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LifeSource Wellness Connected family brings wireless health monitoring home
Giving mere mortals the power to monitor their own health at home isn't a shocking revelation, but LifeSource's new Wellness Connected family takes in-home status checking to another plateau. Three products in the line are being announced: the Wireless Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor, Wireless Precision Scale, and Wireless Activity Monitor. The trifecta utilizes FitLinxx's proprietary wireless technology in order to link together and provide users with information on blood pressure, weight, and "activity" that can be logged and analyzed on a typical computer. Regrettably, no pricing information was mentioned, but we get the sense that this trio won't be coming without a noticeable premium.[Via medGadget]
iStat menus turns 1.3
iSlayer has released version 1.3 of iStat menus, the powerful -- and free -- Mac system monitoring app. There are so many changes that the release notes for this latest update take up an entire page of the iSlayer website. Some of the more notable additions include: Monitoring power, current and voltage sensors on PPC and Intel Macs Controls for PPP and buttons for copying IP (Leopard only) Improved support for VPN connections Better MacBook Air temperature monitoring support (w00t!) I use their calendar / time menu (see screenshot above) in place of the standard Mac time item in the menu bar. I also have to admit to an obsession with following the temperature of the CPU on my MacBook Air. iSlayer requests a donation if you use and like iStat menus. For a download, click here.Thanks for the heads-up on the update, Marc!
RIM allows Indian government to monitor Blackberry network
Well, it took longer than 15 days to reach a resolution, but apparently RIM is going to back down and allow the Indian government to monitor the Blackberry network in that country. What's worse, it appears that RIM was more interested in covering its own ass than protecting user data during the negotiations: the only concession the company received from the Indian government was a promise that it won't be held liable if there's a leak of users' personal information. Yeah, that ought to provide a sparkling incentive to keep things safe. There's no word on when monitoring might begin, but we've got a feeling privacy-loving Indians might suddenly be in the market for a new smartphone.[Thanks, Rishab J.]
Philips dreams up underwear-infused blood pressure monitoring system
Before long, hardware-laden undergarments will be a necessity in life. After all, we've already seen underwear that fends off cellphone radiation, and now Philips is looking to create a pair that actually monitors one's blood pressure continually. A recent patent application from the firm details a "wearable" system, but it does point out that "it is particularly suitable for implementation in a continuously wearable undergarment with integrated measuring sensors or electrodes, so as to be directly in contact with the subject's skin." We can only assume that if these actually make it beyond the drawing board that they'll have an integrated wireless module in order to beam out vitals at all hours of the day, but we're personally a little wary about having all this hardware so close to, um, our hardware.[Via NewScientistTech]
Portable medical scanners built to interface with cellphones
You know those elephant-sized medical scanners? Totally amazing machines, sure, but things like that aren't apt to be shipped into obscure jungles throughout Africa. Thankfully, a team of researchers have developed something that could bring medical scanning to an even larger chunk of the world: a real live Tricorder. Of course, it's not really going by that moniker, but the diminutive scanner is able to interface with a cellphone via USB and utilize its 3G / WiFi access to send raw scan data to servers and receive images back. Granted, you won't get any high-resolution viewing from your average mobile, but it's certainly a step in the right direction.
The Telepresence Frame beams your vital stats home
Leave it to an artist to create a piece of technology as morbid as it is meaningful. Revital Cohen, an artist exploring the relationship of man and machine in medical settings where devices like life support are in use, has created an object which feeds data on a patient's health to his or her family in real-time. Called the Telepresence Frame, the device gathers information generated by heart monitors and the like, and sends them to a display in the home of loved ones, so that they can constantly be kept aware of one's condition. If (or when) the patient dies, the box records up until the final moments, then plays back its collected information in a continuous loop. Cheery, right? Somehow, we don't see this one flying off store shelves anytime soon.[Via we make money not art]
Fuzzmeasure Pro 3 leverages Leopard for audio measurement
Reader Sebastiaan sends word that Fuzzmeasure Pro 3 is out (and that he designed the icon for it-- very nice). Released on the three-year anniversary of the first version's release, the update has a host of new features, including integration with Leopard's Core Audio, the sweet audio graphs that the app is known for, and even Quicklook and Safari plugins. It's been used to set up concert systems for "...Linkin Park and other big name bands around the world." Cool!As you may have guessed from reading "Core Audio" and "Quicklook", Fuzzmeasure Pro 3 is Leopard-only (and loving it). You can download it (and eventually buy it for $150US) over on SuperMegaUltraGroovy's website.
iStat menus 1.2 monitors your Mac's innards
I'm definitely a big fan of iSlayer's iStat Pro widget. Whenever my older Powerbook acts a little weird, I can just pull up the Dashboard and tell at a glance what's going wrong ("Oh my, the CPU is running at 150 degrees again. Time to quit a few apps"). Now they've sent word that iStat menus, an even bigger and better stats program available to sit on the menubar, has hit version 1.2.New to this version is process monitoring, better temperature and fan support in G4 Powerbooks (like mine), and a disk activity graph that let's you monitor disk performance over time. For keeping an eye on what's happening under your Mac's hood, there's almost nothing better, and all the iStat stuff is free.Of course, if you do use one of their apps, make sure to send them some cash to help them keep up the good work. Always support good software, people. Just like NPR, if you don't support it, you'll lose it.
RF-ECG biosensor kit enables wireless medical monitoring
The kit recently unveiled by the Medical Electronic Science Institute most certainly has some homegrown competition, as it too seeks to record and wirelessly transmit "ECG signals and motion, as well as heart rate and epidermal skin temperature" to mobile phones or PCs. The body-worn sensor utilizes "low power consumption RF transmission," which purportedly enables it to broadcast a constant signal for "up to 48 hours" on a single charge. Notably, the kit includes a "USB receiver, sensor transmitter, lithium battery, electrode sheet and software," but no price seems to be given. Oh, and hit the read link for a quick video of the package in action.[Thanks, Fran]
DIY pervasive health monitor keeps tabs on your vitals
If you think your heart rate-monitoring wristwatch is hot stuff, a homegrown creation from the Berkeley Institute of Design is apt to put that to shame. Dubbed the pervasive health monitoring system, this project involves a TI microcontroller, a Bluetooth interface, audio amplifier, and a trio of low power "instrumentation amplifiers," which creates an apparatus that can communicate wirelessly with your Windows Mobile-based handset (and PC, too). The device is rigged up to record ECG (heart rhythms), EMG (muscle tension), GSR (skin resistance), body temperature and movement information, and while we could certainly attempt to transcribe the creator, why not take a look at the informative video posted after the jump for all the data you could ever desire about this (admittedly fresh) invention.[Via Hack-A-Day]
"Organic semiconductors" help researchers monitor your heart
Have you ever been halfway through a heart attack and thought "If only my shirt had been laced with wireless sensors that monitored respiration and body temperature, this cheese-stick-related incident might have been prevented"? Well now, next time you have one-too-many wings while tailgating, a fabric developed by researchers at the University of Arkansas might be able to alert medical professionals to your condition before you go code red. The technology, based around an "organic semiconductor" called pentacene (a hydrocarbon molecule) and a comparative instrument known as a Wheatstone bridge, can be embedded in fabrics such as undershirts and coupled with wireless transmitters. In the garments, body temperature is monitored through a thin-film transistor, while respiration is gauged using electrical resistance, but both technologies employ the pentacene as a sensing layer. Researchers hope to further develop the technology so that doctors can get to you long before you eat a fatal piece of cheesecake.[Via Medlaunches, thanks, Geetu]
Big Brother-equipped straight jacket further proves you're crazy
While the Virtual Hallucinating goggles and Brain Machine can certainly give you a taste of the erratic, a new behavioral-pattern monitor at the University of California, San Diego will reportedly be used to "study the behavior of patients with mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia." The LifeShirt, "a computerized vest that continuously monitors the patient's movements," sports integrated sensors to monitor hyperactive and repetitive movements and record data on "respiration, heart rate, and other physiological measures." Notably, the padded room wearers are presumably crammed into sports a ceiling-mounted webcam that films their exploratory behavior in order to better analyze movement patterns associated with certain disorders. Eventually, of course, researchers are hoping that data collected from the sensor-laden straight jacket could be used to create new drugs to help combat the behavioral abnormalities, but for all of our sakes, let's hope this thing doesn't fall into the wrong hands.[Via MedGadget, photo courtesy of TechnologyReview]
NTT DoCoMo's forward-looking video overlooks the present
We've seen prophets get their agendas past the marketing department a time or two before, but NTT DoCoMo's latest peek into the "future" seemingly forgets to look at what's actually available right now. The lengthy spot showcases how mobile phones will "one day" be even more tightly integrated into our everyday lives, and while the ideas of using mobile-based keychains and passwords, geo-locators, and video telephony are certainly novel, deeming them events of the future seems a bit ignorant. Additionally, it demonstrates the phone's ability to assist with grocery shopping, take care of hailing a cab, act as a tutor, and prevent children from straying too far away -- all of which have either already been implemented or are quite a ways along the development pipeline. Of course, the pen-sized handset with retractable holographic display certainly hasn't hit mainstream channels just yet, but otherwise it seems we're all way ahead of our time. The pseudo-futuristic video awaits you in the read link.[Via PSFK]
ORNL's laser-based surveillance / monitoring system takes on RFID
Amazingly, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is actually not located in the UK, but we wouldn't doubt if the latest development to emerge from its confines somehow ends up across the pond. Nevertheless, scientists at the lab have developed a Laser-Based Item Monitoring System that "addresses surveillance requirements in places where video would be unacceptable because of the presence of proprietary information or other privacy concerns." Essentially, this optical monitoring system uses low-cost reflective tags placed on objects, and then maps the precise location of high-value items to sense tampering. The laser can purportedly detect minute changes (movements of less than a centimeter) by utilizing "a high-resolution two-axis laser scanner capable of looking at a 60-degree field of view in 0.0005-degree increments," meaning that it can divide its field of view into more than 10 billion individual pointing locations. The crew also noted that this system was generally superior to bar code and RFID alternatives as the LBIMS would not be susceptible to jamming or interception, but there's no word just yet on when the Department of Energy (or anyone else) will be putting this stuff to good use.[Via Smartmobs, photo courtesy of Primidi]
UK traffic wardens to wield handheld camcorders
At this point, the near-daily implementations of added surveillance in England is bordering on comical, but for the residents of the country, we're sure it feels more like infuriating. Just days after introducing the British to flying all-seeing police bots comes news that traffic wardens in Salford are becoming the first in the UK to wield handheld video camera. The move was reportedly made so that attendants could have "evidence to prove beyond doubt that the penalties its wardens hand out are justified," which sounds like it could cut down on any questionable penalization that disgruntled employees had the power to administer. Additionally, video from the camcorders will be used in cases where wardens are "assaulted or abused" while on the job, and while we're sure it's not part of the plan, the UK government could have miles of footage for its own rendition of COPS should it choose to use it.[Via Inquirer]
GoPass AVL-900 monitors action in your car, lets you listen in
GoPass' sneaky new device isn't a foreign concept, but the AVL-900 definitely ups the ante by not only allowing the installer to track the vehicle's every turn via GPS / GPRS, but it sports an integrated microphone to let the uber-curious listen in. Although parents may gleam and teens may fume, this portable tracking system packs a SiRF Star III GPS receiver, supports quad-band GSM communications, and can report positions on a timed interval or send an alert to your cellphone if the vehicle is moved (read: stolen) while you're away. The company claims that you won't be charged any monthly fees for the voyeuristic luxuries, and if seeing a moving dot wasn't close enough to being in the backseat, you can simply text the device or ring it up to enable a listen-only conversation to what's happening within. Moreover, the AVL-900 will even let you monitor the movements from your smartphone, and while we know the suspicious parents in the crowd have their credit cards ready, there's sadly (or fortunately, depending on perspective) no pricing or availability deets to hand out just yet.[Via NaviGadget]
Internet-enabled TrailGuard metal detectors snitch on poachers
The latest anti-poaching tool may not be as completely bizarre as the Robodeer, but the TrailGuard technology coming out of Steve Gulick's laboratory is entirely more sophisticated (and stealthy, too). The system consists of a network of metal detectors buried next to forest trails which will detect the presence of a contraband machete or rifle and swing into action. Upon recognizing a potential weapon, the sensor will "send a radio signal to a nearby internet gateway and then to the internet via satellite," which will subsequently alert a ranger to the unwanted guest practically in real-time. The developing team insinuates that this product could make the rounds that rangers make a lot more efficient, and considering that most national parks are somewhat understaffed, this could help them cover the ground that they need to. So if you just so happen to wander out in the woods and pitch a tent with metal stakes, only to be approached by an armed wildlife officer, don't be too alarmed.
Slingbox and EV-DO: the low cost way to deliver broadcast news
While some news channels are busy busting out HD feeds of the six 'o clock rundown, San Francisco's CBS 5 is cutting costs in a huge way. By placing some 20 low-end cameras in various locales throughout the city, the station is utilizing Slingbox Pros and wireless EV-DO cards to beam live footage back to the station. According to a video interview with the news operations director, the traditional method of wheeling a fully-stocked van to the scene, begging for the FCC's blessing, and clogging up even more California roadways runs them "around $8 per minute." Their Sling-enabled system rings up at a measly $59 per month for each data card, and it also relieves them from having to purchase the $25,000 van-loaded rigs that many channels currently use. Of course, they admit that their money saving tactics aren't likely to remain exclusive for long, but be sure to hit the read link to see the interview and catch a few shots from the Slingbox on duty.[Via CNET]
Lexus LS600hL's face detection camera, warning system get spied
Face detection on your average digicam may not seem that special, but strapping the feature atop your steering column can certainly make for a more enjoyable (and safer) driving experience. Lexus' new LS600hL sports a Driver Monitoring System, which places a detection device in front of the driver's seat that keeps a close eye on the orientation of the his / her face, and if it sees that you're peering off at the continually changing MINI billboard or checking out the overhead wind energy producer, it kicks into action. The system will send audible and visual alerts at first in an attempt to get your attention back, and can eventually "apply the brakes on its own" if the previous warnings prove futile. Moreover, it can reportedly "reprogram the steering ratio and amplify the intensity and quickness of the steering response" to keep motorists safe, but there's no word on whether or not a retinal scanner add-on will be available to automatically adjust user preferences depending on which driver hops in the seat. Click on through for another snapshot.
Monica's AN24 monitors unborn child's heart remotely
While Monica Healthcare's AN24 fetal / maternal electrophysiological monitor won't go down as the first device to take a pulse on one's heartbeat outside of the hospital, it is being dubbed the "world's first" device to allow "mother's-to-be to keep a regular check on their baby's heartbeat without having to go into the hospital and be attached to a machine." The pocket-sized device operates on battery power, weighs under 100-grams, and specializes in "non-intrusive passive monitoring." Moreover, it can detect and differentiate between the mother and the baby's signals, and can transmit real-time FHR / MHR analysis data to via Bluetooth or USB to any applicable handheld / PC. Notably, the AN24 has gone from "a research device into a medically approved product in only two years," and if the EU testing continues to go well, the company expects the device to hit the market in the October timeframe.[Via MedGadget]
