RoBoHoN a robot smartphone.

This small robot has more to it than meets the eye asit doubles as a mobile phone. The 19.5 cm tall RoBoHoN, from Sharp, is set to be launched in May and is one of the more unusual entrants into an increasingly busy smartphone market. It was developed with researchers at the University of Tokyo, the robo-phone will be released in Japan for 198,000 Yen (around £1,280), with the company reportedly looking to bring it to other countries in the future. As a robot, the device is able to walk on two legs and has an inbuilt laser projector with a resolution of 1280 x 720 that can display project photos, videos and maps onto screens or other flat surfaces. RoBoHoN also features a voice recognition system for controlling the robot. Extra features will be introduced as new apps are released. "RoBoHoN can grow to accommodate more natural communication with the user by learning the user's profile and usage situation," Sharp said. The phone element of the robot runs on Android 5.0, has a two-inch LCD screen, 16GB of storage and a 1,700mAh battery. There's also Bluetooth 4.0, an eight megapixel camera and the usual array of accelerometers and gyroscopes. The high price will likely limit the number of units Sharp sells and the company anticipates a monthly sales volume of 5,000 units. culled from wired.co.uk

EQUINE OBESITY.

Horses are inheritably couch potatoes ,and an overeating, slothful horse leads to an obese horse. However, horse owners often don't see the dangers of an obese horse unlike in man. Caretakers may see no harm in giving their horses rich foods, but obesity in horses is just as unhealthy as obesity in humans and can lead to fatal diseases. Philip Johnson, professor of veterinary medicine and surgery at the University of Missouri-Columbia ,says Some of the very same problems humans encounter with obesity may also occur in horses.There is a striking parallelism between humans and horses when it comes to obesity. Obesity in horses not only causes weight gain but also endocrine problems, including insulin resistance. The equine obesity risks have been less studied, but researchers believe horses have similar risks as humans, such as heart disease and diabetes. Obesity in horses also can cause laminitis, a painful condition that often affects the front hooves. The weight of the bone is suspended in the hoof with connecting tissue forming a structure similar to a swing on a swing set. The extra weight in obese horses forces the connective tissue to tear and the bone breaks through the nail-like texture of the hooves. Veterinarians have yet to find an effective treatment for the condition. In the worst cases of laminitis, veterinarians are forced to euthanize the horse. Horses that develop insulin resistance are at an increased risk for laminitis. Horse owners often want their horses to look well fed.while some horse owners may view a healthy weight on their horse as too thin and try to feed them more. Its a know fact that not only do owners often over feed their horses, but what is fed to horses is genetically altered grass meant for food animals. The genetically designed grass fed to horses was designed to fatten food animals quicker.The genetics of horses, like many species, allows for the extra storing of fat in preparation for winter, when there is typically less food available. In nature, horses would eat less in the winter and lose the weight by spring. Under human care, horses are fed generously year round and never lose the extra weight. Horses need to be exercised daily in meaningful ways and owners should push their horses for a more strenuous exercise. It's not enough to ride your horse twice a week for 20 minutes. A well formulated diet coupled with exercise is key to a healthy horse.

HEALING HORSES WITH A LIFT.

A New device gives healing horses a lift,researchers and engineers in Saskatchewan hope that a robotic lift system will help to improve the odds for horses recovering from limb fractures and other traumatic injuries. The researchers teamed up with Saskatoon's RMD Engineering to design and build the lift. It is designed to help rehabilitate horses suffering from injuries and other musculo-skeletal problems by providing mobility, weight distribution and support. Research team members include engineering experts, an equine biomechanics specialist and a veterinary radiologist. Hundreds of horses are fatally injured and euthanized every year in North America due to racetrack injuries, a large majority of which are fractures. The horses used for pleasure riding can also break a leg. After a horse undergoes surgery to fix a broken leg, it's normally confined to a stall and given pain medication. However, due to a horse's heavy weight and its strong flight response, recovery is often with complications and secondary issues such as supporting-limb laminitis. The famous racehorse, Barbaro, the Kentucky Derby winner shattered his right hind fetlock while racing in the Preakness Stakes in 2006. Surgeons successfully repaired his leg, but eight months later, Barbaro was euthanized after developing laminitis in his other feet. Veterinarians regularly use slings to help support injured horses, but current designs significantly limit the animals' normal activity and support all of their weight on the thorax and abdomen. This leads to further problems because of compression on the lungs and development of pressure sores. Dr. Julia Montgomery, a large animal internal medicine specialist at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S),said the new lift system allows clinicians to dynamically reduce and redistribute the weight the horse is carrying. This allows the animal to be mobile with its weight partially or fully supported. Montgomery noted that the horse is allowed to move around so there is no issues with muscle wasting, adding that this function will also allow for more controlled rehabilitation of horses.Leg fractures are one of the most common injuries that will benefit from this new technology, but the lift can also be used with equine patients suffering from other musculoskeletal and neurological problems Montgomery and her team have been conducting initial trials with the lift on three healthy horses to see how they tolerate hanging out for extended periods of time in the sling and prototype system. Next, they will use it with horses with limb fractures that would otherwise be euthanized. These trials will help them find out how the lift affects horse behavior and physiological parameters such as muscle enzymes and blood flow. Materials from University of Saskatchewan

Green tea and rosemary key to red meat

Green tea and rosemary key to red meat: A study conducted on behalf of US ingredients manufacturer Kemin Food Technologies says a green tea and rosemary extract is the best for flavour enhancement and colour preservation of raw meat.

Kemin’s new ingredient pledges to protect colour and improve flavour

Kemin’s new ingredient pledges to protect colour and improve flavour: Acerola is the latest product launched by US ingredients manufacturer Kemin Food Technologies, which the company claim is “excellent” for a range of meat producers, especially cured meat makers.

Cremation of pets as a business.

The loss of a pet can be devastating,no matter the cause of death. Pets are nowadays regarded as a member of the household,so their deaths are usually so emotion laden that most owners want the transition to be less traumatic.

 This is what this company is offering pet lovers.Traverse City native Kerri Collier was devastated when one of her pets died a few years ago and she was not impressed with the lack of choices she was given to dispose of the remains.

 Dustin Collier is a contractor. He built the structure that Great Lakes Pet Memorial occupies. The business opened in 2008. It was the first time Kerri Collier had run a business. There was a learning curve involved.

 Collier discovered that many local veterinarians used pet crematories in southern Michigan. She became a sales agent, visiting local veterinarian offices and touting the advantages of local service and reduced turnaround times.

 The business now deals with about 2,000 pets each year, mostly dogs and cats, but also iguanas, gerbils, ducks, birds, pigs, alpacas and llamas. One client wanted a beloved pony cremated, but the crematory at Great Lakes Pet Memorial can only handle animals that weigh a maximum of 450 pounds.

That animal had to be transported to a larger facility. Cremation services account for about two-thirds of the company's income. It charges between $85 and $250 to cremate a cat or dog, according to weight — which determines time needed in the crematory.

 A smaller portion of the operation's income comes from memorials including stones, urns, jewelry and other products that can contain portions of the pet's ashes.


The business employs four people in addition to Collier. Collier said her goal is to provide caring service to clients.

The facility includes a cold storage area with separate spaces for each pet It's dignified — each animal has their own space while waiting for cremation.

 Read more http://www.hollandsentinel.com/news/20160410/traverse-city-company-helps-owners-deal-with-pet-death

PETS AND COMPUTER GAMES.

Dr Bronwen Slack, is Meep's owner and vet operations coordinator at PETstock, she believes that people dont spend enough time with their pets. She believes anything that encourages people to interact with their cats, so they're not living such a sedentary lifestyle, is good. Meep lives the typical life of an indulged pet in Melbourne – he has a loving owner who showers him with attention, plenty of toys and a pantry full of food. He also has several games on a Samsung tablet to play. Computer games for pets is the latest in the continuing trend of dogs and cats being elevated from family pet to "furry babies". After all, why should humans have all the fun playing Candy Crush.It's not that balls of yarn and ropes are too analogue for today's 21st-century pets, rather there's now an alternative way to increase simulation among cats and dogs particularly when they're home alone. Marcus Carter, research fellow in computers at the University of Melbourne, says the "interesting trend" reflects the lifestyles of many people, and likens digital games to the increasing use of "pet cams" to monitor them. Marcus recently got a puppy and set up Skype to automatically answer so he could check on her while at work the first few times I left her in the back yard.He believes digital systems in general present an amazing opportunity to improve animal welfare, such as by reducing social isolation in the home. The games are simple, encouraging dogs and cats (and even very young children) to catch a series of slow moving digital fish, bubbles, treats and any other number of small creatures or lasers. One reviewer of the imaginatively titled "Game for Dogs" in the App store wrote: "My dog is now obsessed and is biting cause all she wants to do is play it on the iPad." Dr Slack tends to use the games sporadically so as not to over stimulate them. The best way to use them is when leaving the house to go on an errand and I want to keep the pet occupied while away. for 15 or 20 minutes. read more http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/pet-gamers-cats-and-dogs-the-latest-family-members-to-play-tablet-games-20160408-go1wb7.html