GeekSugar

Study: iPods Can Make Pacemaker Malfunction

GeekSugar — Mon, 14 May 2007 10:06:43 -0700

Thinking of getting mom and pops an iPod for their next birthday? If they have a pacemaker, you might want to think again.

A study of 83 volunteers with pacemakers found the music devices interfered with the pacemakers about 30 percent of the time. The study was conducted by a 17-year-old Michigan high school student Jay Thayer and Dr. Krit Jongnarangsin, a University of Michigan cardiologist.

Apparently, the iPod interference caused pacemakers to misread the heart's pacing in most cases and in one cause, the pacemaker stopped.
Here's more:

The iPod - like microwave ovens, cell phones and other electronic devices - appears to cause a problem by creating an electromagnetic field that interferes with the electric function of the pacemakers, Thayer said.

Personally, I want to know what the test subjects were listening to. I know Luda and R.Kelly make me feel like I could have a heart attack.

Pacemaker: Pocket-Sized DJ System

GeekSugar — Tue, 08 May 2007 07:00:47 -0700

Have you been looking for an MP3 player that gets your heart racing and offers some funky DJ styles? The Pacemaker - I know, isn't the name great? - is described as a new "concept for modern music engagement."

More simply, it's a portable music player equipped with a range of professional audio manipulation features allowing for creative mixing between two independent channels. It's also being called the "world's first platform for legal music sharing" because any mix you create can be saved for legal sharing with the rest of the world.

The DJ system features line out crossfade, headphones crossfader, bend, pitch, cue, DJ pause, EQ, sound FX (that's all DJ speak for fun features), a line out jack and a USB connector. It will be 120 GB, support a variety of audio formats and will be about 6.5 inches by 2.5 inches. "We're out to bring people closer to the music they love, to let music lovers be creative with their passion, to make themselves available to be heard and to have a good time in the process," says the makers. I can just imagine mixing Rilo Kiley with techno beats while riding on the bus. The first edition will be out this fall.

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We Will, We Will, Shock You!

GeekSugar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:45:10 -0700

Here at Sugar HQ we're always looking for novel ways to entertain ourselves, especially the men, who decided it would be "fun" to bring a pair of Laser Tag Shocking Tanks into the office. I don't even think I can find the words to describe this so-called game, which is totally abusive and kinda fun all at the same time. . . maybe I should have paid closer attention to the "product emits an electric shock," "may interfere with electrical devices such as pacemakers" warnings on the box! The object of this $50 game? To shoot your opponent with your infra-red cannon, as LEDs built into the tanks indicate the score. And what happens when they are shot? Watch the video clip below to find out!