health

Could goggles hold key to detecting strokes early?

Testing for strokes can be inaccurate and expensive. But a new device that looks like a pair of swimming goggles may offer a better, cheaper alternative, and save tens of thousands of lives every year.

The goggles, equipped with an infrared camera attached to a cord that goes to a laptop computer, measure eye movements, Dr. David Newman-Toker, an associate professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, explained on "CBS This Morning."

"The eye movements (when) patients present with strokes in the back part of the brain -- and that's about one out of every four strokes -- the patients present with dizziness and vertigo and we can tell from their eye movements whether they've had a stroke or whether they have a benign inner-ear condition, quickly and easily," said Newman-Toker, who is leading the study of the new technique.

The goggles will work best as strokes occur, Newman-Toker said, and will likely find use in emergency rooms. … Read more

The 404 1,220: Where it's always greener on the other side (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Lucasfilm forces Flyers goalie to change the "Star Wars" graphic on his mask.

- NIN's "Head Like a Hole" mashed with "Call Me Maybe" is terrible and perfect.

- Teddy Faley made a mashup album using Mobb Deep lyrics over 8-bit Mario samples.

- Never lose at pool again (by cheating).

- Silicon Valley is full of stoners.… Read more

uBiome project to sequence the bacteria that live on us

Oxford University Ph.D. student Jessica Richman, who today finished raising some $350,000 from more than 2,500 people wanting to take part in the uBiome project, isn't shying away from reality: "Yes, we are going to be sampling people's poo," she told the Guardian this week.

And for the squeamish, she offered an asterisk: "You'll only have to wipe it on the toilet paper."

The uBiome project is a "citizen science" effort to sequence the genomes of the trillions of bacteria that colonize our bodies and likely play pivotal … Read more

Make free voice calls on Facebook's app

Thursday's CNET Update does exist:

Stories from today's tech news roundup:

- Facebook updated its Messenger app for the iPhone and iPod Touch, allowing people in the U.S. to make voice calls through a Wi-Fi or data connection.

- iPhone users can finally buy music from Amazon from their device. Amazon launched its mp3 store for iPhone and iPod Touch users, but the catch is that purchases must be made through the Web browser, at amazon.com/mp3. And the songs can be played on the Amazon Cloud Player app.

- The cloud storage service MediaFire is now available for Android … Read more

1 in 3 people have gone online to diagnose a health problem

A fair number of people are turning to the Internet to help them with medical problems.

Among 3,000 adults surveyed by Pew Internet, 35 percent say they've gone online at one time or another to diagnose a medical condition. Some were researching their own medical problems, while others were looking into problems suffered by people they know.

Dubbed "online diagnosers" by Pew, 46 percent of them said the information they found online made them think they needed the help of a doctor. Another 38 percent said they felt they could remedy the problem at home, and … Read more

App shows what 10 years of drinking could do to your looks

Mirror, mirror on the wall, will drinking affect my looks at all?

The very week that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the results of a survey on drinking patterns among U.S. females (notably that 1 in 5 high school girls and 1 in 8 women report binge drinking), the Scottish government launched its Drop a Glass Size campaign, complete with app, in an attempt to get people to drink a little less every day.

The free Drinking Mirror app, for iPhone and Android devices, has users take or upload existing photos of themselves and watch their faces age over the course of 10 years based on their current rates of alcohol consumption.

The developers fully admit that they are playing the vanity card -- and targeting women in particular.… Read more

Scanadu's 'Star Trek'-style Scout scans medical stats

LAS VEGAS--The mobile tech revolution isn't limited to entertainment products. The $150 Scanadu Scout by startup company Scanadu plans to upset the world of medical devices too.

Billed as the fictional "Star Trek" medical tricorder come to life, the Scanadu Scout can read important biometric stats such as blood flow, blood oxygen level, electrical heart activity (ECG), temperature, and heart rate, all noninvasively.

Just hold the small, flat, square gadget's infrared sensor up to your temple for 10 seconds and the Scanadu Scout captures a reading -- access to armpits or other more sensitive body parts … Read more

Medical robot RP-VITA gets FDA approval

LAS VEGAS--How would you feel if you were hospitalized and your doctor were talking to you through a 5-foot robot?

RP-VITA (Remote Presence Virtual + Independent Telemedicine Assistant) is a remote-, iPad-operated telepresence bot. It's become the first self-navigating communications robot to receive FDA certification, developers InTouch and iRobot said at CES 2013.

The machine is approved "for telemedicine consults inclusive of active patient monitoring in high-acuity environments where immediate clinical action may be required," InTouch said in a release. Specifically, it's cleared for "active patient monitoring in pre-operative, peri-operative and post-surgical settings, including cardiovascular, neurological, prenatal, psychological, and critical care assessments and examinations." … Read more

Get instant pulse readings with iSpO2 for iPhone, iPad

LAS VEGAS--The iSpO2 by Masimo ports the hospital checkup experience to iPhones and iPads and makes on-the-spot pulse readings available to active types wherever they are.

iSpO2 is a consumer pulse oximeter that connects to most Apple i-devices and comes with a sensor that you slip on to your ring finger for immediate oxygen, pulse rate, and perfusion index readings.

While not intended for home use, the idea behind iSpO2 is to help fitness fanatics, aviators, skiers, and extreme sports enthusiasts find out crucial information on their vitals without the need for a physician. Max Safai, senior vice president of … Read more

Fitbug Orb, Luv, and Wow Bluetooth health gear on its way

LAS VEGAS--Fitness gear and wearable tech are one of the burgeoning trends of this year's CES, and Fitbug was at the CES Unveiled press event previewing scale, heart rate, and blood-pressure monitoring gadgets.

The Fitbug Orb is a $49 wearable device with both clip-on and watchband attachments, competing in an increasingly crowded space. It uses the same technology and infrastructure as Fitbug's other wearable tech including the Fitbug Air, and works with the iPhone 5, 4S, fifth-gen iPod Touch, third-gen iPads and higher, and the Samsung Galaxy S3. Bonus: it has an "underwear clip" for discrete … Read more