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Study says smart phones may worsen depression

By • Aug 26, 2015
Steve Carmody / Michigan Radio

A new study suggests, if you are depressed don’t pick up your smart phone.

Michigan State University's Prabu David, the dean of the college of Communication Arts and Sciences, was part of a team of researchers who studied common uses of smart phones, including as a way to alleviate feelings of sadness or depression.

Sheriffs urge public not to buy iPhone cases shaped like guns

By Arielle Hines • Jul 2, 2015
yingmeishow2011 / mandatory

Law enforcement officials are concerned about iPhone cases that look like guns. 

Numerous websites sell the cases, but police officers are urging the public not to buy them. 

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard says the cases are dangerous because people may mistake them for real guns. 

Who makes the decision to send emergency alerts to your phone?

By • Apr 7, 2015
Flickr user Mike Gifford / Flickr

One of the realities of spring in Michigan is dicey weather, and May marks the beginning of tornado season in the state. But there's a way for authorities to let us know if severe weather threatens.

It's right there on your smartphone: Wireless Emergency Alerts, or WEA.

This service came about through an agreement between cell phone providers who voluntarily signed up for this service, the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, and a few other federal agencies.

Stateside: An app for that ancient manuscript

By Michigan Radio Newsroom • Jan 29, 2013
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The following is a summary of a previously recorded interview. To hear the complete segment, click the audio above.

There is now an app for reading an ancient text.

The Papyrus App “Picture it: EP” allows one to browse the pages of the oldest existing manuscript of the letters of St. Paul.

Professor Arthur Verhoogt, Associate Professor of Papyrology and Greek at the University of Michigan helped design the app.

“The text is the most ancient manuscript of the letters of Saint Paul that exist. It dates to about [the year] 200,” said Verhoogt.

The texts are kept in a secure vault.

New app designed for early skin cancer detection

By • Jul 20, 2012
Tony Buser, flickr / Flickr

Every year, two million people in the United States get diagnosed with skin cancer, and 50,000 of them have melanoma.

Early detection is important for successful treatment, but regularly seeing a dermatologist to monitor skin health can be expensive and inconvenient.

Enter UMSkinCheck. The University of Michigan Medical School debuted the free app earlier this month. Dr. Michael Sabel, an associate professor of surgery at U of M, was the primary physician involved in the project.