Tag Archives: wearable

OrCam MyEye turns text to speech for the visually impaired @ CES 2021



OrCam MyEye smart readingThe modern world relies very heavily on sight. While podcasts have brought audio back to a primary method of communication, much of what we do is visual. Phones, despite their name, have a strong focus on visuals. Even things as simple as eating at a restaurant requires sight to be able to know the menu. But, if you have a visual impairment, it can have a major impact on your life. Fortunately, our friends at OrCam have a technological solution to the problem: OrCam MyEye.

The OrCam MyEye is a small device that looks like a PowerPoint controller. But, instead of a device to control a computer, it is a small computer with a built-in camera. It attaches to your glasses, which allows it to stay focused in the same direction as your head. This allows you to use it to read aloud text in front of you. It can be done directly from the device, or it can be paired with a speaker or headphones.

The OrCam MyEye is controlled using gestures. You can tap the device to read whatever is in front of you. Or, you can point at text to have it start reading there. You can use a hand gesture, similar to an orchestral conductor, to end the reading. This puts you in full control of what is being read and when.

In addition to the text reading capability, it is able to do object identification. For example, it can learn and announce people using onboard facial recognition. It is also able to identify products around you, either using a pre-determined database, or by using the barcode on the product. In either case, it is able to announce that person or product just the same as it can read text.

The OrCam MyEye is available now starting at $3000, or can be purchased using Sunbit starting at $150 per month. To learn more or make a purchase, check out the OrCam website.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

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Petpuls is a wearable, using AI to give your dog a voice @ CES 2021



Petpuls dog emotional analysisWearable health tech has become a normal part of our lives. Many people wear a smartwatch or fitness tracker on their wrists that tracks your activity. Some people wear more specialized devices, like DFree, to track more specific medical issues. But, this is catering specifically to humans – but we love our pets almost as much as we love people. Petpuls recognizes this, and is bringing the benefits of wearable devices to your dogs.

Petpuls is a specialized collar that gives your dog a voice. Essentially, the idea is that your dog is speaking to you. Anyone who has had dogs knows that they can express their feelings and physical states with their barking. Different tones are used in different scenarios and to express different emotions. However, it can be difficult for humans to detect those differences. For those who can differentiate, it can still be difficult to figure out what they want or need.

This is where Petpuls comes in. Using a microphone, the collar has the ability to listen to your pet’s voice. Using artificial intelligence, the system is able to take that voice and translate it into simple English. Now, it’s not going to give you the ability to hold conversations with your dog, but it does give you the ability to determine several emotional states that your dog might be in: happy, sad, anxious, relaxed, and angry. This can give you the ability to respond to help relieve negative states or help maintain positive states.

Because the system is powered by AI, it means that the more devices that are in the wild, and the more of them in active use, the better the detection will get. In fact, with time, the nuances between these states might be able to be broken out into more detailed categories.

The Petpuls is available now for $99 for the small size and $108 for the large size. To learn more or make a purchase, head over to the Petpuls website.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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HairMax makes regrowing lost hair as easy as a ballcap @ CES 2021



HairMax laser hair regrowthHair loss is a common problem, but one that many people find embarrassing despite having little to no control over the situation. An entire industry of products and services has been created around the problem and its solutions. Some solutions come in the form of medications, which can have side effects and could even cause harm to people around you. There are transplants, but those are incredibly expensive and a little odd for some. We’ve seen devices, but many of them can be more expensive than people are able to afford. Luckily, if you suffer from hair loss, HairMax has a unique solution to the problem.

HairMax has been around for 20 years and is constantly looking for new ways to make its products available to more people. They focus on laser-powered solutions in a variety of configurations. There’s the LaserComb, which is exactly what its name sounds like. There is the LaserBand, which looks like a thick hairband with the treatment lasers built-in. There is also the PowerFlex Laser Cap, which takes the treatment lasers and builds them into a baseball cap. However, the design of the product caused a higher price than they had hoped, so back to the drawing board the company went.

The solution that came about was the Flip 80 Laser Cap. Rather than having the entire scalp covered in the specialized lasers, they cut the number down. How did they accomplish this? Straight down the middle. Rather than a single usage every other day that covers the entire scalp, you do two treatments every other day. You start with the lasers on one side of your head and then flip it around and do it again. In doing this, HairMax was able to cut the price to less than half of its full scalp sibling.

All of the company’s products are available now. The PowerFlex Laser Cap runs $1899, while the Flip 80 Laser Cap runs $699. To learn more about these products or to make a purchase, check out the HairMax website.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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DFree is an early warning system for your bladder @ CES 2021



DFree bladder sensorThere are a lot of things that happen as you age, one of which is something very personal that most people don’t like to or won’t talk about. Probably the most common one is the concern of bladder control. There are 500 million people worldwide that truly suffer from this issue. DFree was developed to help target those people with this problem. This is mainly the senior population or anyone who has a bladder incontinence condition.

DFree is a small wearable device that has an ultra-sound sensor. Being totally non-invasive, it is placed on the lower abdomen after applying ultra-sound gel and secured with medical tape. Using four ultra-sound probes, it is paired with your phone and tells you how full your bladder is so you can be prepared to find a bathroom if necessary. Through the app, there is a range of 1-10, with 1 being empty and 10 being full. We typically fall between 1 and 10. There is a notification threshold that can be set to a number to let you know how full the bladder is, say 80. When it reaches 50, it will notify you so you can plan on finding a bathroom. It has an analysis function that shows you several things. Some of these are how much urine is accumulated, how often you go to the bathroom, and how much time passes between bathroom visits. Much of this information seems unnecessary to some people, but if you live with this condition, any and all information can be very helpful in coping with the issue.

DFree has a USB port and is easy to charge. The charge lasts for 24 hours, allowing the user to wear it all day. This is available now for $399.99 but that is just for the hardware. There is also a minimal cost for the ultra-sound gel and the medical tape. For more info go to their website.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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MoviWear makes aging in place less stressful for everyone @ CES 2021



MoviWear Aging SmartwatchIf you have a loved one who is aging in place, it can be difficult to feel comfortable that everything is okay. Is the persona okay or have they fallen, or maybe having heart issues? For most of us, the best we can do is hope that everything is okay and, if not, our loved ones will call us to say something is wrong. But, many people don’t want to admit that something is wrong, so that is less likely. However, MoviWear is working to alleviate these concerns.

The company provides a number of connected devices that help track the wearer’s activity and status and can report it to family and caregivers. Depending on the device, you can track different things, ranging from heart rate to blood glucose level (without pricking yourself). The devices connect to a central system and aggregate the data, creating a live report for caregivers.

MoviWear’s primary wearable is the NurtureWatch. This smartwatch looking device is designed with the brains, but without the visual bells and whistles. While it may not offer an app store or web browser, it does provide the wearer with a number of major benefits. Of course, it’s a watch, but it also incorporates AI-powered fall detection. This feature allows the device to detect when motion falls outside of the normal range of motion and can report to medical personnel, friends, or family, that something has happened. The watch also features a red SOS button, which can be used in the event assistance is needed.

In addition to the watch, the company also offers a simple panic button. This device works like the red SOS button on the watch but is a stand-alone product. It can be worn as a pendant, watch, or set on a table – whatever is most convenient for the user at the time. Both products are available from the company’s website and retail around $250.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

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URGONight – Talking Sound (TPN Picks Best of CES 2020 Award)



URGONightThe Talking Sound awards its TPN Picks Best of CES 2020 Award to URGONight.

Have you ever had a period of time where you just couldn’t sleep at night? Maybe a week leading up to a big event like CES. Maybe you’ve got a big project at work that you’re worried about. Maybe you can’t figure out what’s going on, you just can’t sleep. That’s where URGONight comes in. Their product is a training device for your brain that helps you learn to get into the right state to sleep.

Rather than the common scenario of wearing a device while you sleep, which can negatively affect your sleep, URGONight is worn during the day. Even better, it is worn for only a few minutes per day. It does this using an electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor combined with brain exercises on the connected app. The device is based on existing technology that was previously only available to those who took the time and expense to go to a sleep clinic.

Early testers seem to love the device. The fact that it doesn’t require wearing the device to bed is seemingly the most popular feature. The fact that it doesn’t use any wave emissions or sounds is a big deal, too, though. Because it doesn’t try to make any changes through the device itself, it can create ease of mind for the user. And, even without any electronic stimulation, users could see lasting results, thanks to the guided exercises. Those exercises are recommended based on the readings of the device with the intention to help you sleep faster and better.

URGONight is not currently publicly available, but it is coming. If you want more information about the company, the product, or want to sign up for updates, you can check out the company’s website.

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Vert Brings Athletic Tracking to a New Level



Vert LogoIn the world of professional athletics, stats are everything. Not just the typical stats that fans might see like hits or points scored. But in-depth numbers about things like pitch counts and jump heights. Traditionally, this kind of information was difficult to obtain. But technology company Vert is working to change that.

Nick met with Martin Matak, the founder and president of Vert. Martin’s company has designed a small, wearable chip that tracks all kind of athletic data. The Vert platform can record pitch counts, play intensity, and more. Vert also tracks “effort,” taking into account how much a player has done in a specific amount of time. The Vert clip can be worn with an integrated belt designed specifically for Vert or the clip can be incorporated into a player’s existing uniform/clothing. Vert clips are currently on the market for $125 and they work with a mobile app that can be downloaded for free.

Nick DiMeo is an audio engineer and show host at F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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Kapture Audio Recording Wristband hands-on review



Kapture Audio Recording Wristband is designed to grab the last 60 seconds of any audio and save it off to your mobile device for sharing, editing or your own personal revisiting later. We dig into features, functions, privacy, quality and the application in this review.

I love the design and look overall of the Kapture Audio Recording Wristband. It really is not much higher than some of the large watches now. It is definitely as thin as the medium watches. The look itself and the ability to change the band or just the grill on the face makes it stand out. I went with the black band all the time and played with the covers they sent over. Now what is missing from the design?

I have to agree that some more function is needed via the Kapture Audio interface. I know they were trying to go without any buttons but it seems everyone wants a button. I can see the need to maybe have a simple switch that pauses (for security reasons) it or even shuts it down. Something more in the LED area would be great for status. And for gosh sakes if I am wearing this instead of a watch I need to tell time, Even audibly. (Misfit Shine does this on their device with a double tap if you want).
Continue reading Kapture Audio Recording Wristband hands-on review


TikTeck Sells Direct to Consumer



tikteckTikTeck are coming to market with the sole purpose of bringing affordable products direct to the consumer and cutting out the middleman. With only a few gadgets available, Daniel chats with Rex Chen, VP Product Development of TikTeck to find out what’s in store.

In the first wave of products, there’s a Bluetooth-controlled smart LED bulb displaying 16 million colours for only US$9.99. You don’t need me to tell you what a bargain that price is. The companion smartphone app runs on both iOS and Android, providing group controls and timers, much like some of the market leading apps. Available for pre-order now with delivery expected end of February.

TikTeck RoverCombining both security and fun, the next product is a wireless camera rover. It’s a digital video camera on a remote controlled buggy which can be steered and monitored by wifi from a smartphone. US$69.99 when it goes on sale. I want one – the black version in the interview looks positively menacing.

Finally, TikTeck have a smart finger ring that measures heart rate and tracks activity and sends the data back to the smartphone by Bluetooth. It looks far more like a man’s ring than it does a fitness tracker. Price not finalised but likely to be in the $50-$100 range.

Daniel J. Lewis is the host of the award-winning podcast about podcasting, The Audacity to Podcast. Daniel helps others launch and improve their own podcasts for sharing their passions and finding success.

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Vievu Has Portable Wearable Cameras at CES



Vievu logoCameras are everywhere these days, including (in some cases) on the human body. As the demand for accurate reporting and accountability increases, so does the need for light and wearable cameras. That’s where Vievu comes in. The company makes cameras specifically designed to be worn by people or mounted onto cars/equipment.

Scott met with Steve Lovell from Vievu. Steve demonstrated one of his company’s flagship products; a portable, lightweight video cam that can be mounted nearly anywhere. Vievu cameras can be connected to either smartphones (via the Vievu app), laptops or IP networks. These special cameras have been on the market since June of last yearand their price range begins at $349.00. Vievu cameras can capture both audio and video in resolutions ranging from 360 to 1080p. Cameras come with 16gb of internal storage and they can record for about 2.5 hours or stream for about 90 minutes before needing a recharge.

Interview by Scott of F5 Live for the TechPodcast Network.

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