Smart phones need smart apps
Your phone is only as smart as the apps that drive it. And, there are a lot of good ones available today. A recent article in Newsday and The Chicago Tribune lists a few:
- A travel search engine, Kayak compares flights, hotels and rental car prices among major companies. It can also redirect users, enabling them to book their travels. (App is free.)
- Weather Underground. Weather Underground provides up-to-date and hyperlocal weather reports, with interactive radar, satellite maps, weather alerts and more. Users can also hear updates from the weather station of their choice. (App is free.)
- What’s for dinner? Kitchenbowl offers a library of recipes, including step-by-step photo guides. (App is free.)
- Finally, an app designed to manage one’s multitude of passwords. iPassword relies on encryption and auto-lock in the event one’s phone is stolen, and it syncs across tablets and computers. (App is free.)
- Whitepages helps users locate over 200 million people and businesses. (App is free; service price varies.)
- Available from Audible, Audiobooks features over 150,000 titles, chapter navigation, sleep mode and narration speed. (App is free.)
- Mint Personal Finance permits users to manage all credit cards, loans and bank accounts in one place. (App is free.)
- OpenTable helps users book a great table at an equally great restaurant. (App is free.)
- Waze helps drivers navigate – or avoid – traffic, with turn-by-turn navigation and real-time data. (App is free.)
- Pillboxie provides users with reminders for taking medications. (App costs $0.99.)
Don’t worry, be happy
Thync recently announced results from a study published through bioRxiv, which reportedly shows that electrical neurosignaling delivered by its consumer wearable device reduces the brain’s response to stress in a chemical-free manner. The company uses electrical waveforms targeted to specific neural pathways to reduce the brain’s response to stress. The study, conducted on 82 volunteers in the Boston area, demonstrates that a 14-minute session using Thync’s electrical waveforms can result in significant stress reduction. Researchers experimentally induced stress in subjects by exposing them to various environmental stimuli causing fear or cognitive pressure. When Thync scientists examined stress biomarkers in the saliva of subjects at different time points throughout the study, they observed the levels of salivary α-amylase – an enzyme that increases with stress. Noradrenergic and sympathetic activity significantly dropped for subjects who received electrical neurosignaling, compared to the subjects who received a sham. Ninety-seven percent of the subjects stated the effects induced greater relaxation than the sham treatment. The subjects who received Thync electrical neurosignaling also reported greater relaxation, as well as reduced heart rate variability and galvanic skin responses. Both the Thync device and the sham treatment led to similar cognitive performance and executive processing reaction times for subjects.
Catch!
Feel like stepping out of the office for a bit of fresh air – maybe even a quick game of catch to unwind? Zyro hopes to put a new face on traditional catch with its kickstarter launch of the Zyro DroneBall. The Zyro DroneBall is a smart ball designed to interact with multiple players or drones and react like a player, as it hovers, zigs and zags within a virtual arena programmed by Zyro. Designed specifically for games and sports, the ball can serve as a puck in an ice hockey rink, a ball in a soccer game, a frisbee in an ultimate Frisbee tournament, or as an extra player on the field. Zyro DroneBall’s wireless networking lets players choose a game through the app on their phone. Depending on the ball and the field selected, Zyro implements appropriate swinging or passing moves to make against the players on the ground. Bouncing off virtual walls adds a challenge and keeps Zyro in play, away from trees and telephone poles.
Tech healthy
Hunching over smartphones and other devices for too long can lead to spinal misalignment, muscle and nerve damage and decreased muscle strength, not to mention wrinkles and a saggy neck skin, according to Octa, a Denver, Colo.-based design firm that creates mobile mounting solutions. In response, the company offers two new tablet accessories: Spider Monkey ($79.99) and Lynx ($99.99), designed to position devices at eye-level for more comfortable viewing. In addition, Octa offers the following health tips for tech enthusiasts:
- When typing on keyboards, keep wrists positioned parallel to the floor to avoid hand cramping.
- To reduce eye strain, lower the light settings on screens or invert screen colors, using three clicks on the home button on an iPhone or iPad. Keep electronics at bay for an hour or two before nodding off to sleep.
- To reduce the spread of germs, clean screens often with antibacterial wipes and wash hands before touching mobile devices.
A (3D) vision
Emerging as a technology of choice for a wide range of applications, 3D printing is expected to increase its market share rapidly to about 40 percent by 2015, according to analysis from Frost & Sullivan, “3D Printing Technology – 9 Dimensional Assessment” (https://www.frost.com/d56c). The trend toward personal manufacturing and small-scale production is paving the way for 3D printing adoption, according to the report. Along with well-established application sectors, such as the automobile and aerospace industries, consumer goods manufacturing and healthcare applications also appear to offer a wide scope for the technology. On one hand, the initial investment can be high when it comes to 3D printing. Nevertheless, companies across the 3D printing value chain are expected to benefit from the reduction in the amount of tooling and process steps, which will, in turn, cut down costs. This will also significantly minimize inventory and lead times, and be a defining factor for manufacturing companies.