Today, thanks to the maturation of the web, digital tech, and smartphones now in seemingly every pocket, startups are finding it easier than ever before to build scalable solutions to finally address the many inefficiencies in our food manufacturing, production and distribution systems. As interest in food tech balloons, one area in particular appears to already be at the tipping point: Online and mobile food delivery. Over the last few days, we’ve hearing about a merger between two of the largest companies in the space. Rumor has it that “arch rivals” GrubHub and Seamless are in talks which could see them join forces as part of a merger. While our sources tell us that the talks are serious, the terms of the merger are not yet clear and, of course, any potential deal could fall through. Furthermore, it’s not yet clear what kind of synergies would take place, how management of the new entity would be structured or even what the new business will be called. The two companies would not confirm on the record on any of the above. Read more »
Gesture Chair Is Designed for Using Gadgets
Technology can be pretty great. It can also wreck our posture and turn us into hunched-over Richard IIIs if we aren’t careful. The 21st century has not been kind to backs and necks. Gesture is a new office chair that takes an interesting approach to bad posture. The worst part of bad posture is that our bodies are kinda hanging out in space without proper support, or don’t fit with more rigid chairs ergonomically. Gesture takes a pragmatic approach, creating a chair that will move and adapt to support the different kinds of positions you take when using different kinds of devices, instead of encouraging traditional good posture. Read more »
Samsung Launches New Version Of S Health, Complete With S Band Step Tracking Wristband
Samsung’s S Band and updated S Health apps are new features added to the Galaxy S 4. The updated S Health app improves upon the S Health design that debuted in the Galaxy S III. It takes advantage of a new built-in pedometer for tracking steps, as well as ambient temperature and humidity, and the app also tracks food nutrition information from a database. The S Band is a brand new accessory that has its own pedometer to keep you tracking your steps even when you don’t have the phone on you. Everything also plays nice with third-party accessories and devices, meaning it’ll connect to heart-rate monitors and more to give you a much more comprehensive picture of your overall health. Read more »
The Bank Where Doctors Can Stash Your Genome
A new company offers a “gene vault” for doctors who want to add genomics to patient care. More About: DNA , Genome , health , medical science , Science Read more »
Scientists Discover Molecule That Prevents Cancer
Here's a tiny development in cancer prevention with big potential. Researchers have identified a molecule that causes the immune system to prevent the formation and spread of tumors. This molecule, called TIC10, triggers a cancer-killing protein researchers refer to as TRAIL, an acronym for T umor necrosis factor R elated A poptosis I nducing L igand. Check out the video above for more about TRAIL. [via Nature ] Image via iStockphoto , haydenbird More About: cancer , health , Science Read more »
This App Turns Your Phone Into a Virtual Urgent Care Center
It's flu season and chances are you know someone who's coughing and sneezing their way through it right now. For many people, especially those who are away from their regular doctor for whatever reason, diagnosing symptoms can become a scary thing. We know many people self diagnose using the Internet. A recent Pew research report found eight in 10 online health inquiries start at a search engine. But what if you need more info or want to have a medical consult? Read more »
Feeling Unproductive? Blame Your Lunch
Companies trying to increase productivity should offer their employees more wellness programs, a new study finds. Workers who ate healthful meals and exercised on a regular basis had better job performance and lower absenteeism, research from the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), Brigham Young University and the Center for Health Research at Healthways shows. Employees who eat healthy all day long were 25% more likely to have higher job performance, the study found, while those who eat five or more servings of fruit and vegetables at least four times a week were 20% more likely to be more productive. In addition, employees who exercise for at least 30 minutes , three t… Continue reading... More About: exercise , food , health , productivity Read more »
U.S. Heathcare Data Warehousing Platform Health Catalyst Closes $33M Series B, Led By Norwest; Sequoia, Sorenson Also Backing
U.S. healthcare data warehousing company Health Catalyst has closed a $33 million Series B investment, led by Norwest Venture Partners (NVP), with participation from Sequoia Capital (the lead investor in its Series A round) and Sorenson Capital . As part of the investment, Promod Haque, managing partner at NVP, will join the board of Health Catalyst, and Fraser Bullock, co-founder and managing director of Sorenson Capital, will become a board observer. The company’s technology platform is used by hospitals to manage and analyse patient data stored locally in electronic health records. Health Catalyst claims its system allows hospitals of all sizes to “more effectively measure quality outcomes, meet regulatory and financial incentive reporting requirements, standardize around the best, safest care practices, and eliminate waste”. In each of the past three years, the company says it has more than doubled in size, and has also expanded its product line from eight “stand-alone solutions” to a platform of more than 40 integrated products. In the last year, Health Catalyst said a majority of its existing clients have “dramatically expanded” their original relationships. “Almost every hospital and hospital system will need a data warehouse to organize, visualize and utilize its data to address the $750 billion of waste in the U.S. healthcare system,” said NVP’s Haque in a statement Read more »
Extreme Diet Hacking With Tech: How Cheesecake Made Me Leaner And Stronger With Carb Backloading
Never before have I binged so many delicious desserts, yet been stronger or more ripped. For 3 weeks, I experimented with a cult bodybuilding diet, Carb Backloading , which promises outcomes too good to be true: slam carbs at night after heavy lifting, get slimmer and build muscle. Like all web sensations, there aren’t any large scale studies, and anecdotal reviews never properly control for all the right variables. Thankfully, a new movement in health innovation, quantified self , has been slowly churning out gadgets that allow number-hungry netizens to more scientifically test lifestyle changes. I measured everything with the latest in health consumer tech, from calorie burn to fat composition to heart health. The results let me bust the pseudo scientific-diet dogma of “Calories deficit = weight loss,” and test how a more methodical approach to health can help users with their diet frenzies. Read more »
New Smartphone Or Headphones? Here Are A Few Tips To Prevent Hearing Loss
This holiday season, many of us will be tearing the cellophane off of a hot new pair of headphones, a new smartphone, or music player. Before you decide to test the limits of OSHA’s volume regulations on your eardrums, we thought you’d want to know some helpful tips so you can keep on jamming for the rest of your life. Keep It Below 50 percent Volume Personal Music Players “should be set at the lowest possible volume at which music can be comfortably enjoyed. Setting the volume to 50-60% of maximal output is generally considered a safe listening level,” says Dr. Sharon Curhan, who has found that 1 in 5 teens now suffers from some type of hearing loss , up 5 percent since the 1980s. Different styles can be listened to at elevated volumes for shorter periods of time. “If using in-ear earphones and listening to Electronic, Heavy Metal, Hip Hop or Rock music, it is advisable to limit listening time to 3.5 hours or less when the volume is set at 60%. The louder the volume setting, the shorter the safe listening time may be (e.g. less than an hour if volume set at 70%, and ~30 minutes when set at 80%)…Folk, Pop, Classic Rock and other music that are characterized as medium-output musical styles, can safely be enjoyed for longer periods of time, yet it is still important to maintain the listening volume setting at 60% or lower. In most cases, an individual can safely listen to this type of music at a volume setting of 50% for any duration.” Beware Of Volume Creep Ever notice how you have to increase the volume to maintain the same music sensation you originally felt when you first started listening? Read more »