BGR: Google Glass-like device could help treat people with memory problems: Report. “The Google Glass project met a sad demise a few years ago, but its application is reaping rewards for the University of Otago in New Zealand where researchers have developed a Google Glass-like device that can help to treat Alzheimer’s disease.”
Engadget: Google is shutting down Cloud Print this week. “In a few short days, Google will officially shutdown Cloud Print. We knew this day was coming since 2019, but now that it’s finally here, consider this a friendly reminder. For most people, chances are the shutdown won’t be anything more than a minor inconvenience when they discover Cloud Print is still their default printing option. ” Mostly because I could never get it to work consistently.
CNET: SimpliSafe social distancing sweater sounds siren when others get too close. “Unprecedented times call for unprecedented sweaters. Enter the SimpliSafe Social Distancing Sweater, which sounds an alarm when other people get within 6 feet. The sweater for the COVID-19 era is a bit of creative PR for SimpliSafe, a purveyor of home security systems. The company did produce a working prototype of the pullover, however.”
Commonwealth Magazine: Pandemic will leave PTSD in its wake. I should know.. “It won’t touch everyone, or even most people. But for those who do go through it, military veterans have been where you’re about to go. I was treated for PTSD and so were a lot of the other veterans you know, even if they’ve never talked about it. For many, it will appear as fear. It will appear as panic. It will make you want to hide or isolate yourself. You’ll wonder why, since there’s nothing to be afraid of anymore. You’ve already hidden away for a year, masked up, avoided gatherings, and stayed home more than you ever thought you could. Why can’t your mind recognize safety anymore?”
New York Times: New At-Home Covid Test Gets Green Light From F.D.A.. “People as young as 2 years old are cleared to use the test, which takes just 15 to 20 minutes to deliver a result. Unlike many similar products, which are only supposed to be used by people with symptoms of Covid-19, this test is authorized for people with or without symptoms.”
CNN: Over 1.6 million US children have had coronavirus infections since the pandemic began, pediatricians say. “Nearly 180,000 children in the United States were diagnosed with coronavirus infections from November 26 to December 10, bringing the cumulative total to over 1.6 million US cases since the pandemic began, the American Academy of Pediatrics said Tuesday. Children account for a little more than 12% of all Covid-19 cases in the states that report cases by age.”
The Art Newspaper: Gabrielie Finaldi: ‘What is the National Gallery if you can’t visit and you can’t see the pictures?’. “I pondered the question, what is the National Gallery if you can’t visit and you can’t see the pictures? Even during the Second World War, when the paintings were hidden for safekeeping in the bowels of the earth in Wales, the doors opened for weekday lunchtime concerts organised by the pianist Myra Hess at the behest of the director, Kenneth Clark, and not a day was missed. The gallery was perceived as a beacon for the common cultural values of society, and Clark recalled of the first concert that as the first notes of Beethoven’s Appassionata struck up: ‘It was an assurance that all our sufferings were not in vain.’”
Sapienza University of Rome, and Google-translated from Italian: Valeteviatores, digitized Latin epigraphs become a historical video game. “The project, coordinated by the University of Navarra, aims to acquire 3D scans of a selection of Latin inscriptions preserved in various Roman cities, from Portugal to Rome, passing through France and Spain, which will then be edited in a historical video game.”
Louder Sound: New website explores the Pink Floyd universe post 1983. “A new website, Publius Enigma, focused on Pink Floyd’s, Roger Waters’, Richard Wright’s, David Gilmour’s, and Nick Mason’s post-1983 efforts has launched, including a presence on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram….Publisher Ed Lopez-Reyes described the project as an academic approach to understanding Pink Floyd’s work – including the work of each of its members as solo artists – in the era that began with The Final Cut.”
BBC: Coronavirus: Spain to keep register of those who refuse Covid vaccine. “Spain is to set up a register of people who refuse to be vaccinated against coronavirus and share it with other European Union nations, the health minister has said. Salvador Illa said the list would not be made accessible to the public or to employers.”
BBC: Renowned Chinese pianist Fou Ts’ong dies of Covid-19. “Fou Ts’ong, the first Chinese pianist to win global acclaim and success, has died aged 86 after contracting Covid-19. Fou died on Monday in London, where he had been living since the 1950s.”
ABC News: Kizzmekia Corbett, an African American woman, is praised as key scientist behind COVID-19 vaccine. “Corbett is an expert on the front lines of the global race for a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, and someone who will go down in history as one of the key players in developing the science that could end the pandemic. She is one of the National Institutes of Health’s leading scientists behind the government’s search for a vaccine. Corbett is part of a team at NIH that worked with Moderna, the pharmaceutical company that developed one of the two mRNA vaccines that has shown to be more than 90% effective.”
BuzzFeed News: 50 Children Took Pictures With A Santa And Mrs. Claus Who Then Tested Positive For COVID. “Long County, which has a population of about 20,000 people, had a positivity rate of 11% between Nov. 26 and Dec. 9… according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Though children are less likely to become severely ill from COVID-19, they are not immune from the virus and can still spread it to others. It was not immediately clear whether the Clauses or the children were wearing masks for the pictures or if anyone else may have been exposed.”
Associated Press: Pandemic backlash jeopardizes public health powers, leaders. “Across the United States, state and local public health officials such as [Tisha] Coleman have found themselves at the center of a political storm as they combat the worst pandemic in a century. With the federal response fractured, the usually invisible army of workers charged with preventing the spread of infectious diseases has become a public punching bag. Their expertise on how to fight the coronavirus is often disregarded.”
Newz Hook: Jadavpur Univ student launches online museum of collectibles accessible for visually impaired people . “Items like theatre posters, ticket stubs or political leaflets are meant for short term use but which over time become valuable as they provide information about a certain period. Jadavpur University student Subhradeep Chatterjee has launched The Ephemeriad Project, an online museum which showcases such items with a special focus on accessibility for visually impaired people.”
