Yasmin

 

Liechteinsten – Italy - San Marino - Germany

 

Review: Polaroid Zip portable printer

 

Gizmag reviews Polaroid's modern take on instant printing, the Zip portable printer Earlier this year, Polaroid unveiled its pocket-sized Zip (Zink Instant Photoprinter) designed for linking to a smartphone to crank out full-color images on demand. Gizmag recently had a chance to put one through its paces as Polaroid goes back to its instant pictures roots. One less obvious effect of the digital revolution is how it's changed the public's attitudes towards photography. When taking pictures meant digging out "the" camera and loading it with expensive film, family photography was a special effort that was used to preserve the memory of special moments, such as birthdays and weddings. The rise of the small digital camera has changed all that. Look around an average room and it isn't unusual to pick out at least half a dozen cameras set in computer monitors, mobile phones, and other devices. In addition, the lack of film means that these cameras are used more socially with people snapping pictures of their lunch, cats, and the ubiquitous selfie. For the traditional camera companies, this change caught many of them wrong footed with disastrous results – Polaroid among them. However, being able to capture an image on a phone isn't universally satisfying. Some people, for example, want a hard copy to stick in their wallet or swap around at parties, and then there's grandma for who wants a "real" picture to keep. It's to fulfill this niche that the Zip is apparently aimed by combining a compact build, ease of use and fast printing. Polaroid certainly got the compact part right. Measuring 2.91 x 4.72 in (7.39 x 11.98 cm) and weighing 186 g (6.7 oz), the Zip isn't much thicker than a smartphone in a heavy case and doesn't weigh much more. It rests easily in the hand with a reassuring heft and fits neatly in a jacket pocket or purse. The only obvious drawback is that the lid for loading the photo paper comes off a bit too easily with a press of the thumb. Polaroid also aimed to make the Zip easy to set up, and it is. Paradoxically, it's so easy that it almost made setting up seem more difficult because we were expecting more steps. Setting up consists of downloading and installing the associated Zip app on a smartphone, charging and switching the unit on, then linking to the phone using Bluetooth and NFC. The app is necessary: without it the printer can't be controlled. Loading the paper is also a cinch, with the main task being to remember to put the stack in the right way up, with the small bar code card on the bottom, so it can automatically complete the setup when the first image is printed. It has a lithium-ion battery, and you charge the Zip with an included USB to microUSB cable. The only physical control is the power button set flush in the side. It's about as simple as a printer can be. Another reason why Zip is so simple and compact is because it uses the Zero Ink Printing (ZINK) system. Instead of ink and toner, the paper uses heat-sensitive cyan, yellow and magenta dye crystals sealed with a protective polymer overcoat. The printer selectively heats the crystals to form the 2 x 3 in (5 x 7.6 cm) images in under a minute. The paper is not the cheapest at US$14.99 for a pack of 30, but the images are clean and smudge-free, though of low resolution and prints a bit darker than expected. You don't buy the Zip for top-notch print quality; you buy it if you want a quick and smooth process. In addition, the paper has a peel-off sticky back, so the images can be used as instant stickers. The Zip app that controls the printer has an intuitive interface, but too many "helpful" pop-up screens that start to annoy the second time one shows up. The app allows printing of images captured by the phone's camera or any that are in its memory, so shared or downloaded images can be used. The app also can do basic editing, so it can compensate some for the darker printing, as well as things like rotating images, resizing and applying color filters. Since it can print any image in the phone's memory, though, you could always edit and save in a preferred image editor. The app can also produce collages of up to nine images, though on such small printouts, it isn't much use. It can also paint and add frames, stickers, emojis and the like, which could appeal to younger users. It can even add "secret" messages by embedding a QR code that can be scanned to release site links, audio messages, and others. For the more professionally minded, the app can also use templates to create instant personalized business cards. However, the latter doesn't allow for much control of font details for the text input. Not so much a professional tool as a casual device for friends and family fun, the Polaroid Zip may lack size, but it does ably target a neglected niche for memorabilia images or just fast hard copies of reasonable quality. The Polaroid Niche is available for US$129.99. Source: Polaroid

Study Determines This Is the Most Relaxing Song Ever

 

Looking for something to help you relax before bed that doesn't involve popping a pill? You might want to load up your iPod with a song by Manchester band, Marconi Union. Sound therapists were able to rate ten of the most relaxing songs, with Marconi Union's 8 minute trance-inducing tune, "Weightless", coming out on top thanks to its continuous rhythm of 60 BPM, an ideal tempo for synchronization with the heart and brainwaves, making it an ideal audio accompaniment for a good night's rest. → How To: Dress Your Windows for Better Sleep Lyz Cooper, founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy notes: "While listening, your heart rate gradually comes to match that beat. It is important that the song is eight minutes long because it takes about five minutes for this process, known as entrainment, to occur. The fall in heart rate also leads to a fall in blood pressure. The harmonic intervals - or gaps between notes - have been chosen to create a feeling of euphoria and comfort. And there is no repeating melody, which allows your brain to completely switch off because you are no longer trying to predict what is coming next. Instead, there are random chimes, which helps to induce a deeper sense of relaxation. The final element is the low, whooshing sounds and hums that are like buddhist chants. High tones stimulate but these low tones put you in a trance-like state." → Can't Sleep? 5 Ways Your Bedroom is Keeping You Awake • 10 Simple Things to Make You Happier at Home • Your Weekly Retreat: How To Relax & Eliminate Stress at Home • 4 Goals to Boost Happiness at Home • Simple Ways to Relax and Enjoy Hosting

Lightbulbs of the future will come with wireless extenders and speakers

 

IoT World conference has some illuminating ideas 15 May 2015 at 21:35, Kieren McCarthy IoT World 2015 There was a lot of clunky technology, standards fretting, evangelizing and platform promotion going on at the Internet of Things World 2015 conference in San Francisco this week, but a few bright ideas. Sengled is a Chinese lightbulb manufacturer based in Shanghai with offices in Europe and the US and it has traditionally sold its products through resellers. But it decided a few years ago that the internet of things represented a great new market opportunity and so has produced a range of five new lightbulbs that it is now selling direct. As the general manager for Sengled USA, Alex Ruan, explained at the conference this week: "We can do much more with light bulbs than ever before." The big promise of IoT products is that they can use the latest technologies to make our homes smarter and more efficient. A smart thermostat knows when you are out and how long it takes to heat or cool your house, saving money. Smartlocks mean you can let people into your house without having to physically open the door. Smart lights enable you to change the mood with the touch of a button. Smart webcams let you track what is happening in your home. And so on. The big problems for IoT products are three-fold: They have to be easy to use and easy to install They have to constantly communicate without using much power You have to be able to control them simply and easily Looking at all these factors, Sengled has decided that the humble light socket is the answer to many of the problems. As Ruan explained: "There are 8.2 billion lightbulb sockets in the US. But using these sockets, we can leverage power and placement - the sockets are almost always installed in common areas. And everybody knows how to screw in a lightbulb." So... So what can you do with a smart lightbulb? The company has identified three ancillary functions: act as a speaker, a wireless signal booster and a camera. The speaker function comes in the form of the Pulse bulb. It is an LED light encased in a red metal sheath with a speaker in there that works with Bluetooth (BLE). An upcoming version will also work with Wi-Fi. One bulb is the "god bulb" and it can then work with up to seven other bulbs to play music from where you have a light socket. The two-bulb starter pack is $169.99 and additional bulbs are $49.99. The LED light is dimmable and the speakers provide 13 watts with a frequency range of 100Hz-20kHz i.e. an all-round speaker. You access it through a smartphone app. We had a listen to the bulb to trying to figure out how good it was. But it was a busy conference floor so it was impossible to get any kind of decent read on the sound quality and we gave up. But we have asked the company to send a review model so we can test it out in a better environment. Is this useful? Yes. When the Sonos system starts at $199 for its smallest speaker and requires plugging in and shelf space, Sengled's cheaper, simpler and more convenient product looks like a good bet. Decking out a house with eight bulb-speakers will cost less than one small and one medium Sonos speaker. Of course, the sound quality is critical. It's highly unlikely that people will be using this for their TV surround sound system but in the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom? No extra wires and a lightbulb thrown in? Looks promising to us. Boost The next product is probably even more useful - again, if it works well. The Boost is a lightbulb and Wi-Fi repeater. It costs $59.99 - which is at the higher end of the Wi-Fi range extender market (typically between $30 and $80). It does however have the benefit of being incredibly easy to install, doesn't take up a power socket and in many cases will achieve the Wi-Fi ideal state of being halfway up the wall to give a better signal. The Boost has two built-in antennae, works with b/g/n Wi-Fi and offers 300Mbps throughput i.e. it's a typical Wi-Fi extender. Again, we want to test one to see how good it actually is but the concept is pretty incredible: you find a deadspot in your house, and replace the lightbulb nearest to it. Done. Multiple Boost bulbs will also apparently work together. Camera Which leads to third version: an IP camera contained in the Snap bulb. This one is intended to act as a security system as well as a bulb and will be available in the next few months for roughly $200, the company told us when we visited its booth. Again, the specs are on a par with the current market DropCams and assorted webcams: HD 1080P; wide angle; voice and motion recognition; works on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz; real-time viewing and playback over your phone. Again though, the advantages are: easy install, no extra space taken up. The one problem we can see with this bulb is that you may not have a lightsocket pointing in the right direction for what you want to achieve. Or you could end up shining a light in people's faces when the bulb is turned on. We should note that each of the additional functions are controllable separately to the actual light - so you can have the light off but still have the speaker playing, wireless extended and camera on. And then lastly there is the Element - which is in the pipeline but without a release date and will cost roughly $150. The Element is the same bulb but it is compatible with the ZigBee IoT protocol meaning that it will be compatible with the broader eco-system of IoT products and gateways. We're not sure about this one - and why it would be worth $150. It seems as though the company is simply doing what many are doing in the space and experimenting with products to see what takes off - and having ZigBee built into its products is certainly a good thing. Ruan argues that the products come with advantages over normal bulbs: they will report on how much energy they are using and how many hours they have been turned on. Something that early adopters will love, although it's not clear whether the average consumer would care that much. Issues As for gaps: there are a few. Currently there is no API for the bulbs, although the company says it will release one at some point so its bulbs can be made to work with other systems and products. It has also said it will work with all the emerging platforms: Apple's HomeKit, Nest, Samsung's SmartThings platform and so on. There is also the very big question about whether these bulbs will fit in your existing light fixture. Many people don't like the fact that the newer green bulbs are typically larger and so can often poke out the top of light fixtures - and sometimes not even fit in. With all the extra hardware put into the Sengled bulbs, they are bigger than your average bulb. That may be a big problem with adoption: buying a new light fitting for a bulb is definitely the wrong way around. And Sengled appears to recognize this as a problem, so at the end of Huan's talk he argued that the next step for the company was to go the way of Tesla and the iPhone and make beautiful design to go with their products. He outlined some designs for lights shades and fittings. "We want to create really nice fixtures that touch the human emotion," he waxed lyrical. Of course trying to get people to buy a $50-200 lightbulb is going to be one thing; getting them to also buy a new light fitting at the same time, something else entirely. Despite the possible pitfalls though, and giving the company the benefit of the doubt that the quality of their speakers and Wi-Fi extenders is good, this product range strikes us as one novel and useful area where the internet of things may start enter our lives in a real way. ®

What is the difference between hug and embrace?

 

If looked up in a dictionary, both of these words are synonyms of each other.  They both involve holding someone in affection.  While it is true that they have a very similar meaning and usage, there is a difference to be noted in these words. ‘Hug’ is a verb that means to squeeze or hold someone tightly in your arms.  It is a means of expressing affection to a person or physical object. For example:  He was seen hugging her.  ‘Hug’ can also be used as a noun.  For example:  He was seen giving her a hug.  The English word comes from an Old Norse word meaning to soothe or console and is related to other Old English words meaning to care for. The origins of ‘hug’ help explain the reasons why a person would hug another person, out of care, concern or affection. ‘Embrace’ also means to hold someone or something tightly in your arms as in hugging, but it also has an additional meaning of accepting or supporting something, like a belief, willingly and enthusiastically.  The word ‘embrace’ can be applied to an idea, theory, philosophy or other abstract concept.  For example using ‘embrace’ with a person:  She embraced her mother when she arrived home for a visit.  For example with an abstract side:  They embraced the idea of taking a trip to London next spring.  Like ‘hug’ this word can be a noun or a verb. For example:  The embrace of the new guidelines was asked of the entire department. So it could be said that ‘embrace’ has a wider meaning than ‘hug’, because it can be related not only to a person but also more abstractly to ideas. Also in practical usage, ‘Hug’ generally is a more casual word, while ‘embrace’ is a more formal word.  In addition, ‘hug’ is used more commonly only for a shorter duration squeezing action while holding someone, while ‘embrace’ can also be used for holding someone closely to themselves in an affectionate position for a longer time duration.  For example:  He gave his girlfriend a quick hug right away but was later seen holding her in an affectionate embrace for quite a while. When deciding to use either ‘hug’ or ‘embrace’, both the formality of the situation and the object must be considered.  With concrete things, like people, ‘hug’ or ‘embrace’ can be used, but with abstract ideas, ‘embrace’ must be used.  ‘Hug’ is more casual, and ‘embrace’ is more formal.

Difference Between Look And See

 

What is the difference between ‘look’ and ‘see’? Both words involve the eyes and the power of vision. You can both ‘look at’ something and ‘see’ something with your eyes. The words are considered synonyms for each other, however, there is a difference in the meaning and usage of the words. ‘Look’ when used as a verb can transitive or intransitive, so it can be used with or without an object grammatically. It means to direct the eyes and attention in a particular direction, but especially to examine or search for something with the eyes. For example: She looked at the ocean all afternoon. It can be used as a command to focus the eyes on something. For example: Look what I have for you here! Along with this definition, it can take on the meaning to stare or gaze at in wonder or surprise. For example: He just looked at me when I showed up early. ‘Look’ can also have a more abstract meaning of expecting or anticipating something. For example: We are looking forward to your visit. As well, it can refer to the appearance of something or its expression. For example: She has the look of an educated person. Finally related to the verb meaning, ‘look’ can be used as a noun to mean the act of looking at, examining, trying to find or considering something. ‘See’ has a very similar basic definition to ‘look’. It is also used as a transitive or intransitive verb. It means to notice or become aware of something or someone by using the eyes or to observe something. For example: I see a person coming down the street. ‘See’ can also, like ‘look’, be used as a command. For example: See what you have done! Although, in this sense, ‘look’ is generally more commonly used, but either word can be correctly used in this way. It is also used in an abstract way to mean to be aware of, recognize, acknowledge or to show the meaning of something is understood. For example: I see what you are talking about. Used in this manner, it is meant that something is able to be mentally visualized. For example: I can see him being a good doctor. ‘See’ takes on the nuance of meaning more toward the physical power of sight versus mental attention that ‘look’ implies. ‘See’ can mean just to gaze about with the eyes, without really mentally understanding what is seen. ‘Look’ takes on the meaning of understanding what is seen or searching for something in particular. ‘Looking for people you know’ means actively searching to find out where they are, and ‘seeing people you know’ means only physically observing people without making a particular effort to find them. However, in expressions to acknowledge understanding of something, interestingly it is said ‘I see what you mean’ and never is ‘look’ used. There are many collocations, verb phrases and expressions using both ‘look’ and ‘see’ in the same way, and in most cases, they just have to be learned on an individual basis for correct usage.

Debate: Is the long term use of psychiatric drugs harmful?

 

The benefits of psychiatric drugs have been exaggerated and the harms underplayed due to poor trial designs, argues one expert in The BMJ. But another expert and a patient contend that the evidence supports the use of these drugs. More than half a million people aged above 65 years die from the use of psychiatric drugs every year in the Western world and the benefits would need to be "colossal" to justify these "immensely harmful" treatments, argues Peter Gøtzsche, professor and director of the Nordic Cochrane Centre, Denmark. But benefits are "minimal," he explains, adding that these treatments should "almost exclusively be used in acute situations." New guidelines should support this change as well as widespread withdrawal clinics to help many patients gradually come off these medications. Benefits have been overemphasised and harms understated, he says, because randomised controlled trials have been biased, not blinded appropriately, have not fully evaluated the effects of these drugs and deaths have gone under reported. For example, the majority of studies have included patients already using a psychiatric drug and such patients may undergo abstinence and suffer from withdrawal symptoms. As a result, this study design exaggerates the benefits of treatment and increases the harms in the placebo group. Industry funded trials have under reported deaths, he adds, estimating that there have probably been 15 times more suicides among people taking antidepressants than reported by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He calculates that deaths from three classes of drugs -- antipsychotics, benzodiazepines and similar drugs, and antidepressants -- were responsible for 3693 deaths every year in Denmark. This number corresponds to 539,000 deaths in the United States and European Union combined. The beneficial effects of psychiatric drugs are so small, he says, that it would be possible to stop current use almost completely without causing harm. He recommends stopping the use of all antidepressant, ADHD and dementia drugs, and prescribing only a small fraction of currently used antipsychotics and benzodiazepines. But Allan H Young, a professor of mood disorders at King's College London, and John Crace, a psychiatric patient, argue that research supports the use of psychiatric drugs which are just as beneficial and efficacious as treatments for other common, complex conditions. These drugs are needed, they insist, to reduce the long term harms of psychiatric conditions, which are the fifth leading cause of disability worldwide. Most patients suffer from co-existing health conditions, they add, a primary cause of death among this group. They explain that psychiatric drugs are rigorously examined for efficacy and safety and while the evidence base is "imperfect," research shows that psychiatric drugs are more beneficial than harmful. Careful evaluation of these drugs is undertaken before and after regulatory approval, they explain, and that post surveillance after a drug is licensed can include safety of a medication in the general population, which unlike study populations, includes people with varied medical conditions. Yet concerns persist and many are "overinflated," they add, and list recent studies supporting the use of lithium, once labelled a "toxic placebo," and antipsychotics, and treatments for mood disorders. But as with any drug treatment, the harms and benefits need to be evaluated from group data in trials, and be applied to individual patients whose subjective experiences are important to consider, they argue. Story Source: The above story is based on materials provided by BMJ. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: P. C. Gotzsche, A. H. Young, J. Crace. Does long term use of psychiatric drugs cause more harm than good? BMJ, 2015; 350 (may12 7): h2435 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.h2435

Wearable wireless devices: Low cost radio frequency antenna printed with graphene ink

 

These scanning electron microscope images show the graphene ink after it was deposited and dried (a) and after it was compressed (b). Compression makes the graphene nanoflakes more dense, which improves the electrical conductivity of the laminate. Credit: Xianjun Huang, et al./ University of Manchester Scientists have moved graphene -- the incredibly strong and conductive single-atom-thick sheet of carbon -- a significant step along the path from lab bench novelty to commercially viable material for new electronic applications. Researchers from the University of Manchester, together with BGT Materials Limited, a graphene manufacturer in the United Kingdom, have printed a radio frequency antenna using compressed graphene ink. The antenna performed well enough to make it practical for use in radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags and wireless sensors, the researchers said. Even better, the antenna is flexible, environmentally friendly and could be cheaply mass-produced. The researchers present their results in the journal Applied Physics Letters, from AIP Publishing. The study demonstrates that printable graphene is now ready for commercial use in low-cost radio frequency applications, said Zhirun Hu, a researcher in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Manchester. "The point is that graphene is no longer just a scientific wonder. It will bring many new applications to our daily life very soon," added Kostya S. Novoselov, from the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester, who coordinated the project. Graphene Gets Inked Since graphene was first isolated and tested in 2004, researchers have striven to make practical use of its amazing electrical and mechanical properties. One of the first commercial products manufactured from graphene was conductive ink, which can be used to print circuits and other electronic components. Graphene ink is generally low cost and mechanically flexible, advantages it has over other types of conductive ink, such as solutions made from metal nanoparticles. To make the ink, graphene flakes are mixed with a solvent, and sometimes a binder like ethyl cellulose is added to help the ink stick. Graphene ink with binders usually conducts electricity better than binder-free ink, but only after the binder material, which is an insulator, is broken down in a high-heat process called annealing. Annealing, however, limits the surfaces onto which graphene ink can be printed because the high temperatures destroy materials like paper or plastic. The University of Manchester research team, together with BGT Materials Limited, found a way to increase the conductivity of graphene ink without resorting to a binder. They accomplished this by first printing and drying the ink, and then compressing it with a roller, similar to the way new pavement is compressed with a road roller. Compressing the ink increased its conductivity by more than 50 times, and the resulting "graphene laminate" was also almost two times more conductive than previous graphene ink made with a binder. The high conductivity of the compressed ink, which enabled efficient radio frequency radiation, was one of the most exciting aspects of the experiment, Hu said. Paving the Way to Antennas, Wireless Sensors, and More The researchers tested their compressed graphene laminate by printing a graphene antenna onto a piece of paper. The antenna measured approximately 14 centimeters long, and 3.5 millimeter across and radiated radio frequency power effectively, said Xianjun Huang, who is the first author of the paper and a PhD candidate in the Microwave and Communcations Group in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Printing electronics onto cheap, flexible materials like paper and plastic could mean that wireless technology, like RFID tags that currently transmit identifying info on everything from cattle to car parts, could become even more ubiquitous. Most commercial RFID tags are made from metals like aluminium and copper, Huang said, expensive materials with complicated fabrication processes that increase the cost. "Graphene based RFID tags can significantly reduce the cost thanks to a much simpler process and lower material cost," Huang said. The University of Manchester and BGT Materials Limited team has plans to further develop graphene enabled RFID tags, as well as sensors and wearable electronics.

The Difference between Dark Matter and Dark Energy

 

The phenomenal expansion of our universe continues to unfold its evident scenario brought about by the vast improvement of astrophysics. Have you ever imagined the kind of gravitational forces present in space millions of light years away from us? Two of the greatest hypothetical components of cosmology contribute to the persevering efforts of our astronomers will be discussed. These are dark matter and dark energy. For some reasons, astrophysics researchers give comparative facts and analysis between these two. Dark matter can be associated to a hypothetical matter (in different states) or particles present in space. Dark energy is accounted with presence of unknown energies of gravitational forces which can produce immeasurable movements of mass structures formed in dark matter. Dark energy is also believed to be a captivating phenomenon exists by gravitational a force (potential or moving energy) which causes the universe to expand. Both of them may differ from cosmic field contents, low-energy field, and cosmological constant and vacuum energy in the universe. There are distinct comparative elements between dark matter and dark energy to differentiate them. First is the nature of their components. Dark matter are believed to be made up of matters (either seen or unseen) in various astronomical forms such as dust, ions, dense particles and radioactive elements. Dark energy on the other hand constitutes positive and negative pressures found in the universe causing mass formation of dark matter to move continuously. However, these forces are only attributed from mass calculations made from measurements of distances on astronomical objects. Second, theories of gravitational forces also contribute to the difference between the two. According to cosmological theorists, dark energy possesses a faster rate of pushing the universe on filling up those spaces or pushes out universe’s expanded spaces while dark matter on the other hand pull itself closer by gravity and then disappears for unknown reason. Third is the composition of dark matter and dark energy in the universe. Dark energy is estimated to have 68% of the universe, 27% dark matter and the rest are normal matter, which can be measured by observation tools (http://panisse.lbl.gov). Fourth are the theories of space between dark matter and dark energy. Dark energy has its own property of space and the presence of energy is also found on that particular property. For other observers on this matter, an empty space in the universe has its own property as well according to Albert Einstein’s theories on spaces. He believed that any space is not nothing at all. That empty space which we may refer as non-existence has its own energy. While there is presence of force on every space, dark matter can build its own structure which later on can be identified as an object in space. The expansion rate of the universe continues to accelerate as some of them can be compared with redshifts of galaxies, clustering of astronomical bodies and “blowing up” of mass structures in space. However, at this point, these two hypothetical phenomenon of universe’s expansion remains to be a mystery. Though images of satellites, clusters of stars and formation of hot gases are evident, these facts continue to drive the determination of astrophysics’ to discover beyond our universe’s extent. To summarize the difference between dark matter and dark energy, these key points are stated below: 1. Both of them has its own nature of their components such as gravitational forces, expansion rate and others 2. The difference on spaces they occupy or move in space 3. The sequence of movements which contributes to the acceleration of expansion in the universe 4. The strength of forces surrounding both dark matter and dark energy source : www.thedifferencebetween.net

Supplement Linked to Reduction in Skin Cancer Risk

 

Preliminary Australian study saw association between nicotinamide and lower rates By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, May 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- A cheap and easily available vitamin supplement appears to reduce a person's risk of skin cancer, new research contends. A form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide is linked to a reduction of non-melanoma skin cancers by 23 percent when taken twice daily, according to Australian researchers. "It's safe, it's almost obscenely inexpensive, and it's already widely commercially available," said senior author Dr. Diona Damian, a professor of dermatology at the University of Sydney. Nicotinamide costs less than $10 for a month's supply and is available at pharmacies and health food stores, she said. However, more study is needed before researchers can say whether everyone would benefit from the supplement. "It's not something we'd recommend at this stage for the general population," Damian said. The study is slated for presentation May 30 at the upcoming annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Findings presented at meetings are generally considered preliminary until they've been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Funding for this study was provided by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with about 5 million cases treated every year at a cost of about $4.8 billion, Damian said. Common skin cancers tend to grow slowly and can be cured if found and treated early, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). These types of skin cancer include basal and squamous cell carcinoma. A more dangerous type of skin cancer called melanoma accounts for just 73,000 cases a year, according to the ACS. Ultraviolet rays from the sun cause most skin cancers by damaging the DNA of skin cells, Damian said. UV radiation also hampers the body's ability to fight off cancer, depleting the energy that skin cells need to repair damaged DNA and profoundly suppressing the skin's immune system, she said. Earlier studies indicated that nicotinamide can provide skin cells with an energy boost, enhancing DNA repair and strengthening the skin's immune system, Damian said.