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German scientists think LEDs are the new Botox
All of us here at Engadget are young, beautiful, and vigorous, but we understand that time is not always as kind to everyone else as it has been to us -- that's why we're giving you the heads up that German scientists claim that they can restore your youth in a whole new way. Researchers Andrei P. Sommer and Dan Zhu say that they were able to reduce wrinkles by subjecting a test subject's skin to regular ol' LED lights daily over a period of several months. It seems that at a certain intensity the light dives into skin tissue and alters the molecular structure of water that would otherwise immobilize elastin, a protein that keeps skin healthy and, y'know, elastic. The researchers believe the tech can be "converted to deep body rejuvenation programs," which we assume entails more than just taping our faces to our LED-backlit screens -- but we'll try it just in case.[Via The Earth Times]
Neuromonics Oasis quiets the ring in your ears, won't stop the voices
Do you have a constant, annoying ringing in your ears? If you're like us, you probably suffer from at least a mild form of tinnitus. Whether it's from exposure to massive jet engines, or just listening to Reign in Blood one too many times, you probably wish there was some way to stop the incessant noise. Well, a company called Neuromonics may be able to help, using an audio player which alternates a mixture of white noise and music to train your brain to ignore the ringing. The player gradually reduces the level of the white noise, and after six months of treatment, patients can use the device as needed. This kind of relief doesn't come for free, however, as counseling and the unit will cost you $3,000 to $6,000, and you probably won't be able to get your insurance to pay for it.[Via Medgadget]
Satiety's transoral TOGa stomach stapling procedure
Satiety, Inc. has finally found the funding it needs to push forward with a radical new approach to assisting the obese, as it has rounded up $30 million in financing from a number of venture capitalists who dug the idea. Essentially, the TOGa procedure is a "completely transoral process designed to achieve similar weight loss to restrictive surgeries," and it also claims to be less invasive, require less recovery time, and should create a "dramatically reduced amount of complications." In this system, the physician would "introduce a stapling device transorally and create a restrictive pouch at the entry of the stomach," and moreover, it's considered "non-surgical" in nature, endoscopic, and can be performed by properly trained bariatric surgeons, general endoscopic surgeons, and gastroenterologists. Currently, the firm is moving forward with plans to get the procedure approved by the FDA, and while there's no telling how long such a convoluted process will take, stomach stapling could see an entirely different approach in the years to come if this proves effective.[Via CNET]
CPR Teddy cuddles up nicely, teaches resuscitation
We've seen soft 'n cuddly teddies transformed into nearly every gadget imaginable, but the Save-A-Life Training Center is hoping to teach common individuals how to perform CPR with the use of a less frightening subject. The oh-so-adorable CPR Teddy looks a whole lot better than other CPR training bots that we've come across, and after squeezing one of his paws, "voice prompts walk you through the correct procedures for choking rescue and infant / child CPR." It gets a bit dodgy, however, when you have to submerse yourself in the moment and actually press down on his red heart patch as the bear's built-in metronome paces you. Subsequently, the creature's bow tie actually lights up in green or red to alert you of how you're doing, and his chest will actually rise up as you perform rescue breathing and simultaneously inhale mounds of fur. The basic CPR Teddy kit rings up at just $79.95, but we'd highly recommend picking up a few extra masks to avoid getting choked up yourself when performing mouth-to-mouth.[Via Uber-Review]
Studies: Games help sick kids
Reuters describes the impact that games can have on hospitalized kids; while test numbers are small, several studies indicate that kids experience less pain while undergoing simple procedures if distracted by games. The article also says that games give kids a sense of normalcy the foreign environment of the hospital lacks.We've seen more of these stories and studies over the past several years, and anecdotally, we know that games can have a positive impact on kids' treatments. Child's Play, a favorite by-gamers-for-gamers charity isn't included in the coverage, but consider supporting it or a similar cause to help these kids' quality of life.See also: The Joystiq Child's Play charity raffle!Posts with raffle prizes
European game addiction clinic opens next month
Smith & Jones, addiction consultants, have latched on to a goldmine -- an obsessive type of behaviour that has few treatment options, save their soon-to-be-opened treatment centre in the Netherlands. The behaviour? Gaming, of course.Their target is the gamer stereotype -- a socially awkward adolescent boy who spends 18 hours a day locked in his room pretending to shoot people. Their treatment? Get out more."You can't do a urine test to see that they're not still gaming. And if a coke addict said they wanted to go out to a club or to see people, we'd be worried about whether they'd meet a dealer. But if a gamer said he wanted to go out for the night and meet people we'd throw a party."Whether there are sufficient game addicts in Europe with the funds for expensive private treatment, we don't know. However, for those who are addicted to games, in whatever form, a new form of treatment may well be welcomed.
