VLC gets first major release across all platforms

VLC gets first major release across Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows RT, and Android TV

 

 

 

VideoLAN today launched what is arguably the biggest release of VLC to date: an update for the desktop coordinated with new versions across all major mobile platforms. The world’s most used media player just got massive a cross-platform push.

The company told VentureBeat that the releases are the result of more than a year of volunteer work on the VLC engine and thelibVLC library. As a result, VLC has gained numerous new features, has seen more than 1,000 bugs fixed, and has significantly increased its scope of supported formats.

Without further ado, here are the new releases:

VLC media player 2.2.0: Download fromvideolan.org/vlcVLC 2.4.1 for iOS: Download from Apple’s App StoreVLC 1.1.0 for Android: Download fromGoogle PlayVLC 1.1.0 beta for Android TV: Download from Google PlayVLC 1.1.0 beta for Windows Phone: Download from the Windows Phone StoreVLC 1.1.0 beta for Windows RT: Download from the Windows Store

One major cross-platform addition is that VLC now automatically detects rotated videos. It can then rotate them using hardware acceleration (supported for MP4/MOV, MKV, and raw H264) for proper consumption: no more stupid vertical videos!

For all platforms, the new version adds support for Digital Cinema Package to play native movie theater formats, compatibility for “a very large number of unusual codecs,” and “vastly improved compatibility” for UltraHD video codecs like VP9 and H265, including encoding, as well as problematic files in Ogg, MP4, and WMV. Now let’s take a closer look platform-by-platform.

Windows, Mac, and Linux

First and foremost, VLC media player 2.2.0 adds a feature that has been supported on VLC mobile for quite some time: resume playback where you left off. This might not seem like a big deal at first, but if you remember all those times you’ve accidentally closed VLC, or opened a new video and lost your place in the first one, you’ll love this addition.

Although extensions have been available for a long time now, VLC for the desktop now has an in-app downloader, similar to what is available in Mozilla Firefox. Oh, and there’s also an extension specifically for downloading subtitles.

The desktop app has also gained experimental support for Interactive Menus on BluRays (BD-J). Last but not least, Mac users will notice a new interface on OS X Yosemite.

Android

VLC for Android arrived in beta back in July 2012, and while VLC 1.0.0 was released briefly on Google Play earlier this month, VideoLAN told VentureBeat that was still a prerelease build meant for testers. Now it’s finally out of beta and available as a stable version to the masses after more than 30 months of development.

The changelog is as follows:

Port to 5.0 new APIsRewrite of most viewsGamepad controller support for navigationAsync load of fragments and searchOption to show videos as list in portraitSupport pull to refreshTracknumber, DiscNumber, and AlbumArtist tags support for audio filesHandle nowplaying for streamsSet Audio and Subs delayFix parsing of metadata with spaceFix popup context menu loaded for wrong filesMore than 60 bugs fixed

The biggest highlight on Android is that the user interface has been rewritten to align with Google’s Material Design mantra.

iOS

VLC for iOS has had a long, troubled history, including launching, being pulled, and relaunching on the App Store. Most recently, it properly returned in July 2013, wasredesigned for iOS 7 in January 2014, and then disappeared again in September 2014 around when iOS 8 arrived. Now it’s back, again.

The changelog is as follows:

Download of currently stored media via WiFi in addition to uploadDetection of external subtitles when streaming media via http or ftpFolder support for GDriveSupport for streaming from GDriveNative support for Plex media serversSupport for file sharing with further apps installed on deviceOption to download media from http/ftp/https instead of direct playback when requested through third-party appFolders synced through iTunes are correctly parsed nowOption to set text encoding used for FTP connectionsOption to set default playback speedMedia library searchImproved reliability when a call comes in during playbackImproved subtitles playback reliabilitySupport for redirected downloads via HTTPSupport for audio playback and subtitles delay for manual syncAdded improved interaction with third party apps through a x-callback-url based mechanismMedia Library is no longer reset on upgradeFix browsing of a number of UPnP devices such as HDHomeRun without sorting capabilitiesFix pseudo-random playback startsImproved passcode lock appearanceMinor UI improvementsNetwork stream history allows copying URLsImproved reliability when syncing media via WiFi or iTunesStability improvements for iOS 6.1New translation to Traditional Chinese

The biggest highlight on iOS is that support for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus has been added.

Windows Phone, Windows RT, and Android TV

While it may seem odd at first to lump these three platforms together, they do share one major thing in common: VLC was only offered on them as private test builds for select testers. Now the three are all getting their first public beta release.

Apps for Windows RT and Windows Phone have been a long time coming. In fact, aKickstarter for the Windows RT version (the Metro app that also works on Windows 8) successfully concluded in December 2012. Both apps have now been merged, and while there are no major features added (just bugs fixes and stability improvements), the beta tag isn’t quite ready to come off just yet.

The Android TV app is still very basic, although a lot of the core work is done since it is based on the main Android app. The main features right now are video and audio browsing, a settings page, and recommendations.

What’s next

“I’m very happy [with] these releases,” Jean-Baptiste Kempf, lead developer and president of VideoLAN, said in a statement. “Moving VLC to the mobile world was difficult, but the difficult is done. VLC runs everywhere, plays everything. We’re working on many new features for VLC 3.0.0 to finish what we’ve started here.”

VLC 3.0.0 is currently slated for release “later this year.” This next major release will bring hardware decoding and acceleration to more platforms, better support for MP4, adaptive streaming, and TS streams, as well as basic Google Chromecast integration.

VLC gets first major release across all platforms

10:16 PM android, ios, LINUX, Mac, videolan, VLC player, windows RT

Samsung announces 128GB Universal Flash Storage 2.0 memory chips for smartphones

Samsung 128GB memory

Samsung has announced that it has started mass producing the industry’s first ultra-fast 128GB memory chips based on the Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 2.0 specification. The announcement comes right before the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are set to be unveiled, with both devices expected to have a 128GB model (these UFS 2.0 chips also have 32 and 64GB versions, the other two storage variants that will be offered on the two flagships.)

Samsung’s language in the press release seems to suggest that we might see the microSD slot disappear from flagship devices, as higher capacity chips will begin to be mass produced and be easily available to OEMs in the mobile industry. In terms of performance, Samsung says the new ultra-fast UFS memory “conducts 19,000 input/output operations per second (IOPS) for random reading, which is 2.7 times faster than the most common embedded memory for high-end smartphones today, the eMMC 5.0.”

The new chips also consume less power and have higher random read speeds. With smartphones expected to be faster and more powerful in the coming months, this faster storage standard will no doubt come in handy in matching the performance improvements gained by other components like mobile CPUs and RAM chips.

Samsung announces 128GB Universal Flash Storage 2.0 memory chips for smartphones

5:27 PM 125gb memory, memory card, samsung, UFS

Facebook launches new suicide alert system to allow user to report their friends

Facebook has rolled out a new system to try and identify and help users having suicidal thoughts.

It allows concerned friends to report content for review. 

After reviewing a report and confirming that it may indicate suicidal feelings in a user, Facebook will send that user notifications stating that a friend has attempted to help and offering access to suicide prevention resources.

The San Francisco social network's new system allows concerned friends to to report content for review, and Facebook can then offer the user more help.

The San Francisco social network's new system allows concerned friends to to report content for review, and Facebook can then offer the user more help.

The tools build on a reporting feature implemented in 2011, which passed details to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the US, and the Samaritans in the UK.  

'Keeping you safe is our most important responsibility on Facebook,' said Rob Boyle of Facebook. 

'Today, at our fifth Compassion Research Day, we announced updated tools that provide more resources, advice and support to people who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts and their concerned friends and family members.'

The firm said it had worked with mental health organizations Forefront, Now Matters Now, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Save.org and others on the updates, and consulted with people who had lived experience with self-injury or suicide. 

'One of the first things these organizations discussed with us was how much connecting with people who care can help those in distress. 

'If someone on Facebook sees a direct threat of suicide, we ask that they contact their local emergency services immediately.

'We also ask them to report any troubling content to us.' 

Facebook has set up teams working around the world, 24/7, who review any report that comes in.

They prioritize the most serious reports, like self-injury, and send help and resources to those in distress.

The firm said it had worked with mental health organizations Forefront, Now Matters Now, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Save.org and others on the updates, and consulted with people who had lived experience with self-injury or suicide.

For those who may need help we have significantly expanded the support and resources that are available to them the next time they log on to Facebook after we review a report of something they’ve posted. 

Besides encouraging them to connect with a mental health expert at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, we now also give them the option of reaching out to a friend, and provide tips and advice on how they can work through these feelings. 

All of these resources were created in conjunction with our clinical and academic partners.

We’re also providing new resources and support to the person who flagged the troubling post, including options for them to call or message their distressed friend letting them know they care, or reaching out to another friend or a trained professional at a suicide hotline for support.  

Facebook launches new suicide alert system to allow user to report their friends

8:38 AM alert system, faceb app, facebook, suicidel thought, talk to some one

Food preservatives linked to obesity and gut disease

Mouse study suggests that emulsifiers alter gut bacteria, leading to the inflammatory bowel condition colitis

Chemicals known as emulsifiers are often added to processed foods such as ice cream. 

Artificial preservatives used in many processed foods could increase the risk of inflammatory bowel diseases and metabolic disorders, according to research published on 25 February in Nature. In a study done in mice, chemicals known as emulsifiers were found to alter the make-up of bacteria in the colon — the first time that these additives have been shown to affect health directly.

About 15 different emulsifiers are commonly used in processed Western foods for purposes such as smoothing the texture of ice cream and preventing mayonnaise from separating. Regulatory agencies such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule that emulsifiers are “generally regarded as safe”, because there is no evidence that they increase the risk of cancer or have toxic effects in mammals.

But when immunologist Andrew Gewirtz at Georgia State University in Atlanta and his colleagues fed common emulsifiers carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80 to mice, they found evidence that the chemicals affected the animals' health. Although their diet was not otherwise changed, healthy mice whose water contained the chemicals became obese and developed metabolic problems such as glucose intolerance. In mice genetically engineered to be prone to inflammatory gut diseases, emulsifiers also seemed to increase the severity and frequency with which the animals developed inflammatory bowel disease.

The most severe health effects were seen in mice that consumed the chemicals at a level similar to a person whose diet consists of only ice cream, says Gewirtz. But the researchers saw effects even at one-tenth of the concentration of emulsifiers that the FDA allows in a food product.

Colonic colonies

To understand why emulsifiers affected the health of mice, researchers analysed bacteria from the animals' colons. They found less diversity in the microbial species than in healthy mice, and found evidence that the microbes had migrated closer the cells lining the gut. Gewirtz and his colleagues suspect that the emulsifiers can break down the heavy mucus that lines the mammalian gut and prevents bacteria from coming into contact with gut cells. If this happens, the bacteria cause inflammation in the gut, which can also lead to changes in metabolism.

Gewirtz says that previous studies may have missed these links because newly developed food additives are tested in large swathes of the population, masking any subtle effects in people whose genetics or gut-microbe composition predispose them to these diseases. For regulators, he says, “the idea that a subset of the population may be sensitive isn’t on the radar.”

This lack of specificity could explain why nutritionists and public-health agencies are constantly revising their dietary guidelines — just this month, for example, an advisory council to the US government recommended eliminating guidelines on cholesterol consumption. “If you look over a 50-year perspective, you would see that the recommendations go back and forth, back and forth,” says immunologist Eran Elinav of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. “No one is lying or cheating, many of these studies are well-designed studies, but they all look at large populations.”

Last year, Elinav and computational biologist Eran Segal, a colleague at the Weizmann Institute, found that artificial sweeteners such as saccharin can cause metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes by changing the make-up of bacteria in the gut in both mice and humans. They are now compiling a database of genetic and microbiome data from about 1,000 volunteers, measuring their metabolic response to different test foods. They hope that this will eventually allow nutritionists to make specific dietary recommendations for individuals based on these parameters.

Additive problems

Elinav and Segal hope to incorporate consumption of emulsifiers, sweeteners and other artificial additives into their study, but caution that there are many components to inflammatory and metabolic diseases. “This is for sure not the only driving factor” for inflammatory bowel disease, Elinav says.

Gewirtz says that many more human and animal studies need to be completed before regulatory agencies would consider changing how additives are approved — after all, removing preservatives from foods would cause them to rot sooner, posing a different health risk. He hopes to do a study in humans soon and is already collecting biopsies from surgery patients to study where different bacteria live in the colon.

But the findings have been enough to convince Gewirtz and co-author Benoit Chassaing, a microbiologist at Georgia State, to start checking the labels of the foods they buy, although both say they are not trying to eliminate emulsifiers entirely. It is not easy to find emulsifier-free food, Gewirtz says, and products marketed as 'organic' are just as likely to contain these agents. “When it comes to people making their own decisions, between our studies and others out there, it’s better to eat less processed food,” he says.

Food preservatives linked to obesity and gut disease

8:53 AM colon, diseases, emulsifiers, FDA, featured, food, food preservatives, obesity

NASCAR: Google launching satellite to moon

Google Moon Mission NASCAR

The Lunar XPrize is a $30 million competition for a privately-funded mission to get to the moon, land a rover, and travel across the Moon sending back images and telemetry. The Google-sponsored prize has been around since 2007, but it looks like first place is going to come down to a mad dash across the lunar surface.

The HAKUTO And Astrobotic

Although there's technically a bunch of teams remaining in the competition, two of the frontrunners - the Japanese HAKUTO team, and Astrobotic - have teamed up to deploy their missions to the moon next year, aboard the same SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. First place in the Lunar X competition will go to the first robot that explores at least 500 meters and transmits HD video and images back to Earth. You can see where this is going.

In a press release, Astrobotic's CEO said that "we envision a 'NASCAR on the Moon' scenario, where competing teams land together, and countries can cheer on their team to the finish line. HAKUTO is the first team signed to fulfill our dream of the first race beyond Earth's orbit."

Although travelling 500 meters doesn't sound like much of a race, you have to bear in mind the kind of vehicles being used here. NASA's Curiosityrover, for example, the most technologically advanced vehicle to land on Mars, is cruising along at a barnstorming 30 metres per hour.

Then you've got the other challenges to consider - getting into orbit sans explosion, landing successfully, and not breaking down in the first 100 meters. If these brand-new companies without the budget or experience of NASA can pull it off, it will be a major milestone for private space exploration - not to mention a whole new world of commercial opportunity for NASCAR

NASCAR: Google launching satellite to moon

8:43 AM astrobotic, Google, Google satellite, HAKUTO, Lunar XPrize, moon, Moon mission, NASA, NASCAR, satellite

Full Charge in One Minute, New battery for smartphone on the way!

Smart phone battery that charge full in a minute

Somebody tell me they wouldn't love to be able to charge their smartphone battery from 0 to 100 in one minute. That is like an impossible dream right? Well actually, it just might come true sometime next year.

The Nanotechnology- The StoreDot

The nanotechnology department at Tel Aviv University stumbled upon the technology while looking into Alzheimer's disease. Apparently a particular peptide molecule can absorb a charge much faster than regular smartphone batteries. They company developing the battery is called StoreDot, and they also reside in Israel.

The downside is the capacity of StoreDot will be much lower than traditional smartphone batteries, but if you can charge it to 100% within a minute, that might be a decent trade off. On the other hand, the total life of the batteries are likely to also be lower.

An Unusual Charger

The other factor is that that a special charger would be required. Doron Myersdorf of StoreDot said, “The charger itself is not a normal charger. We need to pump 40/50 and up to 80 amps of current into this battery in order to charge in one minute. No normal charger can do that. So we had to develop a very strong charger that is, first of all, cost effective but also small enough to be carried in your pocket.” It also appears that some sort of special software would need to reside on the phone in order to manage the power efficiently.

The good news is that we aren't too far off from seeing this technology in our smartphones. StoreDot is working with 15 different manufacturers to bring their battery to smartphones by the end of next year

Full Charge in One Minute, New battery for smartphone on the way!

9:54 PM battery, charger, fast charging battery, smart phones, StoreDot

Samsung Norway Published Yet Another Galaxy S6 Teaser, A See-Through All-Glass Phone

A see-through All-Glass Mobile Phone

Samsung’s marketing machine has been working round the clock lately in order to hype up the company’s upcoming Galaxy S6 flagship(s). 

Samsung is going to unveil their next-gen Galaxy S smartphone, or should we say smartphones (Galaxy S6 Edge will also get launched quite probably), on March 1st in Barcelona as part of MWC (Mobile World Congress). Samsung has already scheduled their Unpacked event and they’ve been throwing teasers at us back and forth for a while now. Well, another one arrived, this time from Samsung Norway.

Samsung Norway has released yet another teaser

 After teasing displays and stereo speakers, the site is now teasing the glass surface of the Galaxy S6 handset, which could cover the metal chassis of the Galaxy S6. As you can see in the image, this teaser is just totally off, on purpose. Samsung basically showed us a see-through phone made out of glass entirely which won’t look like that for sure, but it’s good enough to tease the materials the company will use in their upcoming phone, or at least totally confuse us. This might as well be a decoy, Samsung’s way to mock the rumors that have been thrown around recently. Speaking of which, do you think this is Samsung playing with us, or could the upcoming Galaxy S6 truly be covered in glass (other than the screen, of course)? What are your thoughts here?

Samsung will launch their flagship in less than a week now

And we’ll surely see more similar leaks before that. The company is expected to launch the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge handsets on March 1st, and according to previous benchmark leaks, both of those handsets are expected to sport a quadHD display over 5-inches in size, 3 or 4GB of RAM and multiple storage variants. Samsung’s very own 14nm Exynos 7420 64-bit octa-core processor will power on the Galaxy S6 handset(s), and 16 or 20-megapixel camera will be a part of the package as well. You can also expect Android Lollipop to come pre-installed here, with Samsung’s TouchWiz on top of Google’s operating system, of course.

Samsung Norway Published Yet Another Galaxy S6 Teaser, A See-Through All-Glass Phone

6:21 PM galaxy 6, samsung, see through all glass mobile, transparent mobile

24 Amazing Benefits Of Carrot Juice

Carrots are not just for Bugs Bunny! It is a rich source of necessary nutrients and minerals. It is one of those miracle concoctions that is good for various purposes. It helps treat and prevent diseases and helps improve our vision, skin, hair, nail etc. Drinking carrot juice daily i2s a habit that everyone should start, as it is both healthy and tasty as well. Not a combination that is easy to find! Flip through any diet plan and you will definitely come across carrot juice!

Health Benefits Of Carrot Juice:

What makes Carrot Juice so nutritious is that it contains a large amount of beta-carotene, vitamins and potassium in it.

Improves Immunity And Controls Heart Diseases:

 Beta-carotene makes it a rich source of vitamin A. It also helps improve the immune system. The abundance of vitamin A in carrot juice can help improve your sight and the daily intake can prevent the onset of heart diseases and strokes. Vitamin A in addition keeps the lining of the int1ernal organs healthy in order to prevent it from being infected by pathogenic organisms.

Reduces Cholesterol: 

Here comes an amazing benefit of carrot juice.The potassium present in carrot juice can reduce cholesterol levels. It is good for the liver as it reduces fat and bile in it. Potassium, along with manganese and magnesium stabilizes blood sugar level, thus helping to reduce the risk of diabetes.

Aids In Clotting Of Blood:

 Vitamin K present in carrot juice helps blood to clot.

Heals External Wounds And Gums:

Vitamin C helps to heal wounds and keeps the gums healthy.

Prevents Cancer:

 It also acts like an anti-cancer agent. Increased intake of carotenoids in carrot juice has been said to decrease instances of bladder, prostate, colon and breast cancer.

Protein Building and Bone Health:

Vitamin K, present in Carrot juice is essential for the protein building process in the body. It also helps in the binding of calcium that in turn leads to the faster healing of broken bones. Potassium present in carrot also helps to improve bone health.

Cleanses the Liver:

 Carrot juice cleanses and detoxifies the liver. Toxins in the liver are released from the system and excreted after regular consumption of carrot juice. The bloodstream cannot rid the body of toxins and bile through the kidneys. This has to be ejected from the skin. Carrot juice aids this process and ensures harmful bile is removed from the body. When the liver functions well, it prevents the accumulation of fat and aids in its rapid digestion, preventing weight gain and obesity.

Beauty Benefits Of Carrot Juice:

But for the women, carrot juice is not just about good health, but also about looking beautiful. Beauty benefits include:

Reduces Dryness And Scarring:

Potassium helps reduce sk1in dryness and reduces scars and blemishes. It also gives life to your skin by improving the skin tone. It will also help improve hydration and thus keep your skin moisturized.

Prevents Acne: 

Since it is high in essential oils, it also helps prevent acne by detoxifying your body.

Source Of Vitamins Needed For Skin:

This juice effectively acts as a vitamin supplement for your skin. It also contains so many healthy nutrients that it can reduce skin related problems like eczema which is caused by deficiency of vitamin A, dermatitis and rashes.

Controls Sun Damage: 

The beta-carotenoids which help in photosynthesis in plants, help reduce sunburn and also increase the skin’s resistance towards sun damage.

Fights Ageing: 

The beta-carotenoid when entering the body changes into vitamin A and reduces cell degeneration and thus slows down the aging of the body. It largely improves the amount of collagen in the skin and thus helps in maintaining elasticity and hence reducing the visible signs of aging like sagging skin and wrinkles, as collagen is what accumulates in our body and keeps it firm and healthy.

Hair Care: 

It also increases hair growth.

Nail Care:

 It also increases nail strength.

Carrot Juice For Prenatal Care:

Carrot juice is especially considered to be beneficial for prenatal care as it improves the health of the expectant mother and child.

Lactation: 

Carrot juice intake during pregnancy improves the quality of their breast milk, as it will be enriched in vitamin A. Since vitamin A helps in cell growth it is especially beneficial in fetal growth.

Prevents Infections In Unborn Child:

When taken during the last 3 months of pregnancy, it reduces the chance of dangerous infections in the child.

Calcium Supply: 

It also acts as a very rich source of calcium.

Carrot Juice and Weight loss:

Definitely an eye catching topic among the uses for carrot juice! Carrot juice is extremely filling, and because of low calorie count, it is the best natural health drink for a person who is trying to lose weight. It contains a large amount of natural sugar, so you don’t have to add additional sugar to it. Juicing together carrot, apple, celery andcucumber is a very healthy recipe for a good weight loss drink.

Muscle Growth: 

Vitamin A helps our body to heal after a strenuous workout and aid in muscle growth. Phosphorous in carrot juice builds, repairs, and maintains muscle;

Increases Metabolism:

 Carrot Juice also contains a large amount of Vitamin B complexes which help in breaking down glucose, fat and protein. So it helps in building muscle, increasing our metabolism and thus helping in weight loss. Vitamin B complexes also help to reduce stress and depression, which usually holds back weight loss. Phosphorous in Carrot juice boosts the body’s metabolic rate; ensures optimal use of energy in the body and decreases pain after a workout.

Increases Oxygen Carrying Capacity:

The amount of Iron in carrot juice can increase the oxygen carrying capacity of the body, thus helping us do more workouts to lose weight.

Energy Consumption:

 Phosphorous helps the body to use up more energy while doing work.

Controls Sugar Levels: 

Magnesium and Manganese present in Carrot Juice can stabilize sugar levels and help to reduce weight due to diabetes.

Aids Digestion: 

Since carrot contains a large amount of fiber, it can help in digestion and makes you feel fuller for longer.

Cleanses the Body: 

Carrot juice cleanses the body and rids it of any toxins, aiding weight loss. Fresh raw carrot juice cleanses the digestive tract of toxins, waste, indigestible material, which in turn cures and prevents obesity.

How to Consume it Right?

It should be mentioned that although carrot is such a healthy vegetable, eating carrot as Halwa with loads of ghee, sugar, cashew and raisins cannot be considered healthy. No matter how healthy you say it is, it will never be as good as carrot juice with no added sugar and milk. Yes, No carrot milk either. But it’s just as yummy without the milk too.

Many people love the natural taste of carrot juice, but you can also add other fresh juices, such as orange, lemon, ginger or mint to give it a different flavor. Juice of carrot and cinnamon together forms a very healthy antioxidant rich drink which can reduce cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes. It is said that drinking fresh carrot juice is better than eating it raw because the nutrient content will be even more concentrated in the juice.

 

Ensure you drink at least one tall glass of carrot juice each day to burn fat and get the fab, svelte body you have always yearned for! Get that glowing and beautiful skin you love!

Do you drink juice as part of your weight loss regime? Is carrot juice a part of your diet? Do share with us in the comments section.

 

24 Amazing Benefits Of Carrot Juice

8:50 AM carrot and health, good growth, health, lose weight, nutrition

Scientists Create Sperm and Eggs from Skin Cells, Regardless of Donor Gender

Sperm and Eggs from Skin Cells

Researchers in Japan have successfully bred mice using sperm and egg cells grown in the lab from the skin cells of another adult mouse.

Stem cells and Primodial germ cell(PGC)

Over the past decade, Mitinori Saitou at Kyoto University in Japan has been teasing apart the genetic cascade that prompts a stem cell to turn into a primordial germ cell (PGC), the cells that generate thousands of eggs in a woman and millions of sperm in a man. He has succeeded, with incredible implications for the future of human reproduction.

Saitou partnered with colleague Katsuhiko Hayashi from the University of Cambridge in the UK to take mature skin cells from an adult mouse and turn them into induced pluripotent stem cells. These pluripotent stem cells could also be turned into PGCs.

Regardless of Donor Gender

Then came the ultimate test of their discovery. They implanted the PGCs into sterile mice. About one mouse in four became fertile again—male mice began producing sperm, and female mice began producing eggs. Hayashi harvested these sperm and eggs and combined them in the lab to produce living embryos, which he placed into surrogate mouse mothers.

Children of Mice

The mouse babies were born fertile and healthy, with a success rate around one-third that of current in-vitro fertilization (IVF) techniques. To illustrate what he’d accomplished, Hayashi took a skin cell from a normally-colored mouse and used it to grow egg cells in an albino mouse. When the babies were born, they had the dark coloring of their genetic parent.

However, their own naturally-occurring PGCs were fragile and misshapen, and any offspring they might have would carry a high risk of genetic diseases.

“While it is exciting that artificial primordial germ cells express the same markers as natural cells, there is much work to be done before we can conclude that the [sperm and eggs] derived from these cells can be considered fully functional,” said Dr. Alan B. Copperman, Director of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center, in an interview with Healthline.

Copperman is worried about certain markers that attach themselves to DNA, called epigenetic markers, which affect how DNA is expressed in cells. These markers become attached to DNA strands as the result of very early experiences in the womb and during childhood. These markers are normally erased and replaced by a new set when a PGC creates a sperm or egg cell, giving offspring a fresh chance to interact with its environment. With artificial PGCs, flawed epigenetics may be causing the high rate of failure.

A Brave New World?

Saitou and Hayashi began their experiment to learn how to create PGCs in the lab, not to revolutionize fertility research. Nonetheless, the implications of their discovery are far-reaching.

Using their techniques, sperm or egg cells could be created from the skin cells of a person of either sex. This could someday offer a way for same-sex couples to have a biological child together. It also gives new hope to couples struggling with infertility and to women who’ve had no luck with IVF.

However, “Our work is still at a purely basic level using the mouse, and it would take many more years to apply this work to humans,” Saitou told Healthline.

Scientists would first have to test the technique in monkeys and other primates and observe their offspring for several generations to see if there are any lasting epigenetic problems. How long would this take? No one knows for sure.  

Simply unlocking the monkeys’ genetic pathway to create PGCs could take another decade. For scientists to establish safety in monkeys and then discover the human genetic pathway, the wait might be more than 50 years.

The new discovery raises a slew of ethical questions as well. In theory, a mouse could be self-fertilized with both sperm and an egg made from its own DNA. Saitou and Hayashi did not attempt this.

“Abuse and misuse of any new technology—such as artificial creation of primordial germ cells—could send us down a slippery slope which could impact society by introducing the possibility of routine cloning, or positive and negative eugenic selection of future generations,” said Copperman. “While I am enthusiastic about the basic science implications of these findings, today’s reproductive biologists have a responsibility unparalleled in our history to act judiciously, transparently, and cautiously, as they pursue germ cell research

Scientists Create Sperm and Eggs from Skin Cells, Regardless of Donor Gender

8:39 AM artficial eggs and sperm, IVF, PGC, Primodial germ cells, STEM cells

Flexible Wrist Worn Fever Alarm Shows Off Possibilities of Organic Electronics

Fever alarm that can worn on Wrist

Engineers at the University of Tokyo have developed a flexible wearable temperature sensor based on an organic (carbon-based) electronic circuit and organic components. While this seems to be more an exercise in making novel electronics rather than a practical proof-of-concept device, the technology shows that a whole new wave of healthcare applications is ahead for organic electronics.

Organic electronics

The “fever band” is totally autonomous, having flexible solar cells on its exterior to provide power and an organic audio speaker that can warn of rising temperatures.

“Our fever alarm armband demonstrates that it is possible to produce flexible, disposable devices that can greatly enhance the amount of information available to carers in healthcare settings,” said Professor Takao Someya from the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Engineering. “We have demonstrated the technology with a temperature sensor and fever alarm, but the system could also be adapted to provide audible feedback on body temperature, or combined with other sensors to register wetness, pressure or heart rate.”

The researchers are presenting the technology at the  2015 IEEE International Solid State Circuits Conference San Francisco.

Flexible Wrist Worn Fever Alarm Shows Off Possibilities of Organic Electronics

8:31 AM fever alarm wrist band, wearable gadgets

X-Rays of Buddhist Statue Reveal Mummified Monk

It’s not surprising that Southeast Asia is home to countless ancient Buddha statues, but when one of those statues contains a mummified monk, that iscertainly a surprise.

A mummified monk is exactly what researchers at Norway’s Meander Medical Center found when they placed a 1,000-year-old Chinese Buddha statue inside a CT scanner. Researchers believe the statue contains the body of a Buddhist master named Liuquan, who may have practiced the tradition of “self-mummification” to reach his final resting place.

One of a Kind

Researchers weren’t completely surprised by what the scans revealed. They knew there was a mummified body within the statue, but they didn’t know much else about it.

Buddha statues containing mummified monks are quite rare and this was the first time this particular statue was released beyond the borders of China. The statue had been displayed in a mummy exhibit last year at the Drents Museum in Netherlands, which yielded the perfect opportunity to examine it in more detail.

Scientists and medical staff performed the CT scan that revealed Liuquan’s mediating body in full detail. They also used an endoscope to examine the abdominal cavity of the mummy inside, and they discovered that the organs had been removed and replaced with paper scraps that were printed with ancient Chinese characters. It isn’t clear what specifically was written on those paper scraps.

Mummy Metamorphosis

If you were a monk that wanted to achieve enlightenment and be revered as a “living Buddha,”self-mummification was your brutal option. Monks on this spiritual path would starve themselves for almost a decade, subsisting on water, seeds and nuts. Then, they’d be sealed inside the statue and ingest roots, pine bark and a toxic, tree sap-based tea for another 1,000 days — eating and breathing through a small tube. Eventually death would come, and monks mummified in this manner were said to have reached enlightenment.

According to the Drents Museum, this Buddha sarcophagus is an example of self-mummification. However, the fact that his organs were removed and replaced with paper suggests that may not be true.

Regardless, let’s hope sealing yourself inside a statue while surviving on toxic tea isn’t the only path to true enlightenment.

X-Rays of Buddhist Statue Reveal Mummified Monk

6:05 PM Budha, discovery, monk, mummified, xray

Sign Up Now to Save Lives With Your Drone Piloting Skills

A new nonprofit called UAViators is promising to offer experienced drone pilots a place to sign up for humanitarian missions where their aircraft can do some good. Pretty soon you might be showing the world how drones can save lives, not just take them!

All you have to do is go their website, create a profile, pick a team, and wait for orders. Easy enough, right?

In a sense, UAViators is creating a social network for experienced, well meaning drone pilots. (The organisation is using Ning, a platform for creating social networks on the fly, as well as Google Docs to coordinate rosters and documentation.) Given that they're just getting off the ground, there aren't really any missions quite yet, but over the past few years, there have been plenty of calls-to-action and aid groups using drones in crisis areas. There's no doubt a more organised network of pilots and technicians will make it easier for more people to get involved.

The launch of UAViators comes right after the FAAproposed a set of thankfully lenient rules to govern the use of commercial drones. While the rules make some enterprises more difficult, it certainly clears up a few questions about drone use in the United States. And that clarity will certainly encourage more people to learn how to be a pilot. Sure, it's fun to fly your quadcopter around the beach and make pretty videos. But it's downright heroic to use technology to help people in need. Sign up here. [UAViators viaSpringwise]

Sign Up Now to Save Lives With Your Drone Piloting Skills

5:56 PM drone, licence, save life, UAViators

Microsoft Launches The Much Awaited Health Dashboard On The Web

Microsoft today announced a major update for Microsoft Band with support for biking, Wordflow virtual keyboard, voice dictation replies and more. Read more about it here. Apart from this, Microsoft also made some big announcements regarding their health platform.

First, they are releasing Microsoft Band SDK for iOS, Windows and Android developers. Developers can download design guidelines for developing apps for Band here.Second, they are releasing Microsoft Health web dashboard. The new web dashboard will act as a central hub for all your activities using Microsoft Health platform. For now, you can now enjoy all the data from Microsoft Band on the web to get new insights and more. The best part is the Observations tab where Microsoft will present some interesting facts about your data. Take a look at the example from my sleep data.Their, Microsoft Health data can be now connected with Microsoft Healthvault platform. Microsoft HealthVault is a trusted place for people to gather, store, use, and share health information online.If you connect your other accounts to your Microsoft account, Microsoft will exchange fitness data (e.g. activity duration, calories burned, heart rate, run distance) with the connected applications. This may include activity and fitness data from all current and future Microsoft fitness services you use such as Microsoft Health and Xbox Fitness.

I think Microsoft is progressing well with their Health platform. What do you think?

Microsoft Launches The Much Awaited Health Dashboard On The Web

8:36 AM dashboard, featured, health, healtvalut, Microsoft, web

$34 iPhone dongle allows 15-minute HIV test with similar accuracy to ‘gold standard’ lab test

team of biomedical engineers at Columbia University has developed an iPhone dongle costing just $34 that can conduct HIV tests with similar accuracy to ‘gold standard’ laboratory equipment costing over $18,000. The test, which also detects syphilis, takes just 15 minutes to run … 

The work was reported in the Science Translational Medicine journal (via GigaOM).

This low-cost dongle replicates all mechanical, optical, and electronic functions of a laboratory-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) without requiring any stored energy; all necessary power is drawn from a smartphone. [Results] rivaled the gold standard of laboratory-based HIV ELISA.

The dongle plugs into the audio jack, and is compatible with both iPhones and Android smartphones. The test requires just a single pin-prick of blood.

Training health workers to administer the test takes just half an hour. By making the test cheap and quick to run using only minimal equipment, it’s hoped to dramatically increase testing in developing countries.

Smartphones are increasingly being used for low-cost medical diagnostic tests, previous examples including a $500 iPhone dongle to detect skin cancer with the same accuracy as dermatologists, and a $90 iPhone accessory that performs the same job as ophthalmology kit costing tens of thousands of dollars.

$34 iPhone dongle allows 15-minute HIV test with similar accuracy to ‘gold standard’ lab test

10:15 PM ELISA, HIV TEST, iPhone dongle for HIV test

How Drinking More Water Can Help You Lose Weight

You’ve probably heard it more than once: drink more water to help you lose more weight. But does water really help weight loss? The short answer is yes. Drinking water helps boost your metabolism, cleanse your body of waste and acts as an appetite suppressant. Also, drinking more water helps your body stop retaining water, leading you to drop those extra pounds of water weight. So what can you do to make sure you’re drinking the recommended eight-to-10 8-ounce glasses per day to keep yourself hydrated and encourage weight loss?

Step 1: Drink before you eat

Because water is an appetite suppressant, drinking it before meals can make you feel fuller and therefore reduce your food intake. Health resource website WebMD states that drinking water before meals results in an average reduction in intake of 75 calories per meal. Drinking water before just one meal per day would cause you to ingest 27,000 fewer calories per year. Do the math: You'd lose about eight pounds per year just from drinking water! Now imagine if you drank it before each meal.

Step 2: Replace calorie-filled drinks with water

Ditch the sodas and juice and replace them with water to help you lose weight. If you think water tastes boring, add a slice of lemon. A glass of water with lemon is a recipe for successful weight loss because the pectin in lemons helps reduce food cravings. Think water doesn’t really help weight loss? Give up those sugary drinks for just a few weeks and see the difference.

Step 3: Drink it ice cold

According to the editorial staff at WebMD, drinking ice cold water helps boost your metabolism because your body has to work harder to warm the water up, therefore burning more calories and helping you to lose weight. Plus, ice cold water is just so much more refreshing than water that’s room temperature.

Step 4: Hit the gym

Because drinking water helps prevent muscle cramping and keeps your joints lubricated, you can work out longer and harder. Just another way keeping hydrated with water helps you lose weight.

Step 5: Make sure you get enough

If you really want the water you drink to help you lose weight, you should follow the “8x8” rule recommended by most nutritionists: Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day for weight loss and to maintain an ideal weight. You might need to drink more water if you exercise a lot or sweat heavily, or less water if you drink other beverages like herbal tea (make sure they are decaffeinated).

Trent Nessler, PT, DPT, MPT, managing director of Baptist Sports Medicine in Nashville, says the amount of water you need depends on your size, weight and activity level. He adds that you should try to drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh, every day.

How do you know if you’re getting enough water? A general rule is to check the toilet after you’ve gone to the bathroom. You’ll know you’re well hydrated if your urine is clear or very light yellow in color. The darker your urine, the more water you need to drink, especially if weight loss is your goal.

How Drinking More Water Can Help You Lose Weight

5:48 PM drink water, lose weight, water and weight

Parents trying to reverse kids’ autism by ‘flushing out’ vaccines with bogus ‘miracle’ bleach enemas

Parents seeking help with children with autism are turning to a “miracle” cure that involves giving the children enemas, using a dangerous industrial solution used for bleaching wood pulp.

According to If You Only News, parents have turned to Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS), containing sodium chlorite which is mixed with citric acid (i.e. orange juice) to make chlorine dioxide. According to the promoters, the solution, which can be taken orally or administered via an enema, can cure HIV, malaria, hepatitis, autism, acne, and cancer.

Miracle Mineral Solution is the brainchild ofJim Humble, who quit the Church of Scientology to form the Genesis II Church of Health & Healing in order to promote his “miracle” cure in Africa and Mexico.

The Food and Drug Administration disagreeswith Humble’s claims and has posted a warning on their website calling the product “dangerous” and “potentially life threatening,” advising “drinking the amount recommended on product labels can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and symptoms of severe dehydration.”

Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency warns that chronic exposure to small doses of chlorine dioxide could result in reproductive and neurodevelopmental damage, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued guidancein the use of chlorine dioxide in the workplace.

Kerri Rivera, founder of the website CD Autism (“Autism: Avoidable. Treatable. Curable.”) which promotes MMS, claims that autism is caused by yeast, parasites, viruses, and vaccines that can be flushed from the body.

On her Facebook page, Rivera — who identifies herself as a biomedical consultant and certified homeopath – keeps a running total of parents who have contacted her, saying MMS has “cured” their children of autism.

One parent wrote: “I just wanted to tell you great news we have received yesterday from bioresonance diagnostic treatment. We went there actually for the first time, just to check how we have improved with CD, which my 6 years old son has been using it for a year and a half now, and she said: I don’t know what’re doing but just keep doing what you’re doing, because you’re doing GREAT! She couldn’t find viruses, bacteria, parasites, yeast; his body has been cleaned a lot, also from heavy metals, she did saw a virus of measles inside in the intestine, that’s because of the vaccines he got we will try to treat that now and of course not stopping CD and parasite protocol. We are starting also with GcMAF in October and can’t wait! We are really happy.”

Other parents report that they are still continuing treatments despite extreme vomiting, kicking, and hysterics when enemas are being administered.

Despite Facebook tales of success, theAutism Science Foundation warns against online claims of cures that have not undergone rigorous clinical studies.

“It is important to remember that anyone can start a journal or post a study on the Internet to tout the efficacy of dangerous or useless interventions,” ASF explains. “Healthcare fraud is a huge business in the US, and parents of children with autism are often targeted. Fringe treatment providers prey on desperation and fear, and deceive parents with numerous unfounded claims.”

Parents trying to reverse kids’ autism by ‘flushing out’ vaccines with bogus ‘miracle’ bleach enemas

8:46 AM autism, Cancer, health, HIV, Medicine, vaccination

What Causes Dark Spots on the Face?

Several factors can cause darkened pigment on your skin.

Dark spots on your skin usually are the accumulation of dark pigment just underneath your skin. These can appear for several reasons and can develop anytime from birth to old age. However, the reasons for the development of dark spots can vary. Identifying these skin discolorations and understanding how they develop can help you determine whether a trip to the doctor or dermatologist is necessary.

Blood Vessel Deformities

Many newborn babies have a discolored, dark spot on their skin. These common birthmarks can sometimes occur for reasons doctors and dermatologists do not yet understand, but one of the reasons they do develop is due to blood vessel deformities located under the skin where the spots appear, according to Discovery Health. These can develop within the first month of development. Some will go away over time while others will stay, but all marks of this kind are harmless.

Melanin Coagulation

Moles are another common skin development that many consider birthmarks, even though they can change size and shape over time. Moles tend to be brown or black and either flat on the skin or raised. They are darker than a normal skin discoloration and develop with melanin--the pigment of your skin--coagulates. Moles sometimes can indicate possible cancer in the skin, particularly if there is a change in color, but they also can be removed easily with a laser.

What Causes Dark Spots on the Face?

4:15 PM Dark spot, face spot, melanine, skin spots

Loose weight,fight obesity, practice Yoga at Home

Yoga is a great way to loose weight if practiced regularly using the right form. It is light on the joints and the chances of injurnone initially under the guidance of a trained professional – are minimal. Moreover you don’t have to waste thousands on that expensive gym membership; yoga can be practised from the comfort of your homehome

All you need are some comfortable clothes and a yoga mat and you are good to go. So to start you off on your weight loss journey, here are 12 yoga poses:

Standing aasanas:

1. Ardha Chandraasana or the half moon pose:

Benefits: This pose is great to tone your buttocks, upper and inner thighs.  The added stretch on the sides of your tummy, help burn off those unsightly love handles and strengthen your core, helps with weight loss.

Avoid this pose if you have digestive disorders, a spine injury or high blood pressure,  avoid doing this pose.

Steps to do this pose:  

Stand with your feet together.Raise your hands above your head and clasp your palms together, extend the stretch by trying to reach for the ceiling.Exhale, and slowly bend sideways from your hips, keeping your hands together. Remember not to bend forward and keep your elbows straight. You should feel a stretch from your fingertips to your thighs.Inhale and come back to the standing position. Repeat this pose on the other side.

2. Veerbhadrasana 1 or warrior pose:

Benefits: This aasana stretches your back, strengthens your thighs, buttock and tummy and helps you lose weight.

Avoid this pose if  you have high blood pressure, shoulder, knee or back trouble, please perform this pose under the guidance of a trained teacher.

Steps to do this pose:

Stand with your feet together and hands by your side.Now extend your right leg forward and keep your left leg extended backwards.Gently bend your right knee so that you get into the lunge position.Twist your torso to face your bent right leg.Slightly turn your left foot sideways (about 40⁰-60⁰⁾  to give you that extra support.Exhale, straighten your arms and raise your body up and away from your bent knee.Stretch your arms upwards and slowly tilt your torso backwards so your back forms and arch.To get out of this pose exhale and straighten your right knee. Now push off your right leg and come back to your original position. You can use your hands to support you. Do not rush out of this pose; you might injure your back or legs. Repeat this aasana for the other leg as well.

Veerbhadrasana 2 or warrior pose 2:

Benefits: This aasana is great to strengthen the muscles in your back, thighs, abdomen and core and also helps you with weight loss.

Avoid this pose if  you suffer from diarrhea or high blood pressure.

Steps to do this pose:

Follow the same steps as Veerbhadrasana I, but instead of raising your hands above your head twist your torso so you face sideways and raise your hands to either side (so your fingers are extended and are parallel to your extended right and left leg).Now, turn your head so your eyes are facing in the same direction as your right hand. Repeat this posture for the other leg as well.

3. Utkatasana or the chair pose:

Benefits: It strengthens the core muscles, thighs and tones the buttocks.

Avoid this pose if you have a knee or back injury.

Steps to do this pose:

Stand straight on your yoga mat with your hands in namaste in front of you.Now raise your hands above your head and bend at the knee such that your thighs are parallel to the floor.Bend your torso slightly forward and breathe.Stay in this position for as long as you can. Gently go back to the standing position.

4. Vrksasana or tree pose:

Benefits: This aasana is great for the muscles of your abdomen and tones the thighs and arms.

If you have injured your knee or back please do this aasana under the supervision of a trained expert.

Steps to do this pose: 

Stand with your legs together.Now put most of your weight on one leg and a little weight on the other leg.Now raise the leg with the least weight such that your foot is facing inwards, towards your opposite knee.You can hold your ankle to help you pull up the leg.Place the heel of your foot on your inner thigh of the other leg, as close to the pelvis as possible.Now gently raise your hands above your head making sure your fingers are pointing towards the ceiling.Make sure you focus your mind and try to maintain your balance.

Breathing steadily and focusing on one spot in front of your eyes helps in maintaining the pose and not falling over. Do not try to hold a chair or wall for support while doing this pose. It will only reduce the intensity of the aasana.

5. Uttanasana or forward bending pose:

Benefits: This aasana stretches the hamstrings and puts pressure on the muscles of the abdomen. It also makes the blood rush to your head, helping your body switch from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic nervous system, helping you relax.

Steps to do this pose:

To perform this pose, stand straight.Raise your hands from the front to above your head as you inhale slowly.Then bend forward completely pushing your buttocks back till your palms touch the floor and your forehead touches your knees. Come up slowly to the standing position.

6. Surya namaskar or sun salutation: Surya namaskar is a set of yoga aasanas done in succession. It has amazing weight reduction properties since it employs various forward and backward bending aasanas that flex and stretch the spinal column giving a profound stretch to the whole body. Believe it or not this is a full body workout like no other. It has a deep effect in detoxifying your internal organs through copious oxygenation and has a deeper relaxing effect.

Sitting aasanas:

7. Ardha Matsyendrasana or Half spinal twist:

Benefits: This aasana increases the capacity of your lungs so it can inhale and hold more oxygen. It stretches the spine and tones the thighs and abdominal muscles. It stimulates the digestive system helping you digest food more efficiently and lose weight.

Steps to do this pose: 

Sit up with your legs stretched out straight in front of you, keeping your feet together and your spine erect.Bend your left leg and place the heel of your left foot beside your right hip (optionally, you can keep your left leg straight). Now, take the right leg over your left knee and place your left hand on your right knee and your right hand behind you. Twist at the waist, shoulders and neck in this sequence to the right and look over the right shoulder.Hold and continue with gentle long breaths in and out. To come back to the starting position, continue breathing out, release the right hand first (the hand behind you), release the waist, then chest, lastly the neck and sit up relaxed yet straight. Repeat on the other side.

If you have a back injury, do this pose only in the presence of a certified trainer.

8. Badhakonasana or Cobbler pose:

Benefits: This aasana reduces fat on your inner thighs and strengthens your spine, muscles of the groin, knees and lower back. It also helps relieve menstrual discomfort and improves digestion.

Steps to do this pose: 

 Sit on your yoga mat with your legs stretched out in front of you.Keep your spine erect and bend your legs at the knees, such that the soles of your feet are facing each other.Now with your hands pull your legs in so that your heels touch each other and they are as close to your pelvis as possible.While holding your legs at the ankles, move your thighs up and down, just like the wings of a butterfly. Do this as many times as you can.

Remember that the closer your legs are to your pelvis the greater the benefit of this pose. Do not push yourself, do as much as you can and your flexibility will improve with time.

Do not do this aasana if you have injured your knees.

9. Kapal bhati pranayam:

Benefits: This is a form of breathing exercise that helps to oxygenate your body while strengthening the muscles of your stomach and abdomen. It helps in giving you that flat toned tummy, melts away love handles and improves digestion.

Avoid doing this pose if you have high blood pressure, a hernia or heart disease.

Steps to do this pose: 

Sit comfortably on your yoga mat. Keep your spine erect and your palms on your knees facing downwards.Now exhale through your nose and pull your stomach in towards your spine.When you loosen your stomach muscles you will automatically breath in.Quickly contract your stomach muscles again and exhale. Your stomach muscles should be doing the work of pushing out and pulling in air.Do this initially about 50 times, you can increase the number of repetitions as you feel comfortable.

After doing this form of breathing you will initially feel some soreness around the muscles of your stomach and abdomen. This is normal.

Lying aasanas:

10. Kumbhakasana  or plank pose:

Benefits: It strengthens and tones your arms, shoulders, back, buttocks, thighs and abs.

If you have back or shoulder injuries or have high blood pressure avoid doing this pose.

Steps to do this pose:

Lie flat on your tummy on the floor or your yoga mat.Now place your palms next to your face and bend your feet so that the toes are pushing off the ground.Push off your hands and raise your buttock into the air.Your legs should be flat on the floor as far as possible and your neck should be loose. This is known as the downward dog or adho mukha svanasana.Once here, inhale and lower your torso so that your arms are perpendicular to the floor and your shoulders and chest are directly over your arms. Remember to keep your fingers from flaring out and keep them close together. You will feel your stomach muscles tighten. Hold this pose for as long as you can.To get out of this pose, exhale and gently lower your body to the floor (just like you would come out of a push up). You can end this pose by either doing bhujangasana or simply roll to your side and push off your hands to the sitting position.

11. Vasishtasana or sage pose:

Benefits: It works extensively on the shoulder, arms and the core muscles. It also improves flexibility and sense of balance. 

Steps to do the pose:

• Lie down on your stomach. Bend your elbows and place your palms below your shoulders
• Now tuck you toes in and push the floor to straighten your elbows such that your upper body along with your pelvis is lifted off the floor. Make sure your body is in the same alignment as it was while you were lying down
• Now slowly twist your upper body to the left as you release your left hand from the floor. Simultaneously turn your right foot to its outer edge and stack your left foot on the right foot. Don’t let your hips or pelvis drop. Hold it in the same alignment as it was earlier
• Look up and stay in this position for five breaths
• Repeat the pose to the other side

12, Halasana or plough pose:

Benefits: This pose is great for those who sit for long hours and tend to have bad posture. It tones the muscles of your buttock and strengthens your shoulders and thighs. It also stimulates the functioning of the thyroid glands, parathyroid glands, lungs and abdominal organs, therefore helping the blood rush to your head and face, improves digestion and keeps the hormonal levels in check.

If you suffer from liver or spleen disorders, hypertension, have diarrhoea, are menstruating or have suffered a neck injury, avoid doing this pose.

Step to do this pose:

• Lie flat on the floor on your back with your feet flat on the floor.
• Place your arms by your side and bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor.
• Now, slowly raise your legs from the hips.
• Place your hands on your hips as you raise it and use them as support.
• Now slowly bend your legs at the hips and try to touch the floor behind your head with your toes and straighten your hands so they are flat on the floor.
• Breathe out while going up.

To return to the lying position gently roll your back  onto the floor, breath in while you come down. Do not drop down suddenly.
13. Setubandhasana or Bridge pose:

Benefits: This pose is great to tone the thighs, strengthen the shoulders and tone your abs. It also relaxes the mind, improves digestion, relieves the symptoms of menopause in women and stretches the neck and spine. It is also great to keep one’s blood pressure under  control.

Avoid doing this pose if you have a neck or back injury.

Steps to do this pose: 

• Lie flat on your yoga mat, with your feet flat on the floor.
• Now exhale and push up, and off the floor with your feet.
• Raise your body up such that your neck and head are flat on the mat and the rest of your body is in the air.
• You can use your hands to push down for added support.
• If you are flexible you can even clasp your fingers just below your raised back for that added stretch.

Loose weight,fight obesity, practice Yoga at Home

3:56 PM health, home remedy, loose weight, obesity, reduce weight, yoga

Scientists develop prototype contact lenses that allow wearers to zoom in and out

Scientists are developing new contact lenses that could give wearers superhero-like vision.

The revolutionary lenses would allow individuals to zoom in and out, but which may also offer hope to thousands of elderly people suffering from vision loss.

The prototype lenses, presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s yesterday in San Jose, California, contain tiny aluminium telescopes that would interact with a pair of specially designed glasses to allow you to toggle between normal and ‘zoomed in’ viewing.

The operating instructions tell users to wink the right eye to zoom and the left to zoom out.

 The prototype lenses

The lenses, which were first developed with the US Defence Advance Research Projects Agency as super-thin cameras for aerial drones, have been retooled as a possible solution for those with age-related macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration is when the light receptors on the inner surface of the eye are lost, resulting in blurred central vision. This can make performing normal talks – such as reading – next to impossible.

Eric Tremblay, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, said: “We think these lenses hold a lot of promise for low vision and age-related macular degeneration.

“At this point, it is still research but we are very hopeful it will eventually become a real option for people with age-related macular degeneration,”

However, before the lenses can be rolled out scientists need to create a lighter, more ‘breathable’, version.

The rigid prototypes, which still allow light through the centre of the lenses, are bigger and thicker than traditional lenses but surrounded by mirrors.

It is these mirrors that provide the ‘superhero’ elements of the contact lenses. By bouncing the light around the view – as seen by the wearer – is magnified.

The spectacles would control the level of magnification.  

Scientists develop prototype contact lenses that allow wearers to zoom in and out

3:15 PM contact lenses, lense, new technology, science