Category: Health and Wellness

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Health and Wellness

Loodini allows you to escape public restrooms without touching germy surfaces

Ever shudder to imagine what germs lurk around public bathroom faucets, stalls and doors? The folks at Loodini certainly have. This British product is held in the hand and can twist, turn, poke, and rotate all in the name of keeping those germs away. It covers your hand and does all the contact stuff for you so you don’t have to touch anything in that bathroom. Loodini comes in five different colors, is made out of plastic and uses an antibacterial agent to maximum cleanliness. To clean, use warm soapy water to rid this product of all it has picked up. For £9 (~$14), backers will receive a set of three for delivery in December 2014. Loodini hopes to raise £3,000 (~$4,800) on Kickstarter.

There are lots of germaphobes out there who can’t stand public restrooms until it becomes an emergency. For many, a tissue would suffice as protection, but for the truly clean, Loodini is the way to go. It’s versatile, easy to clean and even works to kill bacteria making it more effective than tissues.

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Health and Wellness

SaniTimer times your hand washing sessions to improve hygiene

Proper hand hygiene is an issue that seems small, but accounts for at least 20,000 cases of hospital acquired infections (HAI). This number is ridiculous compared to what little needs to be done in order to cut it down. The Center for Disease Control and other health agencies across the country mandate at least 20 seconds of vigorous hand washing in order to kill the bacteria and germs on your hands.

However, as is usually the case, people don’t do that. This led inventor Charles Phillip Abraham to create his Sanitimer, a timer that fits on the faucet of any sink and counts down from 30 seconds when water is opened. Since the mandate is 20 seconds, he made it so that users can have enough time to lather up and warm the water before getting down to actually washing their hands for the full 20 seconds, resetting so that the next user can have the time necessary. While 20 seconds is all well and good for the CDC’s standards, though, places like restaurants and hospitals have stricter requirements which the product can’t reflect since it isn’t programmable — a huge design flaw. Add to the the incredibly wasteful nature of having to keep the faucet running for the timer to run, and what began as a good idea suddenly doesn’t seem well thought out. One Sanitimer can be had for a $100 contribution with an expected delivery of November 2014. The campaign is aiming for an influx of $100,000.

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Health and Wellness

AnkleMax sets out to avoid the same-ol’ sprain old

Sprained ankles can be a bear. Not only are they painful, but also take an extremely long time to heal. Some ankle sprain pain can last for years. AnkleMax hopes to prevent sprains before they happen. Using stabilizer technology, this product attaches to your shoes and helps absorb awkward angle impact so you remain safe. AnkleMax comes in many different colors and is compatible with all shoes, or so the campaign says. This product does not impede the natural motion of your foot and remains unobtrusive as it sits on the outside of the shoe. One pair can be had for $75 with estimated delivery in December 2014. AnkleMax hopes to raise an ambitious $100,000 on Kickstarter.

AnkleMax is an interesting addition to the ankle sprain prevention market. Shoes like those from Ektio are designed with extra support to make sure sprains don’t happen. Ringing in at about $140 per pair, these sneakers claim to keep your ankles straight. AnkleMax, while pricey, are compatible with all shoes, making them much more versatile. The attachment process is vague, however. If they can easily be transferred from shoe to shoe, then they’re well worth the price. If one must purchase a pair for all of their shoes, the price may get a little high.

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Health and Wellness

Da Vinci bodyboard makes you Mona Leaner

Having the ability to workout at home or take workout gear on the road is nice, if one is self-disciplined enough to stick with a workout routine. Da Vinci Bodyboard is designed as an opposing tension system. The high intensity workout combines muscle groups, which is supposed to get more oxygen pumping through the body than with a typical workout. Perhaps one of the most attractive aspects is that it is touted as only taking 20 minutes to get enough of a workout for a noticeable difference. The materials to make this product come from organic natural plant fibers and resin, as opposed to oil. While this seems like a great workout idea, most people need the extra support of fellow exercise enthusiasts or even a fitness coach that they meet with regularly. But for those rare individuals who seem to have the self-discipline to push themselves, this seems like a great idea for getting in shape and staying that way. This campaign seeks to raise $30,000 by November 19, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $225, which is about $110 off of anticipated retail. Expected delivery is January 2015.

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Health and Wellness Wearables

Aqua 100 swim trainer provides strategies for your strokes

Activity trackers are great ways to not only stay in shape, but improve a workout from the ground up. Plenty of devices handle this task easily, but for those that prefer to push themselves through swimming, there are a number of hurdles an activity tracker needs to jump beyond just being waterproof.

The Aqua-100 is a personal swimming coach that gives real-time information without interrupt the rhythm and motions of swimming. Worn by strapping it onto the back of the hand, the Aqua-100 monitors laps, distance, number of strokes, stroke rate, and even what direction the swimmer is moving in. Because it’s worn on the back of the hand, swimmers can see this data as they extend their arms forward in mid-stroke, keeping the swimmer afloat and active. The information displayed can be changed by twisting the wrist twice, keeping the device easy and intuitive to use.

With a standard digital LED display with backlighting, the Aqua-100 is as easy to read as it is to use. The data tracked using the device during swimming can be uploaded to a computer as well, allowing avid swimmers to track their performance over time. The Aqua-100 is nearly ready to go to market, but needs $40,000 to be prepared for production. Swimmers can get their hand in one for $129, shipping in February 2015.

Having a dedicated tracker for a specific kind of workout is a must-have for athletes at any level and those who are passionate about a particular form of fitness. The Aqua-100 is an extremely functional device great for those that prefer to swim laps or just enjoy the water, but aesthetically the device lacks the flair of what people expect from activity trackers. If function trumps form, and swimming is the preferred exercise of choice, then Aqua-100 will be a sure buy.

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Health and Wellness Wearables

Stress-detecting Olive wristband coaches more calm from your arm

Contemporary society dictates that life must be led with monkeys of all sorts on our backs, constantly stressing us out. Bills, project deadlines, families, friends, and so many more things increase our stress levels daily, but most of us wouldn’t even know it. Enter Olive, one of the first wearable devices specifically designed to track and help manage stress.

The company’s tagline is ‘Be Stellar,’ and the fashionably forward wristband does just that. It doesn’t help your stress by being a fashion accessory, though. The band is filled with sensors tracking the physical indicators of stress (heart rate, skin reaction, and skin temperature), combining that with information on your daily habits (sleep, physical activity, and exposure to light). With this, Olive gets to know you, nudging you using haptic feedback and LED lights when it detects elevated stress levels. The product guides you through these stressful moments with simple exercises that positively impact your life, like deep breathing or mindfulness exercises.

Call on Olive to guide you at any point with a simple rub, or make note of a particularly pleasant, enjoyable moment with a double tap. The companion iOS apps helps analyze you more fully, tailoring the exercises suggested to your personal life. Those responsible for Olive are looking for $100,000 to get it off the ground and running. For those simply looking to navigate the murky waters of everyday life, grab an Olive for $129 with the option to spruce it up with an elegant charging stand for $29.

Up to this point, wearable bands have concentrated solely on physical health and not much else. Rare is the product that tries to conquer another avenue but Olive is indeed that type of product. The product may not be unique in that in tracks your habits like the Jawbone UP, but what it does with that data is something special. Be on the lookout for it.

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Health and Wellness

Rockwell razor ditches cartridges for customization

Every few months, it seems like a new razor hits the market. One with more blades, or with all kinds of bells and whistles that promise a better shave while men continue to struggle with razor burn and other problems.

The Rockwell 6S Razor from Rockwell Razors takes a step in the other direction. Inspired by the classic safety razors used generations ago, the 6S has a classic, minimalist feel to it. What makes this razor unique however is the presence of three double-sided plates that provide a customized shave designed to work on any kind of face or facial hair. Rockwell Razors has set a goal of $12,000 CAD for this project. For $69 CAD, supporters will receive the 6S Razor with all the plates, cap, handle, and blades in December 2014.

Younger shavers may be intimidated by going back to using an actual razor blade to do their shaving, but it’s a method that’s been used by men for years prior to the introduction of the Gillette Mach3. That it uses normal, inexpensive and replaceable razor blades is just the icing on the cake for those who want to save money.

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Fitness Health and Wellness

MOBO is ready to roll with muscle relief wherever you are

As an athlete, it’s important to take care of your muscles and joints. Not everyone can afford professional massages, so other methods must be used. However, rubbing your back against a door jamb just for some relief isn’t ideal. The MOBO System is the self-proclaimed Swiss Army Knife of massage. This product transforms into many different shapes, textures and densities to deliver a custom massage to any part of your body, from your neck to your feet. It’s easily transportable and has lots of possibilities for assembly. One will cost sore backers $109 on Kickstarter, or $99 if they’re early enough with higher tiers offering more elaborate versions of MOBO. MOBO hopes to raise $50,000.

This product’s flexibility in use is pretty cool. The campaign does a good job of showing all the different ways it can be morphed and how many parts of the body benefit. However, assembly does look a little finicky to break down and rebuild. Also, MOBO should warn users that it can’t cure serious injury. Nevertheless, for the typical mostly-healthy athlete, MOBO is a great accessory to have on the field.

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Health and Wellness Sensors/IoT

Darma smart seat cushion reminds you to take a stand

Back pain, poor posture and lots of lazing around are realities for many folks. Each one of these problems feeds into the other, so it’s hard to break the cycle of discomfort. Darma is a smart seat cushion that doubles as your posture coach. It monitors your sitting habits, posture, breath, and heart rate to give you helpful tips. If you’re slouching, Darma tells you to sit up straight through a smartphone alert. When your heart rate is high indicating stress, it suggests taking a walk to calm down. Similarly, if you’ve been sitting too long, Darma advises taking standing breaks.

Best of all, by collecting data about you specifically, it can give you customized stretches that will alleviate the pain present in different parts of your body. Designed with sleek black leather, it’s unobtrusive and will blend in well with your office chair. One will cost backers a $189 donation on Kickstarter.

Darma is an interesting new take on the type smartphone-powered health assistance we’ve seen a lot of recently. Most of these devices are wearables in the form of clip-ons or bracelets. While we’ve seen previous products aimed at improving posture, Darma blends into its surroundings. The constant alerts may prove to be annoying at first, like a nagging mother telling you to sit up straight. However, the long term health benefits will likely be worth the hassle. All in all, Darma is a great solution for the sedentary and actually one of the least obtrusive solutions to too much sitting.

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Health and Wellness

Restopresto introduces your new friend, mat

It seems that as the seasons change, it can be warm toward the beginning of the day, and cool toward the end – or vice versa. But if one doesn’t get the chance to check the local weather report before heading out for the day, Restopresto, or RP for short, has you covered – literally. This multifaceted mat can be sat on, worn, or even function as a makeshift umbrella. When it’s no longer needed, just roll it up and throw it back in a tote, clip it to a handbag, or store it in the car. The fastener system is fairly extensive and cleverly designed. Other than that, RP’s main claim to fame is its “smushability.” Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy fans may connect it to the popular expression, “Always carry a towel.” For $40, backers can always be prepared for the unexpected demolishing of planet Earth, and hopefully, that the building of the galaxy superhighway won’t begin in our galaxy prior to January of 2015. Be sure to check the library basement to find out.