Technology Slice Blog

Comcast Twitter - Chicago, Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan were being affected by a Comcast Internet outage late Sunday night according to a rash of complaints on Twitter and confirmation from Comcast officials. The outage of high-speed Internet started at 7:30 p.m. and the cause is being investigated, though no timeframe for a repair was offered. The ComcastCares Twitter account stated that there was a problem with Comcast DNS servers, similar to an outage affecting the Northeast on November 29. A temporary workaround recommended users change their DNS servers to the Google 8.8.8.8 setting, explained further here. Cable and phone service were not affected. Comcast Twitter

New Advanced Dental Technology In Cosmetic Dentistry - As a cosmetic dentist in New York City, Victor Oelbaum, DDS says he and his team go to great lengths to ensure each patient is comfortable and satisfied with their office, regardless of the procedure being performed. He adds that cutting-edge technology plays an important role in the comfort of their patients, as well as the dentists, dental specialists, hygienists, and office managers at the practice, which is why Dr. Victor Oelbaum and Associates is able to provide the highest standard of dental care possible. One area in particular Dr. Oelbaum says dental technology truly enhances his connection with patients is through the use of OPMI pico, an innovative dental microscope. When performing a range of procedures, whether general, cosmetic, or restorative in nature, Dr. Oelbaum says the microscope delivers detailed images that allow him and his team to better explain the diagnosis. Ultimately, he adds that providing patients wi...

New Multiple Sclerosis Treatment - Stem cells in the brain were found to regenerate myelin sheath which protect nerve fibers. Myelin also helps conduct electrical signals, impulses; it facilitates the good flow of electricity along the nervous system from the brain. Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have multiple areas where the myelin has disappeared, leaving a scar (sclerosis). Scientists from Cambridge and Edinburgh University found a biological "switch" which helps stem cells in the brain regenerate myelin in laboratory rats. They wrote about their research in Nature Neuroscience. However, it will be several years before any treatment for humans is developed and approved, they added. They hope their technology may help in the development of new medications that target the pathway they identified to halt and perhaps even reverse MS. In this study the scientists looked at how the MS patient's own stem cells repair myelin. They identified RXR-gamma, a specific...

Pittsburgh Steelers Take Lead - Troy Polamalu provided Ben Roethlisberger another chance to beat the Baltimore Ravens, and Pittsburgh's battered quarterback did just that. Roethlisberger threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Redman with 2:51 left after Polamalu forced a fumble with a sack of Joe Flacco, and the Steelers beat the Ravens 13-10 Sunday night to gain sole possession of first place in the AFC North. A fierce defensive battle turned when Polamalu hit Flacco's arm on a safety blitz. The loose ball was taken 19 yards by Lamarr Woodley to the Baltimore 9, setting up Pittsburgh's lone touchdown. Pittsburgh Steelers Take Lead

California Gay Marriage Ban Overturned - The long-running fight over gay marriage in California heads to a federal appeals court on Monday for two hours of high-stakes argument that could set the stage for an eventual showdown at the US Supreme Court. A three-judge panel of the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco must decide whether a federal judge was correct when he ruled in August that the US Constitution protects the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry. The federal judge said a state effort to restrict marriage to heterosexual couples “unconstitutionally burdens the exercise of the fundamental right to marry” guaranteed to all persons. The case has national implications because if the US Constitution protects a fundamental right to gay marriage, no state would be permitted to limit marriage to only those of different genders. Currently, 45 states have laws or constitutional provisions restricting marriage to one man and one woman. Five states – Massach...

Illegal Immigration Measures - Opponents of the measure, similar to Arizona's suspended law, fear alienating the fastest-growing voting bloc and further hampering the party's ability to win elections in the state. A nascent California ballot measure that seeks to replicate Arizona's controversial crackdown on illegal immigrants is dividing the state's Republicans, with a number of prominent strategists and leaders fearing that it could further harm their party's already fraught relationship with Latinos — the fastest-growing segment of the electorate. It's unclear whether the ballot's backers will have the financial resources to gather enough signatures to place the measure on the 2012 ballot. Several Republicans said that even the effort to do so has the potential to increase the chasm between the party's candidates and the voting bloc whose record-breaking turnout tilted races in November and delivered a clean Democratic statewide sweep in a yea...

Terrell Suggs Is Back - Among the many faces of Terrell Suggs is his self-described "Darth Sizzle." That's the Terrell Suggs who leans into a microphone with hooded sweatshirt pulled forward on his face and, for a few seconds, mumbles unintelligible lyrics for assembled reporters. At other times, the eighth-year Ravens linebacker will be alternately loud — for instance, singing the theme from the movie "Titanic" while walking out to practice — or hilariously funny — like the time he dressed up in skin-tight Wranglers and extra large tennis shoes for a '70s-themed Halloween party. But regardless of his ever-changing face, Suggs is always outrageous. And never more so than when the subject is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who arrive Sunday night at M&T Bank Stadium for an AFC North brawl that will probably decide the division race. Terrell Suggs Is Back