Fisher-Price® Kid-Tough® Portable DVR Puts Preschoolers' Favorite TV Shows in the Palm of Their Hands

If you don't have TV's available in your treatment areas, here is a nice next best thing.  The Kid-Tough DVR from Fisher-Price is a handheld system that holds 2 hours of video and lets kids hold it in their hands.  It appears pretty ruggedly built and could most likely hold up to the beating it would take being used by a variety of youngsters in a dental setting.

Here are all the details from the Fisher-Price company:

New device enables parents to digitally record any content that comes from their home cable box or satellite system and take it on the go!

EAST AURORA, N.Y., Jan. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Watching TV shows on the go has never been easier for preschoolers, thanks to the Fisher-Price® Kid-Tough® Portable DVR. Even new TV episodes can be recorded for viewing on this cool, kid-friendly, hand-held device.

Recording TV shows is easier than finding the remote! It takes parents only a matter of minutes to simply attach the Kid-Tough Portable DVR to its base unit that is connected to their TV and set top box (DVR, cable box, satellite box, digital converter box) and they can record their children's favorite TV shows. Recording can even be programmed for up to 24 hours in advance of the show's air time.

The Portable DVR has easy-to-use, kid-friendly controls and contains a rechargeable battery for 4-6 hours of play time (the battery re-charges when the unit is docked).  The built-in memory accommodates up to 2 hours' worth of content. Families heading on a cross-country road trip can expand the memory and stock up on the latest TV episodes before they leave the driveway by purchasing an additional memory card for the micro SD card slot. This will help minimize the "are we there yet?" hollers from the back seat!

In addition, the device features a 3.5 inch touch-screen interface and a slick, high-end design that preschoolers will love, in either pink or blue.

The Kid-Tough Portable DVR will be available this summer at major retailers nationwide.

The Routes the Nukes Take

Here's a scary bit of info for you.  It's especially scary for me since one of the plants is right in my home town.  Heck I could even tell you where it's located… but then I'd have to… well you get the idea.

I was completely stunned when I came across this article that lists the routes used by trucks transporting cargo for nuclear uses.

While you probably don't think about it… well until  you think about it, those parts & materials have got to go somewhere.  And they have to get there too right?  So it only makes sense that the feds are spending 250 million a year to make sure all gets there without incident.

This is one of those geek things that is so very cool while being so very scary all at the same time...

For the full article with all the details, check out Mother Jones.com

Beam Brush Sends Toothbrushing Stats to Your Smartphone

 

Here is the marriage between home dental care and high tech, at least in some ways.

The Beam Brush is a Bluetooth enabled device that will send information from the brush to a Beam Brush app on your Android powered smartphone.  This enables the owner of the pone to track brushing times and habits.  It appears from the website that multiple brushes can be paired with a single phone so that mom or dad can keep up with the bruising of an entire  household.

The app even features a timer that appears on the screen of the phone to let you see how long you've been brushing.  The app can also provide educational modules from "top professional resources" although the actual resources were not mentioned.  However, the feature I was most interested in is the ability of the app to email brushing info to the dentist.  That info could then be saved and added to the patient's digital chart helping us discover ways to improve home care!

The app and brush communicate so the app will alert you when it is time to replace the brushed which should cost about the amount of a normal toothbrush.

The device is not a powered toothbrush, it is your run of the mill "normal" hand operated model.   I'm not sure what the price is, but if it is affordable enough, I could see this being a nice adjunct to patent home care.

I can see this being handy for a busy family who really needs to check up on their kids & their bruising habits.  Although, the range of BlueTooth is only 10 meters so the phone is going to have to be in fairly close proximity to the brush while it is being used.

At first glance (although I've been wrong before) this seems like a 1/2 way point between a true manual brush and a powered one such as SoniCare or Oral-B.

I'm going to contact the company and see if I can get more info or samples.  If so, I'll definitely report back on this.

 

MIS Implants/PeriZone™ Video Explains Mechanism of Action for its PerioPatch® Hydrogel Wound Dressing for Oral Pain and Inflammation

Fair Lawn, NJ (February 14, 2012) – MIS Implants Technologies, a leading manufacturer of dental implants and superstructures, recently created an animated video that clearly displays the mechanism of action for its oral wound management product, PerioPatch^®, the first product from its newly-established  brand within the oral health division, PeriZone™.

 

The PeriZone PerioPatch was created to provide relief from the signs and symptoms of oral inflammation and trauma, as well as protect oral wounds from further irritation.The patch, with a unique combination of herbal ingredients, securely adheres to moist intraoral tissues upon contact, providing a gentle, shielding barrier. PerioPatch absorbs wound exudates, and in turn promotes natural healing.

 

MIS Implants Technologies, Ltd. created the video to identify the appropriate patient profile, demonstrate proper application, and display the healing process with assistance from PerioPatch in a format that is visually compelling and easy to understand. In the length of one minute and ten seconds, the company intends to provide this information to dental professionals quickly and clearly.

 

The video can be found on PeriZone’s website (www.periopatch.com), or by clicking here, and will officially be introduced to the dental community at the upcoming Chicago Midwinter Meeting, booth #4727.

 

The PeriZone brand is new to the dental landscape, having launched in June of 2011, and strives to provide dental professionals and patients with state-of-the-art oral healthcare products that are unparalleled in quality and performance.

About MIS Implants Technologies, Ltd.

MIS Implants Technologies, Ltd., headquartered in Israel, was founded in 1995 and has served as a leading high-tech research and dental implant production company for many years. The company spans the globe, with distribution in almost 70 countries worldwide, and specializes in the complete cycle of production – including the design, development, manufacturing, and marketing of an advanced comprehensive range of dental implants, superstructures, surgical kits, and tools, as well as the newly developed line of oral health products. MIS has been committed to providing the dental community with significant research and top-of-the-line products that continually keep their customers smiling. The 2011 launch of PeriZone™, reflects this same commitment to dental professionals and consumers worldwide. The oral health division’s goal is to provide dental professionals with superior, innovative products to ensure the greatest level of patient care.

Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn has Surgery for Oral Cancer

 

For most of my adult life, I've been a baseball fan.  For me, there is something timeless about the game and the game's best players.  That's why for years I enjoyed watching Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres.  Tony has always been a class act as well as a prolific hitter.  He's truly one of those players who played the game "the right way" and who has conducted himself the right way off the field too.  The photo above is of Tony at his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

So I was saddened when I learned that Tony has been battling oral cancer.  I'm very passionate about doing all we can in the profession to help detect this disease at its earliest stages.  Through proper screening techniques and utilizing the latest in technologies designed to help us screen better, we can help our patients by locating the disease before it can kill or disfigure.

I'm not sure how I missed the news in 2010 when it was announced that Tony was battling cancer in his parotid gland, but it somehow slipped under my radar.

I learned of the news on Wednesday of this week through this article on the Sports Illustrated website.

Here's wishing Tony all the best for a speedy recovery.  Also, here's a call to my colleagues to do everything we can to help our patients beat this disease by finding it in the very beginning!

For more info on oral cancer screening devices, check out these sites:

Velscope

Dentlight - Dental Oral Exam System

DentalEZ Identafi

 

A Major Update to the Google+ iOS App with a Cool Photo Backup Included

 

Google+ has been out for a while now.  In case you aren't familiar with it, in a nutshell it is Google's answer to Facebook.  It goes deeper than that, but for the overall purpose of comparing, I think that sums it well for a short & sweet definition.

I've had a Google+ account for a while now and I like it.  I've never been one to spend much time on social networks though.  My Twitter feed is about the extent of my social stuff, however it's easy to see why Google+ was created since so many folks spend so much time with social media.

Of course one of the big ways that people connect nowadays is on the go.  The smartphone has pretty much become the center of  our lives.  So, it's only natural for purveyor's of said social networks to make sure we can access them while we're on the go.

So it's a wise move that Google+ exists in the smartphone space.  There has a been an app for the network available for a while now, but this post will deal with the most recent update and its special photo backup bonus.

The app has been available for a bit on the Android platform, but for those users with iPhones, it's been a waiting game… until now.

It seems that by installing the latest update to your iOS device you also get your photos and videos backed up to a private album on your Google+ account.  Cloud storage of your visuals that happens in the background… automatically!

While there are other services that provide the same thing, I still like the idea of redundant backups and this is a good one.  Download the app and check it out.

For the full story, here are the details from Anton Lopyrev of Google.

 

LIfe on the Road - Why Travel is Glamorous Until You Actually Travel

I frequently say that this blog is about "technology and life", so you can file this  post under the "life" column.

 

I spend a fair amount of time traveling in my second job as tech editor, lecturer, and consultant.  By a fair amount, I mean on average of at least 2 trips per month… sometimes more.  It's enough to give me a healthy perspective on those individuals whose job pretty much requires them to travel for a living.  That's a job I greatly respect and would never want to have.  Travel nowadays is difficult and frequently stressful.

 

While often people think the travel part of my job is exciting, I'm afraid that frequently isn't true.  Don't get me wrong, sometimes I get to go to some amazing places and/or do amazing things, but those trips are definitely in a slim minority compared to the garden variety trip to lecture at a major meeting or to a group.  Here's a little tale from the past weekend to illustrate this point.

 

On Friday I was set to lecture to a group in Duluth, MN.  The crowd was tremendous and I the location of the meeting was in a building built in the 1920's.  This building actually was a men's club from the turn of the century and had 4 rooms for guests to stay in.  It was an amazing building and my 2 room suite had the incredible ambiance of turn of the century elegance.  If you are into antiques, I'm talking an amazing old bathtub, steam radiators, paned glass, oak beams… the entire place was breathtaking.  However, the getting there and getting home isn't nearly as amazing as the group who invited me or the location.

 

I knew we were in for a cold snap in the central US, but no one who travels much really wants to travel with a bulky winter coat.  So I took my medium weight Scottevest jacket which has tons of pockets and keeps one reasonably warm without  taking up 2 seats on the plane.  Living in KC means I get few direct flights so I  had to hop to O'hare and then on to Duluth.  This particular trip had a later departure than some so I didn't arrive in Duluth until about 11:15 pm.

 

My hosts had contacted a local cab company to make sure someone would pick me up.  We landed and I found out we were the last flight in that night.  Shortly after I got my bag, most of the lights in the airport began to go out.   We also landed to a temp of 10 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind of probably 15-20 mph.  It was bitterly cold and my cab was nowhere to be found.  I called the cab company and was told my ride was 5 minutes away.  After 10 minutes I checked in to see where they were and was told the cab was now 2 minutes away.  I patiently waited another 10 minutes before calling again.  This time I was told that an error had been made and that the original cab was not available and another was now being sent.  It would arrive in 10 minutes.  So… 20 minutes later my cab arrived.  By now I think there was one other person in the airport besides myself.  I clambered into the cab and we headed to my destination.  I fell into bed at about 12:30.

 

Travel can be difficult to plan and this trip had an added wrinkle.  In order to get home on Friday evening, I could not fly back out of Duluth.  There simply wasn't a flight option that would get me back to KC that night.  So, I was lucky enough to have a friend of mine drive down to see part of the lecture on Friday and then drive me back south to Minneapolis where I could catch a flight home from there.

 

It was a drive of over 2 hours, but the time really went by fast as we chatted and laughed.  It really was a great time.  I was dropped at the airport at about the same time I got an automated call from United telling me my flight had been delayed for an hour.  With only an hour layover in O'hare, I knew this was bad news.  I went inside the airport and found help at the United check-in area.  There the nice ladies told me that my flight had literally just moments before been cancelled.  It seems there was snow in Chicago and things were backing up.  However, Debbie, the Untied agent,  was an angel and managed to get me the last seat on an earlier flight which was also delayed and would be leaving at about the same time as my original.  I would be getting to O'hare at about the same time as I had planned in the first place and making my connection would be no problem.

 

I went through security and munched on a burger as I waited for my flight.  However, this was going to be "one of those trips".  As I nibbled on my dinner, I got another automated United call letting me know that my new flight was further delayed and would be leaving 30 minutes later than I originally planned.  This would give me 30 minutes to make my connection, which is about the bare minimum you ever want to have.  I didn't hold out much hope now, but when you travel you often don't have lots of choices.

 

We ended up boarding 15 minutes earlier than planned and now my hopes once again were buoyed with the hope of seeing my beloved home before Saturday.  Alas, my plane pushed back from the gate and then we sat… and sat… and sat.  I knew it was now over.  I was stuck.  I didn't have a chance.

 

We departed at last and I tried to relax as best I could.  I *really* wanted to get home, but there wasn't' much chance of that.

 

We landed in Chicago and began to taxi.  There was only 10 minutes before my flight left and I knew I would never make the flight.  Then the unlikely happened.  As I turned on my iPhone, I received yet another automated call from United to tell me that my connection was delayed.  Suddenly I now had 30 minutes to make the connection.  I got off the plane and took off on a run.  As I said before, it was just 'one of those trips' and it was proven again when I ended up having to run from the very end of Terminal 1 in O'hare to the very end of Terminal 2.  I don't know if there is a greater distance to cover in O'hare, but if there is I don't ever want to have to cover it.  This was a haul and I covered it in a jacket and dragging a rolling computer bag behind me.  By the time I had actually gotten off the plane, I only had 20 minutes and I know the door is more or less closed at 10 minutes prior to takeoff.  I really had to hustle.  I arrived at my gate panting and covered in sweat, only to be told, "Sorry we got it off the gate a few minutes earlier than we planned."  I could see the plane a mere 20 or so yards away just sitting there, but they were not coming back.  I was given a ticket for the 8:22 am Saturday flight.

 

I walked a bit and found an empty gate where I flopped, took off my jacket, and tried to cool off.  What to do now?  It was 10:15 pm and I had nowhere to go.  I ended up deciding that sleeping in a bed was preferable to sleeping in the airport so I called the airport Marriott and got a room.  I went downstairs to get a cab.  I was beat, it had been a long day, and I just wanted to get somewhere.  My bag, of course, was gone.  That's one thing about checking a bag… if there is a problem like this, you can't get it back.  All I had was my computer and the clothes on my back.  I stepped outside to discover that it was 5 degrees Fahrenheit in Chicago with a 25 mph wind.  That effectively made it -20… oh and did I mention that there was a cab line and no cabs?  I waited 15 minutes in an arctic blast for my ride.

 

At long last cabs began to filter in and when I finally fell into mine, my ears and fingers were tingling and burning from exposure.  "Airport Marriott," I said to the driver.  I was beat, whipped, trounced by travel.  Now I was home free, at least I'd be in bed in a few minutes.  "What city is that it?" a voice from the front seat said.

 

I snapped back from my momentary state of relaxation.  It seemed I was in the only cab in Chicago that was unaware there was a Marriott in close proximity to O'hare.  He consulted a book.  I gave him the address, which he asked to have repeated, and upon hearing it a second time he just shrugged and went back to the book.  I Google mapped it on the iPhone and handed it to him.  He looked at the map and just shook his head.  After 20 minutes of this he rummaged somewhere in the front and pulled out a GPS unit.  It was then, of course, that he realized in the tunnel like structure of lower O'hare that he could not get satellite access.  We had to leave, find a place to park, and then punch in the address.

 

It was after midnight when I finally made it to the Marriott.  God bless them, I told them I had no bag and they located a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, and other items for me.  I managed to grab about 4 1/2 hours of sleep before heading back to O'hare and then the comfort of my home back in Kansas.

 

I'm thankful these types of trips don't happen very often, but they do happen.  The funny thing is, the more you travel, the more you increase your odds of a nightmare like this happening.  It's just the law of averages.  So if you have a friend or relative that spends a fair amount of time in airports, remember to cut them some slack every once in a while.  Sometimes we just can't help ourselves if we're a bit tired or grumpy.