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Dr. James Murrough and his team of researchers believe that a major breakthrough has been made in the treatment of severe depression. Ketamine, more commonly known as the hallucinogenic drug “Special K,” can be used to help those with severe depression overcome their systems. Normally the drug is taken in large does to for recreational purposes. But researchers found that when ketamine was administered in small doses, major differences were made for those were suffering from severe depression.

The test study being presented to the American Psychiatric Association was based on a simply hypothesis: “Could a single injection of ketamine be rapidly antidepressant?” The study compared patients 24 hours after they had taken either ketamine or another drug that has been used to treat depression. The results are dumbfounding.

63.8% of patients who took ketamine treatments experienced serious improvements with their symptoms of depression. Only 28 percent of those in the placebo group felt these same improvements. Even after a week of testing, close to 50% of ketamine patients still benefited from their treatment. Some patients were even feeling less depressed after just four hours of receiving their dosage.

Ketamine is already approved as an anesthetic, so there should be a limited amount of obstacles into getting the drug to market. That being said, ketamine is still a powerful hallucinogenic drug. It’s just a matter of time before some junkie fakes being depressed so he can get high and ruins the whole treatment for everyone.

Murrough is cautious about the product, and doesn’t even use it on his own patients. But he still understand the immediate appeal of using this drug. He can’t fault those who are already using it. “That clinicians are doing this speaks to the desperation of these patients,” he says. “Who am I to tell them, ‘sorry, but you need to wait five years for more research before you can feel better’?”

We should be joyous but cautious in approaching this new-found treatment. Hopeful for those who are suffering from this terrible disease, but concerned on whether or not this new drug can be abused.

Image via Flickr/ Ferran Rodenas

HP surprised market participants with guidance that was better than expected despite posting declining earnings and sales. Meg Wittman is still relatively new as the CEO and will be given some time to report upwardly trending earnings. Her mission at the moment is stabilization. It’s hard to imagine that a company that derives its revenues mainly from a commoditized business such as hardware could experience significant year over year increases in sales and revenue.

HP, the PC and printer giant, reported net profits of 87 cents a share in its second quarter, down 11% compared to a year earlier and 6 cents better analysts’ expectations. Sales at (NYSE:HPQ) fell 10% to $27.6 billion versus consensus estimates of $28 billion dollars. Guidance for the third quarter estimates earnings per share of 84-87 cents per share compared to estimates of 83 cents per share.

Not only is the current quarter’s EPS lower, by the 3-year EPS change rate is also lower by 5%. The 3-year growth rate at -2% is better than the current change, but does not project a profitable company. The dividend yield is an attractive 2.4%, with a price to earnings ratio of 6. With debt at 97% and a profit margin of 8.5%, the most attractive part of the stock is its low PE.

The last time HPQ made a significant move was after its last earnings release. The stock price is gaining traction and could close above weekly resistance near $24.05. Technical analysis indicators seem to be pointing to higher prices which would be clarified by a close through resistance. Weekly momentum reflected by a technical study call the moving average convergence divergence index (MACD) is increasing and recently generated a weekly buy signal. This occurs when the 9-week moving average minus the 26-week moving average crosses above the 9-week moving average of that difference.

Another technical indicator called the relative strength index, which measures if a stock is overbought or oversold is printing at 67 which is on the upper end of the neutral range. An RSI reading above 70 would indicate an overbought condition for the stock price.

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Score one for electric. Tesla Motors repaid its $465 million loan to the US Department of Energy, plus interest, a full nine years before it was due.

“I would like to thank the Department of Energy and the members of Congress and their staffs that worked hard create the [loan] program, and particularly the American taxpayer from whom these funds originate,” said Elon Musk, Tesla co-founder and CEO. “I hope we did you proud.“

The Department of Energy granted the loan three years ago as part of its Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program, and it was to be repaid by 2022. But last year Tesla received permission to pay the loan back by 2017. Now, thanks to the $1 billion Tesla raised last week in a stock and debt offering, it has become the first American car manufacturer in the program to fully repay the government.

“Today’s repayment is the latest indication that the Energy Department’s portfolio of more than 30 loans is delivering big results for the American economy while costing far less than anticipated,” U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said in a statement. “Today, Tesla employs more than 3,000 American workers and is living proof of the power of American innovation.”

The ATVM loan program was created by Congress under President Bush but implemented under the Obama Administration. Through the program—which is separate from the “bailout” funds offered to American auto manufacturers Chysler and GM—Tesla was lent almost half a billion dollars to assist in the development of its electric vehicles. Since then, the company has successfully launched its Model S and earlier this month became the first new US car manufacturer to post a profit in more than 50 years. According to Tesla’s first-quarter earnings report, sales were up 83 percent from the previous quarter, reaching $562 million.

After its stock rose 25 percent within 24 hours of its May 8 announcement, the company announced plans to raise additional capital by offering to more than 2 million shares of common stock. Tesla will also issue $450 million in convertible senior notes due in 2018. Plus, Tesla has granted its underwriters a 30-day option to purchase as many as 405,454 shares of common stock and $67.5 million in aggregate principal amount of notes. Meanwhile, Musk announced his intent to purchase $100 million in common-stock shares at the same public-offering price.

The loan repayment is not only significant for Tesla, but also welcome news for the DOE. Some companies that received  sizable loans through the ATVM program, such as Solyndra and Beacon Power, have since filed for bankruptcy, and Fisker Automotive saw its DOE loans frozen due to “unmet milestones.” Such issues caused 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to call the companies—as well as Tesla—“losers.”

Out from under its loans, Tesla can now focus on further building its brand, even while it projects to deliver 21,000 Model S cars to consumers in 2013. It also expects to start the production of an even-more affordable Model X next year.

Tesla Motors stock was up nearly 2 percent in midday trading following the announcement. Currently trading above $89, shares have nearly doubled in value in the past 30 days.

Image via Google

It seems like every day there’s another tech startup promising to make your life simpler and easier, with just the simple install of the latest app. The newest trend in technology applications are cloud-powered e-mail apps. Mailbox took the world by storm when it first launched in February of this year. So many people were using the app that it didn’t take long for Dropbox to swoop down and buy the company to reap the profits.

But today, Mailbox isn’t the brilliant success it once was. Despite the fact that the company is releasing an iPad version of their app today, the market for these email apps seem to be dwindling. The bubble is still their of course, as services of several other apps like Evomail and Mail Pilot can attest too. But the main problem is Gmail: the actual source of power for these email apps.

For a long time, Gmail didn’t even have a Gmail app for mobile devices. It was still by far and away the best new way of sending email at a computer, but when it came to anything besides your desktop, Gmail was far behind the curve.  This has all changed in recent years, as the Gmail app for iOS is now the number one ranked free app on the App Store. Mailbox is meekly ranked at number 53. Gmail’s app for iOS is smooth, fast, responsive, and a complete pleasure to use. Mailbox is still a great app, but they could be doing better things to improve their market share. Why not focus on design and speed instead of building a new version for a niche product?

The CEO of Mailbox, Gentry Underwood, commented that they were trying to make long-term decisions. To him, this meant that the company has to focus on the complaints of current users of the app, not users who aren’t using the app at all. This meant making an iPad app, which is little more than simply a larger version of the iPhone app. Despite Dropbox’s quick buy-up of the company, there seems to be no signs of Dropbox influencing the company just yet. This can be good or bad depending on your opinion of Dropbox, but for now it’s nice to see a tech startup be able to do its own thing even after being purchased by shareholders.

Google still has the reins of power though. Nearly everyone is using the service, and whether or not their using the app yet is simply a matter of time, as the company continues to make drastic strides in terms of speed and design. Email startup apps still have a place in the marketplace. The only question is for how long.

Shots fired! In the latest ad for Windows 8, Microsoft shows an iPad and one of their brand new Windows 8 Tablets side by side. The video continues as both devices run through the same tasks, but the Windows 8 tablet is able to use Powerpoint, and search for something else while watching a Youtube video. As the Windows tablet does something different, Siri’s voice comes on and complains that she can’t do the things the Windows tablet is doing, saying phrases like, “I’m sorry I can’t do that” or “I’ll just play Chopsticks then.” The final attack comes in the form of a price point: the $449 price point of the 64GB ASUS VIvoTab, and $699 price of Apple’s 64GB iPad model.

The last in the Mac vs. PC war feels like a call back to Apple’s “Get a Mac” campaigns and Microsoft’s counter response of “I’m a PC” ads. It’s actually quite nice to see these two companies dueling again. For a while, it seemed that Apple had everything go it for it: market share, better advertising, cooler products, and Steve Jobs at the helm. While Apple is still a leader on many of these accounts, the death of Jobs has seemed to stifle the company’s once famed innovation. No longer is Apple on the cutting-edge of technology. Rather, they just seem to be responding to trends. Instead of creating brand new devices like they did with the first iterations of smartphones and tablets, Apple seems content to simply make their current devices marginally better each year.

This is not to say that Apple’s products are bad by any means. I still think that if you’re willing to spend the money, and MacBook or iPad device is considerably than its Windows counterpart. But competition is healthy and necessary for technology to innovate and expand. Without competition, we would have one company dominating with a complete monopoly on the technology market. Domination stifles technological advances, so I for one am glad to see that Microsoft is back in the race once again.

Microsoft has 1 billion dollars ready to go for the next iteration of Windows ads, so this ad certainly won’t be the last of its kind. I just hope the next one is actually funny.

Image via YouTube/UMHealthSystem

You might think that 3D printing has a long ways to go before it can become useful. Or maybe you’re scared that some people want to use 3D printers to manufacture unregistered guns. Whatever you may think, you should know today that 3D printing saved a baby’s life.

Little Kaibo Gionfriddo started to stop breathing and turn blue randomly as he gradually grew older. He would spend weeks in the hospital, with doctors desperately trying to help him. Kaiba is found to have tracheomalacia, a medical condition which causes the lungs to collapse when more air is needed. Nearly every doctor who worked on him said he would have little to no chances of living. The Gionfriddo family was desperate.

Thankfully Dr. Glenn Green had the foresight to try something different. After cat scanning Kaibo, Dr. Green and other doctors were able to see just what they could to stop Kaibo’s breathing problems. By using a 3D printer, they were able to create a splint that allowed Kaibo to breathe. As soon as the treatment was administered, Kaibo immediately started breathing normally again.

Dr. Scott Hollister, who worked with Dr. Green on the operation was amazed by its success. “Kaiba’s case is definitely the highlight of my career so far. To actually build something that a surgeon can use to save a person’s life? It’s a tremendous feeling.”

Kaibo’s case is rare, but its uniqueness should not affect the use of 3D printing as a miraculous technology. When all hope seems lost in a medical situation, we now can take advantage of new technology to help people who would never have been able to survive.

“Severe tracheobronchomalacia has been a condition that has bothered me for years,” says Dr. Green. “I’ve seen children die from it. To see this device work, it’s a major accomplishment and offers hope for these children.”

The Gionfriddo family is incredibly grateful to Dr. Green, Dr. Hollister, The University of Michigan, and the technology of 3D printing for saving their sons life. Let’s hope Kaibo case isn’t the last use of 3D printing for medical purposes.

Is Taylor Swift’s new song “22” an accurate representation? Conan O’Brien doesn’t think so. In her video, Taylor Swift and some equally-attractive and glammed out girls dance around with pom-poms, eat cake and hang out poolside as Swift sings lyrics such as, “It feels like a perfect night to dress up like hipsters, and make fun of our exes, it feels like a perfect night for breakfast at midnight, to fall in love with strangers.”

Sure, Taylor, maybe that’s what it’s like if you become a superstar while you’re still in your teens. But for most of us, Conan’s interpretation of 22 is a lot more realistic.

“Taylor Swift is great . . . but I know what it’s like to be 22,” Conan says to the camera. “I don’t think that that’s an accurate representation of what it’s like to be 22,” Conan says. He calls out Swift for her decked-out apartment, and continues “I didn’t see any ramen noodles in that video. That’s all you’re eating when you’re 22.”

Conan continues to recall life as a 22-year-old when describing a tall, carrot-topped young man with bad skin who’s greatest excitement is going to see “St. Elmo’s Fire,” starring all of his favorite actors.

“When you’re 22, you don’t even go outside. There’s nowhere to go, no one to talk to, you don’t even have a girlfriend,” says Conan. “That’s what it’s like for everybody when they’re 22. Everybody.“

Conan adds, “You’re a freak so no one talks to you. You just sit in your apartment, you watch ‘Saved by the Bell’ and eat Ramen noodles. Occasionally you spice it up by having Lucky Charms.”

So whose recount of 22 is more accurate? For those of us who had nowhere near Swift’s success by 22 we’re gonna call it for Conan.

“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.” So says the classic shampoo commercial, but a new study indicates a lot of people believe they’re beautiful when they are, in fact, average in appearance. Researchers from the universities of Chicago and Virginia have shown that subjects see themselves as better-looking than they actually are, while rating others based on their actual appearance. Scientists Nicholas Epley and Erin Whitchurch took photos of study participants and, using computers, created more-attractive and less-attractive versions. When asked to choose unmodified image, subjects were most likely to select the attractively-enhanced version.

The results are contrary to a recent promotion from Dove in which women were asked to describe their own faces to a sketch artist. Later, a briefly-acquainted stranger was also asked to describe the women’s faces. When the two drawings were later shown to the women, they were generally surprised to find the stranger’s description produced a sketch of a more-beautiful person.

Dove’s experiment is a great concept, but Epley and Whitchurch don’t believe its results. They describe a general phenomenon psychologists call “self-enhancement.” Research has shown that people not only over-estimate their appearance, but also their likelihood to engage in desirable behaviors. For example, people overestimate their likelihood to vote and the amount of money they donate to charity. Meanwhile, they more accurately estimate positive behaviors displayed by others.

Obviously, not everyone can be above average. But 93 percent of drivers rate their skills as above average. Likewise, 94 percent of college professors believe they do above average work, most people believe they are less likely to fall ill than others, and investors think their stock picks are more likely to be successful than others.

At the same time, most people also predict they provide more accurate self-assessments than others. So are they confident or delusional? Probably a little of both. Scientists believe the phenomenon occurs because of the adaptive nature of self-enhancement. Basically, people tend to show strong negative emotional responses toward deceivers. But through self-enhancement, they truly believe their own desirable characteristics, so they can promote themselves without lying, which boosts their confidence.

Extra confidence drives people to perform better, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Go ahead and delude away.

Americans have long been advised not to drink the water when traveling to Mexico. But now some of our neighbors to the north—those living in Montreal—are under a boil advisory. City officials have advised residents to avoid using tap water for drinking, brushing teeth, washing food and even cooking without boiling it first. Likewise, some schools have been told to stop using drinking fountains.

What happened? According to officials, the city’s Atwater filtration plant, which supplies water to much of the south and east of Montreal, failed a recent test. The plant has been undergoing renovations during the past four years and, therefore, water levels in the reservoir have dipped. But on May 22 water fell to an unusually low level, allowing sediment to mix with the water. As a result, some residents noticed brown tap water.

Despite the water advisory, officials do not believe anyone will actually become ill from drinking the water.

“This is strictly a preventative measure at this point. We didn’t notice any bacterial contamination the water—strictly turbidity, just sediment,” Montreal fire department division chief Gordon Routley told CTV. “We think (illness) is unlikely but we can’t rule out the possibility.”

Residents, who have been advised to call 8-1-1 if they notice any health symptoms related to the water, are taking the advisory seriously. Hospitals have changed their water usage, schools and cafeterias have begun using bottled water, and local Starbucks have stopped selling coffee and tea – only serving pre-bottled beverages.

Areas of Montreal that get their water from sources other than the Atwater plans are not affected by the event.

It’s amazing how far smartphone technology has come in just 4 years. Nowadays, the latest iteration of Android (4.2.2) has an incredible amount of features including:

1. NFC or Near Field Communication, which allows you to share files simply by putting touching two NFC compatible devices together.
2. HDR Camera mode.
3. Flawless speech to text translation.
4. Google Now, which gives you the right information about anything you want, whenever you need it.

Yet back in 2009, Android developers were excited that at last, Android phones now have a virtual keyboard! With virtual tactile feedback! In addition, the virtual keyboard would correct your misspellings, and suggest words for you to use. Yes, the beginning of autocorrect, thought what’s most noticeably funny in this video is that The Pirate Bay, one of the world’s biggest illegal downloading sites, is one of the search terms that is suggested. Oops. Regardless, while these innovations may seem petty and ancient to our eyes today, back in 2009 this was cutting-edge stuff.

You may not believe, but before this version of Android release, you couldn’t upload, record, or even watch videos on your phone. Gasp! What were people even using their smartphones for?

Another feature presented in this video was the ability to upload a YouTube video while still being able to use your phone however else you wanted. That means you could send at text, make a call, or even watch another YouTube video while your YouTube file was uploaded. We can’t imagine how this would actually work in practice considering how weak devices were back in the day, but then again, most YouTube uploads back in the day were so grainy and compressed that uploading such a file wouldn’t be that processor intensive anyway.

The presenter is also thrilled to show us, that by rotating the phone you can change any app between both a landscape and portrait presentation. Remember when this was the coolest thing ever? I remember some of my early adopter friends wowing me with this feature constantly, but overtime it just became second nature to us, and we get surprised when any phone nowadays doesn’t do it.

Also in this presentation is the introduction of Google search via voice. Meaning, just press a button, say what you want to search for, and Google will search it for you. Voice to text technology has come a long way, but it’s interesting to see that this is was 4 years ago when Google first started implementing this feature.

Last but not least, this version of Android introduced widgets. I still think these features are underused even today, but it’s cool to see how far ahead of the time Google was.

You can watch this video and laugh at how old these features seem. Or you can marvel how far Android has come in just four short years. Who knows what the next four years will bring?