I need this!

This company is coming out in early 2012 with this revolutionary product that I could actually use! Right now!



Go to their website and take a look at their videos - the applications for this product is incredible.

And no, it's not a joke or a spoof. It's real.

So......tell me again...

.....why we have iphones???

Hammacher Schlemmer

You, too,  once again may be tied down to your desk and home with this handy-dandy gadget.

Those of you who remember these days will not wish to revisit it.

And even though, to some, it may be "nostalgic".......it's not my cup of tea!

Overusing Emoticons

So - we all agree - the English language is evolving. For better or for worse.  :(

Somehow emoticons sneaked into our language, and it looks like they are here to stay despite the Purists and Snobs that don't like them. :)

There is blogchat out there that contends it is overused...but - then who am I to judge - I am just as guilty as the next person! :)


Here are some emoticons that might be useful!

Robocop

I am always interested in gadgets, so several days ago, when a cousin of mine posted this on facebook, I thought it very interesting.

Since then, it has been mentioned that the special US military forces recently used "face recognition technology" to identify a certain notorious criminal in Pakistan.

It could quite possibly be that this gadget was used.

Apparently the "glasses" can scan 400 faces a second from 50 yards away.  It can also be adjusted up to a 12 mile distance.

Think of the applications this could have for  scanning crowds at public places including stadiums and airports when searching for criminals or terrorists.  It is now being tested by Brazilian police in anticipation of the 2012 World Cup in Rio de Janeiro for security purposes.

It certainly is futuristic and something reminiscent of the Sci-fi Movies past.

A Royal Pain

Prince Harry is quite the Jokester. (you could tell yesterday, couldn't you??)

To keep up with her grandchildren, Queen Elizabeth was given an iPhone for Christmas a couple years ago.    Prince Harry, the Ginger of all Gingers,  decided to  preprogrammed it for her.

The message they put on it?

 “Hey, wassup? This is Liz. Sorry I’m away from the throne. For a hotline to Philip press one, for Charles press two, for the corgis press three.”

The Queen's private secretary had the shock of his life when he discovered the "joke" and quickly had it removed. 

The Queen, rumor had it, wasn't amused - at first.   When the dust settled, she could appreciate the humor in it, and wondered what VIPs might have heard it.

Which comes to the Twitter account I discovered recently, and had a great laugh reading back tweets.
You have to check it out!  It is hilarious. 

And no, it's not *really* the Queen tweeting.

Speaking of gadgets and the Queen, one thing that might be useful for those who live in rainier climes......how about this umbrella?

The Queen's umbrella for $49.95

Personally, I like wearing hoodies in the rain.  Less cumbersome and because it's attached to me, I wouldn't forgetfully leave it behind everywhere I went.

Spa Sisters Skin Polisher

Just LOVE this product!!!



Oh my!  Tried these out, and if you can't reach your back to scrub it, and no one to do it for you....give this a try! Love, love, love them!!!

It's definitely on my "must-have" list, and also makes an inexpensive gift!

Day 3 ...

Out at the pool and on the golf course, I have a little item - a pump mister - that keeps me cool. I might have got it at Jysk - a store similar to Ikea but smaller and with more interesting stuff...

You put water in the pump and then pull the bottom and force air in by a pumping action. It was my saving grace during the hot times of the day.

See the fine mist? Cooooool!

flowers at the pool, palms in the background

The bougainvillea just outside our door

The ducks that came to visit.  We named them after our 2 cats....

Just a couple hours ago....

Yes, It's true! I'm not the Only one who Likes it!

This is an independent review by a tech that rates new products:



Here is his article

You can also use your phone base with cordless phone.
You can pick your own "Vanity" number if you like.
You can change your location for 911 wherever you go if you are travelling in the USA.
No, I don't own shares in this company. :)
 (I wish I did!)
I just like the easy phone service and the savings.

Death to Exorbitant Phone bills - or- how I am saving $876 per year

Here's another gadget for you.

What the MagicJack looks like

I bought a MagicJack and cancelled my long distance phone service....kept our basic land line and now we will be using only our Magic Jack for long distance.

Now, if you have a cell phone with a really good plan, you probably won't have much use for this thing.

My husband and I like to take our trailer south of the border, and since the cheapest plan one can find in Canada for a dual-country cell plan is still outrageous at best, this little gadget will come in handy for us.

I had a cell phone when they first came out - way back when - but that was when I was working on call nursing.  It was useful for not missing those last minute work calls.  I have regressed since then.

I drastically reduced my cell phone use long ago - still keep it at $10 per month pay-as-you-go for travelling - in Canada - and even then, emergency use only (never while driving).    I don't feel a need to be continually on the phone, or to stay in constant communication with anyone.   I still text once in a while, but have mostly lost my quick texting ability.  When I can type at 80 words per minute - I find it annoying to text.

I kept my basic land-line service at $15 per month and high-speed wireless modem connect at another $15 per month. That's pretty good seeing as how I was, up until now, paying $103 per month for the exact same thing - minus the long distance and a few other add-ons such as call-waiting (annoying) etc.  

The price initially offered was $50 per month (after a 40 minute wait).  I thought they could still do better than that since the *other* company was offering the same thing for $40 per month. 

I was put through to a supervisor manager (after another 30 minute wait) who offered the new rate of $30 total per month.   That's a savings of $73 per month, which translates into $876 per year.  I can live with that.  It was well worth the extra effort.

MagicJack is now filling in that little niche of long distant calls/mobile phone.

What it looks like on your computer screen
You can use your phone or screen to dial

The MagicJack has been around for several years, and I installed it on my friend's computer in CA quite easily last year.

The sound is great, I haven't had any of the issues that you might see people complaining about online at various sites.  I find it clearer and more reliable than Skype, and since most of the people I have to communicate with don't use Skype and it is simpler for them to use a phone - I like to use the MagicJack.

The little device plugs into the USB port and uploads the hardware immediately on its own.  It's the size of a flashdrive or memory stick.  You can call forward to any local number, or just have voice messages sent to your email address as mp3 type files, or collect over the phone just as you would with your land line.

Friends of mine who moved to Germany for a year used it for their calls home (anywhere in North America)  with no problems.   You can pick whatever area code you wish - which allows family in that area code to call you on a local number.



All in all, for what you pay and the service one gets....it is well worth the $20 per year.

This item baffles me.  Why do we need someone or something to "monitor" whether we are doing healthy things or not?  Shouldn't we already be doing that?  And - if we get a "bad" report - if we are so lazy not to *actually* monitor our "wellness issues" without a gadget - are we really going to be doing something to correct our behavior?

Thanks to Hammacher Schlemmer:

"

                               The Wellness Monitor.

This device automatically tracks your daily movements and sleep cycles to help determine if you are getting enough exercise and sleep. Similar to NASA technology that monitors astronauts in space, the device's integrated accelerometer monitors the intensity and duration of movements, tracks steps taken and distance traveled, and calculates calories burned--even during activities that do not require walking. The sensor fits into the included wristband while you sleep and tracks tiny tremors in the wrist to determine how long it took you to fall asleep, how often you woke up, and how long you were actually asleep, not just lying in bed. When the device is within 15' of the charging station, it automatically uploads information to the manufacturer's website, where your readings are displayed on timelines and graphs. About the size of a USB flash drive, the wellness tracker clips to a belt or fits in a pocket. Includes software compatible with Windows 7, Vista, XP, and Mac for uploading readings to the website. Operates for 10 days after a 1 1/2-hour charge. 2 1/2" L x 1/2" W x 1/2" D. (1 oz.)

Item 78078

 $99.95

Available for Immediate Shipment.                                      
"

I guess if it's good enough for the astronauts - it should serve us well, right? 

Not in my books.

And tell me why exactly - I would want all my personal information uploaded to some manufacturer's website where godknows where that info is going to go or get used??


Personally, I don't really need a monitor to tell me that I am not getting enough sleep.  

I KNOW I'm not.


Really.

For your iPad

Next to the iPad....this is the coolest thing...............

You can get it with ($99) or without ($69)the keypad.

The aluminum light weight cover protects your iPad, plus if you want, you can have a conventional built in keyboard.

I love it. 
It's on my wish list....

I-Pads and What You can Do with them

I am up in the air about this one....I still enjoy  hearing the *actual* instruments .... and am hoping this isn't a trend that does away with the real thing....

But it does make for an interesting novelty performance....

WARNING: Breastlight - Not a useful tool to detect Breast Cancer

I have expressed caution re: some gadgets and  their usefulness in the hands of the general public and how they can be more of a liability than beneficial.

Here is one "invention" that is so wrong that the Canadian Government has actually issued a warning and now has pressured a recall.

The "Breastlight" was supposed to be a health and wellbeing product, used to illuminate the breast so you can "see" any changes in your breast.

Problem is - there is a chance that people will use this as the sole method to check their breast and actually forego the monthly breast exams that are supposed to be done or skip follow up post cancer tests/exams with their MD .

It is not an effective screening device for breast cancer.

From the health Canada site:  "It is important to note that there is no clinical evidence that the Breastlight can be used effectively as a screening device for the early detection of breast cancer. As such, it may present a potential risk to women relying on it for early detection of breast cancer."

WARNING:  The "Breastlight" not authorized for use as a screening device and anyone who has one of these instruments should follow up with their MD for any further testing.

My Best Friend In the AM.....

Ahhhhhhhhh...............




In case you can't view the above - here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJH5a7naASM&feature=player_embedded

Posted by A NURSE at 7:13 AM

Home EKG Monitor? YIKES.

From Hammacher Schlemmer* Catalogue:

Cleared by the FDA, this is the handheld cordless device that lets you monitor your heart's rhythm without requiring a trip to the doctor's office.  The monitor uses four integrated sensors--not uncomfortable electrode cables--that provide an instantaneous EKG reading simply by holding the unit in one hand and pressing it against the palm of your other hand. It displays an accurate EKG and heart rate on its 1 3/4" x 2 3/4" monochrome screen, along with an easy-to-interpret emoticon that indicates a normal or irregular heartbeat. The lightweight, portable unit can monitor multiple users and its internal memory stores up to 200 30-second data records. Data may be uploaded to a PC using the USB cable provided, and the included software for Windows 7 and Vista maintains a record of your heart's health over time. Two AAA batteries (included) provide up to 400 readings. Includes storage pouch. 5 1/2" L x 3 1/2" W x 3/4" H (4 oz.)
Item 78657 $199.95

Does anyone else see how many levels of wrong this is? I talk to people every day panicked because they are having trouble with the thermometers and BP machines they are using - never mind adding an EKG monitor, which, last I checked - is difficult for an untrained RN to read, never mind your average JQPublic. I can only imagine the level of hysteria a home EKG machine will beget.

Does it come with instructions how to differentiate between artifact and a real problem?   The EMS is going to love those calls for misinterpreted MI's. 

Don't get me wrong - I am all for a patient taking charge of their health and finding out as much as they can about what is going on with their bodies and all.....but an EKG as a tool for the layman to judge whether to delay care or not is sketchy at best - never mind potentially dangerous.

And what is with the emoticons? So now the smiley/frowny faces of the pain scale is moving to the EKG machine?

Hopefully there won't be a market for these for the general public.

Here is another one:

At least this one comes with a warning that states: " The unit is not the monitor used in clinical institution or hospital, but is used for spot-check purpose ONLY.  The measurement results are useful for doctor, but do not make direct diagnostic or analytical decision based on the information by this unit."

Then it goes on to provide a little chart:

...........and gives examples of circumstances that might make your heart behave differently ..........but then goes on to say:
"Suggestion: If it belongs to a pathology condition, please go to hospital"
Hopefully the average layperson using this will be able to tell the difference.  ( frowny-face emoticon placed here)

Ok.....upon reading the PDF instruction manual, the grammatical construction  is such that it is sometimes difficult to figure out the what is being said.

Hopefully the construction of the machine is not done in the same haphazard way.















*Hammacher Schlemmer has since stopped selling these.