A new study shows that deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a safe and effective intervention for treatment-resistant depression in patients with either unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar ll disorder (BP). The study was published Online First by Archives of General Psychiatry.

This is getting spooled right now for further examination. I wonder what relationship this treatment has to Electro-Shock Therapy.

You may think that, if an app is resident in memory, you have to somehow remove it to conserve memory. You don't because iOS does it for you. If there are Suspended apps lying around and you launch a memory-intensive app such as a big game, iOS will start to purge Suspended apps and move them to the Not Running state. That is, they will be completely removed from memory and will launch afresh the next time you tap their icon.

This is not all that different from certain devs who refuse to support devices with Android "task managers." Assuming, of course, that Android and iOS are doing their respective jobs, users never gain anything by manual task management.

That said, I have been known to kill certain apps that have obviously hung or are performing background operations that I deem unnecessary when in low battery mode. This can most easily be accomplished by disabling "syncing" on Android, but as far as I can tell, doing so also disables email syncing, so it's a no-go for me.

Notes:
1. FAQ: Why You Shouldn’t Be Using a Task Killer with Android: http://geekfor.me/faq/you-shouldnt-be-using-a-task-killer-with-android/
2. Google and Cyanogen comments imply task killer/manager apps are pointless: http://androinica.com/2010/05/google-and-cyanogen-comments-imply-task-killerm...

The crux of the matter here is that unlike the days of yore, where repressive regimes needed elaborate networks of secret police and informants to monitor communication, all they need now is control over the software and hardware we use. Our desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and all manner of devices play a role in virtually all of our communication. Think you're in the clear when communicating face-to-face? Think again. How did you arrange the meet-up? Over the phone? The web? And what do you have in your pocket or bag, always connected to the network?

This is what Stallman has been warning us about all these years - and most of us, including myself, never really took him seriously. However, as the world changes, the importance of the ability to check what the code in your devices is doing - by someone else in case you lack the skills - becomes increasingly apparent.

Zach and I talk a lot about the tradeoffs we're willing to make. It typically comes down to UX vs. freedom. Most people choose the use-able, including Zach, whereas I tend to choose the free or free-ish.

The author also repeats Cory Doctorow's argument that when cars and hearing-aids alike are general purpose computers, it becomes even more important than ever to be on our guard for malicious intentions hidden behind the idea of "proprietary."

classic.