Sunday, December 22

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Telemedicine Could Be Revolutionizing Sports Medicine
Sport

Telemedicine Could Be Revolutionizing Sports Medicine

The possibilities the internet provides are virtually limitless. People now have greater, faster access to information, and can easily communicate with one another with little more than a mobile device and an internet connection. Applications such as Viber and Google + have eclipsed the need for expensive cell phone plans, while Skype and other secure video and audio programs allow real face-to-face interaction. In addition, several other programs are continuously solicited to the public that change the way people think about interacting with one another. These technological advances have even proven helpful for doctors, particularly sports medicine professionals. Called telemedicine, the use of video and audio tools and apps on smartphones, mobile devices, cameras and computers are tak...
Google’s Automated Cars Ready To Navigate Heavily Populated Cities
Business

Google’s Automated Cars Ready To Navigate Heavily Populated Cities

"Google says that cars it is programming to drive themselves have started to master the navigation of city streets and the challenges they bring, from jaywalkers to weaving bicyclists -- a critical milestone for any commercially available self-driving car technology," Fox News reported Monday. Google's self-driving cars previously traveled relatively straightforward, rural highways only. New software enables the automated vehicles to pick up on cyclists, hand signals, instructions from crossing guards, buses, and pedestrians walking alongside or crossing the road. With some improvements, experts argue that self-driving cars will make the roads safer. The cars will likely drive even better than humans. "A self-driving vehicle can pay attention to all of these things in a way that a human...
Seattle Optometrist Office Ransacked by Thieves Who Steal $60,000 Worth in Eyewear
Fashion, Local

Seattle Optometrist Office Ransacked by Thieves Who Steal $60,000 Worth in Eyewear

The three men who broke into a Seattle optometrist's office this past week may not have realized that a total of nine surveillance cameras were silently recording everything they did. The burglars ransacked Dr. Jeanette Pham's office, ultimately getting away with merchandise worth almost $60,000 in total. The videos have been released to local news channel KING 5 in hopes that the thieves will be identified and caught. Naturally, Dr. Pham is upset over the incident. "We're here to serve people, make sure they can see well, and I can't believe someone can come in and take everything away from me," she said, adding that there have been an "endless string" of break-ins at the building, which is owned by the Seattle Housing Authority. The video shows the three men ransacking the store --...
Tennessee Wedding Venue Declines to Host Same-Sex Commitment Ceremony
Lifestyle

Tennessee Wedding Venue Declines to Host Same-Sex Commitment Ceremony

Two veterans of the Iraq War have publicly denounced a wedding venue that refused to host their same-sex commitment ceremony after initially agreeing to it. Anthony Wilfert and his partner, Brian Blas, of Nolensville, Tenn., thought they had found the perfect venue in Nashville's Mint Springs Farm, a private venue without religious affiliation, according to the Huffington Post. Upon their initial tour of the farm, employees assured the couple they would be welcome to book the venue for their commitment ceremony. Wilfert told the Huffington Post that the two Mint Springs employees "explicitly made it clear that it was not an issue, that they would host that type of ceremony." Just two days later, Mint Springs' owner sent Wilfert and Blas an email saying the farm would not be able t...
Eccentric Multimillionaire Playboy Throws Porn Star Off Roof
Lifestyle

Eccentric Multimillionaire Playboy Throws Porn Star Off Roof

Dan Bilzerian, the multimillionaire, high-stakes poker playing playboy king of Instagram, recently threw 18-year-old porn star Janice Griffith off of his roof into his pool during a Hustler photo shoot, accidentally causing her to break her foot. After failing to receive an apology and having to cancel a few film shoots because of her broken foot, Griffith is now considering legal action against Bilzerian. Bilzerian, the multimillionaire son of a financial tycoon, drives an Italian super vehicle whose license plate reads: SUCK IT; does some acting in action movies; and enjoys photographing copious amounts of scantily clad women hanging around his estate and his menagerie of high-powered assault rifles. Apparently, there is the good life, and then there's Dan Bilzerian's life, which appa...
Pentagon To Review Military Hairstyle Restrictions For Biased and Offensive Language
Fashion

Pentagon To Review Military Hairstyle Restrictions For Biased and Offensive Language

In a controversial move, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel asked the military to ban cornrows, dreadlocks, and twist hairstyles. Many have raised "concerns that military rules on hair have unfairly targeted black women," The New York Times reported on Tuesday. Hagel denies the allegations, stating that Marine, Navy, Army, and Air Force leaders carefully weighed restrictions on popular hairstyles "to ensure standards are fair and respectful of our diverse force." The Pentagon announced intentions to reevaluate the policy for fairness and to eliminate possible bias. The announcement and official review comes after 16 formal complaints and a petition with over 10,000 signatures, The Washington Post continues. "Within the next 30 days, each service will review the definitions of authorized and ...
US Manufacturing a ‘Rising Star’ in the World, Says New Report
Business

US Manufacturing a ‘Rising Star’ in the World, Says New Report

The U.S. has lost some 7.5 million industrial jobs since the employment sector hit its peak in 1979, in large part because companies chose to ship their manufacturing jobs to less-expensive overseas markets. However, that trend is reversing, and, according to a new report, the U.S. now ranks second in overall competitiveness. It trails only China. On Friday, the report released by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) said that the U.S. was a “rising star” of global manufacturing. It also said that China’s place as the top manufacturer was, if not being explicitly challenged, “under pressure” because of increased labor and transportation costs as well as reduced productivity growth. Conversely, the U.S. is becoming a better market for manufacturing thanks to the lower cost of natural gas...
New Report Finds America Employed, but Perhaps at the Cost of the Housing Market
Business, Lifestyle

New Report Finds America Employed, but Perhaps at the Cost of the Housing Market

After spending the better part of a decade in disaster mode, the American economy has used the past four years to gradually bounce back to a relatively stable state, according to recent reports. In fact, millions of Americans are now back to work. But of course, with these numbers come a bit of good news and a bit of bad news. The good news? A bolstered economy means an enlivened workforce, with nearly 4 million jobs being created in the past few years. The bad news? The overwhelming majority of these employment opportunities have come at places like McDonald's, Taco Bell and retail shops in strip malls. In a grander sense, the economy's bounce-back has yielded far more low-paying jobs than better-paid ones. But who cares, as long as there are jobs at all, right? The housing market, ...
Phoenix Firefighters Lose 850 Keys
Local

Phoenix Firefighters Lose 850 Keys

“Our accountability isn't the best here,” said David Carter, Deputy Chief of the Phoenix Fire Department. He was speaking about the 850 keys that have gone missing over a period of 15 years, blaming losses on the department's poor record keeping. According to the department's recent audit, 63% of the original 1,350 copies that the city had in 1999 have vanished over the years. The missing keys aren't used to directly access buildings and homes, but are used to unlock key boxes, which are security devices housing keys that actually do unlock buildings. Such a system allows the fire department to access commercial buildings and apartment complexes when closed without having to break down doors or windows to enter, while also minimizing the amount of keys needed. The system was also int...
Wrongful Death Complaint Filed Against Tough Mudder by 2013 Victim’s Estate
Lifestyle, Local

Wrongful Death Complaint Filed Against Tough Mudder by 2013 Victim’s Estate

In the world of competitive athleticism, the Tough Mudder obstacle race ranks high near the top. In fact, according to the event's own promotional materials, it's "probably the toughest event on the planet." The 12-mile race, which was designed by British Special Forces to help participants overcome common human fears like fire and heights, is held in different spots internationally each year. At the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Tough Mudder, however, tragedy struck when Avishek Sengupta, a participant, drowned while competing in the "Walk the Plank" obstacle. Now, Sengupta's parents have filed a wrongful death complaint through West Virginia's Marshall County second circuit court. The legal team, comprised of professionals from Boston's Gilbert and Renton firm, lists a number of different orga...