Medgadget

Pumaphone Helps Track Your Exercise Routine

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:14:09 -0800

Puma, a sports fashion firm, and Sagem, a telecommunications company, have partnered to create the Pumaphone, a mobile cellular device designed for fitness enthusiasts. Though it's not a smart phone, and has a solar panel of questionable value, it does offer useful features that should be helpful for biking and running:

Analogue [sic] stopwatch

GPS run tracker

GPS bike speedometer

Pedometer

Yachting compass

Link: Pumaphone...

(hat tip: mobihealthnews)

Power Free Humidifier Hopes to be Your Next Eco Friendly Model

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:11:07 -0800

The Japanese have a reputation of being forward looking with regards to technology, but once in a while we see them reaching back to develop a new product. The Mast Humidifier is one such item that promises to humidify your indoor air without using any electricity. It uses natural evaporation through sheets of Japanese Cyprus, which sounds well and good, but how effective is capillary action when it is compared to a modern ultrasonic humidifier?

Product page in Japanese: Mast Humidifier...

(hat tip: Gizmodo)

Designer Appliance Line for The Disabled

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 06:51:56 -0800

Designers have put a lot of effort into improving the ergonomics of modern home appliances, which means that everything was adjusted to be comfortably used by a standing adult. Designer Hideki Kawata has put thought into what an ideal stove, dishwasher, and refrigerator would look like for a wheelchair bound person. The goal is a great idea, but the refrigerator's top shelves still seem too tall to be reachable without assistance.

Yanko Design: Tricked Out Appliances for Those On Wheels...

"Gadgets for Getting in Shape"

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:24:10 -0800

Technology Review is profiling some of the more innovative gadgets that are on the market to help people stay fit. From personal activity monitors to the Mandometer (pictured) that keeps an eye on how much and how fast you consume your food, the selection of devices should provide an ample solution to anyone trying to obsessively track every aspect of their life.

Link: Gadgets for Getting in Shape...

Personal Actigraphy for a Better Night's Sleep

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:04 -0800

As our editors can attest, having the beeper go off during deep sleep while on call is an unpleasant experience. Alarm clocks in general are insensitive to our sleep cycles. The WakeMate from Perfect Third, Inc. is a new device that attempts to sound reveille just when you're most conscious. Essentially, it's a wrist-worn accelerometer that measures how much you're moving, and it sends the data to a cell phone. You set a 20 minute time frame when you'd like to wake up, and the device triggers the alarm within that period when it detects significant movement. Though the WakeMate supposedly works with all kinds of cell phones, it comes with an iPhone app that can provide sleep analysis to give you a better idea for what you do during all those unconscious hours.

From the product page:

Problem: Traditional alarm clocks wake you at a random point in your sleep cycle, leaving you feeling groggy.

Solution: The WakeMate will analyze your sleep to find the optimal time for you to wake up. You will feel refreshed and energized every time you wake, even from naps!

Problem: After sleeping, you may still feel tired - you're getting poor quality sleep without realizing why.

Solution: View a full analysis of your sleep on our Analytics Platform. You will receive personalized instructions on how to improve your sleep so you can have your best night's sleep, every night.

Product page: WakeMate...

(hat tip: Gizmodo)

21st Century Innovation: Disaster Ready Baby Carriage

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:59:26 -0800

Earlier this year Samsonite invited designers to develop products that would make it easier for people to travel with their babies. One submission came from Iranian designer Pouyan Mokhtarani who suggested a pod that can be used for casual travel or even during disaster scenarios. His proposal would include air purification, automatic sequestration of liquid and solid waste produced by the child, and a high strength safety features to protect the precious cargo within.

Here's a bit more from the designer via Yanko Design:

There is a bit of a misunderstanding in that this is not a device for growing children during their whole life, it is just a device which can provide a safe and healthy condition during 2 or 3 hours while you can`t change your baby or staying in some poor facilities or places during a trip or airport.
Also, this hard case is equipped with removable door; it is usable without any door like other normal baby carriages. Using the door is just recommended in disaster conditions or air pollution or chemical pollution or some other bad condition for the baby's health.

New Intel Device Helps Overcome Problems With Reading, Learning

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:03 -0800

Intel has released a new gadget for people with vision problems, autism, dyslexia, and other conditions that can make reading difficult. With the Intel Reader you can take pictures of book pages, letters, and product labels and the device will read out the text back while showing magnified print on the screen. While designed to be used by people with certain disabilities, we can also see using this device to learn how to read a new language.

The Intel Reader, about the size of a paperback book, converts printed text to digital text, and then reads it aloud to the user. Its unique design combines a high-resolution camera with the power of an Intel® Atom™ processor, allowing users to point, shoot and listen to printed text.

When the Intel Reader is used together with the Intel® Portable Capture Station, large amounts of text, such as a chapter or an entire book, can be easily captured for reading later. Users will have convenient and flexible access to a variety of printed materials, helping to not only increase their freedom, but improve their productivity and efficiency at school, work and home. The Intel Reader has been endorsed by the International Dyslexia Association as an important advance in assistive technology. Additionally, Intel is working with the Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, the Council for Exceptional Children, Lighthouse International, the National Center for Learning Disabilities and the National Federation of the Blind to help reach and address the needs of people who have difficulty reading print.

Press release: Ready, Set, Read: Intel® Reader Transforms Printed Text to Spoken Word ...

Product page: Intel Reader ...

Philips DirectLife Activity Monitor at TEDMED

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:30:52 -0800

Last week at TEDMED, Philips was giving away their DirectLife devices that monitor person's daily activity using a built-in accelerometer. In a crowded room at the conference, we spoke to one of the representatives of Philips to find out what the product is all about:

To learn more about the product, here's a link: Philips DirectLife...

A New Design for a High Tech Rescue Buoy

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:28:08 -0800

Not a medical device per se, but... Designers Sheng Zhe Feng and Yu Chi Huang are suggesting a new type of flotation device that would pack multiple technologies like salt water activated heating, GPS, and storage compartments for food and other items. Let's hope that the flotation qualities of the rescue ring are not diminished by all the gear on board.

Link: Yanko Design...

Pureray Ultraviolet Baby Bottle Design Idea

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:35:44 -0800

Ultraviolet light has the capacity to inactivate all kinds of pathogens, and now designers Hwa-yong Shin and Hannah Kim think they have a design for a water bottle that can takes advantage of this killing power.

Link: Pureray ultraviolet baby bottle...