BBC: ‘Thousands’ of known bugs found in pacemaker code. “Pacemakers, insulin pumps and other devices in hospitals harbour security problems that leave them vulnerable to attack, two separate studies warn. One study solely on pacemakers found more than 8,000 known vulnerabilities in code inside the cardiac devices.”
health
Tidepool: Announcing the Tidepool Big Data Donation Project
Tidepool: Announcing the Tidepool Big Data Donation Project. “Today, we are announcing the Tidepool Big Data Donation Project, a program that lets you securely and anonymously donate de-identified diabetes device data to researchers, device makers, and other innovators who deeply need it. Now the diabetes community will have the opportunity to make an impact in diabetes research and innovation on a scale worthy of the label ‘big data.’ By donating your data, you will lead researchers to better insights and discoveries into diabetes management, help researchers build better algorithms for closed loop systems, help device makers bring safer, more innovative products to market, and enable Tidepool and other diabetes nonprofits to become stronger, more impactful organizations.”
Wired: Medicine Is Going Digital. The FDA Is Racing to Catch Up
Wired: Medicine Is Going Digital. The FDA Is Racing to Catch Up. “Today, machine learning powers more and more medical device software. And because it is always learning and improving, it is constantly changing products on the fly. For most regulators, an ever-changing algorithm is their worst nightmare. But [Bakul] Patel is one of those rare Washington bureaucrats who’s also a fervently optimistic futurist. And he’s got big plans to get federal regulators off Washington time and up to Silicon Valley speeds.”
DNAInfo Chicago: Is Your Favorite Restaurant Making You Sick? Site Tracks Foodborne Illness
DNAInfo Chicago: Is Your Favorite Restaurant Making You Sick? Site Tracks Foodborne Illness. “Dining Grades converts data from public health inspection scores into a letter grade system. Users can view restaurants and their safety records on a searchable map. Because food inspection rating systems differ across state lines, Dr. Harlan Stueven said he wanted to create a consistent rating scheme using pure, unbiased data.” Does not have all cities yet and is at this writing running a bit slowly.
Columbus Dispatch: State releases nursing home database in push for tighter regs
Columbus (OH) Dispatch: State releases nursing home database in push for tighter regs. “As Gov. John Kasich tries to salvage his plan to pay Ohio nursing homes based on the quality of care they provide Medicaid patients, the state today released details showing that the level of service varies widely among Ohio’s 929 facilities.”
Digital Trends: New Google Patent Hints At Infrared Device That Could Better Track Your Sleep
Digital Trends: New Google Patent Hints At Infrared Device That Could Better Track Your Sleep. “Specifically, the company filed a patent for a system that uses an infrared sensor to track a user’s sleep. The patent basically describes an infrared sensor that collects data about the subject’s movement and compares it to a sleep profile, helping determine whether the subject is asleep or not. The patent even goes as far as to note that the system could collect information about a subject’s breathing patterns based on the infrared light reflected back to the device.”
Builder: New Database Tracks Healthy, Efficient Building Products
Builder: New Database Tracks Healthy, Efficient Building Products. “Building Clean offers an easy-to-use interface that includes information about appliances, heating and air conditioning equipment, insulation, lighting, plumbing, roofing, sealants, and water filtration. Building Clean can be used to search for products with third-party health certifications and services that promote transparency about the chemicals contained in the products. The site can also be a resource for businesses looking to break into the energy-efficient product supply chain.”
