Happy-Neuron

More on brain health: I think you'll find that I'm very keen on a sharp reactive mind. That being said, I LOVE http://www.happy-neuron.com/! In fact, while researching for this entry, I've stopped to play Split Words twice.

This site offers free trials of all of the games, and it seems as though you can play without signing up for an account. Happy Neuron offers games that target improvement in attention, memory (word-finding), visual-spatial and executive function skills.

The Brain Fitness program has varying levels of difficulty for many games, and a Brain Fitness personal coach accompanies you on the website when you sign up for an account.

Happy brain health :)

GrandCare Systems

Wow! I stumbled upon a comprehensive system, a sort of "hub" for technological enhancement that reaches into many areas of areas of a person's life. Caregiver Technology is a company that specializes in keeping elders in their homes.

GrandCare Systems include Wellness Reporting on blood pressure, weight, and glucose- so that people who require close monitoring of certain things can measure and report from their own homes without a nurse or leaving the home.

Activities of Daily Living Alerts can call, text, or email if there has been a change in a person's daily routine.

Communication to Loved-One allows a person to receive emails and pictures directly to the touch-screen hub.

Communication between Caregivers & Family is a network that is established between caregivers and family members than can reduce the amount of routine phone calls being made and increase the quality of conversations by taking the focus off of medical issues.

Cognitive tools are available on the touch screen hub and have trivia, picture matching, a calendar, daily reminders, games, etc.

Happy independent living :)

Voice Amplification

If you live with a hearing impaired person or you are experiencing difficulty generating loudness with your voice (respiratory compromise, vocal rest orders, following a stroke, etc...) a voice amplification system may be right for you.

This one, from ZYGO Industries, Inc. features:

•   Loud, clear output from the small, 12 watt speaker
•   A headset microphone is supplied
    Optional High Performance mic's are available
•   Small size, very loud sound
    3-3/8" x 3-3/8" x 1-3/4"
•   Perfect for amplifying a communication aid's output
•   Up to 20 hours from a fully charged battery
•   Belt clip is built into the rugged ABS plastic housing
•   An adjustable waistband belt is supplied

 

 Instructions for use can be found here.

Happy voicing :)

ALS- Low Tech Communication and Interdependence

ALS is a topic that hits close to home. When I was a kid we lost my grandfather to ALS, and I know that his preserved ability to communicate via low-tech and high-tech communication systems was very important to our family.

I think this video captures the combination of using low-tech communication aids and the importance of communication to relationships. And I'm a sucker for romance...

Audible.com

Something good has come of the annoying commercials between songs on Pandora Radio... I heard about audible.com/.

Audible.com offers over 85,000 audio-recorded books. You can find anything from best-selling authors to obscure biographies and science fiction. In addition to books, content includes magazine subscriptions, radio shows, a database of recent and historical speeches, news programs and podcasts.

Audible.com offers varying pricing plans; one popular level is $15.00 per month that includes a book download. If you create an account, be sure to check out the free content that includes books and all of the afore mentioned content.

The site boasts that it works with iPod, iPad, Zune, Blackberry, Droid, and over 500 mp3 players, so there shouldn't be a hardward upgrade for this service.

Happy listening!

Communication, Technology and Aging

"To be able to design (communication technology) successfully, a major prerequisite is 'knowing the user.' The database for design-relevant characteristics of aging adults is showing signs of improvement." --From Communication, Technology and Aging

I like what I've read so far of this book. There's a preview of it available on Google Books (Communication, Technology, and Aging) that got me started. While I probably won't shell out for the entire text, I like the idea that this research is happening in such a focused way. While there's no doubt that communication, technology, and aging are all subjects of individual research, I'm glad to hear that the junction of the 3 topics is being considered as well.

Let's talk e-Books

When it comes to e-books, I'm on board for a host of reasons. Chief among them are the cognitive benefits that accompany reading for pleasure. Furthermore, pleasure reading, professional reading, and keeping up on current events can all be done from your e-Book with custom modifications to accommodate your preferences.



Here's a run down of some different options, begining with screen size/type.

E-Ink looks a lot like paper, isn't too hard on the eyes, and can be seen in direct sunlight. One downfall is that color isn't available in this type of screen and you'll need light to read because there's no back-lighting with e-Ink. e-Book readers with e-Ink include the Amazon Kindle and Sony's Readers.

The emerging standard for screen size is 6 inches (Kindle 3, BeBook Neo, Barnes & Noble Nook, Sony Reader Touch Edition). The size champ is the Kindle DX (9.7 inches), but the price goes up with the screen size. The smallest screen is the cell-phone sized Alex eReader.

Folks with visual impairment may stand to benefit from the Text-to-Speech function available from the Kindle 3, Kindle DX, and Pandigital Novel.


It's worth noting that Amazon (Kindle), Sony (E-Reader), and Barnes & Noble (Nook) are engaged in that good old capitalistic price-slashing struggle, and we all love to reap the benefits. The Kindle 3 will set you back $139, the Barnes & Noble Nook follows close behind at $149, the Pandigital Novel runs $199, and the Sony Reader Touch Edition comes in at $229 (with the added benefits of a touch screen).

For a charted breakdown of the different features of many popular models (including price), visit E-Reader Reviews