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Senior Takes Part in Wiihabilitation

GeekSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:30:23 -0700

I already knew that senior citizens would rather play the Wii over bridge, but did you know that Wiihabilitation is also taking the country by storm? For James Mann, a patient at Wake Med Health Park in Raleigh, N.C., playing the Nintendo Wii is not only a great source of fun, but it's also helping him recover from a stroke. Shown here with recreational therapist Elizabeth Penny (see pics below), James takes part in games of Wii baseball to help him with his balance, coordination and the strengthening of his arms - how great is this?! And as soon as I get my hands on Wii Fit, I'll be working on my abs, butt and thighs!

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Seniors Use Wii For Physical Therapy

GeekSugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:56:52 -0700

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Surgeons Are Being Prescribed Serious Face Time With the Wii

GeekSugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:30:54 -0800

Let's just hope that if you ever need surgery, your MD is an avid gamer! USA Today is reporting on a study performed by the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, which found that surgical residents who got their game on for an hour before diving into virtual surgery scored 48 percent higher on tool control and performance. This isn't the first time we've heard of hospitals incorporating the Wii into their practices: Rehab and physical therapy physicians have already been successfully using the Wii to remedy movement and balance issues.

However, not all games offer the same benefits. Titles like Marble Mania, where the player uses calculated and small movements with the Wii Remote, are better than, say, Super Mario Galaxy or Wii Sports. Unfortunately, saving the galaxy and perfecting your golf swing do not directly affect your ability to perform open heart surgery. Who knew? If you want to get in on some surgical action of your own, check out Trauma Center. It may just tide you over until you finish med school.

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Are You a Casual Gamer?

GeekSugar — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 13:14:26 -0800

The term "casual gamer" is being thrown around more and more these days, mostly due to the popularity of the Wii, and I think, the growing popularity of gaming in general. The Wii is really the first democratic console - we've seen senior citizens get in on the action, physical therapy patients use it, and now, Wii Fit is set to become the first video game since Dance Dance Revolution to make you lose weight, instead of pile it on.

A casual gamer is different from a hardcore gamer in obvious ways - both in time devoted and the interest level.

Interest in video games is generally a hobby for casual gamers, whereas the interest is almost professional for hardcore. So my readers, I'm curious! Do you define yourself as a casual gamer or a hardcore gamer?

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Hospital Starts Using Wii For Rehabilitation

GeekSugar — Fri, 18 May 2007 05:33:32 -0700

We knew Wii sports was an easy way to workout and burn a few calories, but never expected hospitals to start using the Wii for rehabilitation. According to Edmonton Journal, the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital is the first in North America to use the Wii technology to treat patients with movement and balance issues.

Apparently one patient in particular has progressed from his wheelchair, unable to bend at the waist or pick up things from the floor state and can now stand and play in front of a TV screen, swinging the Wii-mote like a golf club and generally have a rocking good time..

Dr. Grigore Burdea, who is a leader in computer-based virtual reality techniques in rehabilitation therapies, told the paper he thinks in five years every hospital and rehab clinic will have embraced the gaming technology for their patients. Here's more:

"People are addicted to games, but in this case, the addiction is towards a good cause," Burdea said. "Bill Gates (billionaire founder of Microsoft) would be wise to sponsor this kind of research."

Daily Tech - The VW Space Up! Includes Fun Touchscreen

GeekSugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:15:46 -0800

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Teamsugar user LilPeaPod tells us why the Space Up! is the latest and greatest VW - Technology and Gadgets Channel
Nintendo making 1.8 Million Wiis per month to keep up with demand - Gizmodo
What important questions to ask when buying a Mac - Apartment Therapy
Top 11 celebrity messes online - Switched
New version of Google maps available for Windows Mobile - CrunchGear

Tech News - Acer Laptop in a League of Its Own

GeekSugar — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:00:11 -0700

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Missouri School of Journalism prefers Macs over PCs - Gearfuse
Five things to avoid when dating online - Switched
South Korea subway offers free PC with internet stations for commuters - Chip Chick
Nintendo wants everyone to share their Wii story - Kotaku
Toshiba recalls portable dvd player adapters - Apartment Therapy
Log-In to Win One of Five RAZR2's on Geeksugar! - Geeksugar Giveaway

Tech News - Nokia's New 'Open' Ads Show-up Apple

GeekSugar — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:00:41 -0700

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Unlike the iPhone, Nokia phones are "open to anything" - The Boy Genius Report
Keyshia Cole talks about her tech toys - Switched
How to turn piles of papers into digital files - Apartment Therapy
First the gold MacBook, now the gold iPhone? - Bornrich
A video walk through of Guitar Hero III controllers for the PS3 and Wii - Gizmodo
Log-In to Win One of Five RAZR2's on Geeksugar! - Geeksugar Giveaway