X1 Football Helmet Incorporates New Technology to Protect Players From Concussions

A lot of attention has been paid to the dangers of concussions in football since the death of former NFL defensive back Andre Waters and the release of a report that indicated concussions were tied to depression in ex-NFL players. Those incidents have led the NFL to undertake several new initiatives and, across the nation, football programs from the high-school to professional levels are taking a more proactive approach to preventing head injuries. A former Harvard quarterback and his innovative company are also contributing to the cause with their newest invention - the X1 football helmet.

The X1 is the product of Xenith LLC, a company established in 2004 by Vincent Ferrara - a Harvard quarterback in the mid-90s and a graduate of Columbia's business and medical schools. Ferrara founded Xenith with the mission of advancing safety and activity through innovation and education, and the company is currently focusing most of its attention on finding ways to reduce concussions through new technology. Much of the technology Xenith has developed so far is featured in the X1, which incorporates an innovative head protection system not currently seen in any other helmet. The system is called Xenith Adaptive Head Protection(TM), and it's comprised of patent pending "Aware-Flow(TM) Shock Absorbers" and a new fitting method known as "Fit Seeker(TM)". According to Xenith, the combined effect of these two technologies is designed to reduce the risk and severity of concussions and other traumatic brain injuries.

Here's how the system works: the X1 is equipped with 18 Aware-Flow Shock Absorbers embedded between the outer shell of the helmet and a flexible interior head piece. Each shock absorber is a lightweight, hollow disk made from thermoplastic urethane, with a small hole in the center that allows air to flow in and out. Unlike the foam in standard football helmets, the shock absorbers respond differently to high, medium and low impacts. The disks absorb a low-impact hit by slowly letting air out and compressing. But with a more forceful (high-impact) hit, air pressure inside the disk creates greater resistance - slowing down the speed at which the disks compress even further. The overall purpose of the X1's shock absorption system is to reduce the sudden movements of the head that often cause concussions. Meanwhile, the "Fit Seeker" component assures that the helmet doesn't go flying off during impact.

Recently, the X1 football helmet received approval from the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) - a nonprofit organization that commissions research and attempts to establish standards for athletic equipment. No word yet on whether the NFL is looking into this new technology, or when the X1 will be available for retail purchase.

You can find more information about Xenith and the technology involved in the X1 football helmet at http://www.xenith.com

Shad Connelly,
Executive Editor -
Invention & Technology News (http://news.inventhelp.com)

Blu-ray DVDs and History of Blu-ray Technology

Blu-ray technology refers to the technique used by manufacturers to develop blu-ray dvds . Blu-ray disc (BD) is an optical disc storage device used for storing video, computer games and other forms of data. It has a huge storage capacity, as much as 25 GB for a single layered compact disc (CD). It derives its name from the blu violet laser used to read the content stored in the disc. It uses a short wave length; smaller than the one in use by a standard DVD, but harbors the storage capacity of up to six DVDs combined.

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. blu-ray dvds were developed out of the need to provide an inexpensive device to play high definition content. Prior to its development, devices used proved to be highly inefficient and cumbersome. After the development of the blu laser diode, a project named 'DVR blu' was started whose focus was the development of rewritable discs. These discs would eventually be remodeled to become 'Blu-ray' discs. The inaugural Blu-ray discs were availed to the public in Japan only. However, this product lacked standardization for video recording and as a result, the major movie companies would not accept it.

Eventually the blu-ray standardization was developed. Subsequently a hard coating polymer for Blu-ray discs was invented. Because of this, the cartridges were no longer required and they were discarded. Blu-ray-Read Only Memory (ROM) discs were finalized during the same period. The earlier versions of the Blu-ray discs used the same technology used on standard DVD. However, modifications made on the discs greatly improved their storage capacity and allowed the commencement of movie storage using a 50 GB dual layer disc. Researchers eventually developed a product for the mass market. The Blu-ray disc was to be used on personal computers and was equipped with both single layer and dual layer capability.

blu-ray dvds faced stiff competition from High Definition (HD) DVDs. The HD DVDs had a more effective marketing strategy that made the Blu-ray discs seem expensive and cumbersome. However, they got a respite with the development of the third generation play station since it also functioned as Blu-ray disc player. With the passage of time, blu-ray discs outsold HD DVDs when mainly youngsters but also the general public purchased the third generation play station for entertainment.

Subsequently, the straw that broke the camel's back as it were was the decision by major movie houses to start using Blu-ray discs as opposed to HD DVD. This affected the operations of the manufacturers of the HD DVDs because movie houses were a significant market for their product. This action by the movie houses was followed by a decision among major retailers to stop stocking HD DVDs. After this development, the manufacturer of HD DVD stopped the production of this product.

Many observers credit the development of the third generation play station together with the superior marketing techniques employed by the proponents of the Blu-ray discs as the trigger that precipitated the sudden rise of the blu-ray dvds and consequently the fall of the HD DVDs.

Check out for movies lately released on blue-ray dvds and find easy-to-digest information on blu-ray technology.