The music streaming accessory market is immensely saturated, but RIM is hoping to add its own flavor with its latest version of the BlackBerry Music Gateway. We took a brief look at this year's BlackBerry World in Orlando, and were impressed by both its size and ease of use. A tiny dongle no larger than the Bold 9900's display, the device easily pairs up with any Bluetooth-enabled phone, tablet or music player and lets you push your tunes into a home or car stereo -- provided it offers ports for RCA cables, that is. NFC is also added into the mix this time around, which means you can impress friends by simply tapping your BlackBerry to the Gateway to initiate the pairing sequence. While it's not bringing anything drastically new to the table, its $50 price tag makes it a tempting offer for anyone whose FM transmitter is picking up nothing but static in a densely populated city. If you fall into that category or are just looking for something to bedazzle close friends and relatives, don't hesitate to check out our gallery below and video after the break.
Getting a new laptop or buying a new license for an operating system is often cheaper in the U.S. than in most other countries. Europeans, for example, are used to paying a hefty premium for Apple products and the situation is similar in Australia, where the cheapest MacBook Air currently costs about 15% more than in the United States. Now, however, the Australian government is starting a parliamentary inquiry into these pricing schemes. According to Australia's Sydney Morning Herald, the politicians behind this inquiry hope that calling these companies out publicly will result in prices dropping.
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.
Buon giorno! Milan Design Week 2012 is in the rear-view mirror now, but we're still sifting through the incredible furniture, lighting and technology that was showcased all throughout the city this year. Inhabitat sent a couple of correspondents to report on everything that was on display, and they didn't disappoint. We featured a nifty biophotovoltaic table that uses moss to generate electricity through photosynthesis. We also caught wind of a digital camera that IKEA unveiled in Milan that's made of cardboard. And given our love for terrariums, we were pretty excited to find this pendant lamp that doubles as a vegetable garden at this year's fair. But the star of the Milan show this year had to be British designer Tom Dixon, who rolled out countless innovative lamp designs, including the gorgeous Etch Light, which casts geometric shadows all over the room -- and he even invited visitors to design their own flat-pack lamps!
Earlier today Google released the full report of the FCC's investigation into the collection of? "payload data" from open Wi-Fi networks -- aka passwords, email and search history from open networks -- that its fleet of Street View cars obtained between 2008 and April 2010. An earlier and heavily redacted version of the report was released on April 15 but today's version only redacted the names of individuals. The report found no violation of any wrong doing by the company because there was no legal precedent on the matter. The FCC found that Google did not violate the Communications Act citing the fact that Wi-Fi did not exist when it was written. However,?the FCC did fine Google $25,000 for obstructing the investigation, which was presumably the outcome of Google refusing to show the FCC what the data being collected entailed because it might have shown that the company broke privacy and wiretapping laws. Google says any obstruction was result of the FCC dragging out the investigation. Interestingly enough, the report did reveal that the data harvesting was not the act of a rogue engineer and that said engineer notified the Street View team of what was going on. (Wait. What? Google knew this was going on! It gets even better.)
The loyalty of Apple customers is well-documented, but according to the latest research data from NPD, iOS devices are doing a good job of raking in new customers, too. For over one in four iPad owners, the tablet is their very first Apple product.
Despite remaining mum on how many Lumia 900s it's moved in the US, Nokia has been raving about how it's trying to keep up with demand for the flagship Windows Phone device. Consider us unsurprised, then, that the company has apparently delayed the phone's previous April 27th release date in the UK to "around May 14th," citing a need to keep the device stocked in the States. The news comes from V3.co.uk, which got the information from a Nokia spokesperson referring specifically to retailer Phones 4u. Hit up the links below if you'd like to catch the full spiel, and why not check out our review of a second time to solidify your decision while you wait.
Update: And just like that, Phones 4u has officially confirmed the May 14th release date and UD demand. The carrier will indeed be the first to carry the device when it launches, and notably, folks who pre-ordered early will also receive a free pair of Nokia Purity by Monster in-ear headphones -- this, on top of the already bundled-for-free Play 360 wireless speaker. You'll find all the details in the press release after the break and at the more coverage link below.
Everything you need to know about setting up, backing up, restoring, and updating your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, and managing your iTunes apps, books, music, TV shows, movies, Match, and Photo Stream in the cloud
iCloud is Apple's online service designed to make managing your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Apple TV, and your iTunes content easier and more automatic than ever. Like the name implies, iCloud is based in the "cloud", which is a trendy way of saying giant data centers filled with servers that you can access from your device over Wi-Fi or 3G/4G internet, wherever you are, whenever you want. It consists of several services that work with the apps on your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, and with iTunes and a handful of desktop apps on Mac and Windows. Most iCloud services are completely free, although additional storage and services are available for purchase.
Emergency room CT exams have increased in children with abdominal painPublic release date: 24-Apr-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Linda Brooks lbrooks@rsna.org 630-590-7762 Radiological Society of North America
OAK BROOK, Ill. Computed tomography (CT) utilization in pediatric patients with non-traumatic abdominal pain increased in emergency departments each year between 1999 and 2007, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. The study authors found no corresponding increase in ultrasound use during the same period, despite research supporting it as an important diagnostic tool for assessing pediatric abdominal pain.
Non-traumatic abdominal pain is a common source of pediatric visits to the emergency department. Physicians often order CT exams when abdominal pain suggests appendicitis. While CT scans provide rapid, accurate diagnosis, they expose patients to ionizing radiationan important consideration for children due to their longer life expectancy and increased susceptibility to radiation effects.
"Our findings help give us an overall understanding of places where we can tackle disparities of use and disparities in care," said Anastasia L. Hryhorczuk, M.D., clinical fellow at Children's Hospital Boston. "Ideally, we'd like to see the same standard of care being applied across the country to protect children from unnecessary radiation exposure."
Research has shown that step-by-step evaluations of pediatric patients, beginning with ultrasound and proceeding to CT if ultrasound is negative or uncertain, is the most accurate path for diagnosing appendicitis. Dr. Hryhorczuk and colleagues sought to determine if this strategy had been incorporated into general emergency department practices.
For the study, researchers looked at data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) to evaluate imaging utilization among children with acute abdominal pain in U.S. emergency departments.
From 1999 to 2007, there were 16,900,000 pediatric emergency department visits for acute abdominal pain. The odds of a child receiving a CT scan increased during each year of the study period, despite the fact that there were no statistically significant changes in ultrasound usage, numbers of patients admitted to the hospital, or numbers of patients with acute appendicitis. Only three percent of patients ultimately diagnosed with appendicitis were imaged with both ultrasound and CT.
Children evaluated in pediatric emergency departments were more than 25 percent less likely than those seen at general emergency departments to undergo CT imaging for abdominal pain.
"In a pediatric setting, clinicians may have skills for evaluating patients that favor management without imaging, lowering CT usage," Dr. Hryhorczuk said.
Statistical analysis demonstrated increased odds of CT use in teens, white patients, the Midwest region, urban settings, patients with private insurance, and patients who were admitted or transferred.
Although the study did not investigate reasons for these variations, Dr. Hryhorczuk pointed out that CT scanners are readily available in hospitals, whereas access to ultrasound may be limited based on operator availability in some areas. The local legal climate also may play a factor in obtaining imaging exams, according to the study, as appendicitis diagnoses are a source of lawsuits in the pediatric emergency setting.
The time period of the study predates "Image Gently," a 2008 initiative of the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging that promotes radiation safety in the imaging of children. The researchers hope that further investigation of NHAMCS data will provide more information on the success of this and other programs aimed at lowering medical radiation exposure in children.
###
"Pediatric Abdominal Pain: Use of Imaging in the Emergency Department in the United States from 1999 to 2007." Collaborating with Dr. Hryhorczuk were Rebekah C. Mannix, M.D., M.P.H., and George A. Taylor, M.D.
Radiology is edited by Herbert Y. Kressel, M.D., Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., and owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (http://radiology.rsna.org/)
RSNA is an association of more than 48,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)
For patient-friendly information on pediatric CT, visit RadiologyInfo.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Emergency room CT exams have increased in children with abdominal painPublic release date: 24-Apr-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Linda Brooks lbrooks@rsna.org 630-590-7762 Radiological Society of North America
OAK BROOK, Ill. Computed tomography (CT) utilization in pediatric patients with non-traumatic abdominal pain increased in emergency departments each year between 1999 and 2007, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. The study authors found no corresponding increase in ultrasound use during the same period, despite research supporting it as an important diagnostic tool for assessing pediatric abdominal pain.
Non-traumatic abdominal pain is a common source of pediatric visits to the emergency department. Physicians often order CT exams when abdominal pain suggests appendicitis. While CT scans provide rapid, accurate diagnosis, they expose patients to ionizing radiationan important consideration for children due to their longer life expectancy and increased susceptibility to radiation effects.
"Our findings help give us an overall understanding of places where we can tackle disparities of use and disparities in care," said Anastasia L. Hryhorczuk, M.D., clinical fellow at Children's Hospital Boston. "Ideally, we'd like to see the same standard of care being applied across the country to protect children from unnecessary radiation exposure."
Research has shown that step-by-step evaluations of pediatric patients, beginning with ultrasound and proceeding to CT if ultrasound is negative or uncertain, is the most accurate path for diagnosing appendicitis. Dr. Hryhorczuk and colleagues sought to determine if this strategy had been incorporated into general emergency department practices.
For the study, researchers looked at data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) to evaluate imaging utilization among children with acute abdominal pain in U.S. emergency departments.
From 1999 to 2007, there were 16,900,000 pediatric emergency department visits for acute abdominal pain. The odds of a child receiving a CT scan increased during each year of the study period, despite the fact that there were no statistically significant changes in ultrasound usage, numbers of patients admitted to the hospital, or numbers of patients with acute appendicitis. Only three percent of patients ultimately diagnosed with appendicitis were imaged with both ultrasound and CT.
Children evaluated in pediatric emergency departments were more than 25 percent less likely than those seen at general emergency departments to undergo CT imaging for abdominal pain.
"In a pediatric setting, clinicians may have skills for evaluating patients that favor management without imaging, lowering CT usage," Dr. Hryhorczuk said.
Statistical analysis demonstrated increased odds of CT use in teens, white patients, the Midwest region, urban settings, patients with private insurance, and patients who were admitted or transferred.
Although the study did not investigate reasons for these variations, Dr. Hryhorczuk pointed out that CT scanners are readily available in hospitals, whereas access to ultrasound may be limited based on operator availability in some areas. The local legal climate also may play a factor in obtaining imaging exams, according to the study, as appendicitis diagnoses are a source of lawsuits in the pediatric emergency setting.
The time period of the study predates "Image Gently," a 2008 initiative of the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging that promotes radiation safety in the imaging of children. The researchers hope that further investigation of NHAMCS data will provide more information on the success of this and other programs aimed at lowering medical radiation exposure in children.
###
"Pediatric Abdominal Pain: Use of Imaging in the Emergency Department in the United States from 1999 to 2007." Collaborating with Dr. Hryhorczuk were Rebekah C. Mannix, M.D., M.P.H., and George A. Taylor, M.D.
Radiology is edited by Herbert Y. Kressel, M.D., Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., and owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (http://radiology.rsna.org/)
RSNA is an association of more than 48,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)
For patient-friendly information on pediatric CT, visit RadiologyInfo.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Getting a new laptop or buying a new license for an operating system is often cheaper in the U.S. than in most other countries. Europeans, for example, are used to paying a hefty premium for Apple products and the situation is similar in Australia, where the 
Earlier today Google released the 
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Public release date: 24-Apr-2012
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