Hi all,
Sorry I've been missing recently--paying job and all that.
"Japan has developed a fitness robot to help its rapidly aging population stay in shape.
Taizo is a small humanoid bot that can perform a number of calisthenics routines. It's covered with a plush white material and looks like Frosty the Snowman in a pressure suit.
Taizo, a play on "taiso" (gymnastics), has 26 joints, or degrees of freedom, and can do about 30 moves, mostly while sitting down. Its internal structure is fairly simple and resembles many of the robot kits sold in hobby stores in Japan.
The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), a state-run research center, and General Robotix, a spinoff company, created Taizo to help lead groups of older Japanese in rehabilitation exercises and general fitness routines."
"The developers plan to start leasing Taizo units next year, but did not say for how much. According to a Sankei News report, they plan to sell the robots for about $8,000 apiece.
That may sound exorbitant, but two key factors will help Taizo's commercialization. One is the vast number of elderly and infirm Japanese who need help with mobility and exercise. The number of centenarians in the country has doubled to more than 40,000 over the past six years, and it's expected to hit almost 1 million by 2050. Since Japan sees little to no immigration, there is a labor shortage and machines are expected to meet the demand for workers."
Elsewhere... "Rising incidents of identity theft are forcing people to be more cautious, vigilant of credit card bills and to act immediately, according to a subject expert with the Florida Office of the Attorney General.
"That is the way it is this day and age with all the technology out there," Theresa Ronnebaum told a gathering of about 25 senior citizens Tuesday at the Brannon Center.
The gathering was the first consumer education seminar on identity theft scheduled for the five Volusia County senior centers run by the Council on Aging. An anonymous grant is funding the monthly consumer education speakers and lunches for the coming year."
"Resolving identity theft can take between 500 and 1,200 hours of phone calls, letter writing and appearing before creditors.
The best way to reduce the chances of identity theft is to protect valuable documents.
Ronnebaum suggested not carrying Social Security cards, but to put them in safe storage places. She also recommended photocopying credit cards, drivers licenses and other documents carried in wallets and purses.
Other recommendations included shredding mail and other documents before throwing them out, not leaving mail in the curbside mailbox and reviewing credit histories at least once a year through one of the three bureaus -- Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. A history shows credit account and activity. It is different from a credit score that usually requires paying a fee."
And finally, "After nearly 15 years of serving senior citizens, Bill Crawford has seen - and heard - it all.
Crawford, director of case management for the Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging, loves listening to his clients reminisce about old holiday traditions and historic tales of decades past.
But then there are the less enjoyable moments on the job.
While delivering meals to homebound seniors over the last several years, Crawford has found numerous clients incapacitated by injury and unable to call for help.
For this reason, Crawford is always on the lookout for ways to equip senior citizens with the technology to help them in the event of an emergency.
Crawford's newest venture is collecting old cell phones and having them refurbished for use by seniors.
The Cell Phones for Seniors program sends old phones to Florida-based RMS Technology Inc., which reprograms them to only dial 911, and gives the Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging a small fee for the parts it collects. The funds collected by the agency go to help supplement the nonprofit organization's budget.
According to Crawford, the phones are then handed out to low-income residents throughout Page and Shenandoah counties and three other localities in northwestern Virginia.
"I have been trying to find cost-effective ways to keep people safe in their homes," Crawford said. "[Senior citizens] deserve support and they're a great population to work for. We run into people that really need the technology but can't afford it."
Crawford also has been key in starting other successful technology programs for seniors, including one that gives auto-dialers and "photo phones" to visually, cognitively and hearing impaired citizens.
The auto-dialers allow senior citizens who have fallen or been hurt to call any of three numbers preprogrammed into the device, Crawford said.
The photo phone is a landline phone that lets the user insert up to nine pictures that correspond with speed-dial buttons. The phone also blinks so hearing-impaired seniors can see when a call is coming in.
"It's obvious that a little technology can go a long way to keeping them safe," Crawford said."
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