Archive for the ‘TECHNOLOGY’ Category

Zerona Laser: The Latest Innovation in Cosmetic Treatment

Friday, March 5th, 2010

A lot of people have been talking about the Zerona laser, one of the latest innovations in laser technology used in cosmetic treatments. The Zerona laser is a relatively new technique that was only introduced in the market last 2008. Developed by Erchonia, one of the leaders in laser technology used in healthcare and wellness industries, Zerona is a new, non-invasive body-sculpting laser that works by stimulating the fat cells in the body. This causes the fat cells to burst, eliminating the fat stored inside. The fat is then released from the body through the lymphatic system during the normal course of detoxification. The whole treatment takes about six visits, with each session lasting forty minutes. It is clinically proven to be effective in reducing a patient’s waist, hips, and thighs by a couple of inches.

Initial tests were conducted to analyze the procedure’s effectiveness. It was also presented to the American Society of Lasers in Medicine and Surgery in 2008, and it received FDA market clearance for usage in the United States. In May 2009, it was featured in Cosmetics Surgery Times in a controlled study. The study revealed that the Zerona laser was proven to reduce body fat and the size of waist, hips, and thighs by an average of four inches.

This procedure is a slimming technique that is safe because it is painless during and after the procedure and it has no downtime. It is a convenient means to contour one’s body as it doesn’t need incision or marks from the treatment, doesn’t require wearing compression garments, and has no reported side effects. Thus, this technique, unlike other traditional procedures like liposuction, allows the treated patient to function normally throughout his or her daily regimen without the hassle of experiencing discomforts such as pain from surgery, wounds, or garments.

“Invisible Bracelet” for Emergency Health Alerts

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

America’s emergency health care system just got an upgrade with a virtual medical ID. Called the Invisible Bracelet (iB), the device would help emergency responders deliver optimum service to patients.

iB lets Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers know the patient’s personal health history at a glance. In case of a crisis, the bracelet would automatically notify the patient’s kin and acquaintances.

Using an HIPAA-compliant web service, iB lets responders in on vital health details crucial to maximum EMS. Among others, the device can temporarily equip EMS providers with read-only information like the patient’s allergies.

Better yet, iB can automatically send a text message to loved ones in case of an emergency. Should an ambulance be required, medics on standby in call centers can notify the patient’s In Case of Emergency (ICE) contacts. With so much as a button push, the medic can likewise notify a hospital in the vicinity.

Renewable yearly for $5, the service gives members a card with a computer-assigned PIN number. It can hold as much as 10 ICE contacts. It may also come as keychain flash drives or implanted microchips.

iBs are designed to set off tangible medical bracelets, like those for diabetics and asthmatics. In some ways, it could be better, insofar as healthy people can wear invisible bracelets.

iB was initiated by invisibleBracelet.org in Oklahoma in April and done in partnership with the American Ambulance Association, the largest network of EMS providers in the US.

Now it is set to take off nationwide, as the American Ambulance Association prepares to train medics in January 2010. Nearly 100,000 people have applied as medics since it launched. In addition, the University of Oklahoma is integrating it into its campus services.

When fully available in early 2010, the iB would be the first national emergency health registry system in the US.

Shoppers Scramble for Zhu Zhu Pets

Friday, January 15th, 2010

Parents across the US are dashing to buy the mechanical rodent known as the Zhu Zhu, currently the most in-demand Christmas gift for children.

They could be hard to come by though.

Retailers like Toys “R” Us and Walmart have been losing stock of the toys as parents continue to make requests for them. Meanwhile, opportunists at eBay have been selling them for as much as $100 each; the elusive toys otherwise only retail for $8.

In research conducted by the NPD Group, Zhu Zhus now rank among the five fastest-selling toys of 2009, in league with old favorites like G.I. Joe. In this view, Zhu Zhu’s maker, Cepia, could pocket $70 million in profits.

Loosely translated in Chinese as “piglet,” the Zhu Zhu is essentially a squeaking and chirping piece of artificial intelligence covered in faux fur. It is engineered to respond randomly to a touch and can scoot around reflexively.

But the fun doesn’t stop there. Largely made for 4-year old tots, the Zhu Zhu comes with a wide array of accessories, for which parents stand to shell out as much as $50. A single slide costs around $35, while a skateboard retails for nearly $13, the full-fledged “hamster city” selling for $130.

With daughters Natalie and Ashley, Cepia founder Russell Hornsby started conceiving the Zhu Zhu in 2008. At that time, the trio just discovered a 45-million strong demographic for live hamsters; they were willing to gamble on such market to splurge on artificial pets.

Such sales pitches grew to a crescendo this Yuletide, spawning a hysteria unseen since the debuts of Tickle Me Elmo, Pokemon, and Cabbage Patch dolls.

So-called Zhu Zhu parties have even been held. Throughout 2009, there were 300 of these affairs, in which parents could bond over their children, who would in turn bond over Zhu Zhus.

Now Wal-Mart has ordered more of the toys, to be shipped via 747s from China. In addition, the store has started holding Zhu Zhu sales twice a week, just so parents could satiate their children in time for Christmas morning.

Texting Grows Among Americans

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

More Americans are using their thumbs rather than their mouths to communicate. In figures released Dec. 15, 2009 by the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of text messages sent in 2008 doubled from the previous year. In 2008, Americans sent more than 110 billion text messages. In comparison, only 48 billion messages were sent in 2007.

Interestingly, it appears as though Americans prefer to conserve their voices when contacting persons via cellphone. On average, they only spent 2.3 minutes each on a mobile phone call in 2008.

All in all, more than 270 million mobile phone and texting device users were accounted for in 2008. This number represents a 70% jump from 2003, when there were only around 159 million subscribers.

Merely 2.1 billion text messages were sent that year. That number has since risen more than 52 times in the six years leading to 2008’s record breaker. From two billion, the number of sent text messages rose to 4.7 billion in 2004, 9.8 billion the following year, 18.7 billion in 2006, and finally a quadruple billion in 2007.

Still, the average monthly cellphone bill relatively stayed the same throughout this six-year period. Since 2003, it has remained at approximately $55.

Talk time reached its pinnacle in 2004, even as call plans and mobile phones became increasingly available and affordable for everyday consumers. The average user talked for 3.05 minutes on the cellphone that year.

These numbers are largely based on a survey conducted by the nonprofit group known as the CTIA-Wireless Association. The Census Bureau used the data for their yearly Statistical Abstract, known in American terms as Uncle Sam’s Almanac.

Now on its 129th outing, the Statistical Abstract contains figures and tables about the economy, politics, society and everyday life in the United States. The abstract has been a traditional source of statistical information for many researchers and businesspersons.

YouTube Lists Most Viewed Videos

Friday, January 8th, 2010

For the first time ever, YouTube counted down its most watched videos for the year.

In the list published Dec. 16, singing phenomenon Susan Boyle tellingly got the most popular video of 2009. Approximately 120 million views worldwide went to a clip of her debut appearance on Britain’s Got Talent, the reality contest where she emerged as runner-up.

She bested the second-most watched video by a huge margin. “David after Dentist,” a clip of a seven-year-old boy dazed and disoriented after a dentist’s appointment, was viewed 37 million times the world over.

Up next, with 33 million views, was the “JK Wedding Entrance Dance.” Minnesotan newlyweds Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz star in the clip, which features their July wedding’s unconventional intro. To the tune of Chris Brown’s “Forever,” the couple and their entourage walked and danced their way down the aisle.

“Forever” re-entered the music charts shortly after the video went viral. Sony, which owns the song’s rights, shared in ad revenues from the clip.

Meanwhile, “David” of dental fame has become a precocious public speaker of sorts. Even more successful was Boyle, whose debut CD has topped the US album charts for multiple weeks in December.

Coming in fourth was the trailer for the blockbuster film New Moon. At 31 million views, it gave a titillating sneak peek into the film, which chronicles the travails of a teenager caught in the romantic advances of a vampire and a werewolf. The movie was starred in by heartthrobs Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, along with Kristen Stewart.

Another commercial rounded out the top five. Bottled water maker Evian garnered 27 million views for its ad showing diaper-clad infants on rollerblades.

On top of the most watched videos, YouTube listed the year’s most popular music videos produced by record labels. At 82 million views, “I Know You Want Me” by Pitbull claimed the top spot. Teen pinup Miley Cyrus acquired 118 million views collectively for “The Climb” and “Party in the USA.”

YouTube, which debuted in 2005, is currently one of the world’s most famous websites. Every minute, 20 hours of new material are uploaded into the site.

Unveiled: World’s First Commercial Spaceship

Monday, January 4th, 2010

Ending months of conceptual drawings, space tourism outfit Virgin Galactic undraped its first commercial spaceship in glitzy ceremonies held on Dec. 7, 2009 in the Mojave Desert.

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson was on hand to reveal the spaceship, named the Virgin Space Ship Enterprise (V.S.S. Enterprise). Joining him in the customary breaking of champagne bottles were Virgin Galactic President Will Whitehorn and California and New Mexico governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Richardson.

VSS Enterprise promises to send people into space in 2011, following lengthy safety tests. At most, the Enterprise would offer five minutes of weightlessness and a view of the globe’s curvature.

Would-be astronauts need to cough up $200,000 (£122,000) for a space trek. Already, 3,000 individuals have booked the flights, 300 of whom have paid $20,000 each as a deposit. Many of the latter were seen at the ceremonies in the Mojave Air and Space Port.

“NASA spent billions of dollars on space travel and has only managed to send 480 people into space. We’re hoping to send thousands,” said Sir Branson, who, with his family, would take the first flight.

Scaled Composites, the company of 2004 Ansari X Prize winner Burt Rutan, built VSS Enterprise, otherwise known as the first of the planned SpaceShipTwo fleet. Rutan created the Enterprise’s predecessor SpaceShipOne, which already flew twice into space.

Measuring 60 feet long, VSS Enterprise is attached to a double-fuselage craft called WhiteKnightTwo, in turn nicknamed VMS EVE. The latter would convey VSS Enterprise to an altitude of 50,000 feet, after which a rocket would propel the spaceship further above the planet.

In seconds, the spaceship would ascend towards the fringes of the earth’s atmosphere, 62 miles above the earth. At this point, the passengers have reached suborbital space, where they can unfasten their seatbelts and float around.

Passengers in the Enterprise would then become astronauts in their own right. In comparison, NASA gives astronaut wings to people who have flown 50 miles above the planet.

Branson’s Enterprise will undergo a series of flight and ground safety tests for the next 18 months.

Wilson College’s Harry Brook Science Complex Opens

Friday, December 18th, 2009

At Wilson College, the Harry Brook Science Complex is the newest place to facilitate and enjoy science-related learning. Students will be able to use the facility to do work or study on science subjects like chemistry and biology.

With a worth estimated at $25 million, the Harry Brook Science Complex is Franklin County’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy an Environmental Design) certified building. It boasts of air exchange vents, two-way flushing toilets, and solar panels. The science facility also uses slate chalkboards and showers for people who travel to work by bicycle.

Considered a work of art, the science complex features a waterfall and an atrium. The waterfall provides the 76,500 square foot facility all-natural light.

Environmentalists and green thumbs will also enjoy the greenhouse, while history and science fans will love the rocks, stuffed animals, eggs, and fossils found in the natural history museum.

Veterinary medicine students can also study the skeleton of a thoroughbred, which they can take into the laboratories whenever needed.

Last January 2009, students started attending classes in the science facility.

Named after Harry R. Brooks, the Harry Brook Science Complex thrived on donations by Brook’s daughter, Marguerite Brook Lenfest. Together with her husband H.F. Lenfest, Marguerite gave $10 million for the completion of the science facility. In addition to this, the couple promised to match other donations with another $10 million.

According to news releases, Wilson College received a total of $17 million from the couple, together with over $16 million that came from other sources.

One of the reasons why the Lenfests donated to Wilson’s new building is their observation that majority of Wilson College’s students, about 63% to be exact, take up science-based or science-related majors. Science, together with math, is also a general education requirement in virtually all schools.

Profiles in Business: Dan Hesse

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Fifty-five-year-old Dan Hesse was appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Kansas-based telecommunications company, Sprint Nextel, Dec. 18, 2007.

Prior to becoming Sprint Nextel’s chief, Dan Hesse had served as the chief executive officer and chairman of Embarq Corporation, a $6 billion company providing data, voice, entertainment and wireless services across 18 states.

Aside from Embarq Corporation, Dan Hesse had also served as the chairman and chief for Terabeam Corporation, a technology company providing wireless telecommunications services. He was able to hold that position for three years from 2000 to 2004.

Moreover, Hesse was also able to dedicate 23 years of his career to serve as the president and chief executive officer at AT&T Wireless Services. The wireless services provider was at that time the largest wireless carrier in the United States.

From 1997 up to 2000, Dan Hesse was able to launch AT&T’s international online initiatives. As the head of the Online Services Group, Dan Hesse was also able to launch AT&T’s Worldnet family of Internet services. From 1991 up until 1995, Hesse was the president and chief executive officer of AT&T Network Systems International, a joint-venture telecommunications company. Prior to his AT&T management duties, Dan Hesse was assigned to several Network Operations, Network Engineering, International Services, Strategic Planning, Human Resources, Product Management and Sales.

For his dynamic leadership, Dan Hesse received the recognition of many prestigious publications in the telecommunications and technology industry.

He was named as the Wireless Industry’s “Person of the Year” by the RCR magazine, “Most Influential Person in Mobile Technology” by LAPTOP Magazine, as well as “Executive of the Year” by the Wireless Business and Technology magazine. In addition to those, Dan Hesse was also able to receive the Ellis Island Medal of Honor as well as Wireless Week magazine’s Leadership Award.

General Electric purchases small navigation tech company

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

General Electric has purchased a Kent, Wash-based firm, Naverus, which spearheaded satellite-based airplane navigation technology for guiding aircraft and streamlining flight patterns around airports.

The amount of the transaction has not been disclosed as of Nov. 23.

Naverus’ technology can steer air traffic on autopilot along a smoothly descending, satellite-guided path, avoiding the stair-step approach and constant interplay with air traffic controllers that are now required to bring in planes.

By linking satellite-based GPS with the plane’s autopilot system, the technology allows closer spacing of airplanes and more fuel-efficient landing approaches, according to experts in the field.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gave the company approval two months ago to design and validate flight paths at U.S. airports for a wide array of airlines. The approval enables the company to play a role in accelerating the FAA’s proposed modernization of the U.S. air traffic system, known as NextGen.

Naverus was founded in 2003 and its mission is to “harness emerging navigation technologies to make air transportation operations around the world run better,” according to its Web site.
Naverus will become part of GE Aviation Systems.

Swiss privacy agency to sue Google over Street View

Friday, November 13th, 2009

A privacy agency in Switzerland said it plans to sue Google over its Street View feature.

Street View allows users to see street-level pictures online. The application has been criticized by other European countries because it could expose private or embarrassing things about people’s lives, according to an Associated Press article.

The Swiss agency said it wants Google to ensure that all license plates, faces and private streets are blurred. It also wants at least one-week notice of when Google will be in the area taking photographs and when it will be available online.

“In the Street View service, which has been online since mid August 2009, numerous faces and vehicle number plates are not made sufficiently unrecognizable from the point of view of data protection, especially where the persons concerned are shown in sensitive locations, e.g. outside hospitals, prisons or schools,” said Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner, Hanspeter Thür in a news release.

The commission maintains that previous advance information from Google has been incomplete.

“Google announced that it would primarily be filming urban centres, but then put comprehensive images of numerous towns and cities on the Internet,” said Thür. “In outlying districts, where there are far fewer people on the streets, the simple blurring of faces is no longer sufficient to conceal identities. This is primarily due to the website’s zoom function, which enables the Street View user to isolate and enlarge images of individuals on the screen.”