6. Interesting Reads
“Toddlers really need their sleep. It’s crucial when our brains our first developing, so early problems can ripple across your lifetime. That makes a report by Birbeck University of London researchers somewhat disturbing — they found that toddlers between six and 11 months who play with smartphones or tablets get slightly less sleep than those who don’t. According to the study of 715 parents, every hour of touchscreen use results in 15.6 minutes less of sleep, or 26.4 minutes less total per night and 10.8 minutes more during the day, on average.”
(Engadget)
“The rate at which America’s kids are diagnosed with diabetes is climbing and researchers don’t know why. A first-ever study of new diabetes diagnoses of U.S. youth under age 20 found both Types 1 and 2 diabetes surged from 2002-2012. The diagnosis of new cases of Type 2 diabetes, associated with obesity, increased about 5% each year from 2002 to 2012, the study said, while new cases of Type 1, the most common form for young people, went up about 2% every year. The National Institutes of Health, which funded the study along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the cause of the rise is “unclear.””
“We all have to eat to survive, and chances are we’ve all been to some of the most successful fast food chains in the world to curb our appetites. Even if you hate fast food, you love fast food. Most people really do. It’s not just the convenience of ordering and receiving food in less than five minutes; it’s also often the food itself, even though you know deep down it’s actually probably pretty disgusting. Yet I’ll still get McDonald’s french fries and I probably will until I die because they’re just that good. I doubt there’s ever going to be a time when fast food falls out of fashion. Even when it comes to how unhealthy the food is, most chains are trying to combat that somewhat by displaying calorie count or offering healthier options.”
“In photos and a short video clip shared on social media, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin showed off the new skill of the humanoid robot Fedor: shoot guns using both of its arms. Russia’s Intelligent Humanoid Robot: Fedor (Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research) is a robot designed for space missions. It is set for launch to the International Space Station by 2021 to do tasks that are considered too dangerous for astronauts to do in space. Rogozin assured that Russia is not creating a Terminator-like killing machine and explained that the training helps hone artificial intelligence.”
“A rumored iPhone update could be in peril. Apple is having trouble getting a new fingerprint sensor working for an iPhone model this year, which could ultimately lead the company to eliminate it and opt for an alternative, Pacific Crest Securities analysts wrote to investors on Sunday. According to the analysts, whose comments were earlier reported on by Investor’s Business Daily, Apple had hopes of bundling the fingerprint sensor inside its iPhone’s screen, but the component isn’t working as the company might have hoped.”
(Fortune)
“Limited editions can be a real bummer, especially when they’re awesome and not egregiously expensive. Thankfully, one very special Mustang will be sticking around for at least another year. Ford has decided to extend the life of the Shelby GT350 and GT350R Mustang into the 2018 model year. The cars are literally unchanged, save for three new exterior paint options — Orange Fury, Kona Blue and Lead Foot Gray.”
(CNET)
