Healing Gadgets

Posted on March 27, 2023 by schatzi

These six devices were selected by Gary Ames for their research support and professional regard. All are available to consumers and can be a great bargain for quality of life. These gadgets usually produce significant improvements in nervous system functioning which are sustained in the long term after the benefit is obtained.

Temperature biofeedback training with a thermometer.
Learn to relax by increasing the blood perfusion to your fingers or toes. Trial and error learning guides you toward relaxation.
http://www.cliving.org/stressthermometer.htm $19.95

Galvanic Skin Response (GSR). Skin Conductance.
Every time your autonomic nervous system changes the level of arousal or relaxation, the moisture of your skin changes, and this affects the electrical conductivity of your fingers.
GSR 2 – with or without accessories. ~$50 or $150.

http://www.mindgrowth.com/

http://www.toolsforwellness.com/bg101.html

Heart Rate Variability, HRV. When you inhale, heart rate increases. When you exhale, heart rate decreases. Learning to have smooth and strong heart rhythms in sync with breathing is good for mind and body.
http://www.HeartMath.com $295

[http://www.StressEraser.com/] Hand Held, $395

http://www.biocomtech.com/bht.htm. $395

http://www.cardiologix.com

GSR & HRV combined

http://www.WildDivine.com. Lush computer game with 40 biofeedback challenges. Sedate. $159.95.

EEG Biofeedback or Neurofeedback. Brain Wave Training.
Monitoring and interacting with your own brain waves is a powerful method. There is broad applicability to enhance sanity, health, competence, and wisdom. This device will probably improve your life in multiple ways.

The BrainMaster is a good device for consumers, but you may need professional support. Play Attention is a weaker technology but has good remote support. Pocket Neurobics is a bargain with the weakest support. Yahoo has good newsgroup support forums.

Anyone can buy EEG biofeedback units on these sites.

http://www.pocket-neurobics.com – stand alone, PC or wireless

http://www.PlayAttention.com single channel, helmet

http://www.Brainquiry.com – wireless

http://www.futurehealth.org/nfcntral.htm

http://www.toolsforwellness.com/mind-machines-biofeedback.html

http://www.bio-medical.com

http://www.dynamind.com/eeg.htm

You may need a license or prescription to buy other more expensive equipment from a manufacturer or dealer.

HemoEncephaloGraphy, HEG (blood brain image with infrared sensors).
These biofeedback devices monitor blood perfusion or blood oxygenation inside the brain with an infrared sensor on a headband. When you practice at activating certain sites on the head enhance a corresponding function in the brain. HEG devices can be both hand held and computer-based.

There are two kinds of HEG: nir HEG and pIR HEG.
pIR HEG uses a box shaped sensor that is worn on the forehead. It is used only for the frontal cortex, the most human part of the brain.
nir HEG is a headband with flat sensors that can be positioned at different sites on the head to exercise particular brain functions. See http://www.biocompresearch.org/questionaire1.htm

http://www.pocket-neurobics.com HEG and/or EEG

Cranial Electrical Stimulation, CES

This device is not biofeedback. CES sends a very mild current through the brain. Strong research support, FDA approved for anxiety, depression and insomnia. Simply turn it on so you can’t feel it and get a better brain. Generally used for 20-60 minutes per day for a month or two.

http://www.Alpha-Stim.com

http://www.Healthpax.org

http://www.dynamind.com/ces.htm

Some Caution

Biofeedback is generally safe and fun for the whole family. I am all for healing yourself with self-training based on information from your own body. But it is possible to do biofeedback badly. Usually this happens when doing too much too soon and pushing the mind-body to hard. This is especially true when there is greater dysfunction or instability. My caution is like the common sense advice you would get about weight training. The difference is that too much mind-body training can be less obvious.

When there are medical or psychiatric issues it is prudent to work with a licensed biofeedback trainer or therapist near you. Discuss a home training unit and program to get the full benefit from devices. There is no comprehensive directory of biofeedback providers. Try finding one at:

[http://www.isnr.org/isnrlist.htm]

http://www.EEGinfo.com

http://www.bcia.org

http://www.aapb.org (coming soon).

You might also try the web sites of particular software vendors such as http://www.adnf.org/neurofeedback_directory.htm

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Why Content Engagement Matters To Your Digital Signage Strategy

Posted on March 26, 2023 by schatzi

Successful marketers know their ads exist in a context that enhances the value of their message to consumers. For instance, a billboard lets Interstate drivers know a gas station is at the next exit. Or, a print ad for the latest smartphone runs in a magazine with a focus on high-tech gadgets. Even the nightly news has commercials relevant to its audience. Who doesn’t need an antacid or hemorrhoid relief after plugging into the latest news?

The same is true for successful digital signage ads. To succeed for the marketer, digital ads and messages must deliver value to the consumer. A freely available white paper from DigitalSignageToday.com entitled, “Key Ingredients For a Successful Digital Signage Campaign,” sheds light on putting together a digital sign network that delivers a value proposition for consumers.

According to the white paper, a successful digital signage network combines five key elements to convey clear messages to consumers and keep them entertained. To this end, digital displays capture the attention of consumers and focuses it on product features, specials, or some sort of infotainment that adds to the brand experience. So, by delivering an appealing message at the point of purchase to customizing a marketing message for a specific place and time, digital signs offer significant benefits to marketers and retailers. But a solid digital communication strategy only starts here.

For the growing medium to flourish, marketers would do well to deliver on the value proposition of digital signage for consumers: make their shopping experience better than it would have been without the presence of the digital signs.

One way to make the shopping experience better is to allow consumers to change the content of the digital sign. How so? Simply by giving customers choices in what kind of content they want to see on the screen, which is what interactive digital signage is all about. This enables the context of advertising, product information or infotainment to be personalized according to one’s whims.

In a recent article, A lesson from the agencies: creating successful DOOH content,published by OutputMagazine.com, author Geny Caloisi highlights several examples of how important engaging content is to a more meaningful consumer experience.

The article quotes Sophie Burke of Zoom Media, who says, “… the majority of truly successful and innovative media campaigns involve an element of spontaneity – whether it’s copy which can be adapted dynamically based on real-time data, or an interactive component which allows the consumer to get involved.”

Additionally, the article quotes Nick Mawditt, global director of insight and marketing at Kinetic, a UK-based digital-out-of-home media company, who suggests that physical interactions are more useful than the more hyped gesture interaction. Mawditt relates, “If you touch a screen, you are engaging in a more personal and private level, even if it’s in a public space. With gesture, the engagement is brief and people can feel self-conscious.”

So there you have it in a nut shell; in the same way that mobile and Internet media benefits from relevant interactive media, digital signage campaigns can benefit by adding interactions of many kinds, which lead to a better, more helpful, or at least a more personalized experience. This is why engaging content matters to a digital communication strategy and why you should consider trying it on your next digital signage campaign.

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10 Steps to Fix a Slow Computer

Posted on March 25, 2023 by schatzi

Many things can cause your computer to slow down; simply using your PC means downloading new programs and files, which all affect the functioning of your computer. To fix a sluggish Windows PC, try the following ten steps:

  1. CREATE A RESTORE POINT. Before you embark on a mission to tune-up your PC, create a restore point. This means that if the changes you have made on your computer result in further complications (which you can no longer fix by yourself) you can always go back to the point of departure, and not lose any vital data. To do this, you will need to: Open the Start menu (bottom left), go to Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore. The computer will ask you to pick an option for the System Restore Point, after which you click Next. Fill in a name for the restore point and click Create.
  2. CREATE MORE SPACE. Low memory or disk space might be one of the main things slowing down your computer. Delete all pictures, music and video files you no longer need, or move them to a flash drive. Also, uninstall programs you do not use. To uninstall programs, you can either choose the program in Start > All Programs and see if there is an uninstaller, or by going to Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs (XP) or Programs and Features (7). Be sure to only remove programs you are sure you do not need.
  3. CLEAN DISK.You can also clean your hard disks to free up space from redundant files. To do this on Windows, go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup. You might be asked to specify which drive you wish to clean. The tool will suggest a list of files for you to delete, but be careful not to select files you wish to keep. If you are not sure about a file, do not remove it.
  4. REPAIR DISK ERRORS. Apart from cleaning your disk, you should repair errors on it too. To repair disk errors on Windows first close all open files, then click Start > (My) Computer > right-click on the hard disk you want to repair > choose Properties > Tools > Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors (XP), or Check Now (7).
  5. DEFRAG.In the same dialog box you will also find an option for Defragmentation. Defragreduces the amount of fragmentation in file systems, therefore increasingthe speed of your computer.
  6. DISABLE STARTUP ITEMS. Some programs start running automatically as soon as you turn your computer on. To prevent these programs from running on the background and thus slowing down your computer, go to Start > Run, type msconfig in the dialog box that appears and click Enter. Click the Startup tab and uncheck the programs you do not need to run on start-up.
  7. REMOVE VIRUSES AND MALWARE. Viruses and malware might be interfering with your computer, so make sure you have an up-to-date antivirus program, and preferably an anti-spyware program too. When picking the antivirus and spyware programs, try to find a program that will be light on your computer’s resources. Some antivirus programs can be counter-effective, and slow your computer down. Double check also that your firewall is turned on: Start > Control Panel > Windows Firewall.
  8. UPDATES. Automating Windows Update on your computer will help protect your PC, and you will not need to worry about installing the updates manually on a regular basis. However, if your computer is old and slow, automatic updates might have a negative effect on your computer’s performance. To enable or disable updates on an XP, go to Start > Control Panel > Security Center > Automatic Update. On Windows 7: Start > All Programs > Windows Update.
  9. CHECK YOUR MODEM. Sometimes we ignore the obvious. If you are using a wireless connection on your computer, and your Internet is slow, check that your modem is not covered with obstructing items, and that there is enough air space around it. If your computer and modem are very dusty, you should blow them clean, or use a duster or a dry cloth.
  10. CLEAN WINDOWS REGISTRY. If the above tips did not improve your PC’s performance, you might be faced with a cluttered Windows registry. To correct this problem, you will need to install a registry cleaner. You can download one for free, but the choice for the cleaner needs to be made with care. Cleaning the registry is a delicate matter, and a careless clean-up may lead to a destroyed Windows. Therefore it is recommended that if you undertake a registry clean-up on your own, on top of creating a restore point, you should back-up your registry. You can find free back-up programs by doing a simple search on the Internet.

Good maintenance of your computer can make it last significantly longer. If you do not have the time to tune up your PC on your own, then hiring an expert can be a worthy investment. In some cases though, getting a new computer altogether is the most viable solution.

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Cloud Computing Popularity – Provides Control Management Facility

Posted on March 24, 2023 by schatzi

Communication has become very smooth in recent days. Cloud computing popularity is just another option to carry on with a great communication process. This has brought a huge easiness in the way of communication through the web world. This nothing so complicated rather a computing system. Cloud computing brings the chance to divide a single system for their storage requires. Just an Internet connection and a system is enough to carry on with the process. Cloud computing popularity comes just because the smoothness of the accessing power of the system. This is just the basic system to use the web world as the most smooth communication procedure. There is no need to think about the software and hardware complication. You can continue with any emergency without thinking about installing a programme on the system.

The reason behind Cloud computing popularity comes with the concept of sharing information and applications in the virtual environment. A number of computers can be connected with this system without any such effort. You just need to have an access over Internet and a single computer in order to carry on any emergency work. The cost is very much affordable in comparison with the smooth and effortless process of the whole system. The basic concept of this system is to make the process smooth related with various IT services. This is the ultimate system of storing and securing a large amount of data with a complete authorization. This is the reason behind the huge success of the concept.

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