Source: visionhelp.wordpress .com

Agnes M.F. Wong is a pediatric ophthalmologist in Canada who is at the forefront of a revolution in medical thinking about amblyopia. This is significant because, as she notes in her most recent paper, amblyopia is the number one cause of monocular visual impairment worldwide. I think that bears repeating: AMBLYOPIA IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF MONOCULAR VISUAL IMPAIRMENT WORLDWIDE.

http://bit.ly/ZZ0vr4

Source: readwrite .com

Earlier today, Google launched Google Keep, a cloud-based note taking service designed to help people keep track of their thoughts, scribbles and notes. It's an obvious smack at the popular Evernote service.

http://bit.ly/Y9kAAs

Source: engadget .com

Typical attempts at a glasses-free 3D display have trouble with viewing angles; we're all too familiar with having to sit in a sweet spot to get the effect. HP Labs might have just solved this last problem with a prototype 3D LCD that would better accommodate the real world. The display's backlight has nanopatterned grooves that send blue, green and red in multiple directions, letting the LCD show only the light that would be seen from a given viewpoint. Those positions are set in stone, but they're both abundant (200 for photos, 64 for video) and can spread across a wide 180-degree viewing arc.

http://engt.co/10lLxPj

Source: reuters .com

Novartis said its Alcon unit got a green light from the European Commission for Jetrea, a drug that treats an eye condition that can lead to blindness.

http://reut.rs/Ypwzar

Source: kevinmd .com

In the new book, Establishing, Managing, and Protecting Your Online Reputation, physician ratings are highlighted. This is a topic that gives many physicians some pause, and for some, causes tremendous anxiety.

http://bit.ly/14cXnPp

Source: orlandosentinel .com

Two groups of eye-care professionals in Florida, optometrists and ophthalmologists, have spent years waging a turf battle before state lawmakers, primarily over the authority to prescribe drugs. Optometrists, who want more authority, have been stymied by ophthalmologists.

http://thesent.nl/ZUDTba

Source: broadwayworld .com

LES,In his new, full-color book, "Pi in Eye," (www.piineye.com), pioneering ophthalmologist Rajesh Khanna details the latest in corrective vision surgery for people ages 45 and older.

http://bit.ly/ZxGMkk

Source: visionmonday .com

The New England College of Optometry (NECO) and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS University) announced last week that they have ended discussions exploring a potential combination. The two educational institutions had originally announced last month that they were in discussions, as reported by VMail February 13, 2013.

http://bit.ly/Ypw1kX

Source: newsfromaoa .org

There seems to be an abundance of people around health care calling themselves “experts” or who are referred to by others as “experts.”

http://bit.ly/WTUksN

Source: facebook .com

Mark your calendar...SECO 2014 dates: March 12-16.

http://on.fb.me/139239t

Source: technologyreview .com

In the late 1940s, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine coined an unusual phrase to describe unexpected diagnoses. “When you hear hoofbeats behind you, don’t expect to see a zebra,” he said. The phrase stuck and today, medics commonly use the term “zebra” to describe a rare disease, usually defined as one that occurs in less than 1 in 2000 of the population.

http://bit.ly/16HmwRF

Source: ubergizmo .com

The technological advancements in medicine are often overlooked by the general public. Fact remains though that some amazing work is being done in this field. Take the new P3HT polymer for example, which can be used to create an artificial retina. It does not need any external power source like other artificial retinas for which a stimulator box is required. Other than the incident light, an artificial retina created out of P3HT polymer requires no power (other than the incoming light, which makes us wonder how well this works in low-light situations).

http://bit.ly/ZsnD3t

Source: gizmodo .com

Believe it or not, artist and wood-savant Paul Grundbacher doesn't draw up a rough schematic or do any kind of planning before he starts building his amazing marble machines. He just dives right in, crafting the components he needs out of maple, ash, and linden wood. That approach also means he spends a lot of time re-building mechanisms when they don't quite work, but the end results don't disappoint.

http://bit.ly/ZWtMDY

Source: gizmodo .com

This could really be happening. Just weeks after a baby girl was functionally cured of the HIV virus, early treatment has been found to put HIV into seemingly permanent remission in 14 adults. It's breathtaking progress in the fight against HIV.

http://bit.ly/XQJBhv

Source: mobihealthnews .com

Medication adherence is a huge problem, and it’s one that seems solvable. People fail to take the pills prescribed to them for many reasons, but one of the biggest is forgetfulness, especially among elderly patients who take a lot of medications and can easily become confused.

http://bit.ly/ZMD4Ci

Source: engadget .com

Sure, there's been a lot of buzz about possible eye-based scrolling in Samsung's Galaxy S IV, but LG's in the eye-recognition spotlight -- for today, at least. The electronics giant has revealed that a "Value Pack" update for the Optimus G Pro will be served up in Korea next month, and will pack a feature called Smart Video that responds to a user's peepers. With its front-facing camera, the handset will pause a video if the user looks away, and start playing it when their gaze falls back on the display. In addition, the upgrade will pack what's said to be a world's first Dual Camera feature (taking a page from the phone's Dual Recording feature, of course), which creates picture-in-picture shots by using the hardware's two cameras.

http://engt.co/YdijBm

Source: engadget .com

We learned a lot about Google Glass yesterday at SXSW, including a sample of the kinds of apps it will be running when it becomes available to the public. Today on Google+, the Project Glass team let out a bit of rather important hardware info: namely that Glass is compatible with prescription glasses. Turns out that its "design is modular, so you will be able to add frames and lenses that match your prescription," though the team is still working on the frame design to get it juuust right. The prescription compatibility won't be ready for the Explorer edition of Glass, but we can expect the frames to officially debut "later this year."

http://engt.co/ZTtpwb

Source: engadget .com

If you (like many of us at Engadget) are in a state of shock facing the end of Google Reader this summer, there may be an easy replacement. RSS app/service Feedly posts on its blog that it has been anticipating the shutdown of Google's service for some time, and invested in building its own backend. Dubbed "Normandy" it is intended to be a clone of the Google API running on Google's own App Engine, set to swap in on July 1st when the service ends. Even better, in the comments Feedly states it will open the API for other 3rd party clients once everything is stable. The only bad news? If you're considering jumping onboard you're not the only one -- Feedly's servers are pretty crushed right now, so you know, just test the waters out some time in the next few months.

http://engt.co/16wy22e

Source: engadget .com

Bemoaning the fact that those new slimline iMacs weren't compatible with your VESA mounts? Well, the problem has now been (kind of) solved, with Apple's online store adding the option to buy its desktop models with built-in VESA mount adapters. You'll have to pay for that reclaimed deskspace, however, with $40 added to the prices of both the 21.5-inch and 27-inch families. You'll also need to purchase the stand separately, although your old VESA arms will be compatible. Alas, if you've already paid up for your new iMac, there's still no word on any transformation kits just yet.

http://engt.co/Wj8Lpc

Source: wiley .com

Background
The aim was to investigate the visual effect of coloured filters compared to transmission-matched neutral density filters, in patients with dry age-related macular degeneration.

http://bit.ly/Y2yler

Source: visionhelp.wordpress.com

As most of you reading this will know, Optometry and Ophthalmology potentially have much in common when it comes to areas of mutual interest in helping patients. During my professional career it hasn’t always seemed that way, and Lord knows if you read this blog you’ll find examples where it appears that our two professions are in different boats, oft times rowing in different directions if not on collision courses.

http://bit.ly/Zsnqho

Source: gizmag .com

It’s no secret that juvenile brains are more malleable and able to learn new things faster than adult ones – just ask any adult who has tried to learn a new language. That malleability also enables younger brains to recover more quickly from trauma. Researchers at Yale University have now found a way to effectively turn back the clock and make an old brain young again.

http://bit.ly/YMASvw

Source: coolest-gadgets .com

Glasses could turn into the next big tech thing. First you’ve got Google starting to tout their upcoming Google Glass product. Many of the functions of our smartphones will be included in their “smart spectacles” – which will attempt to eliminate the awkward fumbling that inevitably occurs when we need our phone. Next up in the world of glasses? A conceptual gadget from Johns Hopkins University looks to include a literal lifesaver on a pair of specs.

http://bit.ly/X64sPL

Source: scienceworksforus .com

The vital partnership between NIH and Vanderbilt – reproduced at universities all around the country – supports thousands of brilliant minds from all around the world. Sequestration will discourage a generation of young people from even considering a career in research.

http://bit.ly/13Jlrsw

Source: medicalnewstoday .com

A contact lens technique called overnight orthokeratology (OK) brings rapid improvement in vision for nearsighted patients. Now a new study shows that OK treatment works mainly by flattening the front of the cornea, reports a recent study, "Posterior Corneal Shape Changes in Myopic Overnight Orthokeratology", appearing in the March issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

http://bit.ly/YGGRBP

Source: medscape .com

Adopting an electronic health record (EHR) system is a money-losing proposition for most physicians, even with the availability of federal bonuses for meaningful use of the technology, according to a study published online today in the journal Health Affairs.

http://bit.ly/14BuKqq

Source: medilexicon .com

Researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine collaborated with an international team to identify seven new genes associated with agerelated macular degeneration (AMD), the most common form of vision loss in older people. Published online March 3 in Nature Genetics, their study, "Seven New Loci Associated with AgeRelated Macular Degeneration," provides new directions for biological, genetic and therapeutic studies of macular degeneration.

http://bit.ly/12zokga

Source: medgadget .com

As everyone knows by now, when someone experiences a stroke “time lost is brain lost.” But before treatment can begin, it is critical to confirm that the patient isn’t experiencing stroke-like symptoms from another, less life threatening condition. CT scans are usually performed as soon as possible to diagnose a stroke, but they’re not definitive, while MRI suffers from high cost and the fact that many clinics simply don’t have one available for emergency use. A team from Johns Hopkins Medicine has developed a considerably cheaper solution that so far has performed just as well as MRI exams in identifying stroke in a small pilot study.

http://bit.ly/XXaOhW

Source: mobihealthnews .com

HIMSS13’s showfloor had no small number of dedicated medical tablets, some from big tech companies like Panasonic and Fujitsu and others from dedicated tablet companies like Motion Computing. Here’s seven devices that were on display at the show, and one that was being shown off in Austin this week at SXSW. Some devices are enterprise tablets designed for a wide range of uses in manufacturing and retail, while others are truly dedicated medical devices.

http://bit.ly/XuUc1n

Source: wtop .com

Research company 2AI is working on a pair of glasses that can fix color blindness.
The glasses were originally designed to help doctors find bruises and veins in patients, until the unintended side effect was discovered.

http://bit.ly/Xodeqk

Source: healio .com

Scroll down to watch newly published video presentations from glaucoma specialists at Hawaiian Eye 2013. And check back in coming days for more presentations.

http://bit.ly/XLmyDh

Source: nih .gov

PURPOSE:
Green tea (GT), widely studied for its beneficial properties in protecting against brain ischemia, is a rich source of polyphenols, particularly (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). The results presented here demonstrate the beneficial effects of GT in diabetic retinas and in retinal cells under diabetic conditions.

http://1.usa.gov/W2NDlD

Source: medpagetoday .com

Eye complications from hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are common in pediatric patients, although usually mild, a single-center study showed.

http://bit.ly/10aBJty

Source: forbes .com

With all the hype around Google Glass, there’s been surprisingly little attention paid to one of the most obvious questions: Could Google Glass hurt your eyes?

http://onforb.es/YLLuYo

Source: gizmodo .com

The one thing we always wish our cameras did better is take better pictures in low light. It looks like Canon is attacking the problem guns a'blazing, because its new 35mm image sensor spits in the face of darkness.

http://bit.ly/Wt3rAL

Source: gizmodo .com

Researchers at Brown University have made the first wireless, implantable, rechargeable brain-computer interface. Humans might be next in line for testing of the device, after 13 months of successful trials in monkeys and pigs.

http://bit.ly/W2MGd4

Source: engadget .com

We know what you think this hands-on is about. That laptop you see up there has a Tobii eye-tracking sensor affixed to it, and you're probably wondering why we're still dwelling on it after getting hands-on twice at CES 2012 and once more at CES 2013. But that's not what we're here to show you today. While wandering the halls of Mobile World Congress, we came across NUIA (Natural User Inter Action), a German company whose software is designed to make it easier for developers to code apps that make use of eye tracking sensors, such as Tobii's. In particular, devs will only have to write one extension, even if they're making use of multiple sensing devices (e.g., eye control and gesture recognition).

http://engt.co/14ptkPP

Source: adobe .com

Photoshop Touch is now available in a version specifically built for phones! Following up on the very popular tablet version, Photoshop Touch for phone is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play for US $4.99.

http://adobe.ly/12pyW19

Source: microsoft .com

REDMOND, Wash. — Feb. 27, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced worldwide availability of a major new update to its Microsoft Office 365 services for business. Microsoft’s most complete Office cloud service to date has new features and offerings tailored to the needs and budgets of small, medium-size and large organizations. In addition to updated Microsoft Lync Online, Microsoft Exchange Online and Microsoft SharePoint Online services, business users can now get the rich Office applications they are familiar with, on up to five devices, delivered as an always up-to-date cloud service. Office 365 features enhanced enterprise social capabilities with SharePoint and Yammer today, and Lync-Skype connectivity for presence, instant messaging (IM), and voice by June. The new Office 365 service is available today in 69 markets and 17 languages and will be available in an additional 20 markets and 16 languages in the second quarter of this year.

http://bit.ly/Vwr4qx

Source: nytimes .com

Samsung’s next big smartphone, to be introduced this month, will have a strong focus on software. A person who has tried the phone, called the Galaxy S IV, described one feature as particularly new and exciting: Eye scrolling.

http://nyti.ms/WEBX5S

Source: engadget .com

Android-powered monitors / all-in-ones aren't exactly a novel concept, but it's definitely a new frontier for Acer. The company is just dipping its toes into the space with the Smart Display DA220HQL, which it's showing off here at Mobile World Congress. If you've never heard of such a thing, Acer is hoping you'll use as a kitchen PC, or as an external monitor for keeping an eye on things like email.

http://engt.co/13EYwu8

Source: gizmag .com

For professional photographers, an incident light meter is rather important. Unlike a reflective light meter, which measures the amount of light bouncing off a subject, an incident light meter measures light before it reaches the subject. This is helpful in situations where lighting is inconsistent. A new product called Luxi is designed to turn your iPhone into just such a light meter.

http://bit.ly/ZyPTo8

Source: springer .com

Abstract
There has been little research examining the psychological antecedents of safety-oriented behavior aimed at reducing myopia risk. This study utilizes self-determination theory (SDT) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to understand the role of motivational and social-cognitive factors on individuals’ near-work behavior. Adopting a prospective design, undergraduate students (n = 107) completed an initial questionnaire based on SDT in week 1, a second questionnaire containing measures of TPB variables in week 2, and objective measures of reading distance and visual acuity in week 6.

http://bit.ly/159MQlL

Source: nih .gov

BACKGROUND/AIMS:
To investigate the effect of smoking on choroidal thickness using Fourier domain optical coherence tomography.

http://1.usa.gov/YjcFgO

Source: clickondetroit .com

Melany Moras suffered her first migraine last spring when she was pregnant. It lasted an entire weekend.
"I was hiding in my closet because I couldn't really be out. I was dizzy. It was really bad," said Moras.

http://bit.ly/XuUUIp

Source: newsfromaoa .org

The Envision Conference is seeking submissions for clinical education and research sessions through March 22, 2013.

http://bit.ly/XuUMIU

Source: givingsight .org

Optometry Giving Sight has announced today that Dr. Juan Carlos Aragon, Senior Vice President, Americas Region for CooperVision, will be the inaugural Chair of the organization’s new Global Development Board (GDB).

http://bit.ly/VBNa9S

Source: college-optometrists .org

Our new report, published today, reveals almost one in 10 parents (9%) can’t remember the last time their child went for a sight test or believe it has been over 10 years since their last test.

http://bit.ly/X0lOcS

Source: imedicalapps .com

Here at iMedicalApps, we are big fans of any tools that make our lives as physicians and medical students easier.
The introduction of the iPad and the subsequent development of novel three-dimensional anatomy apps has no doubt improved the anatomy education of medical students and clinicians alike.

http://bit.ly/YiibP1

Source: engadget .com

Google's Glass augmented reality project opened itself to a few thousand more potential wearers with the #ifihadglass promotion, but according to the New York Times it's already addressing the question of if people want Glass. One major obstacle to introducing such a new type of product is making it look good, and the paper reports Google is negotiating with online glasses seller Warby Parker to help design better looking frames, citing unnamed sources. Of course, we ran to the counter, $1,500 in hand to get a taste of the future of wearable computing -- and take first person pics of that group skydiving we're always doing -- but we can imagine any efforts to take Glass mass market will need some refashioning first.

http://engt.co/WfPTD7