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Gabrielle Giffords's recovery noted in terms of iPad use

US Representative Gabrielle Giffords, recovering from a serious bullet wound to the head, was reported to be able stand without assistance and "is using an iPad" her doctors said today.

The report, published by Reuters and described by John Gruber as "sounds like an Onion headline, but it's true," highlights just how deeply Apple's less than a year old iPad has infected the media, now serving as a common measure of cognitive function.

Giffords was shot in the head January 8 while speaking with constituents at a gathering held next to a supermarket in Tucson, Arizona. A gunman wounded 13 others and killed six, including a federal judge and a 9 year old girl who had attended to learn more about politics.

While unable to speak because of a tracheostomy and the breathing tube inserted though her neck, the 40 year old representative has made remarkable progress, given the severity of her injury, which required the removal a portion of her skull.

Dr. Michael Lemole told reporters, "she is beginning to stand with assistance, she is scrolling through an iPad — these are all fantastic advances for her. They do show higher cognitive function. But I do want to caution that she has a long road ahead of her."