Researchers develop a polymer sponge to repair broken backs

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have developed a novel spinal graft that automatically “grows” to the requisite size and shape when implanted. The spongy polymer isn’t meant to be a formal replacement like the 3D printed neck bones recently installed by a team from the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney. Instead, it’s designed to act as a bone graft — a biodegradable scaffold through which a cancer patient’s own bones can regrow after surgery.

See, for whatever biological reason, when cancer metastasizes — that is, when it spreads through the body from the original tumor — it predominantly tends to settle in the spinal column. Doctors can cut out the infected bone tissue (or flat-out replace it as they did in the Sydney case) but that leaves large gaps in the spine. Normally, doctors would either have to open the chest cavity and access the spine from far side (which entails a lengthy recovery and high probability of complications) or they’d make a small incision in the neck/back and inject expandable titanium rods into the bone gap (which is super expensive because titanium). This new technique combines the easy access and short recovery of the titanium rod method with the low cost of the open chest operation.

Doctors simply cut a small hole in the patient’s neck/back and inject a hydrogel polymer into the bone gap much the same way they would a titanium rod. This polymer absorbs fluids from within the wound and grows to fill the gap. Doctors control how far the polymer expands in any specific direction by first inserting a “cage” — basically a pre-expanded shell that the polymer fills in as it spreads. Think of it as the wooden frame that keeps a freshly-poured concrete sidewalk in place until it hardens. Once the polymer fills in the cage, which takes 5 to 10 minutes on average, it will set and harden into a viable prosthetic. From there, surrounding bone tissue grows into and through the polymer, reinforcing and cementing it in place.

The Mayo team plans to begin initial cadaver-based tests of the new method in the coming months. Should those succeed, trials on living people will follow in the next couple of years.

Via: Motherboard

Source: American Chemical Society

Pennsylvania Man Behind Hacking of Celebrity iCloud Accounts Pleads Guilty

Ryan Collins, the 36-year-old Pennsylvania man behind the hacking of celebrity iCloud accounts in 2014, has signed a plea agreement and agreed to plead guilty to a violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Department of Justice announced (via Gawker).

Collins spent two years (November 2012 to September 2014) engaged in a phishing scheme to obtain the usernames and passwords of his victims, according to the “factual basis of the plea agreement.” He sent his victims emails that appeared to be from Apple and Google, asking them to provide their usernames and passwords.

Once Collins obtained the data, he used them to illegally access accounts and extracted private information, which included nude photographs and videos. He also used a software program to download some of the victims’ iCloud backups. While Collins obtained the private photos and videos, investigators have not been able to find any evidence that he leaked, shared or uploaded them to the Internet.

“By illegally accessing intimate details of his victims’ personal lives, Mr. Collins violated their privacy and left many to contend with lasting emotional distress, embarrassment and feelings of insecurity,” said David Bowdich, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “We continue to see both celebrities and victims from all walks of life suffer the consequences of this crime and strongly encourage users of Internet-connected devices to strengthen passwords and to be skeptical when replying to emails asking for personal information.”

Collins has been charged in Los Angeles, but the case will be transferred to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania so that he can enter his guilty plea. He will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, but the parties have agreed to recommend a prison term of 18 months. The DoJ stresses that the recommendation is not binding to the sentencing judge.

Shortly after the breach occurred in September 2014, Apple conducted an investigation that revealed the accounts were compromised by weak passwords. The company then made several changes, adding email alerts when iCloud accounts are accessed on the web, app-specific passwords for third-party apps accessing iCloud and enabling two-factor authorization on iCloud.com.
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Roccbox portable stone bake oven can cook pizza in minutes

Roccbox’s Indiegogo campaign page says the lightweight stone bake oven can cook almost anything, from fish to fluffy breads. More important, it says the oven can bake Neapolitan pizza in just 90 seconds — and who wouldn’t want to eat their pizza ASAP, am I right? That kind of speedy baking is possible because Roccbox can reach temperatures up to 930 degrees F in under 15 minutes. You can even choose to cook using wood, if you want that distinct wood-baked flavor, or using gas as fuel.

Its creators started accepting preorders in the UK last year. If you back the new campaign on Indiegogo, though, you can get yours shipped even if you’re in the US, Canada or Australia. While it appears that the project is already fully funded, you can still reserve a Roccbox for a $429 pledge, which is 25 percent off its retail price. The team plans to use its campaign funds to manufacture the first batch going out to backers as soon as June 2016. For now, you can watch Roccbox founder Tom Gozney baking a Neapolitan pizza in less than a couple of minutes to help you decide if the oven’s worth it.

Source: Indiegogo, Roccbox

PlayStation VR’s launch lineup looks impressively diverse

Sony isn’t letting up with the PlayStation VR news. In addition to the price and release window announcement, and what comes in the $400 box, the gaming juggernaut wants you to see what you’ll be playing in virtual reality come October. As clichéd as it sounds, it does really look like there will be something for everyone. And if none of these strike your fancy, remember that Sony’s promising some 50 games will release in the two months between launch and December of this year.

Source: PlayStation (YouTube)

Poll: Does the Android N Developer Preview have you revved up?

In a surprise move, Google released the Developer Preview for Android N at least a month before anybody was expecting it. Since then we’ve been talking about it almost non-stop. So it should come as absolutely no surprise that in this week’s poll we want to know whether you got excited about Android N when the developer preview was released.

With plenty of awesome new features to check out, the hype train for Android N has only just left the station. So in this week’s poll we have five options for you to pick from: “Yes, I opted in”, “Yes, I’ve been reading all about it”, “No, I wasn’t that interested”, “No, I don’t have a compatible device”, or “No, I prefer to wait for Google before getting excited.”

survey software

Let us know why you’re excited about the Android N Developer Preview in the comments!

Android N Developer Preview

The Android N Developer Preview is just that — a developer preview. It is not intended for daily use. That doesn’t mean it’s not cool, and that you shouldn’t poke around. But know that things will break. Tread carefully. (And have fun!)

• What’s new in Android N
• All Android N news
• About the Android Beta Program
• Download system images
• Android N easter egg
• Join the Discussion

Fossil’s connected device lineup adds two Android Wear watches and more

Fossil has said it will release more than 100 connected devices in 2016, so it’s no surprise to learn the company has just expanded its Android Wear smartwatch lineup with two new models called the Q Wander and Q Marshal.

To put these in context, Fossil last year unveiled its first full touchscreen Android Wear smartwatch called Q Founder. It acts as a normal watch while tracking activity and offering alerts for incoming calls, messages, and calendar appointments. It also joins the Fossil Q range of smart accessories, as do the two new models unveiled today, which are smaller than the Q Founder.

The Wander has a 44mm gold case with interchangeable leather straps. The Marshal has a 46mm “rugged” case with a navy blue finish and vintage-looking leather straps. Apart from these design differences, they both have circular, always-on touchscreen displays and work pretty much the same, meaning they work similarly to the Q Founder and most Android Wear watches in general.

Fossil

Fossil said the new watches cost $275 each and come with a wireless charger. Alongside the Wander and Marshal, Fossil is confirming the Q Motion (a $95 smart bracelet/activity tracker it announced earlier this month), and it’s teasing a line of smart analog watches that will debut this autumn.

The analog watches can track activity and “alert you to incoming calls as well as notifications from your closest contacts with just the turn of the watch hands”. They’ll be available in four different designs, but that’s all we know for now. 

PlayStation VR needs a camera but it isn’t in the $400 bundle

What will $400 get you come this October when PlayStation VR finally launches? Glad you were wondering. The box will include an HDMI cable, a USB cable, a pair of stereo headphones with a “complete set of earpieces,” the add-on processor box, an AC power cord, AC power brick and last but definitely not least, the PS VR headset itself. What you’ll notice isn’t included is the $60 (£40) PlayStation Camera. Same goes for the $50 (£27) apiece Move controllers. It’s highly likely what was announced today is just the base configuration for folks who already have those bits collecting dust, and that more “complete” packages will be available, albeit at an almost assuredly higher price.

PlayStation VR requires the PlayStation Camera, which is available separately. #psvr https://t.co/pzr4wgkU7Y pic.twitter.com/RM55rBZ2IT

— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) March 15, 2016

Those don’t quite make headlines or generate goodwill, however, the way a $400 basic price does compared to the Vive’s $800 and Oculus’ $600 asking prices. Remember: The Camera is intrinsic to the experience, because that’s what does positional tracking for the lights that adorn the helmet; the Move controllers are required for any sort of motion-control games.

And speaking of games, Sony promises 50 will release between the October launch and year’s end. During that launch window we should see Rigs: Mechanized Combat League from Sony, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed tie-in Eagle Flight, EVE: Valkyrie, Rez Infinite and Until Dawn: Rush of Blood — stuff we’ve seen before, plus some that we haven’t. On that side of the coin we have Headmaster from Frame Interactive and Uber Entertainment’s Wayward Sky in addition to PlayStation VR Worlds, The Playroom VR and the just announced Star Wars: Battlefront.

PlayStation VR update from Andrew House, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc #GDC16https://t.co/2dYE4ucALE

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) March 15, 2016

But the PS VR headset is capable of so much more than just games. Sony says that there will also be a mode dedicated to movies and videos. The blandly named “Cinematic Mode” will allow you to play non-VR PlayStation games and videos on the device as well as a “variety of PS4 features” including Share Play and Live from PlayStation broadcasts. Basically, it’s going to act as a second screen for the device in general.

Sony also notes that 360 degree photos and videos that are becoming more and more prevalent will be viewable via the headset as well, via the PS4 Media Player. Even if you have a projector set up in your house, it’ll likely be dwarfed by the 225-inch virtual screen this will provide. Here’s to hoping that “Cinematic Mode” has a virtual movie theater environment to go with it.

Notice anything missing there? Like, perhaps, Blu-ray or Netflix playback? We have time scheduled with PlayStation’s Adam Boyes today and we’ll be sure to report back with any new info.

Update: Adam Boyes confirmed to us that the PlayStation VR’s $400 bundle will not include a camera or Move controller.

Source: PlayStation Blog

Apple’s response to DOJ filing in San Bernadino case: Nope!

Apple continues to refuse complying with the feds’ demands to open up the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone 5c. Cupertino has filed a reply brief in response to the DOJ’s filing, stating that the government is attempting to “rewrite history by portraying the [All Writs] Act as an all-powerful magic wand rather than the limited procedural tool it is.” Apple also reiterated that to comply would be dangerous to the “security and privacy of millions of citizens.” Company exec Eddy Cue expressed the same sentiments in the past.

Further, the tech titan accuses the government of misleading the court by stating that the case is about a single iPhone when the FBI director reportedly admitted otherwise. When the director testified before Congress, he said: “The broader question we’re talking about here goes far beyond phones or far beyond any case. “

Besides stating its reasons why it refuses to unlock the shooter’s iPhone 5c for the FBI, Apple also touched upon the government’s order to create a backdoor in its software. The corporation revealed that the government threatened to force it to turn over its source code and private electronic signature if it refuses to cooperate. “The catastrophic security implications of that threat only highlight the government’s fundamental misunderstanding or reckless disregard of the technology at issue and the security risks implicated by its suggestion,” the filing said.

At the moment, it sounds like that the company doesn’t intend to back down, repeating its CEO’s words that a software with a backdoor is too dangerous to create.

Source: Apple

Where to pre-order PlayStation VR in the UK

So, Sony has finally given us all the details for its new PlayStation VR headset. It’s coming in October and it’ll cost you £350, but did you know that some UK retailers are already taking pre-orders? Well, now you do. If you can’t wait until nearer the time, the PlayStation VR bundle — which comes with the all-important headset, HDMI cable and USB cables, stereo headphones, add-on processor box but doesn’t include the PlayStation Camera or Move controllers — is currently available to order via the following stores:

• GameStop UK — £349.97
• GAME — £349.99
• Amazon UK — Pre-orders open at 11am on March 16th
• Argos — Only allowing customers to register their interest

Sony hasn’t yet confirmed whether it will offer the PlayStation VR headset, the PlayStation Camera and Move Motion controllers as part of a bundle in the UK, but there will be such an offering in the US.

If you don’t already own the supported peripherals, now might be the time to invest, as retailers will likely be keen to captialise on demand. That said, the DualShock 4 controller already features motion tracking and will likely be supported by a good number of upcoming PS4 VR games.

We will continue to update the article as more retailers become available, so do check back if your chosen retailer isn’t on the list right away.

‘Gears of War 4’ multiplayer beta starts April 18th

If you’ve been wondering whether or not Gears of War 4 can live up to the reputation set by (most) of its ancestors, you won’t have to wait long to get a good sense of where it’s going. Microsoft and The Coalition have revealed that the Gears 4 multiplayer beta for Xbox One starts on April 18th, when existing Gears of War: Ultimate Edition players will get their first shot. An open beta for any Xbox Live Gold member will start a week later, on April 25th, and the whole shebang will wind down on May 1st. Two weeks (at best) isn’t a long time to try the game, and there’s no single player in the beta, but this test run should let you know whether Gears 4’s late-year launch will fill you with hope or dread.

Source: Xbox Wire