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  • Len Lauer Out, Reorg at Qualcomm

    In 2006, when Qualcomm hired Len Lauer away from Sprint, the company made big noise. Today, on Christmas Eve, Qualcomm quietly announced via a press release that Lauer is leaving to be a CEO at another company. The name of the new company wasn’t revealed. Lauer, according to industry sources, has been looking for a new gig for a while. From experience, I know companies don’t typically release news a day before Santa’s visit, unless they want to push things under the carpet.

    Lauer talked to us recently about Qualcomm’s repositioning of its FLO network as a mobile content delivery network (CDN) for broadcasting mobile television. He also made a presentation at our Mobilize 09 conference (see the photo). Len was responsible for driving much of Qualcomm’s effort to rebuild itself in a post-3G world. Despite a down economy, Qualcomm had a decent 2009 and its stock was up almost 25 percent for the year.

    From Qualcomm’s announcement:

    “During the past three years, Len’s leadership and expertise have helped Qualcomm expand business opportunities and further strengthen its relationships with operators and content providers.  We are thankful to him for his service and wish him the best as he pursues new opportunities,” said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm, in a statement. “Steve Altman and Steve Mollenkopf have been invaluable in helping to guide Qualcomm’s strategy and success and I am pleased to have such a capable and seasoned executive leadership team to ensure a seamless transition for our customers, our suppliers and our employees.”

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  • The Trauma and Politics of Wrongful Conviction

    I recently saw the film “Forgiven,” Paul Fitzgerald’s moving and thoughtful directorial debut, which ponders the injustice of a wrongful conviction, the healing and redemption possible in the aftermath, and the politics that can get in the way. It became available (streaming and DVD) on Netflix this week, and it’s well worth moving to the top of your queue.

    The well-crafted (though sometimes meandering) indie flick explores the fallout of a wrongful death sentence and the inherent dangers in society’s thirst for tough-on-crime policy. Fitzgerald plays a conservative young district attorney making a bid for the U.S. Senate. His commitment to conviction may have been too strong, however, and an exoneration threatens to overwhelm his political ambitions. The movie has plenty of twists and turns and I won’t spoil it here.

    The trailer is after the jump.

    (more…)

  • Ringing in the New Year: Five San Diego Tech Companies Raise Cash in December

    Money Bags
    Bruce V. Bigelow wrote:

    Venture fundraising came to life among for a number of San Diego’s high-tech companies in December, although the deals for the most part were relatively small. Here’s a roundup of recent deals that will no doubt help these startup founders rest a little easier over the holidays:

    —Daylight Solutions, the specialized maker of solid-state lasers that is based in the San Diego suburban community of Poway, CA, has raised $1.25 million out of a targeted $2 million round, according to a regulatory filing. When I profiled the company, co-founders Tim Day and Paul Larson said they have focused their laser technology on previously untapped mid-infrared wavelengths that are “the color of heat” for molecular detection and imaging instruments. Larson, who did not respond to an e-mail inquiring about the new funding, told me earlier this year the company previously raised $13 million from Jade Invest SA, a Swiss venture capital firm; Innotech of Singapore; Chicago-based Masters Capital; and individual investors.

    —The Active Network, the San Diego-based developer of Web-based software used for online registration, marketing, and event management, raised $220,500, according to a regulatory filing that notes the shares were issued as part of a recent acquisition by the company. In response to a query, Active Network spokesman Jake Gonzales confirms the deal, but says, “I should have more information to pass along to you at the first of the year.” The Active Network has raised more than $200 million from VC firms and other investors, including ESPN, Canaan Partners, Tao Venture Partners, Charles River Ventures, North Bridge Venture Partners, Comdisco Ventures, and Performance Equity Partners

    —Edgeware Analytics, a San Diego software analytics developer, has raised $662,798, according to a recent regulatory filing. The company specializes in software analytics for the small business lending market, using statistical modeling and credit evaluation to create predictive models and systems to help lenders more accurately assess risk. The company’s software is used by national lenders, certified development companies, credit unions, and community banks. Much of the company’s funding has come from individual investors. Todd Gutschow, a co-founder of HNC Software, and Michael Elconin of the Tech Coast Angels (and a San Diego Xconomist) are board members.

    —Ortiva Wireless, a San Diego company that specializes in software for mobile video delivery, has raised almost $1.7 million toward a $2.5 million equity round, according to a recent regulatory filing. Previous investors include Artiman Ventures, Avalon Ventures, Comcast Interactive Capital, and Mission Ventures, according to the company’s website.

    —U.S. Local News Network, a San Diego company formed to operate the San Diego News Network and similar online news sites throughout the country, has raised nearly $2.7 million in a $3 million targeted round, according to a recent filing. After launching the San Diego News Network earlier this year, founder and CEO Neil Senturia formed the U.S. Local News Network as a parent company, and announced plans to launch 40 similar websites across the U.S.


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  • Google Voice Is Coming Back To The iPhone Via The Browser, Thanks To VoiceCentral

    Last summer, when Apple pulled third-party Google Voice applications from the App Store, one of them was VoiceCentral. Apple’s subsequent rejection of the official Google Voice app spurred an FCC investigation, but Google Voice never made it to the app store and none of the other apps ever made it back in.

    Well, that’s not stopping the developers behind VoiceCentral. They are bringing back their app to the iPhone via the browser. They call it the Black Swan edition. You can get on a waiting list to be on the private beta here. The app is completely browser-based but has the look and feel of a regular app, complete with a dialer, list of transcribed voicemails, and SMS messages.

    When you dial a number, Google Voice simply makes a call to your iPhone while simultaneously calling the number of the person you are trying to reach, so you still pay for the voice minutes. But the appeal of having Google Voice on your iPhone is the ability to read transcribed voicemails, or play them, and avoid SMS charges by texting through Google Voice. (You cannot yet do all of these things when you access Google Voice via the iPhone’s browser directly).

    The downside is that it cannot access your contact list on your iPhone through the browser. Although, VoiceCentral mimics the look and feel of the iPhone contact manager, you have to export your contacts to Google Voice first and access them that way. Another limitation is that the audio plays through the speaker instead of through the earpiece, but if you are using a pair of earphones that is not a problem.

    VoiceCentral will probably be a paid app, but Apple won’t get any of the revenues since it is simply a mobile Website. It even offers offline caching and takes advantage of the HTML5 features of mobile Safari. This could very well be the future of mobile apps. As mobile browsers become more capable, more and more developers are going to ask themselves why bother with the limitations of the App Store and be at the mercy of Apple’s whims? And it won’t just be developers like VoiceCentral who have no other choice.

    Below is a promotional video which shows some of the features of VoiceCentral’s Black Swan app. Remember, this is all happening in the browser:

    Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.


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  • Another new candidate

    Hey All,

    Merry Christmas,

    Just found the forum and wanted to say hi!

    Not full blown diabetic but did keep track this summer and my blood shot to 300+. Radically changed the diet and working out but still wanting to know how to lower the numbers as fast as I can. Got some advise from some dia-friends on cinnamin-chromium and lemon waters. Any other non-traditional aids???

    Thanks,

    George

  • Snowflake-shaped photovoltaic cells bring the holiday cheer

    Sandia National Laboratories have unveiled their newest photovoltaic cells — glitter-sized particles made of crystalline silicon. The cells are made using common microelectronic and microelectromechanical systems techniques, and the results are pretty spectacular to behold. More interestingly, however, is the fact that they use 100 times less material in generating the same amount of energy as a regular solar cell.

    Because of their size and shape, the cells are well-suited to unusual applications, and researchers envision mass-production of the cells for use on building-integrated tents or clothing, so campers (or military personnel) could recharge their cell phones on the go. Researchers also think that these particles will be inexpensive to produce, but there’s no word on when they’ll be ready for consumer application. We’ll keep you posted — but hit the source link for more a more detailed description.

    Snowflake-shaped photovoltaic cells bring the holiday cheer originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Slide Show: Dominique Nabokov on Robert Frank’s Americans

    Coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of Robert Frank’s The Americans, the exhibition “Looking In: Robert Frank’s The Americans” is on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City through January 3, 2010. Dominique Nabokov—whose own photographs appear regularly in The New York Review—saw the exhibition both in New York and in Washington, where it originated at the National Gallery of Art. Recently, she stopped by the office to talk about why Frank’s photographs are not only still relevant but also a “miraculous” body of work.

    The catalog of the exhibition is edited by Sarah Greenough and published by the National Gallery and Steidl. In addition to the original photographs from The Americans, it contains many other photographs by Frank from the exhibition, reproductions of his contact sheets, and essays by Greenough and others, including frequent Review contributor Luc Sante on Jack Kerouac’s introduction to the first American edition of Frank’s book.

    —Dominique Nabokov interviewed by Eve Bowen;
    slide show produced by Michael Berk

  • For NVIDIA and Intel, Flash video is a double-edged sword




    One of my favorite Intel foibles to ridicule is the way that the company continues to stress Flash support as a rationale for x86 in handheld portables—x86, we’re told repeatedly, gives you “the full Internet experience,” by which Intel means, “you can run Flash on it.” This is supposed to make x86 a better option than ARM for portable CPUs, but the chipmaker doesn’t bother to mention that ARM Flash support is here as of Flash 10.1, making their favorite talking point inoperative.

    With the arrival of Flash 10.1, ARM-based SoCs from vendors like NVIDIA can now offer “the full Internet experience,” so the company’s Tegra line competes with x86-based SoCs for Web-enabled design wins on pure price/performance/watt. But the Open Screen Project doesn’t just hurt Intel PR; it’s turning out to be a headache for NVIDIA PR, as well.

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  • At Last, a Keyboard for Some iPhones [Voices]

    By Yukari Iwatani Kane, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

    If there is one complaint people have about their iPhones, it’s that the popular cellphone doesn’t have the option of a physical keyboard to type on. That has now changed, at least if you’ve “jailbroken” or modified your phone so it can download unauthorized software.

    Matthias Ringwald, a doctoral candidate specializing in wireless sensor networks in Zurich, Switzerland, launched a piece of software called BTstack Keyboard, which will let users use Bluetooth-enabled keyboards with their iPhones. The software is available through the unauthorized app marketplace Cydia for $5.

    IPhones rely on typing text using a virtual keyboard on the display screen, an attribute that does not appeal to some people. The handsets have Bluetooth capability–a popular way to connect peripheral devices–but so far Apple (AAPL) has only allowed it to be used to connect with other iPhones to play games or with certain accessories like headsets. Ringwald was one of the users frustrated by the limitation. He spent eight months developing the software before releasing it on Wednesday.

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  • Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods Vegan Miso Ramen, 1.9-Ounce Cups


    Product DescriptionDr. McDougall’s right foods are always natural, heart healthy and vegan. They meet guidelines for heart healthy foods low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. . . . More >>
    Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods Vegan Miso Ramen, 1.9-Ounce Cups

    Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods Vegan Miso Ramen, 1.9-Ounce Cups is a post from the Vegetarian Vitamins Guide blog where you can find suggestions and advice from vegetarians and vegans on vegetarian diets, supplements, vitamins and overall nutrition.

    Related Vegetarian Vitamins Posts:

    1. I’ve Never Met A Healthy Looking Vegan… Do They Actually Exist? I don’t mean vegetarians… I’ve seen vegetarians of all shapes…
    2. Going Vegan!? Im going vegan because I feel it’s healthier way of…
    3. I’ve Never Met A Healthy Looking Vegan… Do They Actually Exist? I don’t mean vegetarians… I’ve seen vegetarians of all shapes…
    4. Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods Vegan Miso Ramen, 1.9-Ounce Cups DescriptionDr product. McDougall right foods are always natural, heart…
    5. Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods Vegan Tomato Basil Pasta Soup, Light Sodium, 1.3-Ounce Cups Product DescriptionHearty Tomato Basil broth enrobe with cavatappi pasta…

  • ¿En qué están trabajando las marcas de automóviles?

    en_que_trabajan_marcas_automoviles.jpg
    A mí es que es ver estos colorcitos azul eléctrico, aguamarina y demás en un fondo de cristal y me ganan. Sea cual sea el coche que saque un salpicadero como el que vemos en la foto se convertirá automáticamente en mi modelo favorito. Probablemente muchas de las mejoras que comentamos a continuación no lleguen nunca al mercado, pero al menos sabemos que la investigación avanza por estos lares.

    El sector del automóvil es uno de los que más se renueva constantemente en todos los campos: bajas emisiones, consumos, prestaciones, seguridad, confort, y cómo no, tecnología. La informática permite que muchas de las tareas clásicamente dependientes de la habilidad del conductor como aparcar estén guiadas y apoyadas para resultar más fáciles. A continuación os ponemos una pequeña lista de investigaciones en las que trabajan algunas de las marcas punteras del panorama actual.

    • Control de destellos de luz: BMW esta desarrollando un sistema que oscurece automáticamente los espejos retrovisores y los parabrisas reduciendo así un 80% de los destellos.
    • Sistema de frenado automático: Volvo esta desarrollando un sistema que avisa al conductor con una señal luminosa, para que frene a tiempo.
    • Pintura que oculta rajaduras: BMW esta trabajando en una pintura que se puede auto-regenerar.
    • Un sistema para evitar el tráfico: Esto se lograra con el sistema Europe Como2React, que enviara los datos de tu auto a una central y hará todo lo posible para evitar el tráfico.
    • Sistema de estacionamiento automático de Toyota: Un sistema que permitirá que el auto se estacione solo.
    • Sistema de ayuda para estacionar: BMW esta desarrollando un sistema que le indica al conductor como estacionar correctamente.
    • Adaptabilidad al asfalto: Audi esta desarrollando un sistema que controlara al vehículo dependiendo el terreno en el cual se encuentre. Este es llamado Road Visión, y detectara todas las situaciones de riesgo.
    • Estaciones de servicio de hidrogeno: En Alemania ya funcionan, en Berlín y Munich y en Dinamarca. Cada vez habrá más en Europa.
    • Estaciones de recarga de coches eléctricos: En España, Dinamarca, Portugal, e Israel ya prácticamente están funcionado, pero en el futuro habrá en Los Ángeles y muchas otras ciudades más.
    • Desarrollo de un convoy de coches conectados inalámbricamente: Esto evitara accidentes y ahorrara combustible. La Unión Europea lo esta desarrollando y lo llama SARTRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment). Únicamente habría un conductor, el del vehículo principal.
    • El primer concesionario para vehículos eléctricos: En Berlín las empresas energéticas RWE AG y enviaM AG abrieron su primer concesionario destinado a vender solo estos modelos.

    Vía | Espaciocoches



  • Rumored tablet could include dynamic tactile surface

    Filed under: , ,

    As a guy who still kind of winces at the iPhone’s touch surface sometimes (especially when playing games — you don’t realize how nice buttons are until you see a character die because your thumb’s in the way), this is extremely interesting news: Apple’s rumored tablet, which we’ve been hearing a lot about lately, may include a dynamic, tactile surface.

    This one’s on a little shakier ground than the other rumors that we’ve heard before, but it makes sense. After that anonymous exec told the NYT that the interface on the new tablet would be “surprising,” AppleInsider pulled out an old patent from a few years ago that talks about a surface that changes its shape and feel based on how it’s being used. For viewing pictures with the multitouch, it stays smooth, but the second a keyboard or button pops up, it can push out dots or shapes and become slightly tactile.

    Sounds like it’d be tough to get right (you’d have to figure out when users expect a tactile surface and when they don’t, among other interesting UI questions), but of course if anyone can pull it off, it’ll probably be Apple. Note that this isn’t the only futuristic idea Apple has had for larger multitouch surfaces, and there are lots of different options for interfaces that we’d find “surprising.” But the fact remains that though touchscreen devices are extremely popular, users want a little more feel and a little less look. It’d be great to see Apple pull this off, if they are planning on showing off a larger touchscreen next month.

    TUAWRumored tablet could include dynamic tactile surface originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • The Font Game for iPhone is fontastic fun

    Filed under: , ,

    Be sure to check out our iPhone game review roundup via Joystiq.

    Ask any designer what their favorite font is and you’ll get one of several thousand possible answers. Fonts aren’t merely pretty characters on a display; they are an art form. Each font family conveys a particular aesthetic meaning that can make or break any design, if used properly or improperly. In fact, I’ve long suspected the ancient Egyptian civilization was brought down by the creation of Papyrus. The recent appearance of the faux-ancient typeface in the film Avatar as subtitles will surely doom us all — especially if viewed in 3D.

    The folks at ILT share our font fixation, and they’ve developed a highly addictive text teaser iPhone game that puts your font knowledge to the test. The Font Game [$0.99, iTunes link] challenges you to identify a series of fonts presented onscreen; you then select one of four possible answers.Be sure to check out our iPhone game review roundup via Joystiq.

    Ask any designer what their favorite font is and you’ll get one of several thousand possible answers. Fonts aren’t merely pretty characters on a display; they are an art form. Each font family conveys a particular aesthetic meaning that can make or break any design, if used properly or improperly. In fact, I’ve long suspected the ancient Egyptian civilization was brought down by the creation of Papyrus. The recent appearance of the faux-ancient typeface in the film Avatar as subtitles will surely doom us all — especially if viewed in 3D.

    The folks at ILT share our font fixation, and they’ve developed a highly addictive text teaser iPhone game that puts your font knowledge to the test. The Font Game [$0.99, iTunes link] challenges you to identify a series of fonts presented onscreen; you then select one of four possible answers.

    TUAWThe Font Game for iPhone is fontastic fun originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Holiday Cocktails With Sandeman Port

    Whether as the basis for Sandeman Mulled Port Wine or in a new spin on a  sparkling holiday cocktail,  these Port-based potions are sure to impress  even the most cocktail savvy at any soiree, and warm them up even on the coldest of nights.

    Embrace this new trend by indulging in some of Portugal’s other famous imports. Be sure to display a sumptuous Charcuterie platter next to your
    bowl of mulled wine, and pass a platter of “filhoses,” made of fried pumpkin dough, with your Sandeman Sparklers.

    Sandeman Port is the sophisticated secret ingredient for your festive holiday fete. Your guests will never guess the secret ingredient but they’ll definitely be searching for clues (and refills).

    Image: Sandeman Port

    Image: Sandeman Port


    Sandeman Mulled Port Wine

    Ingredients:

    • 1 bottle of Sandeman Founders Reserve Port
    • 6 part Martell VS Cognac
    • ½ cup of Sugar
    • 2 sticks of cinnamon
    • 6 cloves
    • 1 orange cut in small slices
    • 4 parts fresh squeezed orange juice

    Directions:

    Combine all ingredients into a medium size sauce pan and bring to heat but not boil. Serve hot in traditional mulled wine glasses.

    Sandeman Sparkler

    Ingredients:

    • 1 part Founders Reserve Porto
    • 3 parts Sparkling wine

    Directions:

    Serve in a champagne flute or large wine glass.

    Post from: Blisstree

    Holiday Cocktails With Sandeman Port

  • Ursula K. Le Guin Resigns From Authors Guild, Because It Didn’t Keep Up Its Silly Fight With Google

    Ursula K. Le Guin is a very famous author who many people insist is one of the best — though, I have to admit never having read her stuff. Yet, she is one of those who is rather aggressive in policing the copyrights on her work, and who does not tend to side with those who believe in concepts like “fair use.” Most certainly, she is not a fan of open culture. A few years ago, she got into a bit of a scrap with Cory Doctorow, because he dared to publish a single paragraph of hers in a blogpost as part of a larger (positive!) commentary.

    Her latest scrap with the world of copyright is to publicly resign from the Authors Guild. I’m no fan of the Authors Guild myself, and find that it tends to take a rather antiquated view on things — from its absolutely ridiculous claim that a Kindle with text-to-speech software infringes on authors’ copyrights, to its equally backwards take on Google’s book scanning project, which helped index books and make them more findable which many authors have found helps increase sales.

    While I am not a fan of the (still ongoing) settlement efforts between Google and the Authors Guild, it is this settlement that has upset Le Guin so much. In her resignation letter, she claims refers to Google as “the devil,” and claims that the Guild has abandoned “the whole concept of copyright.” Of course, nothing is further from the truth, as the Authors Guild notes in its reply (found via Michael Scott). As the Authors Guild points out, Google had a more than decent chance of winning the lawsuit because of something called fair use, which Le Guin still doesn’t appear to recognize as a key part of copyright law. In her own introduction to copyright law, fair use makes no appearance whatsoever.

    It really is a shame. Many people tell me that Le Guin is a fantastic writer, but I have no desire to read works by someone who is afraid I might like it so much I might share that joy with someone else. I also have no interest in reading works by a science fiction author who seems to hate technology to the point of calling a tool like Google “the devil.”

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  • Trans fat rules needed, groups say

    Trans fat rules needed, groups say

    Quote:

    Strict federal rules against trans fats are needed in Canada, health and restaurant groups say.

    The groups were reacting Wednesday to a new review by Health Canada that found few small restaurants, fast food chains, hospitals or school cafeterias came close to meeting the goal of limiting trans fats.

    Trans fats raise the levels of low-density lipoprotein, or "bad" cholesterol, in the body and can lead to clogged arteries and heart disease.

    The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada said consumption of trans fats accounts for 3,000 to 5,000 deaths from heart disease annually.

    And Canadian food manufacturers who won’t change their ways voluntarily should be forced to, said Stephen Samis, director of health policy with the foundation.

    Voluntary limits of no more than two per cent trans fats in oils such as margarine and no more than five per cent in all other foods were established two years ago in a partnership between Health Canada and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

    But the authors of the Health Canada report released on Tuesday still found high levels of trans fat in:

    * 21 per cent of french fries.
    * 26 per cent of chicken products.
    * 50 per cent of bakery products.
    * 60 per cent of cookies.

    Some of the highest levels were found in hospitals and school cafeterias and in foods marketed to children, such as chicken strips, Samis said.

    "We’ve seen many more who haven’t changed practices and that’s why we think regulations should be put in place.," Samis said.
    Flavour remains after switch

    Some restaurants have changed their ways, however. More than a year ago, the owners of a fast-food joint in north Toronto, for instance, decided to move away from hydrogen fats to pure canola oil to make fries and onion rings.

    "A lot of people the last couple of years, they used to ask, ‘What kind of oil do you use?’" said John Batshon of the Burger Shack. "You tell them ‘We don’t use trans fat.’ Right away they’ll order the fries."

    Denmark has already banned trans fats, and Danish authorities said it made no difference to the price, taste or shelf life of foods.

    The Canadian Food and Restaurant Association backs the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s call for a federal ban on the production of trans fats. At present, restaurants often don’t have much choice about using trans fat, spokesperson Joyce Reynolds said.

    "The typical restaurant has hundreds of thousands of ingredients," Reynolds said. "So for them to guarantee that every product that they buy and that they use to make menu items are free of trans fat is very challenging."

    The industry association wants national standards on trans fats so there won’t be a patchwork of local regulations. Some provincial and municipal authorities, such as British Columbia and Calgary, are moving to ban trans fats, the group said.

    Health Canada said it will continue to include interested parties in future discussions about trans fats.

  • Qualcomm’s COO Len Lauer Resigns For CEO Position At Unknown Company


    Qualcomm's former COO Len Lauer

    Qualcomm’s COO Len Lauer has resigned in favor of accepting a new position as CEO at an unnamed company, which is expected to be announced in the new year. Release.

    In a document filed with the SEC, Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM) said Lauer quit on Dec. 18, and that his resignation will be official Dec. 31. Lauer was promoted to the position of COO after Sanjay Jha left to become Motorola’s co-CEO and CEO of Motorola’s device’s division. Prior to Qualcomm, Lauer was Sprint’s COO. Lauer left Sprint (NYSE: S) a year after it merged with Nextel. Qualcomm said most of Lauer’s responsibilities have been reassigned to President Steven Altman.

    Related


  • BZP weight-loss pills linked to heart problem

    BZP weight-loss pills linked to heart problem

    Quote:

    Consumers taking a weight-loss product should avoid an unauthorized product sold online that contains BZP, Health Canada says.

    The capsules are called RevolutionDS Weight Loss and contain a synthetic substance known as benzylpiperazine, or BZP, the regulator said Thursday.

    BZP may cause:

    * Increased body temperature.
    * Increased blood pressure.
    * Dilated pupils.
    * Increased euphoria.
    * Alertness.
    * Paranoia.

    Health Canada is assessing whether to add BZP to a list of substances included in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

    People who take the recommended dose on the label of the products could be associated with serious and life-threatening health consequences, Health Canada warns.

    There is a Canadian report of cardiac arrhythmia or abnormal electrical activity of the heart associated with the use of RevolutionDS Weight Loss.

    BZP may also negatively interact with alcohol and prescription drugs, and scientific data suggests it has abuse potential given its amphetamine-like effects, Health Canada said.

    The products is distributed by a website called revolutionds.com. Health Canada said the contact person listed on the website "has not been forthcoming in providing all required information to effectively recall the unauthorized product."

    Anyone who has used the product and is concerned is advised to consult a health-care practitioner.

    All drugs and natural health products that are authorized for sale in Canada carry an eight-digit identification number on the label.

  • A Little Volunteering Goes a Long Way . . . To Help Your Mental Function

    With the number of U.S. seniors with Alzheimer’s skyrocketing, much research is underway to determine how to stave off this mental deterioration, keeping people physically and mentally sound as they age.

    A recent report in the December Journals of Gerontology: Medical Sciences found that older women who volunteered for Experience Corps – tutoring elementary school children, had increased brain activity  in regions important to cognitive function after a period of six months.

    What was exciting about these results, is that it shows a direct correlation between community-based programs and improved cognitive functions. Until now, much study has been done on the brain-boosting power of cognitive, physical and social leisure activities, but little was known about the effectiveness of community-based service.

    “This finding is best captured by a personal observation from one of the volunteers, who stated that ‘it [Experience Corps] removed the cobwebs from my brain.” wrote Michelle C. Carlson, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

    The seventeen women enrolled in this study were low-income African-Americans with little education, aged 65 and older, and deemed high-risk for cognitive declines, based on a mental state evaluation. Eight of the women actually participated in the tutoring program in Baltimore elementary schools, while the other nine served as the control.

    Via functional magnetic resonance imaging, researchers assessed neural activity in the brain prior to the volunteering experience, and again after six months. Based on the fMRI assessment, the women who actively participated in Experience Corps saw improvements in mental function compared with those in the control group.

    There you have it, doing your civic duty and assisting others is highly rewarding to all participants. These meaningful activities seem to be more enriching than highly stimulating activities performed alone

  • The Grinch diagnosed with depression

    The Grinch diagnosed with depression

    Quote:

    The Grinch likely suffers from some well-defined mental health conditions that others might be able to identify with, some psychologists say.

    The Grinch is a fictional holiday bad guy who sits atop Mount Crumpit plotting how to prevent Christmas from coming to Whoville.

    "It could be perhaps that his shoes were too tight," the Dr. Seuss story, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, reads. "It could be his head wasn’t screwed on just right."

    More likely, the Grinch is depressed, said Cynthia Bulik, a psychologist with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

    "When people think about depression they often think about people being sad," said Bulik. "But that’s not always how depression expresses itself. Sometimes people who are depressed might get really irritable, and really grumpy and they can really withdraw socially."

    The Grinch certainly wants to be left alone, irritated by thoughts of the noisy fun Whoville residents will have on Christmas morning, playing with their new toys.

    It’s hard to be part of the holidays when everyone else appears to be so happy, agreed Susan Kilbride Roper, who suffers from seasonal affective disorder — depression that strikes as the days grow shorter.

    "When we don’t have those feelings inside ourselves, being around people that are happy, and excited and feeling very social is really difficult and painful because you don’t feel you can contribute to any of the conversations in the room," she said.

    The Grinch appears to be suffering from an almost textbook case of antisocial personality disorder with depressed mood, said Todd Hill, a clinical psychologist in Halifax.

    Symptoms include:

    * Failure to conform to social norms.
    * Deceitfulness.
    * Irritability.
    * Aggressiveness.

    Christmas can bring out the worst in most people, said Hill, noting all of his clients in the last three weeks have complained about the stress and pressure they feel to buy, visit and fulfil some impossible ideal of holiday happiness.

    "It’s interesting to kind of identify with the Grinch and say, ‘Me too, I hate Christmas at times, I hate the expectations,’" Hill said.

    The treatment, Hill said, is to forget the Martha Stewart-type Christmas and realize you’re not the only one feeling the pressure.

    It’s worth remembering the grinches encountered at Christmas might actually be depressed and need someone to extend a hand, Bulik advised.