To Our Readers

To our readers, sorry for not updating our blog recently!! We were preparing for the Common Tests, so we could not really post on the blog. Hopefully our previous blog posts were still entertaining! J

The Convenience of Technology

So what have we been doing for the past few Home Economics lessons? YES, THAT'S RIGHT, WE HAVE BEEN USING TECHNOLOGY TO FIND DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOOD FROM THE INTERNET!!!!

The internet and technology have made our lives easier. In reference to the above, we were using our laptops to search for groceries from the online NTUC Fairprice and Cold Storage websites. That way, we need not be there in person, we can just buy everything we want online! And there's even delivery! How cool is that?! J

We can even call for food delivery, using the wonderful technological invention of the mobile phone. We can just dial a number and within half an hour or so, the food will be served right at our door step, piping hot and fresh!!!

Now, Singaporeans(and other people) are able to use the internet anytime, anywhere with just a simple little thing called 3G. The iPhone and iPad allows users to use the internet even without a proper internet connection, just by using 3G, they are able to use the internet!

Ahhhhh..... The convenience and wonders of modern technology... J

**Rewind**

This week, we did the topics 'Online Assignments: Are They All That Helpful?', 'Has the Internet Changed Our Lives for Better or for Worse?', 'Technology Helps Cancers', 'How Technology Can Be Bad for Our Health' and 'Information Report'.

I started by stating my views on Online Assignments on learning portals and Esther continued by debating whether the Internet is useful. Almas explained how technology can help in the treatment of cancer. Rabiatul talked about a computer user's opinion on how using the computer for long periods of time caused his health to deteriorate. Vera elaborated on Almas' post by explaining how using CRT monitors for a long time can expose you to a great amount of radiation and it's effects on your health.

And that's all for this week, folks!

If you haven't read the full blogposts, make sure to check them out, right here on TechStars! J

Information Report

Did you know that excessive playing of computer or video games or Wii increases your exposure to radiation?
Although this is a very rare occurance in which only 1 out of 4000 people experience this, the 1 person out of 4000 will have sizures and blackouts caused by light flahes or patterns and occurs when they are playing computer games.
Computers emit a huge source of radiation. Radiation over a long period of time can cause burnt skin, dry and wrinkled skin and photo aging.This is similar to being exposed to the sun for a long period of time.
What can be done to prevent this? Well, here are the most important precautions to take.Firstly, make the switch from the old-fashioned CRT monitors to laptops and LCD ones. This is because although laptops and computers with LCD screens still emit readiation, it is much lesser than the radiation emitted from the CRT computer.
Secondly, make sure that when you are using the computer, sit as far away from the screen as possible and play in a well-lit room.Lastly, make sure that you remember to take an eye-break every 10-15min during the game and refrain from playing too much when you feel sleepy and tired.
Any suggestion? Comments? Please feel free to do so below. J

How Technology Can Be Bad For Our Health

Here is one of a computer user's opinion :

I work 10+ hours a day on a computer and my health has gone downhill. Everything you mentioned is accurate. It affects eyesight and sitting all day can lead to weight problems. I think mental health issues come into play with being isolated. At my work, everyone sits around and talks while I am busy on the computer.
Since I started working on the computer for a living, I have developed a vitamin D deficiency. That is from being indoors during daylight hours and could apply to things other than the computer. There are repetitve strains and if you sit incorrectly in front of a computer, you can damage your back as well. I know that magnetism/electronic fields used to be a problem back in the days of CRT monitors, but am not sure how prevalent it is now. Who knows what all the wireless transmissions could be doing to us? All in all, I don't think we know half of the ways that technology and computer specifically could be damaging us yet.

Source : http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090117143603AAMuqIT

Technology Helps Cancers

The cells lining the brain's blood vessels are tightly packed together—like a good defensive line, they keep bacteria and other blood-borne intruders from getting through, shielding the brain. But this protective layer, called the blood-brain barrier, also thwarts efforts to deliver drugs like chemotherapy agents to the brain, so scientists have long searched for ways to disrupt it selectively to allow treatments in. A startup company called Perfusion Technology is developing a technique to open this barrier by bathing the brain in ultrasound waves.

Ultrasound has been investigated for a decade as a tool for opening the blood-brain barrier. Most techniques, however, rely on specialized equipment to focus the ultrasound waves to a tiny point. They also require an injection with microbubbles to amplify the effect, and an MRI machine to guide the treatment. Al Kyle, president and CEO of Perfusion Technology, which is based in Andover, Massachusetts, says that the company's method is simpler and cheaper. Rather than opening the blood-brain barrier briefly at a single point, Perfusion uses a specially designed headset to expose the entire brain to low-intensity ultrasound waves for an hour-long treatment session.

The company is developing the treatment specifically for patients with brain tumors. A patient could receive the ultrasound during an outpatient session of intravenous chemotherapy, to open the blood-brain barrier and let the drugs into the brain. Kyle says it would be "a kinder and gentler way of delivering therapeutics to the brain" than current invasive methods, such as an infusion pump or a surgical implant. He also believes that his company's approach would be better than focused methods when it comes to treating tumors that have spread to multiple parts of the brain, because it reaches the entire brain at once.  

Although Perfusion is initially developing the technique to treat primary brain tumors, the majority of brain cancers originate elsewhere and metastasize to the brain; in these cases, the technique might help deliver drugs designed for other kinds of cancer into the brain, Kyle says. He further believes the method could someday help treat other kinds of neurological disorders.

Note to all groups members of techstars

Heyy Group Members of Techstars!!! Please try to write reports about your reflections on the 4 passages regarding technology in the notes Mrs Hon gave us:D