Referendum voting is low and slow on west coast islands

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Presiding officer Praic Conghale, garda Paul Quinn and poll clerk Praic Donoghue look on as Kathleen Conneely casts her vote on Inis Orr. Photograph: Eric Luke

Underwhelming was how several presiding officers summed up activity on nine west coast islands yesterday as the first polling stations opened for the Seanad and court of appeal referendums.

Four Galway West constituency islands and five offshore communities in Donegal South-West were entitled to cast their votes two days ahead of the rest of the State.

On Inishbofin, Co Galway, development manager Simon Murray was first into the polling station ahead of a 9am ferry to Cleggan and a journey to Dublin. He was part of a seven-strong delegation of Comdhil Oilen na hireann, the Irish Islands Federation, which travelled to the Dl to present the islands case for continued funding if populations are to be maintained.

Inis OrrBy late evening on the smallest of the three Aran islands, Inis Orr, 67 people had voted from a total electorate of just over 200 .

On neighbouring Inis Mein, turnout was about 20 per cent by 5.30pm, while in Cill Ronin on Inis Mr, one of two polling stations on the largest Aran island, 95 of 327 registered voters had been recorded by 9.30pm, according to presiding officer Lena Gill.

In Donegal, Sandra Gallagher, one of two presiding officers on Arranmore island, put turnout at about 21 per cent by close of voting in the Leadhgarbh polling station.

Three Mayo communities of Clare, Inishbiggle and Inishturk vote today, and the seven Cork islands tomorrow.

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Referendum voting is low and slow on west coast islands

Fitch Rates Virgin Islands' $51MM Matching Fund Bonds 'BBB'; Outlook Stable

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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Fitch Ratings assigns a 'BBB' rating to the following revenue bonds of the Virgin Islands Public Finance Authority (VIPFA):

--$51.33 million revenue refunding bonds (Virgin Islands matching fund loan note), series 2013B (senior lien).

The bonds refund outstanding senior lien matching fund revenue bonds for debt service savings and sold via private placement on Sept. 30, 2013.

The Rating Outlook is Stable.

SECURITY

Special, limited obligations of VIPFA payable from and secured by a pledge of and lien on the trust estate of the senior lien indenture, primarily matching fund revenues associated with the Cruzan and Diageo facilities located on the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI).

KEY RATING DRIVERS

ESTABLISHED PLEDGED REVENUE STREAM: Matching funds are an established revenue stream based on federal law derived from substantially all excise taxes imposed and collected on certain products produced and exported to the U.S.; primarily rum. As the matching fund revenues are not an appropriated revenue source of the U.S. government, they did not fall under the provisions of the recent U.S. federal funding sequestration.

RECENTLY REVISED PLEDGED REVENUE FORECAST WEAKENS SECURITY: The final form of the verification and revenue report issued in conjunction with the recent offering of series 2013A matching fund loan notes was revised substantially from prior forecasts of IHS Global Insight. The revision corrects errors made in calculating the receipt of matching fund revenue from Diageo production and lowers expected total matching fund revenue starting in fiscal 2013 (year ended Sept. 30, 2013) by an annual average of 11.8% through the life of the bonds.

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Fitch Rates Virgin Islands' $51MM Matching Fund Bonds 'BBB'; Outlook Stable

Health care overhaul sees shaky start in Brazos County

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The online marketplace for health insurance opened Tuesday, and local agencies are gearing up to help the residents of Brazos County without insurance to find coverage.

The first day for uninsured Texans to find health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act got off to a rocky start, with technical difficulties grinding the government health care website to a halt. While the website struggled to accommodate the online traffic, local offices and groups found the new market got off to a quiet start.

The Brazos Valley Community Action Agency and St. Joseph said there was little to no activity from residents wanting to explore the new health care options on the first day.

"It's Day One and this is a six-month open enrollment period, so if someone goes on the site or didn't try it today because they were confused about what it meant, that's absolutely OK," said Tim Ottinger, vice president of communications and marketing with St. Joseph. "There is a lot of time for them to become educated and informed about getting health insurance."

Much of the publicity for the new exchange marketplace and options for the uninsured is yet to come. HealthPoint, St. Joseph, Project Unity and the Brazos Valley Council of Governments are forming a coalition to coordinate efforts to share information and put people in contact with counselors in the community. There will also be presentations and plans to set up at different locations for people to get registered on site.

United Way of the Brazos Valley is also taking calls at 2-1-1 to help direct people who may have questions about the health care law.

Eric Todd, clinical CEO of HealthPoint, the health services division at BVCAA, said there will soon be a campaign to publicize an 800 phone number where residents can locate a counselor in the area who will walk them through their health care options.

HealthPoint has nine certified counselors who went through the federal training program to help prepare people to find their way through the online marketplace registration. Those counselors got between five and seven hours of training, and three more employees of HealthPoint are going to be certified this week. There are also navigators, who took about 30 hours of training and can help both individuals and small businesses extend insurance to their employees and take advantage of tax credits.

Ottinger said counselors will be available to sit down on site and talk about what kind of service might be appropriate. There are multiple levels of coverage depending on age, health, family size and financial situation, and the counselors will help determine which is the best option for each individual.

Some may opt for a lower copay and deductible with a higher monthly cost if they need a lot of health services, but someone who is relatively healthy and won't often seek medical attention may go for a higher copay for a lower monthly cost.

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Health care overhaul sees shaky start in Brazos County

Global Futurist and Business Forecaster Jack Uldrich to Keynote Sixteen Events in October

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San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) October 02, 2013

Following on the heels of successful keynote presentations at SingTel's CIO Days in Hong Kong, Optus Vision 2013 in Sydney and the European Association of International Educators in Istanbul, popular keynote speaker, renowned global futurist and best-selling author, Jack Uldrich has been selected to deliver sixteen customized keynote presentations in the month of October to the following organizations:

October 1: Industrial Asset Mgmt Council (Salt Lake City) October 3: BP (formerly British Petroleum) (Mpls, MN) October 3: United Healthcare (Minneapolis, MN) October 4: Council for Advancement and Support of Education (San Diego, CA) October 9: United Healthcare (Dallas, TX) October 9: Scottish Rite Hospital (Dallas, TX) October 10: Arkansas Hospital Assoc. (Little Rock, AK) October 14: IMEX America (Las Vegas, NV) October 15: Invensys (Dallas, TX) October 16: Applied Information Management Institute (Kearney, NE) October 23: Atmos Energy (Dallas, TX) October 24: Arizona Hospital Association (Phoenix, AZ) October 25: Board of Trustees of Arizona Hospital Association (Phoenix, AZ) October 27: The Electronic Component Industry Association (Chicago, IL) October 28: Franklin Templeton (San Francisco, CA) October 30: Eaton Corporation (Amelia Island, FL)

The titles of Uldrichs presentations range from Why Future Trends Demand Unlearning and The Big AHA: How to Future-Proof Your Business to Business as Unusual: 19 Ways Unconventional Ways to Succeed Tomorrow and The New Normal is Abnormal. Much of the material for Uldrichs keynote presentations will be drawn from his two latest books, "Foresight 2020: A Futurist Explores the Trends Transforming Tomorrow and Higher Unlearning: 39 Post-Requisite Lessons for Achieving a Successful Future, as well as his forthcoming book, Business as Unusual: 19 Unconventional Ways to Future-Proof Yourself and Your Company.

Uldrichs engaging, entertaining and educational presentations will cover trends in information and communication technologies, robotics, cloud computing, next generation mobile and social technologies, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and Big Data, and are designed to provide attendees a solid foundation upon which they can take action to create their own successful futures. A synopsis of some of Uldrichs ideas on information technologies can be found in this article, 10 Future Mobile Trends for CIOs to Consider Today.

In addition to covering future trends, Uldrich will also provide an overview of how technological change and enhanced mobility is rapidly changing customer expectations and behavior and, in the process, upending long-standing business models. Uldrich, who has been hailed as "America's Chief Unlearning Officer," will conclude his talks by reviewing the consequences of not embracing tomorrows changes. Throughout his presentations, Uldrich will use vivid analogies and memorable stories, drawn from a wide spectrum of industries, to ensure his message of change "sticks" with his audience. (A sample of his talk on unlearning can be viewed here: Futurist Jack Uldrich on Why Future Trends in Health Care Demand Unlearning.)

In the past year, Uldrich has addressed hundreds of business and trade groups from around the world, including delivering customized keynote presentations at ten McGladrey Emerging Technology Summits across the United States, Case IH, Emerson, the Womens Food Forum, PepsiCo, United Healthcare, Boston Scientific, Southern Company, Cisco, IBM, WiPro, Parsons Brinckerhoff, and various YPO and WPO groups.

Parties interested in learning more about Jack Uldrich, his books, his daily blog or his speaking availability are encouraged to visit his website at: http://www.jumpthecurve.net. Media wishing to know more about the events or interviewing Jack Uldrich can contact him directly at 612-267-1212 or jack(at)schoolofunlearning(dot)com.

Uldrich is a renowned global futurist, technology forecaster, best-selling author, editor of the quarterly newsletter, The Exponential Executive, and host of the award-winning website, http://www.jumpthecurve.net. He is currently represented by a number of professional speakers' bureaus, including Leading Authorities, Convention Connection, Gold Star Speakers Bureau and Executive Speakers Bureau.

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Global Futurist and Business Forecaster Jack Uldrich to Keynote Sixteen Events in October

Autodesk Futurist Redesigns the Hyperloop Using New Materials, Construction Methods

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PHOTO courtesy of white clouds

Autodesk's redesign of Hyperloop requires specialized equipment to weave transit tubes out of carbon-fiber composite materials while maintaining the tubes' original 7-ft, 4-in. diameter.

PHOTO courtesy of white clouds

The proposed new design for Hyperloop's transit tubes weaves them out of one ring of carbon fiber and then pinches it into a figure 8, forming two independent tubes.

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A design software leader is rethinking the construction methods and materials for Hyperloop Alpha, the high-speed mass-transit proposal that shoots passenger-filled capsules suspended on air cushions through low-pressure tubes. The new design pushes for yet-to-be-realized advances in construction and composites technology.

"We're almost obliged to check it out," says Jordan Brandt, Autodesk technology futurist, about the company's responsibility as an industry leader to weigh in on the Hyperloop proposal. "I'm a mad scientist," adds Brandt, who created the 3D cloud collaboration technology Glue that got the attention of Autodesk, which acquired both his former company, Horizontal Systems, and Brandt himself.

To get the ball rolling within Autodesk, Brandt did a rough redesign of serial entrepreneur Elon Musk's original proposal. He changed the two parallel, horizontally placed steel transit tubes to a single carbon-fiber-weave circle that is pinched into a figure eight to form two vertically stacked tubes. Brandt shared his idea with Autodesk's design experts to improve upon in Autodesk Fusion, a 3D CAD program that allows for design collaboration.

The idea of using composites such as carbon fiber for the tubes is tempting because it would extend the distance between the tube's support piers to 130 ft from 100 ft and reduce the probability of pressure loss inside the tube, says Brandt. Musk's original proposal called for steel sections to be trucked into place and joined with welds, creating hundreds of thousands of opportunities for leakage along a proposed 350-mile-long route from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

Brandt's construction method would use a rolling braiding machine to weave the tubes in place from spools of fiber material and fuse them with resin as they pass out of the braider. He says Musk's original concept was spot on with the physics but thinks some of the construction methods can be improved upon. He adds that Musk's openness at giving the idea to the public to improve is exactly what Autodesk is trying to encourage. Beyond the groundbreaking innovation required for Hyperloop, Brandt's own suggestion needs a lot of innovation to move from digital design to reality.

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Autodesk Futurist Redesigns the Hyperloop Using New Materials, Construction Methods

Freedom Flight 2013: A day full of stories

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With 150 veterans on this weeks Story County Freedom Flight to Washington, D.C., there are at least 150 stories to tell. Probably more.

You can find any kind of story in the military, said veteran Stanley Twedt, of McCallsburg. Humor, bravery, loss, romance anything. There are a lot of stories out there.

The Story County Freedom Flight a flight providing veterans a chance to visit Washington, D.C., that took place Tuesday included stories during every part of the flight. They were swapped at 3:30 a.m. in the parking lot, waiting to board the buses for the airport, on the plane headed to Washington, on park benches in front of war memorials and on the bus returning to Ames.

Interestingly enough, however, the story the veterans seemed to be involved in at the World War II Memorial seemed to be discussed the least.

Sure, there was talk about the government shutdown that occurred only a few hours before the flight was to take place.

(Renee Twedt) and I both had a lot of phone calls yesterday from different TV channels, Story County Veterans Affair Director and Freedom Flight organizer Brett McClain said on the flight Tuesday. A lot of people asking questions. A lot of veterans asking us, Are we still going today? Yes. Were still going.

Aside from occasional small talk about the shutdown and whether restrooms at the monuments would be open or closed, the main topic of discussion in the buses and planes of Story County veterans didnt involve battles between Congress and the Senate or resolution meetings.

For James Tustison, a Vietnam veteran from Ames, the topic was foreign airplanes.

Fresh out of high school in 1957, Tustison joined the U.S. Air Force. Before he knew it, he was working as a traffic analyst, monitoring radio traffic and breaking codes to determine where Russian aircraft were flying.

At that time, we could tell you where almost every Russian airplane was, if it was in the air, what unit he belonged to, where he was going and frequently what he was carrying, Tustison said. Wed intercept that traffic, decipher their code words and track the airplanes.

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Freedom Flight 2013: A day full of stories

Freedom Autosport closes season with a win for Nunez, Miller at Lime Rock

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LAKEVILLE, Conn.Freedom Autosport closed the 2013 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season with a win at Lime Rock Park, marking the second consecutive ST victory for the team.

Joel Miller and Tristan Nunez piloted the winning No. 27 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5. It was Nunezs first appearance with the team and Millers second, but the two showed their adaptability and speed for the duration of the 2.5-hour race.

Nunez qualified sixth with a quick time of 59.428 around the 1.5-mile track. When the race started, Nunez quickly worked his way up to third, where he spent the majority of his stint.

There was a lot of traffic, says Nunez. I made my way up to third, but it was difficult. I havent had to fight that hard for position all season.

Race Winners- #27 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5: Joel Miller, Tristan Nunez

Photo by: Art Fleischmann

Miller knew that the Mazda was fast enough to win, but first he had to work his way around three slower cars. We were stuck behind a blockade! This track is known to be difficult to pass on, so I was trying to go down the inside (in turn one), Miller says, adding that when the competition blocked the inside line, we had to find something else to do. I made the decision to go around the outside.

That proved to be the right decision, and Miller was poised for the lead when a caution began. The green flag waved with just five minutes left in the race, and Miller wasted no time taking over the top spot. He led four laps to give Freedom Autosport their second consecutive win.

Its by far the hardest racing Ive had all year, but the Freedom Autosport guys gave us an amazing car, and its incredible to drive, says Nunez.

This is the third win of the season for Freedom Autosport. The team also earned three second-place finishes. The Freedom Autosport crew and drivers have been amazing all season, says team co-owner Derek Whitis. The crew gave us great cars every weekend, and we were able to show what a fast, consistent race car the Mazda MX-5 is.

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Freedom Autosport closes season with a win for Nunez, Miller at Lime Rock

Freedom Climber: Four Exercise Experiences, Dozens of Individual Workouts

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(PRWEB) October 02, 2013

Terry McCall, inventor of the Freedom Climber (a non-motorized rotating climbing wall which has been featured on Extreme Makeover Home Edition and the DIY networks Man Cave), has expanded the function of his unique wall system to include resistance training, body weight suspension training and vertical training. The space saving design, which has an incredibly small footprint of just 7 square feet and fits in rooms with 8 foot ceilings, can be installed in spaces the size of an average bedroom.

By adding additional functional training exercises to the system, McCall has created a fitness equipment that strives to provide an all in one workout experience.

At the recent CanFitPro Convention in Toronto, McCall and his daughter coached trade show attendees on how to utilize the system in a circuit format going from climbing to resistance training to suspension training to vertical training then back to climbing. Fitness enthusiasts know that climbing works every muscle in your body from your fingertips to your toes, but because of the continuous rotation of the Freedom Climber, climbing on the rotating surface very quickly becomes a cardio event. McCall explained how the Freedom Climber works: It is the climbers weight that causes the rotation. A non-motorized mechanism controls the rotational speed. As the climber climbs upward, the rotating surface rotates downward nullifying the climbers ascent. The climber is going through the motions of climbing up but the downward rotation continually brings the climber back down to a safe proximity with the floor; thus no need for harnesses and ropes; and thus the name Freedom Climber.

McCall added, By simply creating a few connecting points to the perimeter of the wall, our system now incorporates the other functional training aspects as well. Now three people can be working out at the same time. One individual can be climbing, a second can be doing resistance training on the one side while a third is doing suspension training on the other side.

It was the addition of two loop holds at about eye height that transformed the Freedom Climber into a vertical training wall that is extremely cardio in nature. Grabbing those holds and moving your body weight rapidly up and down the center of climbing surface is like doing wall sprints.

McCall says the cost of the system is roughly $8000.00. He notes that the advantage is you dont need to give up a room. Just give up a wall and gain a fun, challenging fitness system for the whole family.

About Freedom Climber:

Freedom Climber is an innovative, rotating, non-motorized, climbing wall that provides a whole body workout in a safe, harness-free environment. The Freedom Climber is now installed in over 16 countries around the world in facilities varying from fitness centers to military bases to private residences to corporate offices to universities and schools.

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Freedom Climber: Four Exercise Experiences, Dozens of Individual Workouts

Internet freedom a human right

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Oct 03, 2013 From wire reports

TALLINN - In an event about advancing Internet freedom, which occurred in the framework of the UN General Assembly, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said that the UN plays an important role in creating a uniform understanding of the use and security of information technology among member states, reports LETA. According to Paet, Estonia considers ensuring and protecting freedom of expression in both the public and in cyberspace to be important.

International law, and in particular the UN, has an important role in promoting a free, secure, and accessible cyberspace, stated Paet.

For Estonia, freedom of expression is an integral human right and supporting freedom of expression online is just as important as other activities associated with the promotion and defense of human rights, he noted.

Paet said that, as the current chair of the Freedom Online Coalition, Estonia considers it important to proceed from the idea that a free and secure internet is an effective instrument of political, economic, and social progress in the 21st century. Next Aprils Freedom Online conference will be based on those keywords, he added.

The event, entitled Strategy Session: Advancing the Internet Freedom, Security, and Development Agenda in the UN was organized by Sweden in cooperation with the International Peace Institute (IPI).

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Internet freedom a human right

Madonna Announces Art For Freedom Grants Program

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NEW YORK, Oct.2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Madonna has announced a grants program in coordination with Art For Freedom, the global digital initiative designed to fuel free speech, to address, respondand protest persecution around the world.

Madonna kicked off Art For Freedom on September 24, 2013 by posting Secretprojectrevolution, a 17-minute video she created with Steven Klein. The film 'a call to action' - originally premiered on Vice and remains downloadable on Bit Torrent.Artists are encouraged to submit their own work onartforfreedom.comin the form of video, music, poetryorphotography to express their personal meaning of freedom and revolution.

As part of the Art For Freedom initiative, Madonna has launched a grants program to support individuals and organizations working to advance social justice. Over the course of the next year she will select one artist each month whose creative expression helps fight oppression, intolerance and complacency. Madonna will award $10,000 to a nonprofit organization or project of the winning artist's choice. All projects must be focused on a social justice issue and exemplify the values of Art For Freedom.

Madonna will select the winning submission each month with the help of a guest curatorbeginning withAnthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

"I want to help give a creative voice to those who have been silenced and denied their human rights.Art for Freedom is a platform that gives artists a chance to define freedom through theirart.We have already received many incredible submissions.I am inviting all people toexpress their thoughts on the subject of freedom whether it'sdescribingspecific persecutionthey have experienced, sharing how their rights have been violated and / or sharing their ideas creatively regarding fighting injustice," commented Madonna.

Art For Freedom, launched in partnership with Vice,received over 1000 submissionsin the first 48 hours of its inception. Thesesubmissionsand the ones that followwill become part of the Art For Freedom platform and will be eligible for the Arts For Freedom grants program. Contributors can join the project by uploading original artwork at http://www.artforfreedom.com or tagging original posts #artforfreedom.

Press Contact: Liz Rosenberg Liz@Lizrosenbergmedia.com 212-991-4290

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Madonna Announces Art For Freedom Grants Program

Freedom Innovations to Commercialize “Powered Knee and Ankle System”

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IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Freedom Innovations, an Irvine, CA based manufacturer of advanced technology prosthetic devices, has announced it will commercialize and help finalize development of the worlds first fully powered prosthetic leg technology with the potential for the human mind to control its movements.

Through the result of an exclusive worldwide licensing arrangement with Vanderbilt University, Freedom will develop and commercialize a first generation product utilizing sophisticated mechanical control systems that will mimic the power and gait characteristics of the human leg. Future generations of the product may incorporate neurological control systems, making the technology even more lifelike by allowing the user to control the movements through the brain. This phase of the technology is being developed and refined through partnerships with thought leading organizations like the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC). Work in this area has already begun using an early prototype of the Powered Leg in a study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine by RIC.

The Freedom Powered Knee and Ankle System features state of the art microelectronic technology, which allows intelligent communication between the user and the prosthesis. It received global attention last week when a team of researchers led by PhD, Levi Hargrove, Lab Director from the RICs Center for Bionic Medicine, announced promising results in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The researchers, working with the advanced motorized knee and ankle prosthesis developed at Vanderbilt Universitys Center for Intelligent Mechatronics, studied and measured the brain-driven steering capabilities of the device. The study revealed that with this new technology designed for above-the-knee amputees, the rate of errors, including the risk of falls, was reduced to just 1.8 percent with the new device, down from 12.9 percent with the standard robotic leg prosthesis.

Additional refinements are needed to make the first generation powered leg commercially viable -- and that is where Freedom Innovations role comes into play. The company is working on making the motorized devices smaller, quieter, more robust and more user-friendly overall.

"The positive results of this study are an important milestone for Freedom Innovations as we embark on the next step toward making this remarkable technology available to amputees, said Maynard Carkhuff, President and CEO of Freedom Innovations. Our mission to bring innovative products to enable people with physical disabilities to achieve their full potential is being taken to an absolute new level now as we will soon be able to provide amputees with functional limbs they can control that will be even more user friendly, smaller, quieter and more mobile than the prototypes used in the RIC study.

Carkhuff added that Freedom plans to have the technology available within three to five years. Additional designs to modularize the system will also ensure that transtibial (below-the-knee) amputees will also have the opportunity to benefit from the powered ankle and foot technology.

Freedom Innovations, LLC (www.freedom-innovations.com) designs, manufactures, and markets advanced technology lower extremity prosthetic devices that provide people with physical challenges the ability to reach their full potential. Based in Irvine, California Freedoms lower extremity prosthetics are distributed around the world.

Media: Interviews and photos are available upon request. Please contact Paul Williams at 949/916-6880 or via paul@medialinecommunications.com.

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Freedom Innovations to Commercialize “Powered Knee and Ankle System”