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iPhone-controlled Acutouch HT-9500 massage chair now available
Have you been struggling to come to terms with your non-iPhone-controlled massage chair ever since seeing the Acutouch HT-9500 back in August? Well, your long, comfortable nightmare could soon be over. The massage chair is now available for the low, low price of $4,999 -- that's a full grand off the MSRP. In case you missed it, the real selling point here (for some folks, anyway) is the accompanying HT-Connect app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, which will let you wirelessly control the chair and give you "instant access to a world of resources, massage programs and expertise designed to improve your wellness and life." Head on past the break for a glimpse of the app itself, and hit up the source link below to find a retailer near you (it's unfortunately listed as out of stock online).
AcuTouch 9500: world's first massage chair to succumb to iPhone, iPod touch and iPad (video)
'Tis true -- we don't often write about massage chairs here, but throw in some gadget connectivity and they'll have our attention, just like this AcuTouch 9500. Discovered by Zedomax, this luxurious furniture from Human Touch claims to be the world's first iOS device-controlled massage chair, meaning you can choose and store your desired routines and intensity -- via the free HT-Connect app -- on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Just to give you more bang for the buck, there are also downloadable massage programs that are individually customized by doctors and sport stars -- most of which you've probably never heard of. The price? No info yet, so you'll just have to keep popping into your local massage parlour until later this year. Demo video after the break.
Vibrating auto seat alerts driver when cars get too close
Every time we turn around, auto manufacturers are developing loads of new displays and sensors. At what point does the driver hit sensory overload? That's the question that prompted John Morrell, an Associate Professor at Yale School of Engineering, to position twenty vibrating cellphone motors in a rectangular array inside the driver's seat. Several different warnings were devised, including positional warnings (someone approaching closely behind will set off the center of the array, while a car approaching from the left or right will set off the motors on your left or right, respectively). Preliminary tests were done on a simulator based on The Open Racing Car Simulator (TORCS) platform, and so far things look promising. "[T]he vibrotactile feedback improved drivers' performance over that attained by using the rearview mirror alone," according to Gizmag, "and also helped warn of vehicles hidden by the mirror blind spot." Now, if this could do double duty as a massage chair? Then we'd be onto something.
Home built massage chair strikes inexpugnable fear into aching joints
It's important to remember that when we make inevitable war with the machines, it was really all our fault -- take this guy Lin, for example. Sure, he means well, building this massage chair out of scrap for his aging wife, who suffers from joint pain, but future generations scraping together a meager existence as they huddle for protection from homicidal robots and a rage-filled Christian Bale won't be exactly forgiving of Lin's plight. "Why couldn't he just travel backwards in time to stop the joint pain before it started?" they'll ask. "Didn't he know he was endangering the entire human race?"[Via Make]
Tristar Massage Chair isn't built for the average living room
Really, we've yet to pinpoint a massage chair that fit in well with typical furniture and didn't cost a small fortune, but we're tempted to believe that the Tristar Massage Chair was actually created with Martians in mind. This rather terrifying seating device includes all sorts of apparatuses that will reportedly remove stress from your back, feet, face and fingertips. There's also an integrated audio system for surrounding yourself in Kenny G or Killswitch Engage, whichever group helps you cope with all that you dealt with during the workday. Too bad you'll be burning that midnight oil to pay off the €5,000 ($7,807) credit card bill.[Via Ubergizmo]
Matsushita recalls 68,000 potentially fiery massage chairs
We're all very aware of how often Li-ion batteries have been on the literal hot seat over the past year or so, but now it looks like Matsushita has yet another recall to deal with outside of those overheating laptop batteries. The company best known for its Panasonic brand has recalled 68,762 of its electric massage chairs after two cases were reported of the "internal motor burning out" and sparking fires. Thankfully, no one was injured while getting all the kinks worked out of their spine, but considering there are much safer ways to heat your bottom while kicked back in a recliner, we doubt the unadvertised warming functions were appreciated. So if you just so happen to own one of these vibrating chairs, you should probably make haste in pulling the plug and phoning Matsushita for an RMA number.[Via Fark]
Sanyo massage chairs also detect lies?
Sure, there's quite a few ways to sniff out fibs for those who just can't "read" body language all that well, and there's certainly a entire market saturated with massage chairs that supposedly coax your muscles in return for a hefty sum of cash, but it looks like Sanyo's lineup of massage seats just might sport a hidden agenda. According to Sanyo's ever-descriptive website, its array of massage chairs sport "physical shape sensors, power recline, and GK roller technology" among other things, but the standout feature is the "stiffness detection sensor" that "locates areas of physical stiffness and gauges fatigue by changes in skin temperature, perspiration, and pulse." Interestingly enough, those three measurements are the things lie detection tools are made up of my friend, so if you've got the 1337 skills to wire up a massage chair to some swank analytical software, you could potentially extract just about any truth you ever wanted while the culprit simply enjoys the ride.[Via CNET]
