bones
Latest
'Birth' is the macabre indie game quietly crushing the convention circuit
“Showing Birth at conventions feels like putting my whole, raw, beating heart on a table in front of a bunch of strangers and asking if it is enough for them,” creator Madison Karrh said.
FDA approves AI tool for spotting wrist fractures
The FDA has been approving its fair share of AI-powered medical technology, but its latest might be particularly helpful if you ever have a nasty fall. The agency has greenlit Imagen's OsteoDetect, an AI-based diagnostic tool that can quickly detect distal radius wrist fractures. Its machine learning algorithm studies 2D X-rays for the telltale signs of fractures and marks them for closer study. It's not a replacement for doctors or clinicians, the FDA stressed -- rather, it's to improve their detection and get the right treatment that much sooner.
Code of Princess producer likes PS4, Xbox One for a sequel
Atlus' 3DS brawler Code of Princess sold "beyond" expectations in the US and producer Yasuo Nakajima thinks the PS4 and Xbox One would be great fits for a sequel. "Kinu-san already has ideas about Code of Princess 2 in mind already," Nakajima told Siliconera. "If Code of Princess 2 goes into development maybe it will be for consoles like PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. I want to develop a sequel to Code of Princess for core gamers like fans that are anticipating Dragon's Crown now." A sequel, as of now, has not formally entered development. Code of Princess was developed by Agatsuma Entertainment in collaboration with Bones animation studio. It's a hack-and-slash brawler made available as a physical cartridge release last October, followed by an eShop launch in January of this year. The game launched in Europe back in March, available exclusively as an eShop download.
Code of Princess review: Royal brawl
In reviewing games at Joystiq, our mission is always to attempt to convey the actual experience of playing a game, as opposed to just listing its features and capping things off with a score. In the case of Code of Princess on the 3DS, that experience boils down to tapping the B button like a caffeine addict, with the occasional special move thrown in for flavor.It's not as though Code of Princess is the only brawler to succumb to this pattern, however, and like other brawlers, it still manages to be enjoyable in spurts, but rings hollow by the time the credits roll.%Gallery-168513%
Alt-week 10.13.12: is the Universe a simulation, cloning dinosaurs and singing mice
Alt-week peels back the covers on some of the more curious sci-tech stories from the last seven days. Are you reading this? Seriously, are you? Sure, we know you think you are, but what if you're just a sub-feature of a complex computer program. A sprite, nothing more than the creation of software. The problem with this question is, how would you ever know? You wouldn't, right? Well, not so fast there. Turns out, maybe there is a way to unravel the matrix (if there is one). It'll come as no surprise, that this is one of the topics in this week's collection of alternative stories. Think that's all we got? Not even close. We'll explore the truth behind cloning dinosaurs, as well a rare performance by singing mice -- all before dinner. Or is it really dinner? This is alt-week.
Code of Princess gameplay trailer still needs more armor
The latest trailer for Code of Princess is more unabashed than previous ones about its lead character's clothing (or lack thereof). The 3DS brawler offers plenty of better-armored playable characters, along with co-op and versus modes which can be played both locally and online. It comes to our shores next week on October 9.
Georgia Tech develops poultry deboning robot / chicken nightmare machine
If you have any chickens in the house, you're going to want to keep them away from the computer. Georgia Tech researchers have developed the device that will haunt their feathered dreams. The prototype Intelligent Cutting and Deboning System has a built-in 3D vision system in order to help it cut and debone a chicken. The robot uses collected data and custom algorithms to help reduce bone fragments and increase yield on birds, whilst ensuring that no fowl with ever get a full night's sleep again. The school has begun testing the system, as evidenced by the unfortunate bird picture above. Press release after the break, if you're not too chicken.
3D-printed bone replacements coming soon to an orthopedic surgeon near you, courtesy of WSU (video)
3D printers are slowly, but surely working their way into all sorts of useful, everyday applications -- like the creation of chocolates, flutes and even Mario Kart turtle shell racers. Now, Washington State University engineers are unveiling a unique implementation of the tech that could aid in the regrowth of damaged or diseased bones. Utilizing a ceramic compound, the group's optimized ProMetal 3D printer builds dissolvable scaffolds coated with a plastic binding agent that serve as a blueprint for tissue growth. The team's already logged four long years fine tuning the process, having already achieved positive results testing on rats and rabbits, but it appears there's still a ways to go -- about 10 -12 years, according to the project's co-author Susmita Bose -- before orthopedic and dental surgeons can begin offering "printed" bone replacements. With a synthetic windpipe already under medical science's belt and now this, it's looking like we're just a few short decades away from that long sought after full body replacement. Right, Mr. Lagerfeld? Click on past the break for a brief look at this osteo-friendly machinery.
Shapeways serves up prêt-à-imprimer 3D bones, Lagerfeld stands by for full skeletal replacement
3D printed chocolates? Sure, sounds innocuous enough. But made-to-order 3D printed bones? Now, that's just morbid. For the surgical team at Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Sick Children, however, the tech's come in handy as a budget-priced, pre-operative planning tool. Mark Frame, an orthopedic surgical trainee at RHSC, first came up with the idea to create the osteo-facsimiles after a costly university-made replica, commissioned for a procedure, failed to meet necessary proportion and size requirements. After undertaking a bit of self-assigned internet research, Frame sorted out a method to create renders of a patient's fractured forearm using CT scans processed via the open source OsiriX software. These were then passed through a separate MeshLab application to tidy up any artifacting, and finally exported in 3D-compatible .stl format. The resulting files were sent to Shapeways for printing, with the white plastic bone copies delivered just seven days later for £77. The hospital's been so pleased with the inexpensive outcome, that it's already begun prep work on a hip replacement surgery using a replicated pelvis -- and, no, they didn't specify if the patient was a fashion victim.
Fox launches iPad companion app for Bones starting with tonight's episode
Grey's Anatomy isn't the only Thursday night show with a companion app for iPad, now that Fox has launched one for Bones. Starting with tonight's episode, it will play along with the show (synced by time if you're watching live or just by pressing play whenever you start watching later) with a countdown clock until the show starts, translator for the character's medical jargon, Sweets' Final Thoughts and more. Hit up iTunes to download the app now or check out a few of the screens in our gallery. %Gallery-116285%
Screen Grabs: it's WP7 product placement overload, make no Bones about it (video)
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com. Okay, Microsoft, we get it. Fictional characters just love Windows Phone 7. They can't string three scenes together without pulling up Maps or trying to force the phrase "Bing it" into our vernacular. This time it's Bones star Emily Deschanel, aka Dr. Temperance Brennan, whipping out an LG Quantum mid-interrogation to engage in a little textual activity -- much to the mock ire of hunky co-star David Boreanaz. But don't listen to him, he's probably just jealous they didn't have such gratuitous product placement back when he was still pretending to be a vampire. You know, back before vampires went all mainstream. [Thanks, Afzal N]
Author claims video games lead to finger deformities in children
We've received a number of unsightly wounds upon our mitts from certain games -- "Mario Party Stigmata" comes to mind -- but according to author Mike Tomlich, a different kind of "silent epidemic" is sweeping through the adolescent gaming populous: Crooked fingers. He claims the repeated actions associated with controller manipulation can lead to "accumulative damage" on the soft hand bones of gamers under the age of eight. It's a theory sensational enough to have merited coverage from Tomlich's local TV news station a few years ago, which we've posted after the break. Tomlich apparently has a plethora of research and the endorsement of a rheumatologist to back up his claims, though we still find them a tad suspect. Sure, our hands are gnarled stubs with digits irrevocably curled in unnatural directions, but that's probably from our tireless journalizing, and not our lifelong penchant for button-mashing.[Via GamePolitics]
The Queue: Pandamonium
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft.Welcome! You probably noticed I skipped yesterday. Why? Because I felt like it. Yeah, how do you like them apples? I sure showed you! You got owned, y'all.Uh, anyway. Alexran asked... Why exactly did Blizzard skip out on the Pandaren as a playable race? I remember hearing something about racism or that the Chinese government would invade Blizzard's HQ. Whats the deal?
World of WarCrafts: Loop of Cursed Bones
Every Thursday, Shelbi Roach of The Bronze Kettle guides you in creating WoW-inspired crafts using real world mats with World of WarCrafts. Check this out human! Griftah be takin' over dis post today.Ya know what ya be needin'? One of these necklaces right outta the ruins of Zul'Aman. But ya don't want to be riskin' yerself in a dungeon, do ya? Nah, I show ya how to make one of the most marvelous amulets right here! Here is what you will need: Chicken Legs and Thighs Natural Stone/Bone Chips Red/Black Feathers Hemp Jewelry Cord Knife Nail File Click on the images below to view a gallery of step-by-step instructions. %Gallery-29186%
New system warns of potential bone fractures
While ultrasonic stimulation may now be an FDA approved method of healing bone injuries, a team of researchers at Purdue University and the University of Toledo have developed a prototype system that will hopefully keep you from requiring such treatment. The group is designing a wearable device that alerts a person engaged in rigorous activities (read: Dance Dance Revolution contests) when a stress fracture is immanent so they can cool their jets before it's too late. The system records "acoustic emission data" (sound waves creates by tiny bone fissures) the same way a machine monitors the integrity of bridges to detect harmful amounts of pressure before disaster strikes, and the data can be quickly analyzed via PDA software to determine if you're pushing things beyond recommended limits. The same techniques used in measuring earthquakes will potentially be used on athletes, runners, dancers, soldiers, and even horses in order to mitigate those oh-so-troublesome hairline cracks. While we don't intend for this to discourage you from remaining faithful to that newly-devised exercise plan, at least you would have an excuse to quit know when enough's enough, as you definitely don't want to end up hospitalized under this RN's care.[Via MedGadget]
Controversial Arturito bot survives scientific testing
There was some understandable skepticism last time we brought you news of the amazing, seemingly physics-defying robot nicknamed Arturito -- yes, it's supposed to sound like R2D2 -- which has managed to find buried bones, hidden treasure, and underground mineral deposits at depths previously thought to be inaccessible with current technology. Tired of all the potshots from the scientific community (one professor called the machine's supposed ability to analyze a nuclear signal reflected from multi-hundred-foot depths "delirious"), the rather unphotogenic inventor Manuel Salinas brought what's formally known as the "Geo-Radar" system to Chile's Universidad Tecnológico Metropolitano for testing -- and wouldn't you know it, the darn thing actually works. Even though the bot will surely continue to have its detractors, its almost perfect accuracy in finding deep copper deposits during the university trial has convinced the most important folks of all that Arturito is the real deal: the eager businesspeople who are throwing cash at Salinas to get their hands on one.[Via Cnet]
