
Translating…

Wired takes a long look at the rapid progress in oral health in the 20th century from this:
In 1899, the British Army was recruiting troops to fight in the Boer War and recruiters were appalled at the health of the men who were turning up. They were stunted, malnourished and had appalling teeth. “It became a national scandal,” Bairsto says. “No one was cleaning their teeth. Many couldn’t chew their food.”
to Philips selling a $270 electronic toothbrush (pictured above). Are electronic toothbrushes any better than a mundane brush? Put away your skepticism, Wired says:
All that said, the Cochrane reviews are pretty clear. They looked at plaque buildup and gingivitis (gum disease), finding that electric toothbrushes were, on average, more effective than manual ones. The effects were real. An average 11 per cent reduction in the degree of plaque buildup, in the short term, and a 21 per cent over three months term; a six per cent or 11 per cent reduction in gingivitis, depending on how you measure it.
Refreshing news! But there’s still cause to be skeptical:
The question is where to go next. Apps that track behaviour and sensors that check you’ve brushed every tooth are already in place; how much more high-tech can toothbrushes get? How much more advantage can be squeezed from them?
One possibility is raising the stakes. There have been hints that periodontal disease is linked to wider health problems – sufferers are more susceptible to stroke, to heart attacks, to blocked arteries, to high blood pressure, and to cancer. Bircan mentions that they’re tracking users over long periods “to see the impact not just on their oral health but on their lives”
Read more about the arms race in electronic brushes at Wired.
Abbott Labs kills free tool that lets you own the blood-sugar data from your glucose monitor, saying it violates copyright law
Abbott Labs makes a continuous glucose monitor — used by people with diabetes to monitor their blood-sugar levels — called (ironically, as you’ll see below) the Freestyle Libre.
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Family puts Ring camera in children’s room, discovers that hacker is watching their kids 24/7, taunting them through the speaker
A family in DeSoto County, Mississippi, bought a Ring security camera so they could keep an eye on their three young girls in their bedroom. Four days later, they learned that a hacker had broken into the camera and subjected their children to continuous bedroom surveillance, taunting the children through the camera’s built-in speaker.
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Sweet stocking-stuffer: an LED flashlight that clips onto a 9V battery
The Lixada LED Handheld Flashlight is a $9 stocking-stuffer ($29 for 4): a six-LED/36 lumen flashlight that clips directly over the terminals of a 9V battery, forming an easy flashlight rated for up to 10,000 hours (battery life depends on whether you’re switched to 6, 4 or 2 LEDs). One reviewer uses 9V batteries swapped […]
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Juice up on the go with this power bank/wireless charger combo
There’s no shortage of wireless chargers out there. So when one scores a Best of Innovation Award at the Consumer Electronics Show, we take notice. And, those industry nods mean good news for just about anybody with a smartphone, because the HyperCharger X Wireless Charger means there’s no excuse for losing power when you’re out […]
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Save over 75% on this 5-piece Damascus chef’s knife set
Once you’ve cut steak or poultry with some actual quality knives, it’s really tough to go back to those budget blades you bought at the department store a couple of decades ago. Consider that a fair warning about this 5-Piece Professional Damascus Chef’s Kitchen Set. The holiday discount makes it easy to buy for a […]
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These home vision tests offer a clear look at the state of your eyesight
Concerned about your eyesight? You probably should be. And we’re not just talking about seniors here. Young or old, we’re all at risk of coming down with vision issues Most of us might get a vision test only once every couple of years or so when we get a new pair of glasses – if […]