Biotech / Parkinson's and more

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, Google is a corporate giant that seemly has a hand in every type of commerce. In September, Google purchase a company called Lift Tabs. Lift Tabs is a biotech company mostly known for it's creation of a spoon that counteracts the involuntary movement associated with Parkinson's disease and essential tremors.

While it may look a little bulky and odd but inside the "liftware" is a motor that vibrates to stabilize the person's motion as they raise the spoon to their mouth. For more detailed information about this technology look on the essential tremors website. 

Here is a more in depth picture showing how the technology works. 

My thought is, why does google want this? I think the technology is obviously innovative and will be a great help to people that need it. 

Why do you think Google (a search engine giant) wants this Biotechnology?

Nike Magista

On May 6 of 2014 Nike released the new age of football boots. The radical new Magista changes everything that we once knew about football boots.

“Our aim at Nike has always been to meet the athlete’s particular performance demands and amplify his unique set of skills. Magista inherits that transformative history of design and innovation and supercharges it,” comments Mark Parker, NIKE, Inc. CEO and President.

Born from four years of R&D in the Nike Sport Research Lab and with feedback from some of the world’s best attacking playmakers, including Barcelona’s Andrés Iniesta and German forward Mario Gotze, the Magista is designed to enable devastating creativity in a game where space is at a premium.  

                               

Simply put the Magista is the footballer’s greatest tangible asset when it comes to gameplay. Its knit technology allows for the boot to “hug” the player’s foot. Never before has this been seen on a football pitch. This technology allows for unprecedented feel, fit and control by creating a second-skin, sock-like feel.

Nike Article

Health Care and Google

You might be asking yourself what in the world do health care have to do with each other? In this article written for the New York Times blog section: Bits the two things come together. The article is titled Am I Sick? Google Has a Doctor Waiting on Video. We are all guilty of googling our symptoms or a disease we hear that about. This is one step up from that, Google "helpouts" is a program that can connect you with an expert and video chat with them. The medical aspect is a work in progress of obtaining doctors with appropriate credentials to be available for questions.

Beyond this Google has launched itself into the health care world, it is actually one of its largest side projects. According to the NY Times blog they are working on developing a contact lens that monitors glucose levels. Ben Schachter had this to say about Google and its ventures into other areas, "When you’re as big as Google is, there are only so many other markets that matter, and health care is one.”

This idea of technology being used in medicine is not a new one. According to Jonathan Linkous at the American Telemedicine Association says that, “This year, between 800,000 and one million consultations will be done over the Internet directly to consumers in the United States, so clearly customers want this.”

Even new technologies such as Apple IPhones and Androids are joining in on being means to which someone can care for their health using different apps. The technology in medicine is continually expanding, and in many ways which we wouldn’t imagine. How do you feel about Google joining the health care world? Is this a logical move for them and would you feel comfortable using a Google “helpout” to talk to a doctor? 

The Size of Google

This video explains briefly just how massive Google has become. And it shows no sign of slowing down. If you are further interested in just how BIG Google is, you should check out this more detailed video. Recently, Google has been expanding even further. USA today released an article about former Google Executive, Megan Smith, becoming the Chief Technology Officer for the White House. Google is a player in countless markets, buying companies left and right and expanding their reach quickly and easily. When companies get too big or have a monopoly on a market, usually the government steps in. For example, When AT&T was in their big merger, the Government shut it down because the market would have been monopolized. Google has a big hand in countless different market segments. How big are they allowed to become? This is a business and they are creating products and services that enhance human life. How far can they go and still maintain a positive image?