IPods are being used to help stroke and dementia patients with memory loss and helps relaxes them.
For decades, caregivers observed that Alzheimer's patients can still remember and sing songs long after they've stopped recognizing names and faces.
Nursing homes and hospitals use music to bring patients pleasure and to help recreate their memories.
Dr. Tomaino has studied therapeutic effects of music more than 30 years.
"If someone loved opera or classical music or jazz or religious music, or if they sang and danced when the family got together, we can recreate that music and help them relive those experiences," she says.
A few years ago, Tomaino did an unpublished study on 45 patients with mid- to late-stage dementia. The patients had one hour of personalized music therapy, three times a week, for 10 months, and improved their scores on a cognitivefunction test by 50% on average.
There was one patient who even managed to remember his wife after many months.
I've known of music helping some mentally challenged children before and the idea of the same process with Alzheimer is amazing. I wonder what it is about music that triggers the mind when words and faces fail.
I can't really begin to describe what this would be like.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Apple VS Nintendo
Nintendo is getting ready to release a new version of the DS handheld and has managed to excel in the gaming market for 20 years. Yet cellphone games are rising in popularity thanks to Apple!
Nintendo's profit went down 52% in the first half of their fiscal year, which ends in March, as sales of Wiis and DS gadgets decreased.
Research firm DFC Intelligence says that Apple producsts will take charge of portable gaming for the next five years!
Apple has access to thousands of different games at their App Store. Some are free to play while others can cost under $10. New Nintendo games starting price is $20.
People are going to the source with the most games for the better deal. The DS has limits while it seems Apple has none; or at least less. I've always been a Nintendo fan and I like Apple even though I don't know much about them. I wonder what it would be like if they should merge into one company? It's way too soon for talks like that.
However, that was an idea that flowed into my head.
Nintendo's profit went down 52% in the first half of their fiscal year, which ends in March, as sales of Wiis and DS gadgets decreased.
Research firm DFC Intelligence says that Apple producsts will take charge of portable gaming for the next five years!
Apple has access to thousands of different games at their App Store. Some are free to play while others can cost under $10. New Nintendo games starting price is $20.
People are going to the source with the most games for the better deal. The DS has limits while it seems Apple has none; or at least less. I've always been a Nintendo fan and I like Apple even though I don't know much about them. I wonder what it would be like if they should merge into one company? It's way too soon for talks like that.
However, that was an idea that flowed into my head.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Disney Returns to Traditional Animation
The new film 'The Princess and the Frog' is the first traditionally drawn animation over the last six years.
Disney has been using computer animation like in 'Chicken Little", which made $135 million in the box office and a more recent film 'Bolt', $114 million.
Pixar cofounders John Lasseter and Ed Catmull have overseen Disney Animation since 2006, when Disney bought their company for $7.4 billion. They were the ones to decide to return to the hand-drawn techniques and to rehire filmmakers who use it.
"I've never understood why the studios were saying people don't want to see hand-drawn animation," Mr. Lasseter said at a fan convention earlier this year. "What people don't want to watch is a bad movie."
Lasseter's problem wasn't Disney's animation techniques, but fundamental elements like characters and plot.
They've got high hopes with this new classic fairy tale like story that's hand drawn about a princess and a frog. Disney has made some great movies, but latley some just don't have the "spark" like they use to. 'Tresure Planet' was an ok film that I wouldn't mind to rewatch every now and then, but in the box office it failed to get the high ratings. Also, the same happened to 'Brother Bear'; I never saw this movie.
I dont' know what this new movie by Disney is really about, but I've got some hope that maybe it may be that "spark" like the older disney cartoons had; have! One day, traditional animation may be a thing of the past, but until then...
Disney has been using computer animation like in 'Chicken Little", which made $135 million in the box office and a more recent film 'Bolt', $114 million.
Pixar cofounders John Lasseter and Ed Catmull have overseen Disney Animation since 2006, when Disney bought their company for $7.4 billion. They were the ones to decide to return to the hand-drawn techniques and to rehire filmmakers who use it.
"I've never understood why the studios were saying people don't want to see hand-drawn animation," Mr. Lasseter said at a fan convention earlier this year. "What people don't want to watch is a bad movie."
Lasseter's problem wasn't Disney's animation techniques, but fundamental elements like characters and plot.
They've got high hopes with this new classic fairy tale like story that's hand drawn about a princess and a frog. Disney has made some great movies, but latley some just don't have the "spark" like they use to. 'Tresure Planet' was an ok film that I wouldn't mind to rewatch every now and then, but in the box office it failed to get the high ratings. Also, the same happened to 'Brother Bear'; I never saw this movie.
I dont' know what this new movie by Disney is really about, but I've got some hope that maybe it may be that "spark" like the older disney cartoons had; have! One day, traditional animation may be a thing of the past, but until then...
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Web Alphabet
The language of the web has always used Roman letters, but this is about to change.
To type in addresses, other nations had to write in Roman, for example, '.com' cannot be written in their own language. Until now...
Soon web users will be able to type or input addresses in other languages besides Roman letters.
After six years of talking about this issue, new disscussions are being made of when and how this can be approved so it is only a matter of time.
Some nations are happy about this because it's a sense of pride in being able to write in their own because not many use Roman letters as their first language.
I like this idea because this may give me the chance to go to some other websites in different languages. I've been to some before, but maybe when this new system takes root, I can somehow translate...?
That's just my own little wish in this new deal since this subject doesn't effect me personally. At least, not to my knowledge yet...
Like everyone who grew up in America, using Roman letters is everyday.
To type in addresses, other nations had to write in Roman, for example, '.com' cannot be written in their own language. Until now...
Soon web users will be able to type or input addresses in other languages besides Roman letters.
After six years of talking about this issue, new disscussions are being made of when and how this can be approved so it is only a matter of time.
Some nations are happy about this because it's a sense of pride in being able to write in their own because not many use Roman letters as their first language.
I like this idea because this may give me the chance to go to some other websites in different languages. I've been to some before, but maybe when this new system takes root, I can somehow translate...?
That's just my own little wish in this new deal since this subject doesn't effect me personally. At least, not to my knowledge yet...
Like everyone who grew up in America, using Roman letters is everyday.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Home Computers Help Find Medical Cures
Home computers can now be used to help find the next medical cure for diseases.
Advancement in computer science allows researchers to test how proteins fold, genes interact and the spread of illness in complex digital simulations of natural environments. The simulations are being used widely and becoming more intensive that computers at academic institutions and research centers can't keep up the demand of processing power.
Scientists are using the network to help channel thier processing power by using home computers that people volenteer to help aid medical research.
Volenteers download an application that links them to other volenteers and to research scientists. The network assigns each computer a small part of the project's puzzle to solve. This goes on as long as the computer is turned on and it can take several hours depending on the power of individual's computer.
When finished, the result is automatically sent back to the network's server.
If I had a better home computer, I'd think I'd volenteer my processing power. The idea of possibly finding medical cures just by using your every day computer is amazing. Like right out of a movie or sci-fi book!
But I am worried about viruses and spyware with all those computers connected to each other even if the server has good protection. I've had horrible bad luck, no matter the virus security I use, I always get a virus of the worse kind.
The use system digital signatures is one defense against hackers so they can't hijack an existing project. Then there's "sandboxing" all Boinic activity from the rest of the host's computer, so even if a bug did get in, it wouldn't cause to much damage to the project.
Anyone (like me) who is interested in volenteering your home computer for medical researchers should learn all that you can before agreeing.
Advancement in computer science allows researchers to test how proteins fold, genes interact and the spread of illness in complex digital simulations of natural environments. The simulations are being used widely and becoming more intensive that computers at academic institutions and research centers can't keep up the demand of processing power.
Scientists are using the network to help channel thier processing power by using home computers that people volenteer to help aid medical research.
Volenteers download an application that links them to other volenteers and to research scientists. The network assigns each computer a small part of the project's puzzle to solve. This goes on as long as the computer is turned on and it can take several hours depending on the power of individual's computer.
When finished, the result is automatically sent back to the network's server.
If I had a better home computer, I'd think I'd volenteer my processing power. The idea of possibly finding medical cures just by using your every day computer is amazing. Like right out of a movie or sci-fi book!
But I am worried about viruses and spyware with all those computers connected to each other even if the server has good protection. I've had horrible bad luck, no matter the virus security I use, I always get a virus of the worse kind.
The use system digital signatures is one defense against hackers so they can't hijack an existing project. Then there's "sandboxing" all Boinic activity from the rest of the host's computer, so even if a bug did get in, it wouldn't cause to much damage to the project.
Anyone (like me) who is interested in volenteering your home computer for medical researchers should learn all that you can before agreeing.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Videogames Target Women This Holiday Season
Usually, young men and boys are the target audiences of video games and they spend more hours playing them than women.
But this holiday season, it is women who are the main focus to boost sales!
Electronic Arts Inc. is releasing the newest installment "Littlest Pet Shop" for younger girls and "Charm Girls Club" for older girls. There are even workout games targeting women like "Your Shape" and "Just Dance" .
Ubisoft was one of the first to view women as a market potential when they release the game "Petz", a pet-stimulation series; it sold 19 million copies since being released four years ago.
Female players now account for about 40% of the overall market compared to 2001 when it was less than 12%. It's calculated that a 5% increase in female players could make $1 billion in new revenue every year.
There are women play games, but don't consider themselves to be gamers. One woman says she plays "Rock Band" or "Guitar Hero" when she's with a group of friends.
Another woman got a Wii as a gift two years ago and "slowly lost interest". She plays "FarmVille" on Facebook for about an hour a week.
My brother plays games everyday of every hour when I see him. If he's not in his room playing his Xbox 360 he's on the computer and then afterwords it's back to the Xbox 360.
I do enjoy playing games and find them a lot of fun like Resident Evil 4, Legend of Dragoon, Drakenguard, DDR (Dance Dance Revolution), Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9, 10 and more. It's just that I always seem to find something else to do that takes up my time.
It takes me forever to finish a game while it'll take my brother only a couple of hours or two days at the least; for me, it can take a year or more.
No matter how much I love the game that I'm into, I don't know what it is, I just can't seem to make myself stay put and play it when I know I really want to.
Maybe, it's the need to go out and do something than be stuck inside playing in a world that isn't real? I like the fantasy worlds very much, but I enjoy being out and about. Maybe that's it...?
Who knows if this will change even if video game companies create a game that targets a large female audience.
But this holiday season, it is women who are the main focus to boost sales!
Electronic Arts Inc. is releasing the newest installment "Littlest Pet Shop" for younger girls and "Charm Girls Club" for older girls. There are even workout games targeting women like "Your Shape" and "Just Dance" .
Ubisoft was one of the first to view women as a market potential when they release the game "Petz", a pet-stimulation series; it sold 19 million copies since being released four years ago.
Female players now account for about 40% of the overall market compared to 2001 when it was less than 12%. It's calculated that a 5% increase in female players could make $1 billion in new revenue every year.
There are women play games, but don't consider themselves to be gamers. One woman says she plays "Rock Band" or "Guitar Hero" when she's with a group of friends.
Another woman got a Wii as a gift two years ago and "slowly lost interest". She plays "FarmVille" on Facebook for about an hour a week.
My brother plays games everyday of every hour when I see him. If he's not in his room playing his Xbox 360 he's on the computer and then afterwords it's back to the Xbox 360.
I do enjoy playing games and find them a lot of fun like Resident Evil 4, Legend of Dragoon, Drakenguard, DDR (Dance Dance Revolution), Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9, 10 and more. It's just that I always seem to find something else to do that takes up my time.
It takes me forever to finish a game while it'll take my brother only a couple of hours or two days at the least; for me, it can take a year or more.
No matter how much I love the game that I'm into, I don't know what it is, I just can't seem to make myself stay put and play it when I know I really want to.
Maybe, it's the need to go out and do something than be stuck inside playing in a world that isn't real? I like the fantasy worlds very much, but I enjoy being out and about. Maybe that's it...?
Who knows if this will change even if video game companies create a game that targets a large female audience.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Reconnecting With Former Crushes
Finding old flames on Facebook and Myspace just to walk down memory lane may spark a fire or put it out!
This article explains how people use the Internet to look up old crushes and lovers and make friends with them on the net. These friendships can sometimes be a risk on a current relationship or just bring up old disputes.
One woman waited three months before she got in contact with her former boyfriend on Myspace and asked if they could be friends. While chatting he asked if she was seeing anyone else and she said yes. The boyfriend called her "'high maintenance" and deleted her showing that he was still mad at her.
Another woman found an old high school crush on Facebook. In 1974, he was captain of the football team, tall and handsome. Over 30 years later, he has a beard down to his belly and his accomplishment for the year was being the local darts champ.
What a 180 degree turn around!
One man in England said that his wife left him for an old high school sweetheart on Facebook.
Internet isn't the blame for these events, it's people who can't resist the temptation to look into the lives of people who they were once close to. I don't blame them for wanting to know what's changed, how they are doing, are they single and things like that. Yet I've a rule for myself that this article highly recommends for everyone.
Look, but don't make contact!
There could be hurt feelings that are still not resolved yet, see a change that is way over the top unexpected or possibly risk your current relationship.
Karen Gail Lewis, a marriage and family therapist in Cincinnati advises that if you do wish to reconnect with your ex online, tell your current spouse.
Also, it wouldn't hurt to even share your password and log in information with your mate to better strengthen your relationship and communication.
Finding this article, I believe has helped me sort out my own issues with speaking to an ex online. Over the summer, an ex of mine requested a friendship on Facebook, which made me mad and confused, but I accepted it anyways. Nothing wrong was ever said in our few online chats, but I didn't like them and was wondering why I was speaking to him. I'm still angry at him and I don't like the idea of him looking me up on Facebook and chatting with me casually.
I may just delete him off my friends list now! ^^
This article explains how people use the Internet to look up old crushes and lovers and make friends with them on the net. These friendships can sometimes be a risk on a current relationship or just bring up old disputes.
One woman waited three months before she got in contact with her former boyfriend on Myspace and asked if they could be friends. While chatting he asked if she was seeing anyone else and she said yes. The boyfriend called her "'high maintenance" and deleted her showing that he was still mad at her.
Another woman found an old high school crush on Facebook. In 1974, he was captain of the football team, tall and handsome. Over 30 years later, he has a beard down to his belly and his accomplishment for the year was being the local darts champ.
What a 180 degree turn around!
One man in England said that his wife left him for an old high school sweetheart on Facebook.
Internet isn't the blame for these events, it's people who can't resist the temptation to look into the lives of people who they were once close to. I don't blame them for wanting to know what's changed, how they are doing, are they single and things like that. Yet I've a rule for myself that this article highly recommends for everyone.
Look, but don't make contact!
There could be hurt feelings that are still not resolved yet, see a change that is way over the top unexpected or possibly risk your current relationship.
Karen Gail Lewis, a marriage and family therapist in Cincinnati advises that if you do wish to reconnect with your ex online, tell your current spouse.
Also, it wouldn't hurt to even share your password and log in information with your mate to better strengthen your relationship and communication.
Finding this article, I believe has helped me sort out my own issues with speaking to an ex online. Over the summer, an ex of mine requested a friendship on Facebook, which made me mad and confused, but I accepted it anyways. Nothing wrong was ever said in our few online chats, but I didn't like them and was wondering why I was speaking to him. I'm still angry at him and I don't like the idea of him looking me up on Facebook and chatting with me casually.
I may just delete him off my friends list now! ^^
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