Tatyana McFadden: A Formidable Force in Wheelchair Racing

Tatyana McFadden just won the Boston Marathon for wheelchair racing. This was her fourth victory with a time of 1:42:16. As she told People Magazine,

“It was tough and there was a headwind. I’m exhausted, but crossing the finish line definitely felt amazing. The crowd was really electric and helped carry all of us when we were tired and beaten down.”

Her win, however, is less impressive than her life story. Born with sina bifida, she spent the first six years of her life scooting around on her hands since the Russian orphanage where she lived had no wheelchairs. She wasn’t expected to survive, but she was adopted by two American women who nursed her to health and watched her become an incredible athlete.

She is the first person to ever win all four of the world’s major wheelchair racing marathons, having scooped wins in London, Boston, Chicago and New York. At the Paralympics in Rio, she will be competing in seven track and field events.

OrCam: So The Blind Can See

OrCam MyReader is a brilliant product. It is a glasses-mounted camera that can read your text to you, describe objects and identify faces. The tiny computer is wearable and uses audio feedback to relay visual information.

Created by the Israeli technology company OrCam, it will cost about $2,500. The camera takes photos of text or signs and then uses artificial vision software to read back the information. Read more about this amazing product and amazing company.

Taga Keeps You Active as You Enjoy Your Children

If you have stroller-aged children and you haven’t yet heard of the Taga Bike – you should. It’s simply brilliant. As they explain on their website, “Taga’s 3-wheel cargo bike design lets you ride with confidence. When you get to where you’re going, toggle effortlessly to stroller mode to go shopping or pop in for a latte. Then when it’s time to go, toggle back to bike mode and continue the adventure. You’ll pedal with the satisfaction of knowing Taga is a great form of exercise – and good for the environment, too. The world is waiting. Be moved by Taga.”

Taga is a bike that has room for a stroller – and that then converts into just a stroller when you’re no longer biking around. Particularly with obesity rates as they are, and people using their car all the time, the Taga is a brilliant way to get us moving. And to enable our young children to enjoy that time with us more.

Learn more about the Taga bike and stroller and start pedaling today.

Payment Will Soon be a Finger-Swipe Away

fingerprint-456483_960_720The day has arrived…almost. Those who live in Japan and are visiting there will soon be able to use just their fingertip to pay for goods and services. With plans to test it this summer, Japan is gearing up to have shops use a finger process for payments. Leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Japanese government is introducing this project to encourage visitors. Tourists will be able to opt in at the airports and share their personal information there.

Over 300 souvenir shops, restaurants and hotels have opted in to the experiment. These shops are located in tourist areas such as Hakone, Kamakura, Yugawara in Kanagawa Prefecture, and Atami in Shizuoka Prefecture. People will place two fingers on a machine that will recognize the owner and have relevant personal details.

The Ultimate Slumber Party

alcatraz-52912_960_720The Daily Mail recently put together an awesome list of places where you can have a slumber party. And no, we don’t mean at your Aunt Sally’s house. These are amazing locations where you are actually allowed to sleep for the night. Here are a few:

If you love the idea of a night at the museum, you can actually enjoy it now. The Natural History Museum in London offers their Dino Snores event where you can sleep over and enjoy special events for guests.

If you love Chelsea football, then why not spend a night in their stadium? This is available for children aged 5-10 and the package includes a tour of the stadium including the dressing room, a chance to meet the Chelsea mascot and a chance to sleep in the Chelsea FC Museum.


If you’re not too faint of heart, you can enjoy a night on Alcatraz Island in what used to be a prison. In San Francisco, you can take a tour, enjoy dinner and then sleep in one of the D-Blocks! Interest in this activity is so high that they have a lottery process and applications are accepted each year from November 1-30 for dates the following year.

See the whole list here.

A Grape a Day Keeps the Eye Doctor Away

grapes-449678_960_720While many people enjoy grapes and probably think they are good for your health – it might be surprising to learn just how good for your health they actually are. Researchers at the University of Miami have found that they can actually reduce the risk of going blind later in life.

The researchers found that the fruit protects against a chemical process that is called oxidative stress, something that releases harmful molecules into the retina. As Professor Abigail Hackam of the University of Miami explained,

“Adding grapes to the diet actually preserved retinal health in the presence of oxidative stress in this study.”

The research was published in the journal Nutrition and was based on a study with mice who were either fed freeze-dried whole grape powder or a regular control diet. With the grape enriched diet, both retinal structure and function were preserved.

As the professor explained, “These results are very exciting and build on the growing evidence that suggests a very real benefit for grape consumption and eye health.”

Certainly, many studies have shown the benefits of eating grapes, but none have focused before on eyesight.