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Chargers/Batteries Health and Wellness

Tylt Vu Pulse adds heart rate, wireless charging to Pebble Time

Heart rate tracking is one of the most helpful features of some fitness activity trackers and smartwatches including the Apple Watch. But it’s not a feature (yet anyway) on the Pebble Time smartwatch. The need to plug in the watch to charge it, meanwhile, can be a major hassle.

Tylt Vu Pulse is an add-on, protective case for the Pebble Time and Pebble Time Steel that adds heart rate monitoring, as well as wireless charging, to those smartwatches. The case connects to the accessory port of the watches and syncs with Android and iOS mobile devices using Google Fit and Apple Health.

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Health and Wellness Kids/Babies Wearables

AllerGuarder wristband lets you guard against kids’ allergies

editors-choiceKids’ food allergies are a significant cause of concern for many parents –- especially when their children are away from home, be it at school, at a party, or elsewhere. AllerGuarder offers parents a solution to that dilemma.

patent-claimedAllerGuarder is a smart wristband that broadcasts kids’ allergies via a low-frequency Bluetooth transmitter that is built into the wearable device. The wristband constantly broadcasts a 50-foot radius alert and anybody within that zone who has downloaded the free Android or iOS app is automatically cautioned about a child’s allergies on their smartphones or tablets.

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Health and Wellness Wearables

QuietOn earplugs uses noise cancellation to tune out the world

Earplugs are handy devices to have when trying to catch some shut-eye while traveling — especially on a noisy airplane — or even while at home if somebody is making a racket in another room or snoring in the same bed. But not all earplugs are created equal. For starters, some are more comfortable than others and some block more noise than others.

patent-claimedQuietOn earplugs use the same kind of active noise cancellation technology found in many higher-end headphones, but does away with the wires. There’s also no buttons. The earplugs switch on automatically when removed from its small charging and carrying case. They work for up to 50 hours on one charge, so QuietOn can work for an entire flight regardless of the destination or most delays.

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Connected Objects Health and Wellness

Wing helps those with asthma soar by catching early warning signs

Asthma inhalers are necessary items for those who suffer from that lung disease. But those medications can’t help users detect the early warning signs of an asthma attack.

Wing is a pocket-sized sensor that enables those who suffer from asthma and other lung ailments to monitor and manage their conditions, and also lets them know when an attack is coming, according to its Indiegogo campaign. The device can also be used by those suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis and other respiratory conditions, its maker says. Wing is made up of a small white device that the user breathes into.

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Connected Objects Health and Wellness

VV-Box is the voice of reason reminding loved ones to take pills

There have been a growing number of connected pill boxes in recent months that remind people to take their medications on time.

VV-Box is yet another medication-tracking pill box. But one thing that sets it apart from at least certain rivals, like Liif, is that VV-Box features a customized voice reminder. A personal greeting can be recorded, allowing people to remind their loved ones by voice to take their medicine.

Categories
Connected Objects Health and Wellness Sleep

Nora helps snorers to snooze and not lose

Anti-snoring devices can cut back on not only snoring, but the sleeplessness and annoyance suffered by people who sleep with those who snore.

patent-claimedUnlike Snor and SnoreNoMore, two recent devices whose inventors have sought crowdfunding for, Nora is an anti-snoring device that’s non-evasive, not requiring users to stick any tubes or other items inside their mouths. Nora is instead made up of a small white device resembling a mouse that gets placed on the user’s night table and is tapped before sleeping, and a flat, padded insert containing a mini pump that inflates and deflates when somebody starts snoring, slightly moving any pillow that it is placed in. That gentle movement stimulates the upper throat muscles and lets snorers’ breathing return to normal, without waking them or their companions up, according to the campaign.

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Connected Objects Health and Wellness Wearables

SmartCardio keeps you a heartbeat away from your loved ones

A growing number of health monitoring devices that send information to mobile devices are being introduced on crowdfunding sites.

SmartCardio features a wide range of bells and whistles, and follows similar devices that include MOCAheart. SmartCardio lets users monitor their cardiovascular systems, as well as those of their loved ones. It also allows users to view electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis in real time and enables around-the-clock surveillance by cardiologists. One battery charge is sufficient to operate the device for up to seven days, its maker says. An accompanying app will be available for Android, iOS and Windows Phone devices.

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Health and Wellness

BetterBack provides improved posture, produces better backers

Good posture is one of the most ignored health issues out there. Our posture affects the way we breathe, grow and function. Bad posture can have serious long term complications, such as back pain and a hump in our old age.

BetterBack is one solution to this problem. This product is targeted towards individuals who sit a lot and helps them straighten their otherwise slouched over sitting position. The main portion of BetterBack rests on the lower back. Two straps reach from that part to loop around the knees, providing leverage to draw the lower back in while the upper back straightens out. BetterBack can be used and carried around anywhere, making it convenient. It also boasts breathable fabrics so that one’s back doesn’t get all sweaty.

This is one of those products that doesn’t need technology to be innovative and effective. BetterBack provides a simple solution in an even simpler package. The product’s makers may want to consider adding a standing option to their brand, but their existing product is still intriguing. One will cost backers a donation of $75 for delivery in October 2015. BetterBack Kickstarter campaign is looking for $12,500 by May 2.

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Uncategorized

Prana wearable tells you how to breathe easy, take a stand

Today, most wearable are focused on measuring the number of steps one takes per day. It’s a useful measure of daily activity, but there is far more to understanding one’s well-being.

Prana looks like many fitness trackers that clip to a waistband, but it takes a different approach, measuring things that many other product are not – breathing and posture. Prana calculates a score for both and allows a number of ways to actively improve, including a videogame controlled by your breathing and respiration exercises associated with practices such as tai chi and yoga. San Franciso-based Prana Tech seeks $100,000 by April 30th. The price for a Prana is $129, a $20 discount from its expected retail price. The device is expected to ship in July.

Prana competes with Spire, which measures activity in addition to breathing. Spire is ahead of the curve when it comes to interpreting the meaning of certain breathing patterns, but Prana’s measurement of posture is a nice bonus as that has previously been the domain of other wearables; its active training is also more interactive than Spire’s.

 

Categories
Health and Wellness

Germavoid wraps the finger of the most Purell of heart

People don’t realize that the most dangerous things they encounter on a daily basis are teeny tiny. Germs and bacteria live quietly on door handles, toilet seats, phones, elevator buttons and pretty much everywhere else.

Ignoring these germs is downright impossible. While fighting them is always an option, it’s preferable to never even encounter them at all. Germavoid is a way to keep the outside world on the outside. This little condom slips over the finger in times of public touching. Germavoid features a plastic shield with hole in it. The hole is filled with red rubber that goes over the finger. It’s pocket-sized and can be carried around anywhere. The rubber is retractable to keep the germs hidden and it even features an opening in the bottom to affix it to a keychain.

People love new ways to avoid germs. Whether or not this product will keep the user from ever getting sick remains up for debate. Still, many people still worry about germs and would like a way to avoid touching public fixtures altogether. Germavoid is a reasonable, albeit slightly awkward way to do just that. One unit will cost backers $15 for estimated delivery in September 2015. This product is looking to raise $50,000 on Kickstarter by April 15.