ST's Wearable Body Sensor Technologies to Power Preventice’s BodyGuardian Remote Monitoring System

STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, and Preventice, Inc.TM, a leading developer of mobile health solutions and remote monitoring systems, announced today that ST is providing wearable body sensor technologies to power the new BodyGuardian Remote Monitoring System (RMS)TM from Preventice.

Preventice recently announced its receipt of 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the BodyGuardian RMS, allowing Preventice to market and sell BodyGuardian to hospitals and clinics for use in detecting and monitoring non-lethal cardiac arrhythmias for ambulatory patients.

ST, one of the world's largest semiconductor companies serving all sectors of the electronics industry, has made a strong commitment to expanding its expertise and innovation in sensor technology to health care and other industries.

"A key goal for ST is to enable our customers to quickly develop solutions that contribute to people enjoying a better quality of life; ST makes that possible through our unique ability to provide the complete breadth of products and technologies required for their applications," said Benedetto Vigna, executive vice president and general manager analog, MEMS and Sensors Group, STMicroelectronics. "The clearance from the FDA of the Preventice BodyGuardian System clearly demonstrates our expertise in helping customers develop medical-grade electronics for demanding markets."

The BodyGuardian RMS uses clinical algorithms that were developed by doctors at Mayo Clinic to support remote monitoring of individuals with cardiac arrhythmias. The BodyGuardian System will allow physicians to monitor key biometrics outside of the clinical setting, while patients go about their daily lives, by providing a continuous connection between the patient and their physicians.

According to Preventice, this connection is made possible by a small body-worn sensor that is attached to the patient's chest. This sensor collects important data, including the patient's ECG, heart rate, respiration rate, and activity level and transmits that data to physicians via mobile-phone technology, enabling doctors to monitor patients from their iPad or desktop. The wearable body sensor in the BodyGuardian RMS is enabled by ST hardware and software technology that includes sophisticated MEMS, low-power STM32 microcontrollers, and analog components combined with advanced ST-proprietary algorithms.

"ST is a pioneer and leader in the sensor industry and working with them allows us to bring the high-end, clinical monitoring technology developed by Mayo Clinic and Preventice to a broader base of patients," said Jon Otterstatter, co-founder, president and CEO of Preventice. "Our goal at Preventice is to bring sophisticated remote patient monitoring to patients where they live, work and play—creating an environment of continuous care for patients with cardiac arrhythmias and a variety of other chronic conditions."

The potential for remote patient monitoring to reduce patient costs and influence care delivery is contributing to rapid growth in the use of wireless monitoring, which is expected to continue in the coming years. In fact, recent research from Kalorama shows that the U.S. market for advanced patient monitoring systems has grown from $3.9 billion in 2007, to $8.9 billion in 2011. The market is expected to reach $20.9 billion by 2016, according to this same study.

Source : azosensors

TRITTON Pro+ Headset Review

Pluck the sleek white TRITTON Pro+ multi-format headset from the packaging and its build quality is instantly recognizable. Sturdy while lightweight, this True 5.1 Surround Sound headset looks lovely. Included in the box is a wealth of cabling, connectors and the important decoder box through which everything is connected. Bear in mind, you’ll need a spare plug socket to give it the necessary juice to blow your ears off though.

Set up can take a while, but is relatively painless thanks to the included instructions, which outline how your 360 and PS3 (as well as PC/MAC in Europe) can be connected. There are a lot of ports to navigate, however, with optical lead, USB cable, power supply and another couple of leads to connect to the Xbox controller (they even bundle a cable for use with non-standard controllers). Unlike some rival headsets, it’s great that every conceivable cable is included in the box – even the older Xbox 360 model is catered for. The 12ft cable that runs from the decoder box to the headset means you can comfortably sit back a fair distance from your console too.

The successor to the AX Pro, the new Pro+ headset crams four Neodynium drivers into each ear (30mm Front & Rear, 23mm Center, 40mm Sub) to provide thumping base and decent midrange. It looks and feels lovely – with nicely positioned over-ear cups and plush leatherette cushioning. Even the outer portion of the headsets lights up with the trademark double-T logo glowing orange when it’s up and running. All external sounds are nicely isolated so you’ll be hard pushed to hear anything beyond the confines of those earcups too. A nice touch is the Selectable Voice Monitoring (SVM) feature, which lets you hear your own voice when you speak so you’ll never need to shout and disturb those around you!

Despite the very rigid appearance of the Pro+, it’s supremely comfortable and quickly becomes more supple after use. Your ears are nicely encapsulated and won’t feel squashed, while sweating is less of an issue than some rival headsets. There’s also a thick cushioned strip that lines the band that sits atop your head. For those of you with larger heads, the headrail is also extendable so you can ensure a decent fit. Thanks to the various speakers packed within the headset, it can feel a little weighty during long gaming sessions, however. But those guys at Mad Catz have again made removing them for a quick break as easy as possible by incorporating the trademark Tritton swivel on each earcup so they rest nicely around your neck.

We did find that for the best results, you really need to take some time to configure all the settings at the start, with each driver tweakable via the inline control. Additional buttons on the decoder box feature nifty features such as “Time Delay” – to adjust the front and rear channels and the time it takes the sounds to emerge – and “Dynamic Range Control” to change balance and ensure you can pick up both soft and loud sounds.

Playing Black Ops or Modern Warfare 3 was a joy with these on your head. You’re given complete control over the front, central and rear speakers as well as the subwoofer and can change the settings to ensure even the most subtle footsteps are detectable. We played many matches online and it really did appear to improve our performance; being able to gauge which direction gunfire was coming from certainly improved my position in the leaderboards. Try spinning around on the spot while stationary too and you’ll hear the positioning of the explosions and shots change. Magic.

We also put it through its paces with a few other popular titles and were very impressed with the results. FIFA 12 was hugely atmospheric with the Pro+ headset – every tap of the ball, blow of the whistle and roar of the crowd resonates through your ears as though you’re there. Get a win and the cheers and celebrations blow you away. And wait until the soundtrack kicks in… the tunes thumping away in the background sound fantastic.

Similarly, a playtest of Resident Evil 6 certainly added to the atmosphere as we negotiated the gothic cathedral, Chinese streets and snowy mountain ranges. As you’d expect, zombie games are perfectly suited to this kind of setup with all those groans of the shuffling undead creeping up behind you. The sound effects are nicely amplified too – and it was quite impressive that you could pick up every minute detail. Wandering round the halls of the university campus, for example, the squeak of the floorboards was otherwise missed through my TV speakers. Add the cinematic background music to the mix and the experience is fantastic.

Against friends, voice chat is crystal clear, helped by the removable and highly-flexible microphone that connects to the left earcup and can be positioned wherever you please. The only real downside seemed to be that it picks up a little too much… some friends mentioned they could hear every little sound in the background of my room as well as my voice.

Sure, it would have been cool if they were wireless, there’s loads of cabling and they’re not cheap (£149.99 in the UK, $199.99 in the US) but whether you’re gaming, playing music or watching movies, the Pro+ performs well whatever. The retail price may be high but for the build quality, performance and the amount of use you’ll no doubt get out of them, they’re well worth the investment. You’ll never listen to games in the same way again!

Source : gamingbolt

CM Storm Recon Gaming Mouse Review

The CM Storm Recon gaming mouse seeks to suit as wide a variety of gamers as possible. The settings allow for a great deal of customization, even to the point of the color of the LEDs. Perfectly mirrored on each side, the Storm Recon works just as well for the right-handed or the left-handed. Claw and wrist grip gamers should both find the mouse comfortable, though the edge may go to claw grip.
The Avago 3090 optical sensor ensure that the cursor does not skip and remains smooth and precise even on higher DPI settings at normal speeds, though it does jitter a little when you move it slowly. For precision photoshop work, you will probably want to switch out to a different mouse, but gamers should have no issues.

Each of the buttons stays tight and have a high enough pressure threshold that they are difficult to press accidentally. The Recon comes with nine total buttons: the main right and left clicks, two buttons on each side, two buttons on the top middle, and the mousewheel button. However, the two top-middle buttons are pre-bound to adjusting DPI, so unless you plan on rebinding them using the mouse’s software or do not find yourself needing the to change the mouse’s DPI on-the-fly, the mouse effectively has only seven buttons that are free. Still, that should be enough for all but the most mouse-enamored gamers.

The material of the mouse has been rubberized, so it feels smooth yet non-slippery. Even when sweat accumulates over hours of gaming or other computer activities, the grip never loosens. The material does not build up residue from hand oils either.


The CM Storm Recon works just as well with a hard mousepad as a soft one, as can be expected from an optical sensor mouse. Mousepads with pictures and widely varying colors do not pose a problem either. Whether you use a mousepad with a wrist rest or not, the grip on the mouse itself is comfortable. The mouse is short enough that people should not have to excessively bend their wrist even without a wrist rest. The pads on the bottom of the mouse are not slippery, but they also do not scratch the mousepad.
The mouse does happen to need a cord, so keep that in mind when considering the CM Storm Recon. The cord itself stretches to almost eight feet (1.8 meters), so staying connected the computer case should never be a problem. The box itself actually has a typo that says 7.86 inches instead of 78.6 inches, but the cord’s length is clearly the latter.

The mouse comes with four DPI settings: 800, 1600, 3200, and 4000. As a nice added feature, the mousewheel, center buttons, and logo change colors depending on which DPI settings you are using, allowing you to immediately know whether or not the mouse is currently set to your preferences when you sit down. The lights shift from blue at 4000 DPI, to green at 3200, to red at 1600 and completely shut off at 800 DPI on the default settings, though you can switch them around on the firmware settings. The lights themselves pop just enough to let you know the mouse is on even in bright lighting without being obtrusive and annoying in darkness or low light. The two center buttons that adjust DPI may feel difficult to reach while holding the mouse normally, but most people do not find themselves changing DPI on-the-fly very often. Remapping those two buttons is not recommended for this reason.

Software allows the user to remap button functions, adjust lift-off-distance, and change USB polling rate. All of the settings can be tied to each of the aforementioned color choices, allowing for up to five unique profiles that can be changed on-the-fly. The integrated memory also allows for up to 36 macros.


The aesthetics of the mouse are simple, yet bold. The variety of colored lights make it even easier to match the mouse with your computer case’s specific color and light scheme. The black and gunmetal gray exterior provide a broad appeal and complements numerous color schemes.
The CM Storm Recon gaming mouse seeks to offer something for every gamer, and it appears to succeed at accomplishing that end. Everything from the color options to the customizable on-the-fly setting profiles to the ambidextrous multi-grip design make the Recon a great choice for all-purpose gaming, especially on gaming platforms with multiple users. There are mice out there with more buttons and more robust customization options, but with the solid build and utility of the Recon and a price of around $39.99 (MSRP), this mouse certainly justifies its cost and represents a huge value to gamers.

Source : gamingillustrated

Razer Blade Gaming Laptop Review

The side of the brown corrugated cardboard box reads “For Gamers. By Gamers.” That simple statement tells you everything you need to know about where the minds from Razer’s concept and design teams focus. You’ll know Razer as the company behind several gaming accessories such as keyboards and mice to licensed gamepads and headphones. Earlier this year, they leapt into the PC market with the Razer Blade, an ultra-thin, high end computer combining the performance of upper tier desktop with the portabilityand profile of a sleek laptop. While the original may have had some setbacks in the overall graphical power and app support for the innovative Switchblade UI, they’re now hoping to capture the attention of hardcore gamers with the newest iteration of the Razer Blade. Has Razer addressed the complaints from the first system and can the new Blade live up the potential of the hefty price tag?

Weirdly enough, I was ready to check out a new gaming PC, so it’s pretty fortuitous as I’ve been pretty much a console only gamer for the last few years. Now that the sun is all but setting on the PS3 and Xbox as newer and more powerful tech emerges, I was more than anxious to jump back in the PC gaming scene. Before we get into the full review here’s a quick look at the specs.

The updated Razer Blade boasts the same light, thin profile as its predecessor weighing in at a featherweight 6.6 pounds. The overall size is 16.81" (Width) x 10.9" (Depth) x 0.88" (Height). Of course it’s not just how big the car is but what’s under the hood and the Blade stuffs quite a bit in the small case with an Intel Core i7 Quad Core Processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M, 8GB Dual Channel DDR3, and a hybrid 500GB 7200RPM HDD and 64GB SATA III SSD. Windows 7 rounds out the specs. The only real downside is that the thickness only allows for the USB 3.0, power, and Ethernet ports to rest on one side and there is no optical drive at all. I suppose for the modern gamer, a disc drive isn’t really necessary given the many digital outlets just keep that in mind if you haven’t fully embraced the downloadable future. Speaking of downloads, there’s also a built-in 802.11 A/G/N Wi-Fi for gaming on the go. I primarily played online through wireless and found it to be a fairly smooth experience, even given my somewhat hit-or-miss internet provider. The speakers seemed a bit weak but I imagine anyone who plans on playing in public will use headphones. Finally, the 17 inch screen presented a crystal clear picture and vibrant colors at a full 1920x1080 HD resolution............

Source : multiplayerblog

Razer Set to Launch 'Project Fiona' Gaming Tablet

Razer co-found and CEO Min-Liang Tan has taken to Facebook and Twitter to gauge interest in a gaming tablet the PC peripherals maker has dubbed Project Fiona. With 10,954 likes and counting as of Thursday night, Tan and Razer figure the game pad is worth producing and will reportedly do so.

Project Fiona was actually introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show all the way back in January. Razer had teased its product announcement ahead of CES, promising "PC gaming in an all-new form factor."

The tablet, still apparently unnamed, is billed as a 10.1-inch device with a 1280-by-800 resolution touch-screen display and an Ivy Bridge-generation Core i7 chip from Intel under the hood. Concept art depicting the gaming tab—which hasn't apparently changed from the art shown at CES—shows two analog joysticks attached on either side of the device's screen (pictured above).

Not a ton is know about the Project Fiona tablet's specs, but PCMag learned at CES that the device will have THX audio and the attached controllers will provide haptic feedback to provide users the feeling of banking in a virtual jet, for example.

Razer was hoping the game pad could be priced at $1,000 or less. Among the PC titles that Project Fiona tablet users will be able to play on their devices are H.A.W.X 2, Company of Heroes, and Space Marines, according to the company.

If it seems like it's taken quite a while for Razer to get this thing off the ground, the company did say it wouldn't be released until Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system arrives, which will happen on Oct. 26. Now it appears Project Fiona is getting ready for its close-up once again, just in time for the holidays.

The tablet would become part of a mini-trend of similar devices tailored specifically for the gaming community. There's the $499, Android-based WikiPad, which is set to arrive at GameStop on Oct. 31, plus the 7-inch Archos Gamepad with built-in joystick controls, also running Android and expected to be priced at under $200 when it arrives at the end of this month.

Source : pcmag

Samsung Galaxy Note II Review

How big is too big? When does a phone become a tablet? Are you @#%! kidding? Just some of the questions the Galaxy Note prompted when it was announced last year. With a screen size of over 5 inches it was significantly larger than the competition, most of which used 4.x inch form factors.

When people actually got to use the device it was a different story. Sceptical journalists and consumers found that the larger size was more than useable and in fact it very much increased productivity for those who work on the move. Not only that the stylus was actually pretty decent too, making for tool that had many uses. Our own experience, using it on our trip to Cebit for example, was essentially all positive and we did note at least one PR rep commenting on "ah, another of those Notes"... clearly that show was full of early adopters.

Since the launch of the Galaxy Note Samsung have been busy refreshing the Galaxy S range and bringing the brand to the tablet market with the Note 10.1. This left the original note with its dual core CPU and 1GB of memory in a midrange position but that changes this week with availability of the Galaxy Note 2. Containing 2GB of memory and one of the fastest quad core CPUs around... along with an even bigger screen today we have a Note 2 on our test bench to find out whether Samsung have come down on the right side of the size line.

Samsung package their Galaxy Note 2 in a sturdy cardboard box which lifts open to reveal the phone, suspended inside and protected by screen and back covers. The front cover usefully details some of the key product features and specifications for the user; reasonably standard for a Samsung device.

In a separate compartment below the Note 2 we find the product documentation and our bundled extras. These consist of a USB data/charge cable, earphones and a charger with USB socket.

Source : hardwareheaven

MegaDroid project is a virtual town with 300,000 Android smartphones

What do you do with a town full of 300,000 Android smartphones? You run all sorts of tests, of course. But since not everyone would be willing to become a guinea-pig for a scientific experiment, researchers at the U.S. government’s Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, California, are using an array of virtual smartphones through a datacenter with 500 cheap desktop computers.

This setup emulates a network of 300,000 Android smartphones, which includes exchange of SMS messages, wireless data, and an array of phone sensor and radio activity.

The main aim here is to study the interactions across different devices, which will eventually have a handful of practical applications. For instance, the team intends to use their findings to help developers that build social and location-based apps (such as Foursquare), those that build disaster-mitigation apps, and even developers planning to build mesh-type networks for emergency use.

Researcher are also looking into the possibility of Android smartphones running distributed applications over such a mesh network. This way, the phones need not rely on a central network, or even a WiFi network, in order to communicate with each other.

Apart from innovative ways for smartphones to communicate with each other, the research will also look into possible “attack vectors,” through which malicious hackers or malware can break into networks and Android smartphones. This is an important consideration today, given smartphone malware is on the rise today, especially within the Android ecosystem.

The researchers are planning to extend the experiment to other platforms such as Apple’s iOS, although Android is the ideal one at this point, given its more open nature.

Source : androidauthority

How Cell Phones Have Changed Your Budget

As technology has advanced throughout the 21st century, mobile phones have morphed from functional devices used solely for voice into sophisticated portable computers. Smartphone users are now capable of texting, video conferencing, surfing the Internet, and playing music and video on their handheld devices. With this evolution in technology has come a meaningful increase in the amount of money devoted towards mobile phone services. Perhaps you have noticed that you are paying much more for your cellular service now than you were 10 years ago. Rest assured, you are not alone. Here's a look at how cell phones have evolved into an increasingly indispensable component of most people's budgets.

Cell Phone Bills Have Grown

Consumer spending on mobile phone service has grown quite significantly since the early part of this century. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans only spent an average of $210 per year on cellular service back in 2001. That's less than $20 per month. This figure may strike you as unbelievably low. The average cell phone bill is now more than $63 per month or $760 per year as of 2010. Does this seem like a big increase in cell phone spending? Well, on an annualized basis, these figures reflect an increase of more than 15% per year from 2001-2010. This is quite a meaningful gain in money spent on cell phones, particularly when one considers that annual household expenditures only grew around 2% during that same time frame.

Cell Phones Vs. Landlines

Not surprisingly, alongside increased spending on cell phones has come decreased spending on landlines. Why pay for a home phone when a mobile phone meets all of your communication needs and then some? Here's an example to illustrate just how differently the dollars in most people's wallets are being spent now versus 10 years ago.

First, let's assume that you spend $100 per month for all of your telecommunications needs. This includes your mobile phone bill as well as your landline. Using this assumption, back in 2001 you would have spent $23 per month for your cell phone services. Your landline bill would be somewhere round $75. Clearly, landlines were much more important components of people's budgets at the outset of the 21st century. In 2010, your mobile phone bill would take a much larger share of your wallet and your landline a much smaller share. In 2010, you would have spent around $65 per month on your cellular plan but only $34 on your landline. This example helps demonstrate just how essential mobile phones have become in most people's minds.

Cell Phone Bills and Household Budgets 

Spending on mobile phones is becoming a more meaningful component of total household expenditures. In recent years, many people have cut back on discretionary expenses such as dining out and clothing purchases. However, spending on mobile phone services has grown at a steady pace. As a result, mobile phone expenditures have increased as a percentage of household expenditures.

The Bottom Line

Evolution and advancements are to be expected, particularly when it comes to fast-changing technology such as mobile phones. Given the improved capabilities of cell phones since the beginning of the century, it is no wonder that cell phone bills have averaged a healthy annual growth rate in excess of 15%. Alongside the rise of mobile devices has come the fall of landlines, which see far fewer dollars devoted to them today versus 2001. Mobile phone costs are becoming an increasingly more relevant component of consumers' budgets. It makes you wonder just how much you will spend on your mobile phone service 10 years from now.

Source : sfgate

Mobile phones on dinner table 'ruin relationships'

London, Oct 6 (ANI): Mobile phones can damage personal relationships merely by their presence even when not in use, a new research has revealed.

Studies show that if a mobile is visible during a conversation, it causes people to feel less positive towards the person with whom they are chatting.

The findings suggest that fiddling with your mobile or simply leaving it in view during a romantic dinner or a meeting with a friend could be a serious social faux pas.

Psychologists who conducted the experiments at Essex University believe mobile phones automatically trigger thoughts about wider social networks, reducing the level of empathy and understanding in face-to-face conversations.

"In both studies we found evidence mobiles can have negative effects on closeness, connection, and conversation quality," the Daily Mail quoted lead researcher Andrew Przybylski as saying.

"The presence of a mobile phone may orient individuals to thinking of other people and events outside their immediate social context.

"In doing so, they divert attention away from a presently occurring interpersonal experience to focus on a multitude of other concerns and interests," he said.

Source : newstrackindia