text: The US Dept of Veterans Affairs has announced the opening of the second Industry Innovation Competition with up to $100 million in potential awards in these categories:
  Sterilization of Medical Equipment: VA processes tens of thousands of reusable medical devices in its 153 hospitals nationwide. VA seeks to improve the safety and reliability of this process with automation of the whole system from identification of the instrument through cleaning, packaging, and reporting.
  Tele-audiology: Hearing loss and tinnitus are two of the three most common service connected disabilities for all Veterans. Most of the Veterans receiving care in this area have to make multiple trips a VA Medical Center (VAMC) that provides audiology services creating a burden on Veterans traveling long distances. VA is seeking solutions to allow for the remote assessment of hearing through telemedicine.
  Blue Button: In September of 2010 VA launched Blue Button – a tool allowing patients to view, print, or download a portion of their medical record and share it with providers or others that they trust. VA is interested in solutions that can expand the types of data that Blue Button can access or that build applications to provide greater functionality to Veterans who download their data through Blue Button.
  Prosthetic Socket Design: VA is both a leader in prosthetic research and the largest provider of prosthetic limbs in the country. For this competition VA is interested in solutions that improve the fit and function of the socket that connects a Veteran’s residual limb to the prosthetic device. Designs that can adjust to swelling and other changes to the volume of the residual limb will provide a better fit and more comfort for users.
  February 15, 2011 in Health Care | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
  NASA Stardust – quite a frequent flyer!
  Quite a career:
  “The (comet) Tempel 1 flyby (which happened yesterday) likely will be the last assignment for Stardust, which is running low on fuel after logging almost 3.7 billion miles in space since its launch in 1999.”
  Space Daily
  Photo credit JPL
  February 15, 2011 in Space studies | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
  “Growing” clothes
  “If Suzanne Lee's work catches on, one day we may exchange clothing recipes the way we swap casserole concoctions:
  Mix bacteria and yeast.
  Add mixture to a large tub of sweetened green tea (any sweet solution will do.)
  Let sit undisturbed for two to three weeks.
  A "mat" will form on the surface. Remove and let dry.
  Discard the solution.
  Use the mat to sew a traditional garment.
  Lee, 41, is a British fashion designer and the driving force behind BioCouture, a method she created for growing clothes from a bacterial/cellulose solution that may be the ultimate eco-friendly operation requiring few environment-taxing resources to produce.”
  BusinessWeek
  February 14, 2011 in Biology and Biometrics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
  The Boeing 747-800
  “The new Intercontinental has other distinguishing features: Its tell-tale hump, which covers double-deck seating inside, stretches 13.3 feet longer than before. Its redesigned wings, which begin near the base of the fuselage and sweep upward as they slope away from the cabin, give it the appearance of a soaring bird.”
  USA Today
  February 13, 2011 in Industry Commentary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
  New Life for the Palm WebOS
  HP’s Palm sub announces TouchPad (on WebOS 3.0) and two smartphones: Veer and Pre 3 (on WebOS 2.2)
  And there is a slew of announced apps for 3.0 from amazon, Time Inc., Skype and others, and a SDK for even more.
  February 09, 2011 in Mobile applications and commerce | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
  “Content Mills”
  “Over the past decade, Reese (of Demand Media) has quietly pioneered a new breed of media company, colloquially called a "content mill." Where traditional media companies rely on creative professionals to generate ideas aimed at loyal repeat readers, content mills are far more transient. They rely on crowd-sourced stories and search engine optimization, the art of gaming online search results to ensure one appears at the top, to rope in drive-by users looking for a quick hit of information—how to hang a door, say, or make sourdough starter. The pedigree of the source providing it is not important.”
  BusinessWeek
  February 09, 2011 in Crowdsourcing, Search technology | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
  Is this a bank or an Apple Store?
  Citi opened a glamorous, high-tech branch in New York City's Union Square last night. The 9,700 square foot branch was designed by Eight, Inc., designers of the Apple stores….the new branch at 14th Street and Broadway features six interactive sales walls; image ATMs; free online access and Wi-Fi for customers; 24/7 access from the ATM lobby, to customer service experts via videoconferencing; and a private seating lounge for customers of Citigold, Citi's premium banking service.
  Bank Systems and Technology
  February 08, 2011 in Smart Autos, Homes, Sports, Restaurants... | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
  The Fabulous world of Jules Verne
  On this the birthday of one of the earliest and most loved science fiction writers, a trailer from the movie by Karel Zeman.
  February 08, 2011 in Industry Commentary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
  The universal flu shot?
  “Scientists at Oxford University have successfully tested a universal flu vaccine that could work against all known strains of the illness, taking a significant step in the fight against a disease that affects billions of people each year.
  The treatment – using a new technique and tested for the first time on humans infected with flu – targets a different part of the flu virus to traditional vaccines, meaning it does not need expensive reformulation every year to match the most prevalent virus that is circulating the world.
  Developed by a team led by Dr Sarah Gilbert at Oxford's Jenner Institute, the vaccine targets proteins inside the flu virus that are common across all strains, instead of those that sit on the virus's external coat, which are liable to mutate.
  If used widely a universal flu vaccine could prevent pandemics, such as the swine flu outbreaks of recent years, and end the need for a seasonal flu jab.”
  The Guardian – via Scott Nelson of Gartner
  February 07, 2011 in Health Care | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
  Miami’s New World
  To bring the audience closer to the musicians, Gehry configured the 756 seats in the New World Center's main auditorium around the stage. During performances, nine high-definition video cameras feed images to an editing booth, which transmits an edited feed to a vast 7,000-sq.-ft. (650 sq m) projection wall on an exterior wall of the building, allowing audiences in the adjoining park to enjoy the music outdoors. Back inside, rehearsal rooms are Web-connected to allow the young musicians in Miami to take video-conference-style master classes from instructors anywhere in the world. If it all works, this won't be just a concert hall you go to. It will be a concert hall that goes to you.
  Time
  February 07, 2011 in Smart Autos, Homes, Sports, Restaurants... | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)