Compulsive Cell Phone Use Similar to Other Consumer 'Addictions ...

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on November 29, 2012

New research suggests that compulsive cell phone and instant messaging?use are similar to compulsive buying and credit card misuse.

In the study, Baylor University researchers link materialism and impulsiveness?to what they refer to as cell phone and IT ?addictions.?

?Cell phones are a part of our consumer culture,? said study author James Roberts, Ph.D., professor of marketing at Baylor?s Hankamer School of Business. ?They are not just a consumer tool, but are used as a status symbol.?

The study has been published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions.

Behavioral addictions such as compulsive cell phone use or pathological gambling are not currently diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the primary diagnostic reference manual of mental illness used by psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health workers. A new version of the DSM is expected in 2013, and many observers expect that one or more behavioral addictions may be added.

Roberts? study, co-authored with Stephen Pirog III, Ph.D., at Seton Hall University, found that materialism and impulsiveness are what drive cell phone addiction.

Cell phones are used as part of the conspicuous consumption ritual and also act as a pacifier for the impulsive tendencies of the user, according to Roberts. Impulsiveness, he noted, plays an important role in both behavioral and substance addictions.

Cell phone use and overuse have become so common that it is important to have a better understanding of what drives these types of what might be called technological addictions.

Some studies have shown that young adults send an average of 109.5 text messages a day or approximately 3,200 texts each month. Furthermore, surveys suggest that young adults receive an additional 113 text messages and check their cell 60 times in a typical day.

On average, college students spend approximately seven hours daily interacting with information and communication technology.

?At first glance, one might have the tendency to dismiss such aberrant cell phone use as merely youthful nonsense ? a passing fad. But an emerging body of literature has given increasing credence to cell phone addiction and similar behavioral addictions,? Roberts said.

Data for this study come from self-report surveys of 191 business students at two U.S. universities. Cell phones are used by approximately 90 percent of college students, and said Roberts, ?serve more than just a utilitarian purpose.?

The explosion in use of cell phones shows no signs of abating as an ever-expanding array of functions continue to attract users. Although some of the new apps may have practical or vocational use, many of the apps are more social in function.

This expansion of reliance on mobile technology makes their use or overuse increasingly likely. In fact, a majority of young people claim that losing their cell phone would be disastrous to their social lives, he said.

Source: Baylor University

Teenagers texting on cell phones photo by shutterstock.

APA Reference
Nauert PhD, R. (2012). Compulsive Cell Phone Use Similar to Other Consumer ?Addictions?. Psych Central. Retrieved on November 29, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/11/29/compulsive-cell-phone-use-similar-to-other-consumer-addictions/48303.html

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Source: http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/11/29/compulsive-cell-phone-use-similar-to-other-consumer-addictions/48303.html

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From degeneration to regeneration: Advances in skeletal muscle engineering

ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2012) ? A study published today in BioMed Central?s open access journal Skeletal Muscle reports of a new therapeutic technique to repair and rebuild muscle for sufferers of degenerative muscle disorders. The therapy brings together two existing techniques for muscle repair ? cell transplantation and tissue engineering ? specifically, mesoangioblast stem cells delivered via a hydrogel cell-carrier matrix.

A number of conditions can lead to considerable degeneration or loss of skeletal muscle and, since skeletal muscle has a limited capacity for self repair, therapies for muscle reconstruction or regeneration are often necessary. There are currently two ways to rebuild muscle: cell transplantation, whereby stem cells are injected directly into the muscle or arteries, and tissue engineering, whereby cells are embedded on a biomaterial scaffold to reconstruct a whole muscle.

Stem cell transplantation on its own can be limited by poor cell survival, but the authors hoped that the technique in combination with tissue engineering could increase the chances of efficacy for localized disorders of muscle.

The research team, comprised of researchers from institutions all over Europe, embedded Mab cells within a polyethylene glycol and fibrinogen (PF) hydrogel scaffold that has a proven track record in tissue and cardiac engineering. The Mab/PF grafts were then injected into mice, directly into the chronically inflamed and sclerotic regions typical of the advanced stages of muscular dystrophy. The team observed increased engraftment and survival of Mabs when injected with PF than with Mabs suspended in saline solution.

Five weeks after treatment, analyses revealed that Mabs had better integrated into regenerating muscle fibers when used with a PF carrier than when used without. In addition, there was better organization of muscle fibers when Mabs was used in combination with PF.

Lead author Cesare Gargioli commented, ?This study demonstrates a novel tissue engineering approach that is capable of producing enriched donor cell engraftment into skeletal muscle after an acute injury or in more-difficult-to-treat advanced-stage muscular dystrophy. Both Mabs and PF are currently undergoing separate clinical trials, but their combined use may increase efficacy for sufferers with more localized forms of muscular dystrophy or disorders that lead to damage of skeletal muscle, including hernias and sphincter disorders.?

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Journal Reference:

1. Claudia Fuoco CF, Maria L Salvatori MLS, Antonella Biondo AB, Keren Shapira-Schweitzer KS-S, Sabrina Santoleri SS, Stefania Antonini SA, Sergio Bernardini SB, Francesco S Tedesco FST, Stefano M Cannata SMC, Dror Seliktar DS, Giulio Cossu GC and Cesare Gargioli CG. Injectable PEG-fibrinogen hydrogel adjuvant improves survival and differentiation of transplanted mesoangioblasts in acute and chronic skeletal muscle degeneration. Skeletal Muscle, 2012 (in press) [link]

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/Mwc8F1zIzuY/121125192836.htm

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Book Report: How We Die by Emile Zola | coacervates

I wrote this in French, and then did a [nearly] literal translation back to English. So that?s why it sucks.

How We Die by ?mile Zola consists of five stories, all having to do with death. And of course, how we die.

Zola paints a picture of life during his era: The Catholic church controls life and death. Of the five deaths in the story, all receive a Catholic funeral ?and are buried in a cemetery?also Catholic.

That is where the similarity between the deaths ends, however. The dying come from divergent economic situations. Money shows itself to be the main theme.

Maybe you say to yourself ?The rich die better deaths,? but that is not the case in How We Die. The richest dying person dies alone, his face against the wall. His wife didn?t care, and she didn?t go to the funeral; instead she laid back on a couch and dreamed blissfully.

The second piece is about a widow with three sons, whom she did not trust. She kept them ?in her house after they all lost their inheritance from their father. She becomes sick, then dying, and her last thought was that her sons were stealing from her. Again money is not a defense against misery.

In the third piece we find husband and wife Rousseau. They worked hard to get a business that earned them enough money to live comfortably. When Mrs. Rousseau becomes sick ? and it?s evident that she will die ? she says to her husband ?Marry again?. That was true love. She died, but love conquers all.

The fourth piece is about a poor family during a winter without heat or bread. Their son, Charles becomes sick and his health is worsened by the lack of food. Their neighbor avoids them because she knows the little one is going to die. As soon as he dies the neighbor returns and she helps to guard the body. The next day the dead child is buried in the public pit in Montparnasse cemetery.

The last story takes place on a farm, owned by a large family headed by the grandfather, Jean. Like the others, he becomes sick. It was harvest time and the whole family had to work in the earth, and Jean knew that. He died like a wild animal; silent, alone yet he didn?t have any regrets or cares. To be a wild animal is to be innocent. The next day, Jean is buried by an impatient priest, at the end of the day.

Jean?s death was, for me, the best death. I had a large family who cared for him?enough. The family knew that Jean would die, but there is always work on a farm. For them, dearg is as natural as life. It is necessary.

Throw out the modern notion of death?our ancestors didn?t have them.

Source: http://danruisi.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/book-report-how-we-die-by-emile-zola/

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AG leads national effort to extend tax relief for distressed homeowners

HARTFORD, CT - Attorney General George Jepsen is leading a national effort by state attorneys general who are urging Congress to extend tax relief for consumers who have mortgage debt canceled or forgiven because of financial hardship or a decline in housing values.

Jepsen co-authored a letter with Florida Attorney General Pamela Bondi, which was signed onto by 40 other attorneys general and sent Tuesday to U.S. House and Senate leaders. It asked the leaders to extend the exclusion, which has been in effect since 2007, and which will otherwise expire on Dec. 31, 2012.

The expiration comes at a time when many homeowners nationwide are benefitting from the $25 billion national settlement agreement with the nation?s five largest loan servicing companies, which provides $17 billion in debt reduction and other relief to homeowners. Many other banks across the country also offer mortgage modification and debt relief programs.

?I urge Congress to extend this critical tax exclusion so that the very families who can least afford it are not stuck with an unexpected tax bill or deterred from participating in this historic settlement,? Attorney General Jepsen said. ?Extension of this tax exclusion is estimated to save taxpayers some $1.3 billion over two years.?

Under the federal Mortgage Debt Relief Act, in effect since 2007, mortgage debt that is forgiven after a foreclosure or short sale or through a loan modification provided to a homeowner in financial hardship may be excluded from a taxpayer?s calculation of taxable income. This exclusion only applies to mortgage debt forgiven on primary residences, not second homes.

?These mortgage modification and debt relief programs provide real relief to homeowners fighting to keep their homes or trying to get back on their feet,? Jepsen said. ?Unless Congress acts, any debt relief to be provided in 2013 under the National Mortgage Settlement, as well as other mortgage debt relief programs, will likely be considered taxable income.?

An extension is included in the Family and Business Tax Cut Certainty Act of 2012 (S. 3521), which recently passed out of the Senate Finance Committee with bipartisan support.

Attorney General Jepsen is a member of the executive committee of attorneys general who helped to negotiate the $25 billion federal-state settlement agreement with the five largest mortgage loan servicing companies and continue to oversee the banks compliance. The agreement, announced in February, took effect in April.

Assistant Attorneys General Matthew Budzik, department head, and Joseph Chambers, Finance, assisted the Attorney General with this effort.

Source: http://www.stamfordplus.com/stm/information/nws1/publish/News_1/AG-leads-national-effort-to-extend-tax-relief-for-distressed-homeowners18735.shtml

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Jesse Jackson Jr. resigns: What happens next?

Jesse Jackson Jr. (D) of Illinois sent a letter of resignation to House Speaker John Boehner. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat, has five days to schedule an election to replace Jackson and the election must be held within 115 days. There are unconfirmed reports of an FBI investigation into misuse of campaign funds.

By Henry C. Jackson and Sophia Tareen,?Associated Press / November 21, 2012

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., (D) of Illinois tendered his letter of resignation Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012. Jackson is shown here speaking earlier this year.

(AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)

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Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has resigned after a months-long leave for mental illness, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner said Wednesday.

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Boehner's spokesman Michael Steel confirmed his office had received a letter of resignation from Jackson but did not comment further.

Jackson, 47, disappeared in June, and it was later revealed that he was being treated at the Mayo Clinic for bipolar disorder and gastrointestinal issues. He returned to his Washington home in September, but went back to the clinic the next month, with his father saying his son had not yet "regained his balance." He left the clinic a second time earlier this month.

RECOMMENDED: A gallery of ethically challenge Congressmen

His return to the clinic in October came amid reports that he faced a new federal investigation into potential misuse of campaign funds to decorate his home. The Chicago Sun-Times first reported the probe, citing anonymous sources. An FBI spokesman in Washington, Andrew Ames, has told The Associated Press he could neither confirm nor deny the existence of a federal investigation into Jackson.

Jackson was easily re-elected on Nov. 6 representing his heavily-Democratic district, even though his only communication with voters was a robocall asking them for patience. He spent election night at the Mayo Clinic, but later issued a statement thanking his supporters and saying he was waiting for his doctors' OK before he could "continue to be the progressive fighter" they'd known for years.

Jackson, whose father is the Rev. Jesse Jackson, took office in 1995 after winning a special election in a landslide. Voters in the district have said Jackson's family name and attention to local issues have been the reasons for their support. He's easily won every election since taking office and brought home close to $1 billion in federal money for his district during his tenure.

He began his career in Washington with a star power that set him apart from his hundreds of House colleagues. But his resignation ends a once-promising political career that was tarnished by unproven allegations that he was involved in discussions about raising campaign funds for imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich in exchange for an appointment to President Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat.

The House Ethics Committee is investigating reports of those allegations, which Jackson has denied. After the allegations surfaced, he cut back drastically on his number of public appearances and interviews. Blagojevich is now imprisoned on corruption charges that accused him of trying to sell the seat, among other things.

The timing of Jackson's leave and the way it was handled also has invited scrutiny. Jackson's leave was announced just after a former fundraiser connected to the Blagojevich allegations was arrested on unrelated medical fraud charges.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat, has five days to schedule an election to replace Jackson after he receives official notice, and the election must be held within 115 days, according to election officials.

The vacancy left by Jackson's departure creates a rare opportunity for someone else to represent his district, which is made up of South Side Chicago neighborhoods, several southern suburbs and some rural areas. Even this year, when Jackson was absent during the crucial final months of campaigning, he easily defeated two challengers on the ballot, Republican college professor Brian Woodworth and Independent postal worker Marcus Lewis.

___

Jackson reported from Washington.

RECOMMENDED: A gallery of ethically challenge Congressmen

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/9BrxYFCZaW4/Jesse-Jackson-Jr.-resigns-What-happens-next

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Leonid meteor shower: When and where to watch

Leonid meteor shower: The meteor shower peak will come tonight (3 a.m. E.T.? Saturday). The Leonid meteor shower is a product of the Earth passing through the tail of the Tempel-Tuttle comet.

By Joe Rao,?Space.com / November 16, 2012

Colorful streaks of Leonid meteors are seen in the sky over suburban Beijing in 2001. The Leonid meteor shower will peak Saturday Nov. 17 at 3 a.m. E.T. in the US..

(AP Photo/Xinhua, Li Jundong)

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This weekend brings us the return of the famous Leonid meteor shower, a meteor display that has brought great anticipation and excitement to night sky watchers around the world.

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This will be a favorable year to look for the Leonid meteor shower because the moon will be only crescent and will have set in the west long before the constellation Leo begins to rise into the night sky. The Leonids appear to radiate out of Leo (hence their name), and with the moon out of the sky completely, viewing conditions could be perfect for stargazers with clear weather and dark skies.

The Leonid meteors are debris shed into space by the comet Tempel-Tuttle, which swings through the inner solar system at intervals of 33 years. With each visit the comet leaves behind a trail of dust in its wake. Much of the comet?s old dusty trails litter the mid-November part of Earth?s orbit and the Earth glides through this debris zone every year.?

RECOMMENDED: Are you scientifically literate? Take the quiz

Occasionally, Earth passes directly through an unusually concentrated dust trail, or filament, which can spark a meteor storm resulting in thousands of meteors per hour. That?s what happened in 1999, 2001 and 2002.? Since the Tempel-Tuttle comet passed the sun in 1998, it was in those years immediately following its passage that the Leonids put on their best show.?

But now, the comet and its dense trails of dust have all receded far outside Earth's orbit and back into the outer regions of the solar system. So odds are that there is little, if any chance of any unusual meteor activity. [Photographer Spots Early Leonid Meteors (Video)]

Peak times to see the Leonids

In the 2012 Observer?s Handbook of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, meteor experts Margaret Campbell-Brown and Peter Brown, indicate that this year?s peak activity should occur on Saturday morning, Nov. 17, at about 3 a.m. ET (0800 GMT). This is the moment when the Earth will be passing closest to the orbit of the long-departed comet, and when our planet seemingly is most likely to encounter some residual comet material. This time is highly favorable for North Americans, especially those in the eastern United States and eastern Canada. [Top 10 Leonid Meteor Shower Facts]

But while Leonid rates are unpredictable, it is unlikely that more than 10 to 20 meteors per hour may be seen this year.

Other meteor researchers, however, such as Jeremie Vaubaillon of France, and ?Mikhail Maslovof Russia have examined Leonid prospects for this year and also suggest watching for some meteor activity three days later, on Tuesday morning, Nov. 20.?

View Vaubaillon?s depiction of Earth?s track through the meteor stream. View Maslov?s website on the 2012 Leonids here.

For example: Sometime around 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT), the Earth may interact with material that was shed by comet Tempel-Tuttle back in the year 1400. But at best, only about 15 to20 Leonids per hour may be seen.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/HYJVJxK_DwA/Leonid-meteor-shower-When-and-where-to-watch

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NBA Kicks: Amar?e Stoudemire hangs out in Chuck Taylors as Knicks lose first game

Try your ? ? (arrow) keys

That?s really Bobby Brow. I sure hope he was signing ?Humping Around.?

Sound the alarms; the New York Knicks finally lost a game.? After a two-week stretch where the Knicks were the toast of the world New York for starting off strong and winning their first six games, their run to 82-0 was derailed by the Memphis Grizzlies.? On a night when Carmelo Anthony and company were probably still a little beat from their fantastic game against the San Antonio Spurs the night before, they could not put together a comeback after falling behind big.? The rest of the NBA can finally breathe after being smothered with ?Knicks 2012-13 NBA Champs ZOMG? hype on sports media. The countdown to ?We want Amar?e back? chants start in 5, 4, 3, 2?

And you Laker haters thought the coverage was bad when Kobe was winning (or losing badly).

Now that we can get on with our lives, let?s take a look at what Friday night had in store for us.? Nick Young rocked the Nike Zoom Kobe 7 while Mamba followed suit, the recently released Nike Air Flight One ?Orlando? was on the feet of Thaddeus Young, Josh Howard rose from the NBA ether and came back with an Air Jordan 2012 Lite while J.J. Hickson continues his quest to become a human stoplight with his red Hyperdunks.

Photos courtesy of Jesse D. Garrabrant, Ron Hoskins, Gregory Shamus, Allen Einstein, Andrew D. Bernstein, Cameron Browne, Rocky Widner, Joe Murphy, David Sherman, Layne Murdoch of Getty Images/NBA Entertainment along with Jessica Hoffman, Kevin Maston of the Indiana Pacers.

Nick Young ? Nike Zoom Kobe 7

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Kicksonfire/~3/pImsANfVByA/

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'Washington Post' prints false narrative of how Gaza escalation started

We're a TV network available on DirecTV, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Dish Network, and more. Find us on your TV. While you are here you can watch videos from our TV shows, check our TV schedule, and participate in discussions with members of our community. Thanks for visiting, and let us know what you think!

Source: http://current.com/community/93964373_washington-post-prints-false-narrative-of-how-gaza-escalation-started.htm?xid=RSSfeed

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Pandas' oldest known ancestor found in surprising place

Now paleontologists reveal two sets of fossil jaws and teeth that they say belong to the earliest member of the giant panda lineage discovered yet. The fossils were recovered from a pair of sites in northeast Spain.

By Charles Choi,?LiveScience Contributor / November 15, 2012

The oldest known ancestor of the giant panda lineage (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) lived about 11.6 million years ago in what is now Spain.

SINC

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All giant pandas may come from China, but fossils reveal that the oldest known ancestor of the lineage dwelled in Spain, researchers say.

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The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is known worldwide for its black-and-white fur. The giant panda is unique among bears for dining?almost entirely on bamboo?? other members of the bear family are omnivorous or mostly carnivorous.

Genetic evidence suggests the ancestors of giant pandas diverged from other bears 18 million to 22 million years ago. However, much remains uncertain about what early giant pandas were like and how this lineage of bears changed over time ? before the new find, the earliest undisputed?giant panda fossils?recovered were about 8.2 million years old at most, and were from China.

Now paleontologists reveal two sets of fossil jaws and teeth that they say belong to the earliest member of the giant panda lineage discovered yet. The fossils were recovered from a pair of sites in northeast Spain.

Earliest panda

The species belongs to a newly declared genus,?Kretzoiarctos, which means "bears of Kretzoi," named after paleontologist Miklos Kretzoi, who had discovered other extinct panda species. The species is named?Kretzoiarctos beatrix, with "beatrix" referring to a colleague of the researchers, Spanish paleontologist Beatriz Azanza. [Butter Balls: Photos of Playful Pandas]

The fossils date back 11.6 million years to the middle of the Miocene Epoch, when the area was humid, moderately warm, and forested.

"The new genus we describe in this paper is not only the first bear recorded in the Iberian Peninsula, but also the first of the giant panda's lineage," said researcher Juan Abella, a paleontologist in Madrid at Spain's National Museum of Natural Sciences.

This new bear would have weighed no more than 130 pounds (60 kilograms), making it more or less the size of the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), the smallest living bear species.

Judging by its teeth, it was an omnivore, but it possessed many dental features of bears adapted to eating tough plant materials such as bamboo.

"It had a very wide variety of food available to it, from meat and fruit to plant stems or even leaves," Abella told LiveScience. "We are unaware if there was bamboo in Spain during the Middle Miocene, but there were many other similar plants associated with humid climates available for?Kretzoiarctos."

Questions remain

It remains uncertain whether?Kretzoiarctos?was colored the same way as?modern giant pandas, as no hair from it remains. However, Abella speculated the primitive coloration for this group of bears was also dark with several white patches. This is based on the fact that most?bear cubs?have this coloration ? in many animals, biological patterns seen among the young reflect what their ancestors were like.

These findings might suggest a Western European origin for the giant panda lineage. However, the fossil record of this group of bears is still too scarce and fragmentary to say for certain where they arose, researchers said.

Another mystery: Why did?Kretzoiarctos?go extinct? "The most probable cause is likely to be the opening up of the forests, giving way to more open, drier spaces and the appearance of similar yet larger and more competitive species," Abella said.
Abella and his colleagues detailed their findings online today (Nov. 14) in the journal?PLoS ONE.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/vjlyWa_QnEo/Pandas-oldest-known-ancestor-found-in-surprising-place

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Vuzix Smart Glasses M100 to battle Google Glass for Android eyewear supremacy

Interactive eyewear maker Vuzix revealed its potential challenger today for Google Glass in the Android-powered world of augmented reality: the company will showcase its Smart Glasses M100 at CES 2013, in hopes of bringing over-the-eye display support to everyday mobile applications. Set for a mid-2013 release, the Ice Cream Sandwich-based eyepatch, features a WQVGA display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, a 1GHz OMAP4430 processor, 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory. This modernized monocle is also capable of capturing still photos and 720p HD video, with playback and picture viewing available through its mounted display. While the M100s run Android 4.0, Vuzix has included support for iOS devices and plans to release an SDK for developers sometime in December to the tune of $999. As more tech companies begin focusing their efforts on HUD glasses, hopefully some jerk will come along and create a next-gen Opti-Grab to hold these things steady.

Continue reading Vuzix Smart Glasses M100 to battle Google Glass for Android eyewear supremacy

Filed under: Peripherals, Wearables

Vuzix Smart Glasses M100 to battle Google Glass for Android eyewear supremacy originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/mPr1GM0rEsE/

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The Awesome Rancilio Silvia V3 Coffee Unit Gives Buyers Many ...

You are here: Home / Coffee / The Awesome Rancilio Silvia V3 Coffee Unit Gives Buyers Many Benefits

Coffee drinking is more common today than ever before, and consumers know more about different beverages each day. The rise of giant coffee house chains has spawned this coffee infused generation and the Rancilio Silvia V3 is one of its main idols. Another factor that has increased access to the hot and delicious drink varieties are the at home machines that are more and more popular.

Gone are the days of simple coffee makers as now there are highly advanced and amazing machines which give coffee shop and barista results but in the comfort of one?s own home. And more than that, these machines are not limited to simple coffee, but can actually produce delicious and authentic cappuccinos and lattes in a matter of minutes. Their sheer convenience coupled with the wonderful results are what makes them such indispensable appliances in many kitchens.

Companies which have manufactured commercial drink machines for years are now getting into the home market as they see a need that they can fill. One such company is Rancilio, which has been a market leader in the hot beverage machine industry for decades. Their machines are top of the line and the very best coffee establishments around the world use them daily.

Today, consumers are able to have delicious coffee drinks from the convenience and comfort of their own residence. After their investment in the Rancilio machine, they are also often saving money over visiting a coffee shop. This savings combined with the ability to have a drink anytime is what makes these units so special.

Home latte and cappuccino machines are often similar in look and design but their features vary based on their model and price point. Machines which are at the higher end of the spectrum as far as cost are those which offer the closest experience to commercial grade machines. These features include steam and froth options, high end fittings, and boiler materials.

The newest version of the machine offers even more benefits and conveniences than previous models. This version offers a commercial grade steam knob, which makes it among the best machines available for home use, if not the best. All machines in this line are manufactured to precision standards, offering amazing results from a machine designed to last for many years.

The newest version offers a durable and high end look with a stainless steel exterior, which not only helps it fit in with most kitchen decor but also makes the cleanup process much easier and quicker. All of the easy to understand and use controls are on the front of the machine which makes usability one of its biggest selling points. There are three thermostats on the machine to ensure that temperatures are just right and also to maintain a high level of safety.

The biggest selling point of the Rancilio Silvia V3, however, is its amazing steaming power. The machine is actually proven to have the best steam capabilities of any machine in its price range, which is anything under $700. Steaming milk perfectly is the key to an authentic and delicious latte or espresso.

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Source: http://www.theyellowads.com/food_drink/the-awesome-rancilio-silvia-v3-coffee-unit-gives-buyers-many-benefits

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