TI eZ430-Chronos, open source watch

This thing is quite amazing – it features a heart rate meter, x, y, z-axis motion sensitivity, temperture sensor, battery voltage and altitude (based on temperature, not a barometer) and has wifi, USB, connects to stuff and is fully programmable. Best of all, it only costs $49,-

This is the press blurb: TI revolutionizes design of wireless networking applications with eZ430-Chronos, world’s first customizable development environment in a sports watch – News Room – News Center.

You can find the development tool here

A wiki with loads of information here

Dirty children have better immune systems

All these hygenic parents who continuously wash and disinfect their children and don’t like them to play in the dirt are doing their progeny a huge disservice.

Common bacterial species, known as staphylococci, which can cause inflammation when under the skin, are “good bacteria” when on the surface, where they can reduce inflammation.

By studying mice and human cells, researchers discovered that they did this by making a molecule, called lipoteichoic acid (or LTA) , which acted on keratinocytes, the main cell types found in the outer layer of the skin.

Scientists give grubby children a clean bill of health | Life and style | The Guardian.

Shock Treatment Helps Erectile Dysfunction

It turns out that administering low-intensity shockwaves to the penis can help men with blood flow problems get over their difficulties getting a hard on. Viagra and Cialis help, but they need to keep taking the pills every time. This is a more permanent solution, because the shocks encourage the growth of new blood vessels from existing ones. It’s still a preliminary study, but it’s looking promising.

Shocking Treatment Helps Erectile Dysfunction | LiveScience.