Category Archives: Technology

Multiple Sclerosis, Technology, The Best, Tools, WalkAide, Weight Loss

Tears of Joy from the Alter-G

I got to walk SAFELY without a cane today for 10 minutes on the Alter-G treadmill made with space age technology from NASA.

I can’t remember the last time i walked 10 minutes straight without wobbling or falling.  Maybe 2010 shortly after my MS diagnosis in 2008?  MS makes exercise / elevating the heart rate a difficult task for many of the 2.5 million people fighting the chronic illness having symptoms that are as unique as a snowflake or fingerprint.

What is the Alter-G you say?  First a little history.

When Neil Armstrong landed on the moon in July of 1969 (my birthday and for whom I was given my middle name), he and Buzz Aldrin got to experience the Moon’s extremely low gravity of ~16% as compared to Earth.  The Alter-G treadmill allows the user to reduce gravity’s impact by selecting weight between 20% (only ~4% more than the Moon) and 100% of your body weight in 1% increments.  This is a true game changer for many people and reasons.  For those of us with MS it is very important to KEEP MOVING!

I urge you to investigate and try this amazing piece of equipment to:

  • Rehabilitate lower extremity injuries with less pain and less impact
  • Improve mobility, strength and safety for those with neurological conditions
  • Provide a safe way to lose weight and exercise more intensively while unweighted
  • Train without pain and reduce the stress to joints and muscles
  • Recover effectively and with less pain after training or competition

 

 

Color Blind, Technology, Tools

Help for the Color Blind – EnChroma

I’ve known I have been color Blind since 4th grade during an in school test (if my memory serves me – Maybe 5th or 6th grade?). I remember other classmates finding out (no medical privacy back then) I was color blind and being harassed (asked) what color their Scooby Doo lunchbox was.

Color Blindness has not really affected me that I am aware of except for  Computer utilization.  You can find the test here:  http://www.enchroma.com/test/instructions/ .  Since I spend a great deal of time looking at monitors, I’ve decided to try a highly successful (80-85%) solution.  EnChroma www.enchroma.com has joined forces with Valspar (paint company) to bring special indoor and outdoor glasses to help the color blind in their #ColorForAll Campaign.

Most of their stock is either sold out or backordered 3-4 weeks.  I have ordered the EnChroma Cx Hawk and will blog about my findings.

hwkB3_c-1000x500

Malware, Technology

Ransom-ware – Cryptowall – BEWARE

CryptoRansomThis malware is nasty and has been around for years.  #NBC finally did a story on it you can find here.

There is nothing you can do after you’ve been hit to retrieve your Encrypted Files except PAY to get the unlock key.  OR don’t and lose your files, unless you have a backup and are willing to format your machine, re-installing everything!

Please protect your machine with a good AV software as well as a Real-Time Anti-Malware software, backup your files and have a good IT professional on speed Dial!

This is real and I have witnessed others crushed by this malware.

 

Multiple Sclerosis, Technology, Tools

Tools of the MS Trade – Part Deux – Making life easier

Growing up i was Rt hand dominant, however I Golfed lefty and batted lefty (it also gave me an extra step closer to 1st base 🙂 ). My Father said if i ever wanted to get last years clubs handed down, I’d switch and learn Righty; which I did. That was many moons ago (8yrs old and up) and well before MS Dx with optic Neuritis in 2008 at the age of 39. In the past 6 years my Rt side foot drop and Rt hand/arm Neuropathy along with Frozen Shoulder has plagued me — well, like the plague.

I use several tricks to “keep moving” and work smarter, not harder.
1. Massage Therapy (she spends a good 30 minutes on my hand, arm and shoulder alone).
2. I use a “signature stamp” from Vistaprint to sign/stamp checks and other documents where a stamp is appropriate.
3. I use a UBE (upper body Exerciser) – like a small bicycle wheel with pedals for my hands, arm and shoulder.
4. Tricep pressdowns & lat pulldowns with a velcro cuff that has a hook on it and very light weights.
5. Cable rope pulley on my door to stretch the arm.
6. I am constantly stretching my hand and fingers backwards to keep them out of the “death grip”
7. i wear a compression glove at night and a hand splint a couple nights a week that keeps my hand and fingers/thumb in a open slightly arced position.
8. I use a “Handshoe” mouse which i can move but i still have to left and right click by pushing my right fingers with my left hand’s fingers. I also have bluetooth trackpads for my Mac and Windows machines that i use with my left hand.
9. other tools i use can also be found on my blog 🙂

Hope this is somewhat helpful. I can link you to the actual products that can all be found on Amazon if you would like.

Multiple Sclerosis, NEST, Technology, The Best, Tools, Vacuum

Tools of the Trade – Making life with MS easier – Part 1

Many of my friends know how into technology and home automation I am.  I really enjoy fixing things.  I always have.  I can remember early on in life fixing things around the house.  My technology crippled parents would be amazed when things like the toaster oven or microwave were working again after I fixed them.  Or the time I ended up converting all of the hard-wired rotary phones in the house to modular jacks and touch tone.  I ended up saving them $$ on their leased phones – you know the real heavy ones with the loud hammer bells?  I also used to get hand held video games and take them apart to see what made them tick and then put them back together again.  Sometimes a screw or part might have been missed so i’d do it all over again.  I LOVED IT.

My wife asked me to fix her towel rack the other day and I was worried I’d have to call someone and pay them as this would be something I could do no problem.  But MS has taken away a lot of skills from my right hand and arm so much that I so gladly would give just about anything to have back.  It sometimes brings me to anger or tears the things I can no longer do that I loved so much.  Well I’ll be damned, I actually did fix the towel rack for her.  It might have taken me a couple minutes longer and I invented new ways of doing it or holding and propping things up but it made me feel worthy again.  I even had the energy to put all the tools away and clean up afterwards.

“Tools” were then and even now a very important part of how we can get things done.  I’d like to share with you some things that I use to try to make my life with MS a little easier.

Neato Robotic Vacuum!  Does a better job than the cleaning lady!  Cool patterns too!  http://www.neatorobotics.com/

20130511-214709.jpg

neato

 

 

 

 

Grabber Tool.  Why bend over if you dont have to?  Unger 92134 36-Inch Nifty Nabber Pick-Up Tool with Aluminum Handle

grabber

 

 

 

 

 

NEST – Thermostat – www.nest.com – Control your heating and cooling right from the web or your smartphone!

Nest-BR

 

nest

 

I will post more tools of my trade that make MS life much easier in my next post.  To be continued…Part 2!

Technology

Another Prank Phishing Support call…TO Me

prankcall
Prank Phishing call

These are fake support calls from a person of Indian dialect. One time I even had a woman on the line trying the scam on me.  Clearly u can hear the others in the sweatshop call house running the same script to fake you into compromising your computer and getting you to give up information you should not. This could include credit card or other payment for services that are not necessary making you believe that your computer is sending out viruses to their server or some other BS.
They have called me many times before as well as 4 times today after I messed with them and told them I knew their scam and what they were doing.

Them:  “Who Told you this is a scam?”

Me: “Bill Gates…”

Their phone #’s are always fake or private too.
Call a reputable local computer technician if u r having problems. NO ONE WILL CALL YOU!  Enjoy the snippet of video HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBUlrdc4WyY

Technology, The Best

Doorbot – Gadget of the Month

doorbotAnyone who knows me, knows I’m all about gadgets.  I love home automation and making things easier for myself.  Work Smarter, not Harder – RIGHT?

Well I’m revisiting a gadget I saw a while ago but was still in the manufacturing stage and pre-order phase.  In fact it even went thru a redesign and footprint shrink and was seen on #SharkTank.  Meet the #Doorbot.  www.doorbot.com.  A secure Wifi audio/video Doorbell that calls your mobile device no matter where you are.  I just received it the other day and set it up.   Although I still need to physically secure it outside by the door, it can be powered by your existing doorbell or taken off and charged quickly.  The unit already comes fully charged and is supposed to last about a year?!  Setup was fairly simple.  Video is slightly jenky / unclear but 2-way audio is fairly decent.  The Camera eye is adjustable from the back I did test when the device was right next to the iPhone so I did experience some delay / feedback.  The 1 thing I would like to see is the ability to initiate the view of the door from the iPhone without someone pressing the button at the #Doorbot !  Cool Gadget though.  Should help me with the next package I have to sign for or Jehovah’s Witnesses that I can not answer the door for 🙂

Discount code “DOORBOT-TEN” http://curebit.com/x/4YsEBq