While it can be an essential tool for diagnosing what’s wrong with a patient, MRI machines are large, noisy, expensive and can be extremely uncomfortable to be inside. Many people find them cramped and claustrophobic, which can be particularly difficult since you have to lie perfectly still for long periods of time to get a clean image. So GE has created a considerably smaller MRI machine that’s specifically designed to be used for imaging a patient’s limb.
Besides requiring smaller rooms and being considerably more affordable for a hospital, the new Optima MR430s is also far more comfortable for the patient. They sit or recline in an adjustable padded chair and insert their arm or leg into the machine. And since they’re more comfortable while the MRI is doing its thing, they’re less prone to moving about which results in clearer images and results. What sets GE’s new compact MRI machine apart from other compact solutions is that it still uses a powerful 1.5T (Teslas) magnet which means there are no compromises when it comes to image quality. And while the MR430s is limited in that it can only handle limbs, it does free up a hospital’s full-body machine when only a limited part of a patient’s body needs to be imaged.
Even if you don’t have kids, we all know that a baby can be expensive. And finding a way to save money and make every dollar count is an important part of raising a family. So instead of going to an expensive obstetrician for regular checkups during your pregnancy, you can now monitor your baby at home and save! Chinavasion’s selling this BabySound fetal heart rate monitor for ~$23 that lets you keep tabs on your unborn infant’s heartbeat. Whether it be for peace of mind, for listening for worrisome anomalies, or just plain curiosity. It’s apparently completely safe to use, and is sensitive enough to pick up a heart beat from as early as 10-12 weeks in to your pregnancy.
And from what I can tell, it’s probably still useful after your child is born too. When placed against a bedroom door it could be used to monitor private conversations or phone calls. Perfect for the concerned parent who develops into a nosy one.
There are plenty of gaming mice on the market, so how do you choose the one that’s right for you. Maybe you want one that looks good, or perhaps you need a lot of extra buttons for your macros. Unfortunately, if you’re a leftie, your choices become rather limited, due to the design of most mice. Thankfully NZXT knows how much of an issue this can be, and they have released the Avatar S, which can be used with either hand.
The “S” stands for “small”, which may or may not be a good thing. If you’ve got smaller hands, then you’re probably going to love this mouse. If not, you could be facing some serious hand cramps after a couple hours of gaming. If you want the full scoop on this mouse, head over to GamerFront to check out the complete review.
Can’t decide between a weekend getaway spent at a relaxing campsite or cruising around a lake? Now you don’t have to! Or at least, you no longer have to bring both a canoe and a camping trailer since the Sealander, created by industrial designer Daniel Straub, actually floats on water. Its wide, bowl-shaped design not only provides stability while floating, but it can easily navigate shallow waters without running aground. It also means you don’t need a trailer or a boat launch to get it in the water. Backing it up to a sufficiently cleared shoreline should be more than enough.
The inside of the rather compact, but light, trailer is designed to be completely modular, allowing it to be configured for cooking, cleaning, eating, sleeping and even on-the-water activities like swimming or fishing. A small electric outboard motor provides the propulsion while out on the water, while the trailer’s double sealed air chambers on the bottom ensure you’ll never have a miniature Titanic on your hands. Available sometime in 2012, in various designs and configurations, starting around $20,400 (€15,000).
These electronic versions of 20 questions, which seem to magically guess what you’re thinking by asking a maximum of — wait for it — 20 questions, are nothing new. But one that’s geared towards Star Trek fans and looks like a miniature version of the USS Enterprise? Well that’s something to note in your captain’s log. Fans of the newer series like TNG or DS9 might be disappointed to learn the game only covers characters and facts from the original Star Trek series and movies. But there’s still plenty of storylines to keep this thing interesting for at least the length of a drive to a Trekkie convention. Available from Amazon for just $8.75.
The downside is that you’ll be walking around with something that’s clearly Ecko branded, but the company’s new Zip earbuds feature a design that could outweigh that. In the past we’ve brought you concept headphone designs that feature a ‘zip-up’ cord so they don’t get hopelessly tangled when not in use. However, because they were just a concept, you could never actually own a pair.
But Ecko’s new ‘Zip’ earbuds not only feature a zipper cord design, complete with rows of teeth and a zipper pull, but you’ll actually be able to buy them in the near future for just $29.99 in a small sampling of colors. I’m going to assume the low, low price speaks for the quality of the sound you’ll get out of them. But maybe for some of you the convenience of not having to play the Christmas lights game with your headphones when you want to listen to music is a far higher priority.
The Pagani Huayra has been often mocked on Top Gear for being nearly impossible to pronounce, but I’m sure they’ll have a few nice things to say once they get behind the wheel. What it’s lacking in pronounceability, I’m sure it more than makes up for with performance — and having a really cool key! eGarage had a chance to see it in action, demo’d by Horacio Pagani himself, and it’s actually a miniature version of the supercar that splits apart. One side is the key itself which is inserted into the dashboard to start the car, while the other side is a USB flash drive that can be used to hold music, and presumably interface with the Huayra’s stereo, assuming it actually has one.
And even though aluminum is often used because it’s relatively light, it looks like this key still has a bit of heft to it given its size.
I’m going to knock them a few points for abusing the term ‘high definition’, but otherwise Etymotic’s new HD•15 electronic earplugs look like a far better alternative to those yellow or orange foam tubes you keep swiping from work. Your run-of-the-mill earplug simply blocks all (or most) noises from entering your ear canal. So while they’re fine for activities like sleeping, they’re not so great when you also need to hear people talking to you.
So the HD•15′s feature a built-in microphone that monitors the ambient noise around the user. When it’s loud, such as at a construction site, it naturally blocks out the harsh noises from equipment and vehicles. But when that din dies down and you want to talk to someone, the earplugs detect the change in noise and allow voices to be heard via their mic/speaker system. They can even be used to boost particularly quiet sounds or voices, but automatically return to protecting your hearing when the ambient noises get loud again. As you can probably expect, at $499/pair they’re not cheap. But they look to be a lot more comfortable to wear than a large pair of headphones or ear protectors, while still letting you hear when you need to.
Instead of humorously mocking your child’s complete lack of artistic talent, ala Maddox, a company called Child’s Own Studio turns their imaginative sketches of animals, characters and pretty much anything, into plush toys. The idea started as a craft project to turn a 4 year old boy’s drawing into a recognizable comfort toy, but has grown to over 200+ original creations. Pricing seems entirely dependent on the sketch and how complicated the creation will be, but you can get a gift certificate for $100 CAD that should give you a rough idea of what they run.
Related Tags: Health, Innovation, Medical
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