Sleep -- Engadget

sleep posts

Zeo's Personal Sleep Coach makes money from your insomnia

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jun 11th 2009 at 3:09PM

We've seen a few devices that claim to cure insomnia with expensive lights and magnetic headgear, but if you're serious about getting some sleep you should definitely check out Zeo's Personal Sleep Coach. At night a SoftWave sensor-equipped headband collects data pertaining to your sleep habits (or lack of), which you can then parse on your PC (via SD card). It's like having a University sleep clinic right there in your flop house! And if that isn't enough, the device's SmartWake alarm clock can be set to get you out of bed at your "natural awakening point," decreasing the grogginess one feels when waking from Deep sleep. Order now for $399 and get free shipping. Sort of pricey, sure, but much more cost effective than that $1.5 million dollar floating bed -- which doesn't actually look that comfortable, at all. Video after the break.

[Via Engadget Poland]

Continue reading Zeo's Personal Sleep Coach makes money from your insomnia

Eizo's FlexScan EV2023W / EV2303W LCD monitors turn off when humans are away

by Darren Murph posted Apr 23rd 2009 at 2:17PM

Not that we haven't seen LCD monitors get less demanding when it comes to energy, but we've yet to see a company take eco-friendliness this far. Professional LCD maker Eizo has just announced a new pair of panels (the 20-inch FlexScan EV2023W-H and the 23-inch EV2303W-T) that boast a "human presence sensor." As the phrase implies, these displays are designed to shift to power saving mode when it realizes that its master has vacated the area, and when they return, it automatically flips back on in order to keep from being bashed by one of many USB-connected peripherals. Unfortunately, it seems the human detection timer can't be changed from 40 seconds, and no, there are no current plans to implement a robot presence sensor once the Apocalypse is realized.

[Via FarEastGizmos]

SnorePro might stop you from snoring (but probably won't)

by Laura June posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 7:03PM

We'll level with you: the Snore Pro sets off a few snake oil alarms -- it does, after all, claim to fix a problem that has been seemingly incurable from time immemorial. The device (which is not exactly cool looking) apparently has a two-pronged approach to help snorers kick the habit: first, it delivers an "electronic stimulation" to the wearer's skin causing a sleep disturbance (which the company compares to a nudging spouse). Secondly, it claims to record each and every snore. The recorded data theoretically provides the user with feedback about their progress and gives them clues as to why and when they snore. We don't know when it's going to be available or how much it will cost, but we hope it's less expensive than the weight loss pills and the real estate pyramid scheme software we just ordered.

ASRock's Instant Boot: 0 to Vista in 4 seconds

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 14th 2008 at 6:38AM

ASRock has a ploy to sell more of its motherboards: Instant Boot. The BIOS update for select MoBos promises to boot XP or Vista systems 10 times faster than standard PCs -- in other words, about 3 to 4 seconds from a full shutdown. ASRock achieves this minor of miracles through manipulation of the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface that Microsoft manipulates for its sleep and hibernate modes. At the risk of oversimplification, ASRock appears to add the processing baggage to the backend of the shutdown process, essentially rebooting the OS and then dropping it into a suspended state ready to instantly pop on the next time you hit the power button. Pretty smart actually. Here's the catch: the system you're using must be limited to a single user account without any password protection -- a definite no-no for corporate environments. See what happens when Hugo and George steal Dad's camcorder after the break.

[Thanks, Daniel]

Continue reading ASRock's Instant Boot: 0 to Vista in 4 seconds

Fujitsu's in-car safety tech senses drowsiness, reacts to wake you up

by Darren Murph posted Nov 7th 2008 at 10:13AM

Not that we haven't seen similar technology from other outfits before, but we'll take as many in-car safety advancements as we can get. It's bruited that Fujitsu is conjuring up a sophisticated sensor system that can actually detect when a driver gets drowsy or begins to sink into a deep, dark wonder-world of sleep. Put simply, the system would detect specific changes in the motorist's heart rate via the steering wheel, and once it determined that you weren't exactly "with it" any longer, the car could then roll its own windows down, blast the stereo or jolt the wheel in order to get your attention. In our minds, the biggest issue here is to not cause an accident by spooking a sleepy driver out of their slumber, and we presume that's exactly what the company is working on in its R&D labs.

[Image courtesy of MetroHealth]

Researchers cram bio-signal monitoring system inside baseball cap

by Darren Murph posted May 17th 2008 at 11:38PM

Never before has headgear been so intrinsically linked with actual brain waves. Thanks to a team of researchers looking to create a method for "continuously monitoring high-temporal resolution brain dynamics without requiring conductive gels applied to the scalp," a new baseball cap has been created to do the trick. Said hat conceals five embedded dry electrodes which contact the wearer's forehead, while a single electrode behind the left ear acquires EEG signals. From there, the data is transferred wirelessly and can be processed in real-time to determine a driver's level of drowsiness, for instance. The gurus behind the invention have high hopes for its future, and they've already envisioned it being used in a plethora of medical scenarios and for controlling home electronics. To those about to rock this -- prepare for some serious hat-hair.

Humanoid acts out your dreams, encourages insomnia

by Darren Murph posted Feb 16th 2008 at 4:31PM

Forget controlling your dreams -- after all, isn't the idea of having a mechanical buddy act out whatever your off-kilter brain thought up last night much more appealing? In an interesting endeavor, Fernando Orellana and Brendan Burns have teamed up to design a humanoid that actually takes sophisticated dream interpretation results (garnered by analyzing data from a variety of sensors) and acts out whatever was going on in one's mind. Quite frankly, we're not even sure we'd like to remember some of those overnight journeys -- let alone see some bot play it back -- but if you glanced this headline and immediately crossed your fingers for a video, head on past the jump to get just that.

Continue reading Humanoid acts out your dreams, encourages insomnia

ChiliPad keeps your mattress hot, cold

by Darren Murph posted Dec 21st 2007 at 7:50AM

Sure, we've seen air conditioned beds before, and you may think one of those fancy electric blankets circa 1990 could handle the warming duties, but why not plunk down for one device that handles both extremes? Enter ChiliPad, which, contrary to its name, actually does provide cooling or warming benefits while you snooze. Reportedly, the mattress topper uses water rather than air to generate temperature adjustments, and the company even compares it to a water-cooled computer -- talk about understanding your market, eh? If Chili is to be believed, this thing can be set to cool things down to 65°F or warm 'em up to 100°F, and yes, it does come in single- and dual-zone versions. So, for those who just can't seem to get the thermostat set correctly, you can pick one of these up now for around $479 to $999, depending on size.

[Via Gearlog]

Hollandia's Platinum-Luxe Elite bed includes home theater

by Darren Murph posted Nov 29th 2007 at 12:19PM

We've seen some pretty fantasmical beds in our day, but none of them make you want to stay in it forever quite like this one. Hollandia's Platinum-Luxe Elite, which probably took a few design cues from Mork & Mindy's abode, is far from being your average sleep system, as this thing sports a mattress made from naturally ventilated, hypo-allergenic Vita Talalay latex covered in aloe vera fibers and telescopic head supports that can prop your noggin up for those late-night reading sessions. But that's not even the best part -- you can also look forward to checking out its 32-inch Sony HDTV, BRAVIA 5.1-channel surround sound system, five-disc DVD / CD changer and the obligatory iPod dock whenever counting sheep fails you. Only problem? The $35,000 price tag.

[Via CNET]

Gadgets blamed for teens' lack of sleep

by Darren Murph posted Aug 28th 2007 at 8:20AM

We've seen gadgets blamed for increased violence, the fall of contemporary art, and even broken hearts, but the latest study to pin more blame on the gizmos we simply can't do without purports that teens are missing out on crucial sleep thanks to their gadget addictions. According to a recent report by The Sleep Council, "gadgets in bedrooms such as computers and TVs are fueling poor quality 'junk sleep,' and considering that nearly a quarter of respondents "admitted that they fell asleep watching TV, listening to music, or with other equipment still running more than once a week," it's not too hard to understand how the conclusion was drawn. Nevertheless, it was suggested that these electronics were hindering kids' ability to get the recommended eight hours of sleep each night, but hey, when (most) free nights begin at 9:00PM, how can ya blame 'em?

[Thanks, Joel]

Kuchofuku's air conditioned bed, clothing line

by Darren Murph posted Jun 29th 2007 at 6:18AM

Sure, you could blow a cool million on a bed you'd never sleep on, but why not grab one that actually provides some relief (and won't run you $5k a month... forever) after a hard day in the blazing sun? Enter Kuchofuku, who certainly has the right idea with its air conditioned sleeper and clothing line. The makeshift bed, which only weighs 5.3-pounds, utilizes dual fans to pull air in and circulate it through the cushion beneath you. Of course, it'd be a modern tragedy to have to rise and leave such a pleasant scenario, but you can solve that dilemma as well care of the air conditioned shirt. The button-up garb touts an integrated fan that is purportedly powered via USB, which means that your armpits can now remain fresh regardless of how infrequent the AC kicks on at the office. A cooler night's sleep is but $399 away, while the new threads (seen after the jump) will run you a staggering $159 apiece.

[Via CScout, thanks Mike]

Continue reading Kuchofuku's air conditioned bed, clothing line

Brookstone kicks out anti-snoring Sona pillow

by Darren Murph posted Jun 27th 2007 at 2:47PM

While companies have been prying your hard earned dollars away from you for years promising snore-free nights, Brookstone is just now readying its own rendition for spouses on the brink of insanity. The anti-snoring Sona pillow "promotes a comfortable side-sleeping position" based on the belief that "people who sleep on their sides are less likely to snore." Of course, we're in no position to judge the truthfulness of such a claim, but its patented shape has reportedly helped a myriad of users snore less often, inhale more oxygen, and become less loathed by their easily annoyed SOs. Per usual with Brookstone goods, don't expect this miracle device to come cheap, as you'll be forced to pony up $99 for a pillow that only feels comfortable when laying sideways.

Vista's Aero interface blamed for truncated battery life

by Darren Murph posted May 4th 2007 at 5:45PM

Considering just how many copies of Windows Vista that Microsoft has moved, it's not too surprising that a few (potentially rightful) whiners are calling the new operating system out for glaring issues. Not too long after users were complaining over sluggish file movements and bogus ads, it seems that the Aero Glass interface is the latest target of concern. Reportedly, the battery life of laptops is being diminished by having the eye candy cranked up, all while Microsoft claims that the OS touts "improved power management capabilities." Of course, Core Duo users cried this same river when trading more horsepower for minutes, but engineers from HP and Lenovo have actually concocted their own power settings after finding the canned options unsuitable. Still, it seems to make perfect sense that flipping on a glitzy interface that obviously requires more juice to run correctly would negatively impact the battery life, but until we start strapping potent fuel cells into our portable machines, this unfortunate trend is likely to continue.

Magnetic signals could cure chronic insomnia

by Darren Murph posted May 3rd 2007 at 3:31AM

Make no mistake, there's a plethora of devices out there aimed squarely at rudely disrupting your nap, but a technique that utilizes a gaudy head wrap and magnetic pulses could make the process of conking out a whole lot easier. Apparently, scientists can use relatively standard medical equipment in order to "stimulate the brain with harmless magnetic pulses," which essentially penetrate the nerves that control a type of deep sleep called "slow-wave activity." By forcing the brain to conjure these waves, it helps trigger deep sleep in even the "most chronic insomniac," and researchers are hoping that these methods could be used to create a machine that lets weary individuals get one fabulous power nap. Until then, however, may we suggest wading through every last Intel roadmap presentation you can find without ever losing focus, as this little trick seems to work quite well in corporate settings.

[Via Spluch]

WiebeTech's Mouse Jiggler USB stick prevents sleep

by Darren Murph posted Apr 16th 2007 at 10:47AM

We've certainly seen crafty methods of keeping humans from dozing off when alertness matters most, but WiebeTech's latest actually does a number on your exhausted computer by refusing to let those power savings settings kick in. The admittedly clever Mouse Jiggler rocks a diminutive USB design, and once plugged into your Mac or PC, it takes over your motionless cursor and shakes it all across the screen, effectively denying the machine its heartfelt wish to fall asleep when idle. Of course, this may not do the average user a whole lot of good, but for those locked-down corporate workstations that frustrate IT heads on end by dozing off just before a download / installation is complete, here's your hero. Notably, the Mouse Jiggler comes in "Fast" and "Slow" flavors to suit your cursor-dementing needs, and each can be snapped up right now for $29.95.

[Via MetaFilter]