Man Sues Doctors After Penis Amputated

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A Shelby County man and his wife said two doctors amputated the man's penis without his consent, and have filed a lawsuit.

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• Video: Man Sues Doctors After Penis Amputated

According to the lawsuit, Philip Seaton went to have a circumcision last October. Seaton said when he woke up from the procedure, he realized his penis had been amputated.

Seaton has suffered mental anguish, pain, and has lost the enjoyment of life, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit was filed in Shelby County court last week against Dr. John Patterson, who performed the procedure, Dr. Oliver James, who administered anesthesia, and Commonwealth Urology, PSC.

The lawsuit states that Patterson received consent to perform a circumcision and only a circumcision, and that Seaton did not consent to his penis being removed.

Kevin George, the plaintiff's attorney, said Patterson amputated the organ after finding cancer, but he only had consent to remove the foreskin.

"Sometimes you have an emergency and you have to do this, but he could very easily closed him up and said, 'Here are your options. You have cancer,' and the family would have said, 'We want a second opinion. This is a big deal,'" George said.

The lawsuit also claims the plaintiff did not consent to general anesthesia.

WLKY attempted to contact the doctors, but have not been able to reach them.

The Seatons are seeking punitive damages against both doctors and the medical practice. Attorneys for the defendants will now have a chance to respond to the suit.

Copyright 2008 by WLKY.com. All rights reserved.

Adam Kimmel presents: Claremont HD

Longboarding in Claremont

25 awesome Ari Gold quotes

Posted by Cuzzy

Like most of Cuzoogle’s readers, one of the shows on the must see list for the new season of TV is HBO’s Entourage. After three episodes it is great to see the true Ari Gold back in business and no more of this sensitive BS from last season. He is yelling, fighting and saying things you truly have to hear to believe.

Since we had great success a few weeks ago posting quotes and clips of Johny Drama, it seemed fitting to do something similar for one of Entourage’s other fan favourites.

Let’s blog it out bitch with 25 awesome quotes from Mr. Ari Gold.

Quotes

Ari Gold: Call me Helen Keller because I’m a fucking miracle worker!

Ari Gold: Listen to me, Lloyd, do you want to make it in this business or fold shirts at a Chinese laundromat? Pledge.

Ari Gold: Listen, Lloyd, I want you to put all my files, folders, binders, *everything* into a box! If you find a used condom, an executioner’s mask, and a fucking spike paddle, don’t think, just pack that bitch! Chop suey!

Ari Gold: You know what they feed people on an indi set, Vinnie? Nothing! They don’t give you a trailer. They tell you to go sit on an apple box. Ever try to bang an extra on an apple box?

Ari Gold: I’m ready to go here, all right? It’s like R. Kelly at recess. Honey, honey, what are you doing? Are you kidding me? Baby!

Ari Gold: You can have it if you want to live in Agora fucking hills, and go to group therapy, but if you want a Beverly Hills mansion, a country club membership, and nine weeks a year in a Tuscan villa, then I’m gonna need to take a call when it comes in at noon on a motherfucking Wednesday.

Ari Gold: We are gonna get drunk with Russell Crowe and we’re gonna head-butt some goddamn kangaroos.

Ari Gold: Smoke more weed, Turtle. Seriously, smoke more weed.

Ari Gold: My assistant is to be gang-raped by a gang of one.

Ari Gold: That was a good speech, Lloyd. If I was 25 and liked cock, we could be something.

Ari Gold: Tell Drama he’s on the top of my list of things to do today, along with inserting needles in my cock!

Ari Gold: Dana I have never cheated on my wife, not since she became my wife, but if you wanna jerk me in the car now, I’m game.

Ari Gold: Mohamed Ali came back once too often too, Terence.

Ari Gold: I knew you liked dick, Babs, but i didn’t realize you were a cocksucker.

Ari Gold: It’s like high school. You can’t fuck the prom queen until she finds out her best friend jerked you off underneath the bleachers!

Ari Gold: You fire a guy, you create a rival. You fire a woman, you create a housewife.

Ari Gold: I drove to work today in an $80,000 Mercedes and I’m going home in a prop car from Fast and the Furious… my life is over!

Ari Gold: Fuck the phones, Lloyd! Unless Carmen Electra calls for an emergency titty-fuck, don’t answer!

Ari Gold: I would say hug it out, but I don’t want you drawing wood.

Ari Gold: All right, when you talk to Dana, tell her I’m going to take the pictures from Cancun, and start a website called imahollywoodexecutivewhore.com and there will be no password or fee required, and I will take out a full page ad in the LA Times promoting it. Tell her I want a fucking call back.

Ari Gold: Fuck you. Where’d you hear that, Friendster?

Now for a few from Season 5

Ari Gold: (golfing): Rusty cunt bucket! FUCK!

Ari Gold: You will come back stronger then ever. Like Lance Armstrong. But with two balls.

Ari Gold: No Indies E! Think of it as the holocaust, never again!

Ari Gold: Fuck Richard Roper. You know I went to college with him? Yeah when he was pledging we used to tie beer cans around his nuts and make him walk across campus. I think last night was payback.

Since we cut off the list at 25, if we missed a memorable one, please leave it in the comments.

Now for a few bonus videos that cover most of these quotes.

Got someone to fire today? Do it the Ari Gold way.

Ari calls E a name we won’t type out in respect to the ladies.

Other Entourage goodness

Photos from this year’s premiere party

All of the babes of Entourage

Toyota Looks to Embrace Natural-Gas Hybrid Cars

A decade after their first unpopular attempt at a natural-gas vehicle, Toyota says they are looking to CNG for the future.

High gas prices have made natural-gas vehicles more desirable, but Honda is still the only major carmaker currently offering a CNG vehicle. While their car is only available in California and New York, Honda says they can’t keep their Civic GX in stock due to popularity, and plans to build 2,000 more for 2009. Toyota wants some of the pie.

Come November, Toyota will debut its CNG-electric hybrid Camry at the Los Angeles Auto show, but the company has not yet decided to put the vehicle into production.

At a conference this week in Portland, Oregon, Toyota cited data showing that oil production is declining, while natural-gas is still abundant to make their case for natural-gas vehicles. CNG has also been hailed by T. Boone Pickens as one of the most important solutions to America’s energy crisis.

Like electric vehicles, natural-gas cars are great for commutes, but long trips might be hard. There are very few natural-gas refueling stations open to customers in the US, meaning that many drivers can often only fill up at home.

Photo Credit: Rockershirt on Flickr under Creative Commons license.

Other Posts Relating to Natural-Gas Vehicles:

Monkeys! Huddled, Reflecting, Remarkably Expressive

ngm.nationalgeographic.com — Awesome shot of large group of monkeys in Japanese wilderness. Faces nearly surreal, in their quality of expressiveness, seeming range of emotion, especially sadness. [Shot can be enlarged, hi-res & wallpaper.]

American Psycho: The Musical

Everyone remember that sick and twisted yet hilarious film American Psycho? Yes of course, how could you forget.

American Psycho based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis then made into the 2000 movie starring Christian Bale is now being turned into a stage musical!!!!

I think this is better than talks of a Fight Club musical!

According to a press release:

”The Johnson-Roessler Company, The Collective and XYZ Films have partnered to acquire, develop and produce the live stage version.”

The development team has just begun the selection process for creatives to pen the score and the book. No timeline has been set for what is envisioned as a large-scale musical.

No word yet who will take over Bale’s spot as Patrick Bateman, the wealthy New York investment banking executive whose sick, twisted, murderous alter ego exposes itself in the most delightful and imaginative ways.

This could be good! That sex scene was hilarious!!

Ten Ways To Get Out Of A Speeding Ticket

There's nothing fun about being on the receiving end of the question: "May I see your license and registration please?" Although we don't condone it occurring on public roads, as automotive enthusiasts, whether you drive a Se7en or a Sentra, speeding in a controlled and safe manner in front of the police occasionally happens. Fortunately, whether you get a ticket, a warning or a pass is completely at the discretion of the officer that pulls you over. For this reason, we've surveyed your experiences and identified ten strategies that seem to have worked the best.

10.) The Scatological Approach

Not everyone is buddy-buddy with the police chief or on their way to a funeral. But everybody poops. When the traffic cop suggests you hand over your info, make sure to bounce around with a pained look on your face. When the officer asks you what's going on just mention that you just had some greasy Thai food and you just have to beat the Lard Na home. If you're not quite so dramatic, you can just follow SupermotoThud and tell the fuzz "I have to poop." [Photo by Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images]

9.) The Jedi Approach

Never underestimate the staggering power of a strong will and a little psychology. If someone was able to convince GM that people would love the "unique" design of the Pontiac Aztec despite all evidence to the contrary, you should be able to convince the highway patrol you don't deserve a ticket. Obi-Wan Kenobi did it with the force, but hypnotists and mentalists have been using tricks to convince people to do things against their better judgment for centuries. Maymar suggests you tell the officer "This isn't the speeding car you're looking for" and slowly wave your hand in front of them — sort of like what Beercheck did when confronted with an officer. Just try to not get shot.

8.) The Dramatic Approach

Most of the literature in this area suggests, and Isetta agrees, that a woman crying is the ultimate way to prevent a ticket. While we'll agree that a weeping woman can create a strong feeling of sympathy, the site of a man breaking down on the side of the road should have more of an impact because of the relative infrequency. [Photo: Getty Images]

7.) The Shakespearean Approach

We hadn't though of it until Jduffy13 suggested it, but being able to quote Shakespeare from memory at command, any command, might make a great impression on Johnny Law. And though that impression might be that you're drunk or insane, at the very least it puts them on their heals momentarily. Why not incorporate it into the discussion?

Off, Off Traffic Officer
Life Is But A Flashing Strobe Light
A Poor Driver Who Speeds And Swerves His Hour Upon The Road
And Is Ticketed No More

It could work.

6.) The Humorous Approach

If it weren't for humor a great many people on this site would have ended up selling burgers and living in their mom's basement, so why not use these same skills to make the 5-0 laugh and, hopefully, let you off. MyDatsunIsInCali suggests this joke if the opportunity presents itself:

On an empty country road-

Officer- where are you going in such a hurry?
Me- just keeping up with traffic, officer
Officer- I don't see any traffic
Me- that's how far behind I am, I was trying to keep up! (insert unfunny drum noise) "da dum ching"
Officer- Just slow down. (walks back to car shaking head)

If they don't laugh just say "What are you, the joke police?" [Photo: Getty Images]

5.) The Dishonest Approach

Being untruthful brings along serious risks. You could perjure yourself. You could make the situation worse. You could make millions of dollars for yourself and destroy the economy. So long as the opposite of what you're saying can't be proven, estern suggests something along these lines:

Am I glad to see you! I was almost run off the road by this idiot in a (make, model, color of vehicle that passed you). This guy was definitely hammered. You are putting yourself on the side of "public safety" and the cop will not want to take a chance that this fictitious drunk won't kill someone.

It might work. Just remember, police are smart. [Photo by Jae C. Hong-Pool/Getty Images]

4.) The Honest Approach

Sometimes you're speeding for a good reason. You're having a baby. You're late for an important meeting. The police are people, too. They also hear a lot of BS (see above) so maybe the truth will impress them, if only for the novelty of it. Afborroni tries this true plea:

My line is true, and my plea is earnest. "Officer, I'm in sales, I drive a company car for a living, and every point i get on my license is additional money docked from my paycheck. The consequences of the ticket you're about to give me are far greater for me than for anyone else... please reconsider this as I could lose my job because of a speeding ticket."

Also, try telling them you're an automotive journalist if that's true. [Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images]

3.) Man From A Foreign Land Approach

As anyone who has called tech support for a $10 router they bought at Fry's knows, speaking with someone who doesn't completely understand your language is frustrating. Assuming you have a funny name or look foreign, you could always follow c0de's advice and affect a foreign accent so complicated that they're unable to comprehend what you're saying and just let you off with a warning. This does not work if your name is John Smith or Sarah Jones, but is great if you're a member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Try perfecting a weird Eastern European dialect. We tell people we're Estonian because, c'mon, what are the odds a cop has ever been to Estonia? [Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images]

2.) Technical Difficulties Approach

Unless you're driving something like a Lagonda, which has a purely digital read-out, it is always possibly that your speedo works. In fact, if you're driving a Lagonda there's a better than average chance your equipment doesn't work. "Do you know how fast you were going?" Perhaps you really didn't. DrJimmy successfully convinced a Sheriff's deputy that his speedometer was on the fritz. If you're frequently a speed trap target, perhaps you should really just disengage your speedometer and hope for the best.

1.) The Polite Approach

They say you attract more flies with honey than vinegar. It's quite possible you repel more tickets this way as well. Sitting on the side of the road watching car-after-car pass by isn't a stimulating job and having to endure crying, excuses and bad accents probably wears some officers down. Being polite and following these steps from Macfarlane.A could go a long way:

Stop your vehicle. Roll down your window. Turn off the ignition. Place your keys on the roof. This way the cop knows that you're not going to try anything stupid before he/she even steps out of the cruiser, and is immediately put at ease.

Also, say "Yes, officer" and "No, officer" always helps. [Photo by China Photos/Getty Images]

Conclusion

There's no sure-fire way to avoid every ticket if you're going to speed in the first place so there's certainly no guarantee that any of these work. But, it beats making a run for it. That almost never works. Unless you're on a motorcycle or driving a super car. If you have any amendments or suggestions, feel free to add them in the comments below.

American v British teeth

By Vanessa Barford BBC News

Ricky Gervais is the first to admit that his teeth are neither white nor straight - and Americans mistakenly think he wears bad false teeth for comedic purposes. Why the dental divide?

British teeth are not like American teeth.

Hollywood smiles are pearly white paragons of straightness. British teeth might be described as having character.

These are my real teeth. You think I'd wear them all the time if they weren't real? Ricky Gervais' reply to interviewer remarking on his 'false teeth'

So much character, in fact, that Ricky Gervais says one US journalist complimented him on being prepared to wear unflattering false teeth for his role as an English dentist in his latest film, Ghost Town. Only he didn't.

"He was horrified that I could have such horrible real teeth. It's like the biggest difference between the Brits and the Americans, they are obsessed with perfect teeth," says Gervais.

Unlike many British stars hoping to make it big across the Atlantic, Gervais hasn't bought himself a Hollywood Smile.

But what is it about the bright white and perfectly straight teeth of Los Angeles that Americans love - and expect of their public figures?

"Americans have the idea uniformity is equivalent to looking good. The British character is more free-spirited, more radical," says Professor Liz Kay, dean of the Peninsula Dental School in Exeter and Plymouth.

She says Americans aspire to a row of teeth which are absolutely even and white.

Artificial smile

Whiter than white, it transpires. Teeth naturally vary in colour and the palette can tend closer to cream than white.

Kate Beckinsale, now glossy of mane and white of tooth

"US teeth are sometimes whiter than it is physically possible to get in nature - there is a new reality out there. The most extreme tooth bleaching is terrifying, it looks like it's painted with gloss paint and has altered what people perceive as normal," says Professor Jimmy Steele, of the School of Dental Science at Newcastle University.

The British traditionally prefer "nice natural smiles - natural in colour", he says, and have had a more functional view of teeth and dentistry, whereas Americans have always seen teeth more aesthetically, hence the rise of the artificial smile in show business and pop culture.

Cue jibes such as The Bumper Book of British Smiles which cajoles Lisa Simpson into having a brace, and Mike Myers' mockery of buck-toothed Brits in Austin Powers. Conversely, in the UK the snide remarks are saved for those who have had obvious work done, such as Simon Cowell or glamour model Jodie Marsh.

When it was widely reported that Martin Amis had secured a book advance in 1995 to help "do his teeth" - which the author denied - he was lampooned by critics. And more recently there has been much speculation over whether Gordon Brown has had a smile makeover.

Until now it has been considered rather un-British to go for an upgrade, says Professor Steele.

A new smile for a job on US TV

He now performs cosmetic dentistry on a wide spectrum of patients, from an 82-year-old woman with overlapping teeth who finally wanted to "do something for herself", to a 17-year-old worried that fluoride had given her mottled teeth that were whiter than normal.

But the main difference is that Brits tend to go for more conservative treatments.

"Dental tools can do an awful lot of damage if used inappropriately. Crowns can mean a perfectly good tooth has to be cut down, which can weaken the tooth or damage nerves in the long run," he says.

Metal mouth

While it is starting to be more common to see braces on adults, most people opt for quicker solutions, says Martin Fallowfield, a cosmetic dentist and executive board member of the British Dentist Association.

Whitening can be done by chemicals or UV light

"Quite often teeth whitening is a 40th or 50th birthday present," he says, a procedure that can be done in a dentist's chair in two hours for about £650. A more intensive "smile makeover" - perhaps involving veneers, crowns and reconstruction work - can take months and cost anything from £2,000 to £10,000.

Dentistry in the UK is a £5bn market, and Mr Fallowfield expects this to rise to £15bn within 10 years, largely fuelled by private cosmetic dentistry. While NHS dentists are in short supply in parts of the country, the number of dentists registered with the General Dental Council is up from 31,029 in 2000 to 35,419 in 2007.

On average, cosmetic procedures account for a third of a dentist's income from non-NHS work, according to research by the British Dental Association.

Among Mr Fallowfield's patients is Jenny Horton, 36, who has had four crowns redone, six new ones added and her lower teeth whitened after she had a baby.

Toothpaste has long promised to do more than just clean

"The first thing I notice on people is their smile," she says. "I wanted a confidence boost - I was putting my hand over my mouth before, now I can smile. And the compliments have come flooding in: people haven't noticed my teeth, but say I look well."

But Brits haven't embraced the full Hollywood makeover - yet.

"Americans don't mind this unnaturally white look. It's a new phenomenon, like buying a Rolls Royce and telling the world. They are wearing a smile as a badge," says Mr Fallowfield.

Nor do aspiring actors and actresses need to get a new and very expensive set of pearly-whites, says Sylvia Young, of the eponymous theatre school. "A trip to the orthodontist can be a good idea, to get the teeth straightened if need be."

As for the likes of Ricky Gervais, it makes sense to stick to his guns, says Mr Fallowfield.

"A lot of people in his place would have had their teeth fixed in this day and age. But for comedians, it's good to look unique."

15 of The Hottest Wearable Gadgets [Pics and Video]

Okay, we’ll admit it. We have an unnatural love for gadgets and all things computer-related. If this makes us geeks, than so be it! Of course, for better or for worse, there are some of us who like to wear their pride on their sleeve (literally) and proudly display their inner geek for all to see. In this post we bring you all the best wearable gadgets of the past, present, and future! Some are cool, some are freaky, but all are guaranteed to make you stand out from the rest of the low-tech populous.

1. Power Generating Knee Brace
   A sign of things to come for sure, the Power Generating Knee Brace harvests excess energy from the kinetic energy in the knee joints in the same way that brakes reclaim energy from tires on certain hybrid cars. The energy production itself has been proven efficient. The real problem facing the device is the bulk; something that will surely be solved in time. Expect to see both domestic and military applications of the device in the future, with implementations in other areas of the body to help those with, say, a pacemaker or similar medical devices.
2. Nail Watch from Timex - The TX54
   This one comes at us from the Core77 Year 2154 Design Competition. Apparently, no one in the future will want to wear watches and thus, these guys will take over. I think this is a fun and cool idea. Clicking the edge of the nail turns on and off the glow feature.
3. Momenta Next-Gen PC
   Part of the Next-Gen PC Design Competition, this concept device is actually a full-fledged PC that is worn about the neck. A small projector displays the interface on the nearby wall and gestural commands allow the user to interact with the machine minus an actual physical interface. Another cool feature is the heart rate dependent video capture. What that means is if your heart rate goes up, the PC starts recording automatically. Granted, this is only a concept, but you can’t help but wonder how far off we are from something like this.
4. The Impact Jacket
   Sometimes simple innovations are the best. The video explains how the jacket works above, but essentially a rip cord is attached to the motorcycle (or horse, or occasional segway) and should the rider fall from the vehicle, a CO2 cartridge fills the jacket with compressed gas and acts like an airbag. It’s currently popular with Law Enforcement Agencies and has already saved lives!
   
5. VitalJacket
   
   Forget complex medical rigging and long hospital stays. The VitalJacket is innovative because it allows the user to simply slip on the shirt, which immediately begins monitoring vital health stats such as a person’s ECG, heart rate, respiration, and temperature, among other things. All data is stored on a built in SD card and simultaneously transferred via bluetooth to a PDA for further analysis and tracking. Prices reportedly start around $635.
   
6. Digital Escape Mask
   
   A dystopian future, at this point, is all but guaranteed. How will you handle the inevitable soul-crushing destruction of humanity when it finally comes around? Why not simply ignore it with the Digital Escape Mask? The concept device augments reality by re-skinning it with something more pleasurable. Polluted air is replaced with fresh air. Sounds, smells and visuals are pleasurable. This is escapism taken to the ultimate level. The mask also projects an emoticon-like version of your actual expression to display your mood to those who are not wearing the masks.As cool as it all sounds, let’s hope there is never an actual need for such a product.
7. Mark of Fitness Exercise Monitor
   One thing that separates this particular fitness monitor from others is that it is entirely self contained; there is no chest belt attachment. The semi-glove design is small, convenient, and does not interfere with your activities. The device itself is capable of accurately monitoring your heart rate and keeps accurate estimations of calories burned as well as your target heart rate.
8. Speedo LZR Racer
   
   While I realize this is technically not a gadget, per se, given the recent Beijing Olympics/Michael Phelps hubbub, it felt appropriate to place this on the list. Not only that, but this suit is probably more advanced (and more expensive) than you’d expect. This suit is the first of it’s kind, created from a three-piece 3D pattern, which is then ultrasonically bonded together to create streamlined seams that reduce drag. The Olympic stars currently have it, but you can grab this high-tech swimsuit when it comes out in October for $550.
9. Honda’s Walking Assist Device
   Research on this device began in 1999 as part of Honda’s comprehensive study on human walking, research which was then used to help create ASIMO. The device is functional, and works by using hip angle sensors and brushless motors. The inspiration for the device comes from wanting to help elderly and people with poor muscle ability achieve mobility. My guess would be that the only reason you’re not seeing this on the market just yet is because of battery life; the achilles’ heel of so many devices.
10. ActiveTalk Walkie Talkie Watches

    Ever since Dick Tracy, we’ve waited expectantly for our communication wrist watches. Now you can finally keep in contact with your relatives, friends, and fellow crime fighters with the ActiveTalk Walkie Talkie watches. Simply choose a channel and press call when you want to speak! These guys are rechargeable and come with a 2 mile range making it perfect for those areas where cell phone coverage is spotty, if present at all, such as when you’re outdoors hiking, skiing, or chasing down your next super-villain. Get your own or find out more here.

11. USB Bracelet
    Okay, so it’s no Tiffany masterwork, but how many times have you been stuck on the run and found yourself wanting a USB cable? Geek merges with chic to bring you the USB bracelet. The tech itself is shrouded in silky and soft polyurethane material and conforms around your wrist. Expect all the functionality of a regular USB cable.Who knows what’s next? RJ-45 belts? Belkin Router Shoes? The possibilities are endless!
12. DuoFertility
    This is one for the couples who are trying to concieve (or conversly, avoid conception). The DuoFertility is a small, USB-capable device that continuously measures a woman’s basal temperature to determine when she is ovulating. All the woman has to do is wear a patch underneath her arm and the device works on it’s own. You can view up to 6 days of results on the device itself, as well as download the data to a computer. The company behind the device grew out of Cambridge University, so you know you can expect a lot. In fact, the device is capable of measuring up to 20,000 more temperature readings than other basal temperature monitors. The device is currently in trials (which you can sign up for via their website link in the title above), but expect it to retail for around $1000 when it is finally released.
13. ThinkGeek’s Wi-Fi Detector Shirt
    
    Wardriving isn’t a hobby! It’s a way of life! But in all seriousness, what wearable gadget list would be complete without ThinkGeek’s Wi-Fi Detector T-shirt? The premise is simple; when you’re in the range of a wi-fi- signal, the bars on the shirt light up. The stronger the signal, the more bars, just like on your cell phone. The shirt runs off 3 AAA batteries, which are concealed inside a pocket of the shirt. The signal detector itself is removable for easy washing.
14. Reactiv
    
    That’s what UK-based Designer Michael Chen calls his product, which is squarely aimed at bicyclists. Using LED’s embedded into the clothing’s arms and back in conjunction with accelerometers, the lights can go green if the rider is accelerating or red if they are slowing down. Tilt switches turn the lights amber when the rider raises their arm to give the appropriate hand signals. The current model is a working prototype, which earned the designer a hefty sum at the James Dyson design awards. Chen hopes to have Reactiv Jackets on the market by Christmastime, retailing for �100 or approximately $186 at today’s conversion rate.
15. Skelecycle - The Wearable Motorcycle
    
    For all the risk that may be involved with this particular vehicle, I can’t help but be attracted to it. 36 pneumatic “muscles” control the cycle in conjunction with the drivers movements. The cycle lays flatter at higher speeds, so that when you are going full speed, you are literally suspended flat out, inches above the ground. And did we mention that it’s environmentally friendly? The sensation must be unreal, as is the product itself for now. But all the numbers are based on the real world, claims the creator of the, uh, “bike.” The basic parts are already being engineered for use in other vehicles, so who knows? Maybe one day soon this might become a reality!
16. *BONUS!* Sarcos’s Exoskeleton

    We’ve received a number of high tech innovation from military products already. Teflon, microwaves, and even modern computing and the Internet itself all started as Military projects. Will the day come when everyone is wearing Aliens-Style Exosuits? One can only dream…

That’s it for today’s 15 Hottest Wearable Gadgets. Got any more to add to the list that we missed? We’d love to hear from you in the comments! Also be sure to check out some of out other killer features posts here on The Hottest Gadgets.

Craig Mundie's Cloud Vision

Credit: Technology Review

Multimedia Watch Microsoft's chief research and strategy officer discuss ways to transform personal computing.

As Microsoft's chief research and strategy officer, Craig Mundie will play an important role in shaping the future of personal computing. Since Bill Gates's retirement in July, Mundie and chief software architect Ray Ozzie have jointly led the company's technical direction.

Today at Technology Review's EmTech Conference, Mundie will deliver the keynote speech on the ways in which new approaches to hardware and software will transform people's lives. Technology Review's assistant editor, Erica Naone, caught up with him before his talk to discuss the role he sees for cloud computing--the trend shifting computer processing and storage away from desktop computers and onto distributed computers across the Internet.

Technology Review: People often talk about software moving from the desktop--programs running on a personal computer--to the Internet -- programs running through a Web browser. Do you see this as the next big thing?

Craig Mundie: My view is that the next big platform shift will actually be the composite platform, where we glue the Internet platform to the evolved client platform [clients include desktop computers, laptops, mobile phones, and other devices], creating a uniform programming architecture across those things.

TR: What kinds of programming techniques would be needed to support so many devices and processors running in parallel?

CM: Many of the basic tenets of how people write programs and have written them for decades no longer turn out to work very well. Traditional procedural programming languages tend to mask or in fact squeeze out the inherent parallelism in many problems just as a byproduct of the structure of the languages. How you get programs to be correct at larger and larger scales across this distributed concurrent environment is another problem. We need better tools for debugging and ultimately even program proof [automated tools to verify that a program's algorithms function as intended] that will allow us to put these new applications together. And then, at the end of the day, we actually have to have new applications.

TR: What would these new applications be like?

CM: There will be a class of experiences that naturally incorporate all of the intelligent clients in your life. Today, you can buy a cell phone and a car and a TV and a game console and a laptop and a desktop, but it's sort of left as an exercise for the consumer to figure out how to make the same stuff appear on all of them. Today it's just way too hard. What you really want to do is think of this collection of clients that work in concert with a collection of Web-based services. But, when taken together, they give you a much better experience in that regard. If it's your music, for example, you can say, "Look, I just expect to be able to listen to my music no matter what device I happen to pick up."

TR: This sounds similar to the Microsoft project Live Mesh.

CM: That's a perfect example. Ray Ozzie's been doing that work for several years to build, essentially, a cloud platform that is complementary to the evolving client or multiclient platform. It would provide common data services and orchestration processes that you could subscribe to from each of the related clients. That is indeed one of the early visible parts of this composite platform that we are trying to bring forward.

TR: People also talk about cloud computing as "software as a service," with the idea that the software all comes to the user from the cloud. But that doesn't seem to be the view you're taking.

CM: People who started out and said, "Hey, all software should just become a service," started out with the misconception that the computing model that we know is mature and won't evolve anymore. Therefore, if communications capability and cost continue to improve, then maybe I should just put all the computing back in the middle and leave some modicum of intelligence at the edge in order to facilitate the presentation.

TR: You use the term "software plus services." What do you mean by that?

CM: There are things that are valuable when centralized in a cloud and presented as a service. But if you look at the most sophisticated applications today--even the ones that are web-oriented--they increasingly depend on more and more sophisticated client components. I think the reason is that bandwidth is not infinite, and certainly not always available, and certainly not cheap. While that may improve, there is also the physical problem of latency.

What you start to see is a new application class. I contend it makes no sense to try to push [lots of data and processing] up the wire [to the cloud, just] so that it can come back and talk to you. And so, ultimately, that leads us back to what I call this composite platform, where you've got a balanced set of roles between what you expect the cloud to provide and what you expect the clients to provide themselves.

Longer Lasting Artificial Eyes

Good looking: A new retinal implant sits mostly outside the eye. The coil around the iris receives wireless power and image data from a microcontroller that can be carried on a belt. The coil transmits data to electronics inside a waterproof titanium case (below). The electronics controls an electrode array (not visible) connected to nerves in the back of the retina. Credit: Shawn Kelly

For many blind or partially sighted people, implants that stimulate healthy nerve cells connected to their retinas could help restore some normal vision. Researchers have been working on such implants since the 1980s but with only limited success. A major hurdle is making an implant that can stay in the eye for years without declining in performance or causing inflammation.

Now researchers with the Boston Retinal Implant Project, which was spun out of MIT, Harvard Medical School, and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in 1988, have developed hardware they say overcomes such issues. The implants have been tested in animals, and the group plans to start human trials by 2010.

In retinal diseases such as acute macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, the light-sensing cells of the retina may no longer work, even though the neurons that carry signals from these cells to the brain are still healthy. The Boston project uses an array of electrodes to stimulate these cells and reproduce a simplified visual image in the subject's brain. A camera mounted on a pair of eyeglasses captures an image, which is rapidly processed by a microcontroller to produce a simplified picture. This is then wirelessly beamed to the implant, which activates 15 electrodes inside the eye. The implant also receives power wirelessly from the microcontroller.

In its current form, the implant can reproduce only a 15-pixel image, but the group is working on a version with around 100 pixels and hopes to get up to 1,000 eventually.

The latest implant has been successfully tested in pigs, whose eyes are comparable in size to our own. It hasn't yet been tested in people, but the research group is confident it will restore enough vision to let people walk around unaided. The electrode array has previously been tested for short periods in patients who reported seeing clouds, red spots, and other images when the electrodes were activated one by one. "We know the concept works; now we need to get the device prepared," says Shawn Kelly, a visiting scientist at MIT who works for the Boston project.

Previously, the device was housed in a flexible plastic case wrapped around the outside of the eye. But over long time periods, the plastic absorbed water. The electronics inside the new device are housed within a waterproof titanium case similar to those used for heart pacemakers. The new retinal implant case is also the smallest ever made, and it has a large number of feed-through holes for the wires that connect to the electrode array, the wireless power component, and the data coil. Machine-milling such a small, intricate case posed a major challenge, says Kelly. But the new case makes for easier, safer surgery because it sits on the side of the eye, away from the entry point for the electrode array. It is also mechanically more stable, Kelly notes.

Other retinal implants sit completely inside the eye, which can cause biocompatibility issues. Kelly says the goal is to develop implants that last for years, so that patients can learn to process the images produced by the implant.

Another arm of the Boston research group led by John Wyatt, a professor of electrical engineering at MIT, is working on algorithms for converting the camera signal into an image the brain can more easily interpret. An initial goal is enabling people to see enough to walk around a room unaided, so the system's software focuses on edge detection. The Boston group is also working on algorithms that help people recognize faces, which is a far more challenging problem.

Japanese Space Elevator

Space Elevator: Most of a rocket’s fuel is spent blasting through Earth’s thick atmosphere and out of the planetâ€s strong gravitational field. But here’s an alternate strategy for getting payloads up to space: Construct a 62,000-mile-long cable jutting straight out from the equator, hold it in place with centripetal force, then lift satellites and spacecraft out of the atmosphere with a giant freight elevator. One major hang-up: Cable strong enough to support the system does not yet exist, though it could be made from carbon nanotubes. Shown above is “The Climber” which sill carry the payload. Photo by John Macneill

One of the most promising technologies for the aspiring outer-space commuter is the space elevator. The concept, like quite a few others, was pressed into the public imagination by Arthur C. Clarke, who in his 1979 novel The Fountains of Paradise described a incredibly thin, incredibly strong carbon filament with one end anchored on Earth and the other extending up to a satellite in geostationary orbit. Now, a group of Japanese scientists are convinced that they can build a space elevator more quickly and cheaply than has been believed possible.

Such a cable could convey cargo into space very cheaply and easily. Carriages would travel up and down the cable under modest power, not the vast expenditures of energy that are currently needed to send anything into orbit.

Technology has crept closer to making it a reality: we have geostationary satellites, and carbon nanotubes promise to be strong and light enough to form the filament, if they can be produced in sufficient quantity. A space elevator would be tens of thousands of miles long.

A few initiatives already exist to make a space elevator a reality. Elevator:2010 sponsors annual contests; LiftPort promises to have an elevator built by October 27, 2031, and is selling tickets on it, at $25/ounce.

The Japan Space Elevator Association, a new player in the field anticipates that Japan's industrial and research power -- "using the technology employed in our bullet trains," according to Association director Yoshio Aoki -- will be able to surmount the outstanding obstacles. The carbon fiber, which needs to have 180 times the tensile strength of steel, is currently under development by Japanese textile companies. The total price tag estimated for erecting the elevator is being estimated at just a trillion yen, or about 10 billion dollars.

[Via the Times of London]

Cavemen Loved Surf & Turf

Tasty: Even back in the day. Photo by Laurel Fan (CC Licensed)

Long before the island of Gibraltar confused modern day tourists (is it Spanish? Is it British?), this rocky outpost just off the southern coast of Spain was home to our Neanderthal ancestors. Day-to-day Gibraltan life 30,000 years ago held essentially no resemblance to life today, except perhaps when it came to taste buds. New findings prove our pre-historic brothers and sisters shared our affinity for seafood. They actively hunted mussels and other mollusks, fish, and even seals and dolphins—and didn’t pay market prices for them either.

Paleontologists from the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid, the Natural History Museum in London, and elsewhere recently led a dig in the Gorham and Vanguard caves on eastern Gibraltar beach, where they found some very stale left-overs. They discovered bones from monk seals and bottlenose dolphins, illegal to serve now, but apparently an epicurean treat for the Neanderthals.

Most of the bones were from young mammals, suggesting that the seafood hunt occurred during breeding season, when the animals came to shore. The scientists say their evidence strongly suggests that Neanderthals made deliberate visits to the coast during this time specifically to hunt seafood. And, while they couldn’t shop at Williams Sonoma, Neanderthal chefs did have their own tools for preparing the day’s catch. Damaged bones show stone tools did the trick when it came to removing the meat, and a hearth found at Vanguard cave was probably used for heating seal and dolphin carcasses, weakening the bones and loosening the marrow so the meat would be easier to separate.

While we can’t know how their ancient fish fry tasted, apparently mussels and fish were worth a trip to the coast then, much as they are today.

Via NY Times

Skydivers set for new heights over Everest

Nigel Gifford (L), organizer of the skydiving team, demonstrates the use of an oxygen mask on one of his diving members in Kathmandu, September 23, 2008.

By Gopal Sharma

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Dozens of skydivers will attempt the first parachute jumps over Mount Everest next week, organizers said on Tuesday.

At least 34 skydivers from 14 countries, including Britain, the United States, Canada, Denmark and New Zealand plan to jump from an aircraft flying 465 feet above the Everest summit on October 2.

Hurtling past the 8,850-meter (29,035 feet) peak, the skydivers plan, weather permitting, to freefall for 1 minute before deploying their parachutes and cruising for 8-10 minutes to land in a flat drop zone at 12,350 feet.

"This will be the most important event in the Himalayan adventure since 1953," said Nigel Gifford, owner of the British company High & Wild which has organized the team.

"To freefall in front of Mount Everest with four other highest mountains is an exceptional experience," said Gifford, 62, who climbed Everest in 1976. "It has never been done before."

Mount Everest was first climbed by New Zealand's Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa 55 years ago.

Each participant will wear an oxygen mask and carry a larger than normal parachute to help a fast descent through the thin air of the world's highest drop zone.

"It is a very big adventure, it is a truly historic adventure," said 40-year-old Danish participant Per Wimmer.

"This is not walking the path. This is true adventure," said Wimmer, a financier and entrepreneur living in London, adding that the plan was not free from risk.

Not finding the drop zone after the fall, extreme cold and malfunctioning of oxygen masks were some of the potential hazards, Wimmer said.

(Editing by Bappa Majumdar and Alex Richardson)