the blow, as it can reduce costs in areas other than internet. The current plan enables families to share a collective number of minutes, however, each smartphone user is still required to pay $30 per month. Tablets also require a separate data cost.

“We had individual minutes for individual users. Then we eventually got to what we call family share where everyone in the family shares the same minutes,” Shammo explained. “I think it’s safe to assume that at some point you are going to have mega-plans and people are going to share that mega-plan based on the number of devices within their family. That’s just a logical progression.”

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Chicago’s Adler Planetarium to Open ‘Deep Space Adventure’

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Alan Shazan

Chicago’s new Adler Planetarium is expected to open in the very near future. According to the managers, the planetarium is a one-of-a-kind “immersive space experience.” Located in a dome, ‘Deep Space Adventure’ takes visitors on a virtual trip through the universe, where images and videos will be experienced from the observation deck of a futuristic starship.
Here is a video from Reuters.com:

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Necomimi: The New Brainwave Sensors

Posted on May 22, 2011 by Alan Shazan

Japan has developed a new hi-tech fashion, called “Necomimi”, meaning “cat’s ears.” These white ears are worn on the head, and they reflect a person’s mood or emotions.

Necomimi have two brain-wave sensors which can identify the emotional state of the wearer, and express them with four different positions. When a wearer is feeling focused, nervous or alert, the ears shoot upright, and flatten when a person is relaxed. When a reader is both focused and relaxed, like while reading a book or playing a video game, the ears spin in slow circles. During times when brain activity is especially low, the ears flap back and forth.

Neuro-control is an area of technology that is currently being researched in an effort to help disabled or “locked in” patients, who are conscious but are unable to communicate in any way. Necomimi’s developing company used the technology in an experimental, more toy-like way. While many find this approach childish, the developers have explained that this technology, as well as ones like it, could be used as a communication tool for people who are more shy and withdrawn near strangers.

The cat ears are not completely accurate, however. Kana Nakano, one of the creators, explained that cat ears react differently in nature. “For example, when cats are frightened or want to scare away an enemy, they flatten their ears. But with Necomimi, flat ears mean a relaxed state of mind. We have changed the meaning to suit human perceptions. To humans, it’s kind of cute when cat ears are flat. So the most difficult bit was to fine tune cat ear movements.”

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Finding Love in New York

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Alan Shazan

If you go to New York, or if you are privileged enough to be a resident of the city that never sleeps, you’ll probably find at least one thing to fall in love with.  But how easy is it to find one person with whom to fall in love?  Janis Spindel and Richard Easton might know a thing or two about that.  Richard Easton Matchmaker and Samantha Table could well have an understanding of today’s dating scene in New York and how difficult it can be. Whether you are a busy, successful executive who simply does not have the time to check out all the single haunts The Big Apple has to offer, or a high-class individual who has no desire at all to be hanging around waiting for the perfect match, you might want to take a look at some of the Samantha Daniels Statistics and Richard Easton Matchmaker Reviews.  In the meantime though – so that you enjoy the time you have left before meeting your perfect beau – how can you milk the city for the most fun?

Good and Bad of The Big Apple

Remember that there is both good and bad in New York. So if you want to have some real fun, observe the crazy chaos of the city, and take a walk to enjoy the tranquility of one of the beautiful parks.  Soon you will be able to benefit from the new law about to be put in place on May 23 that will prohibit smoking in the city’s parks and beaches.  The Bill – signed by Mayor Bloomberg – aims to “welcome the chance to improve the beauty of the city’s public outdoor spaces, and ensure an even healthier and cleaner experience for New Yorkers.”

So next time you want to go on a walking date at Times Square or Herald Square, you don’t have to worry about smoke blowing into you or your date’s face.  You can enjoy each other smoke free!  In addition, if you are more into finding a fun, exciting place to take your date to, check out all the tourist spots that never get old, such as the Brooklyn Bridge or Empire State Building.  You never know what could happen atop one of those – they have been known for some quite interesting proposal stories!

 

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‘Angry Birds’ Developers Plan IPO in Three or Four Years

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Alan Shazan

‘Angry Birds’ is one of the most-downloaded mobile games today. Rovio, the developing company, has its sights on an initial public offering in the next three or four years.

“It is very possible that we will be listed in bourse in three to four years, but we are not in a hurry,” Peter Vesterbacka, chief marketing officer, told Kauppalehti. “We can carry out all of our current plans without bourse listing, but bourse is still a more meaningful direction than, for instance, selling the company.”

Vesterbacka explained that Rovio hopes to become the world’s leading entertainment brand within the next three years. The company is currently opening an office in China, and is contemplating opening more in Japan and the US.

Rovio estimates that its sales will increase from 6.5 million euros to 50-100 million in 2011.

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Innovative Kids Making a Difference

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Alan Shazan

While many people sit back and moan about issues that bother them, some people work to make a difference.  It’s certainly commendable when adults go out of their way to start organizations for great causes – but it’s particularly noteworthy when busy students and young adults do so.  Here is a spotlight on a few of these amazing students and the organizations that they’ve founded.

Teen Screen

John Carney started the Teen Screen program while he was a sophomore at Dana Point High School. He wanted to raise awareness about the dangers of sun cancer and the damage that the sun can cause to the skin.  He hoped to encourage sports teams to make using sunscreen part of their daily routine. Today, his Teen Screen programs have gone national and they offer materials that schools and other organizations can use.  With a generous donation from the National Melanoma Awareness Project and the John Wayne Cancer Foundation, the the Teen Screen chapters even have single-use sunscreen packets that they are able to hand out during presentations to schools, youth groups and other organizations.

Students Aiding Indigent Families

Ashley Gunn started a non-profit business that buys, renovates and sells abandoned homes to help families in need.  In 2006, she won the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award by the National Federation of Independent Business and Visa USA.  She explained that she started the business when “I was moved by the poverty and despair all around and was determined to help address similar needs back home in the Jackson area. She said that she was following in the footsteps of her parents, who are self-employed investors.

Shannon’s After-School Reading Exchange

When Shannon McNamara was 13, her family took a trip to Peru to volunteer at an orphanage.  A few years later, they went to Africa and Shannon started her own nonprofit called Share (Shannon’s After-School Reading Exchange) to help educate African girls.  She goes to Tanzania every summer to help students there and she has, so far, collected 23,000 books and shipped them to the schools there.

 

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RIM Reveals Newest Upgraded BlackBerry

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Alan Shazan

Research In Motion, also known as RIM, has revealed its newest BlackBerry Bold smartphone. The upgraded software and layout is part of RIM’s effort to reestablish its presence in the smartphone market. According to the company, the new phone will be able to manage corporate and government communications from Apple devices, as well as Google Android software.

RIM plans to use the Blackberry’s boosted security features as a selling point. The phone also allows companies to control employee access to corporate data while on-the-go. These aspects of the phone have made the BlackBerry a very prominent work phone. Recently, however, many corporate figures have branched out, and now prefer Apple or Android devices.

RIM’s co-chief executive Jim Balsille explained to analysts that “device diversity is a reality.”

The newest phone, which will be released in stores this summer, is the thinnest, most powerful touchscreen phone the company has developed so far. It will support the two most popular networks, GSM and CDM.

Analysts believe the company will need to develop more than one new product in order to stay above the radar.

“It’s not so much any individual product that’s going to change investor’s perception of the stock. It’s going to take an upgrade of the entire product portfolio with the operating system upgrades,” said Alkesh Shah, analyst at Evercore Partners.

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