Blood sugar tracker
Livongo Health recently won regulatory approval for In Touch, an Internet-connected device designed to provide diabetics with continuous access to updated information about their glucose levels, enabling them to better monitor their blood sugar levels and share important information with their doctor, according to the Chicago Tribune. The device, which measures blood sugar from blood drawn from regular finger pricks and includes a pedometer to monitor a user’s activity, helps patients determine if they are in a healthy range. Other companies as well – including Google, Apple and Samsung – reportedly are exploring ways to incorporate glucose monitors into wearable sensor devices.
The center of the Internet of Things
By 2020, the smartphone will be the central component of a personal Internet of Things, connecting with wearables, household objects, utilities and vehicles to quantify, aggregate and automate everyday tasks, according to ReportLinkers.com. Sensors, displays and augmented reality services are expected to blend a digital layer into the physical world, quantifying it for increased efficiency and optimization. The organization’s key research findings suggest:
- People will rely on the Web less as apps proliferate across devices and domains, such as medical, connected home, automotive and retail.
- The new breed of apps will be ambient and rely on MEMS sensors to intelligently collect data and provide contextually relevant information.
- No single company will make all of the hardware. Instead, Apple and Google are expected to provide the operating systems and APIs for hardware and applications to plug into.
- Sensors in smartphones and smartwear will reduce inefficiencies in healthcare and enable preventative care, reducing the demand on hospitals and elderly care.
- Low-cost devices will enable healthcare to be delivered cheaply across populations, improving medical care and diagnosis.
- Biometric authorization will take place on the smartphone and will include fingerprint and iris or voice modalities, limiting the need to include biometrics on other hardware.
- A wearable device without a display equipped with biometrics will offer frictionless authentication for transactions.
- Primary use cases will be identification for smart home applications, such as locks and wireless payments.
- Power will be supplied wirelessly in indoor spaces, reducing the need for larger or more efficient batteries.
- Software-based power consumption and fast charging improvements will make mobile devices less power-hungry and reduce battery anxiety.
- A variety of displays will be available and act as a differentiator for original design manufacturers (ODMs). Some will offer pico projectors, others 3D screens, and others bendable screens.
- Virtual reality will be the next gaming platform and will come to dominate training.
Battery pack/tablet stand
That Innovative Technology’s Justin Power Bank offers 6000mAh is pretty typical of battery packs. What’s not so typical is the battery’s ability to double as a smartphone or tablet stand or its ability to convert a smartphone into an upright, readable clock, reports the Chicago Tribune. The $29.99 Power Bank weighs less than half a pound and comes with a USB charging cable, which connects to the unit’s micro-USB input, and then to a USB charger or computer. (iPhone and iPad users must use an Apple-compliant cable.) For more information visit http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-cons-0911-tech-justin-charger-20140911-story.html.
Get your head around this
LifeBEAM, a developer of bio-sensing technology, recently launched the LifeBEAM Helmet, a smart cycling helmet. The helmet has been re-engineered to offer aerospace-grade heart rate and calorie consumption measurements, without the need for a chest strap. The company has also upgraded the LifeBEAM Helmet’s physical design and bio-sensing technology to help provide more accurate monitoring capabilities. The upgraded sensor, which relies on the same algorithm used in LifeBEAM’s aerospace systems, reportedly increases measurement speed and accuracy, as well as reduces battery consumption. In addition, a LYCRA® headband and redesigned casing is said to facilitate clearer heart rate readings, regardless of motion, sweat or adverse weather conditions. The LifeBEAM Helmet now broadcasts both Bluetooth® 4.0 and ANT+™ protocols so that users can transfer heart rate and calorie measurements to a smartphone or wearable device, like a smartwatch. For more information, visit life-beam.com.
For a heart healthy end-of-year
In need of holiday gift ideas? Polar, a provider of heart rate monitoring and wearable sports devices, has announced its Polar M400 GPS training watch with constant activity tracking. The Bluetooth® Smart, water-resistant device combines GPS and activity tracking with advanced sports technology, enabling users to track such training metrics as speed, pace, distance and altitude. The Polar H7 heart rate sensor helps ensure their effort remains at the right intensity, while the device’s built-in activity tracker provides a picture of all daily activities, including steps taken, calories burned and how restfully one has slept. Users can receive alerts for inactivity directly on their wrist or through the Polar Flow app, along with suggestions on how to achieve their personalized activity goals. The M400 has a battery life of 9 hours in training time when GPS and sensors are running, and up to 24 days when it is simply keeping time, with activity monitoring. The device retails for $199.95, or $249.95 with the additional H7 heart rate sensor.
Can’t stand the heat?
Honeywell Electronic Materials recently announced that its advanced materials are being integrated into the production of tablets and smartphones, helping them stay cool and perform better. Leading mobile electronics manufacturers reportedly are using Honeywell’s thermal interface materials (TIMs) to dissipate the intense heat produced by increasingly powerful chips at the heart of these devices. If not managed properly, excessive heat is known to lead to performance issues or cause devices to stop functioning. TIMs technology from Honeywell transfers thermal energy from the chip to the heat sink or spreader, where it is dissipated into the surrounding environment. This functionality is designed to keep the chip cool, while allowing the heat sink module to perform optimally. This stability has been tested through extended baking at 150 degrees Celsius (more than 300 degrees Fahrenheit); thermal cycling from -55 to 125 degrees Celsius (-67 to 257 degrees Fahrenheit); and the Highly Accelerated Stress Test (HAST).