Tag Archives: Health

The Cup That Knows Exactly What You Are Drinking

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Health-related gadgets are all the rage these days, from smart wristbands to apps that track what you consume. Those devices focus mainly on monitoring your exercise level and/or allow you to manually enter the food you consume in order to track the nutritional value. But, what we often forget is what we drink may be more important to our health than we think. According to the National Health and Nutrition Education Survey, beverages are the number one single source of calories and sugar. So, tracking you beverage intake throughout the day can translate to big changes over time, and transform your life.

This insight alone has led the team at Mark One, to create a new device, called Vessyl, a revolutionary product that can accurately identify your drink, tell you how many calories you are consuming, let you know how hydrated you are, and alert you when it’s time to drink again, based on factors like body weight and activity level. In a nutshell, Vessyl is the other half of the fitness equation. So, how does it work?

The cup uses advanced sensors to determine the molecular composition of any liquid poured into it whether it’s coffee, beer, vodka, tea, etc. It can even recognize brands and flavors. For instance, it can tell you the difference between Pepsi or Coke. In addition to displaying calories information and name of beverage on the the cup, all data will be sent into a smartphone app through bluetooth where you can check how much calories you’ve just sipped, how much remains in the cup and other nutrition and health details.

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Vessyl comes in three colors – white, grey or black. The cup is a 13-oz mug made of glass-like material and is easy to carry around.The sliding lid of the cup is spill proof and it has a non-stick interior, making it easy to clean. The battery live is last five to seven day life for 60 minutes wireless charge. Vessyl can be pre-order from company’s website, with an early 2015 ship date.

What Sparks Our Fire: A device helps us make healthier and more informed decisions of what we drink.

Will you let Vessyl become your new life companion?

Not Your Traditional Earpiece

Fitbit, Atlas, Pulse O2, and the list goes on. Wearable technology is already playing an important role in our health and fitness. But, Lumafit is a new concept which tracks your body and mind. The device is a super soft ear sensor and has a secure fit to stay on during vigorous exercises. It works with a three-axis accelerometer that measures the intensity of your movements and head motion in real-time and can identify moves like push-ups, and changes with your heart rate to assess your stress level as well as arrhythmia.

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Lumafit also provides the ability to sync with MapMyFitness and MyFitnessPal apps. And, when combined with an app called Bootcamp, it will help you create workouts and schedule meditation stations.

What Sparks Our Fire: A device that goes beyond step counting and monitors not only our exercise but also our well-being

Are you willing to give up your wrist-worn fitness band for a ear sensor?

Turn Your Bed Into A Smart Bed

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We spend around one-third of our life sleeping. Sleep plays a crucial role in good health and well-being. Getting enough quality sleep helps protect our mental health, physical health, and quality of life. The damage from sleep deficiency can harm you over time. For example, ongoing bad sleep can raise your risk for some chronic health problems. It also can affect how well you think, react, learn, and get along with others.  But, as our lives become faster and our stress levels increase, it is becoming increasingly difficult to sleep peacefully at night. There’s a new product which could change all that. It’s called the Beddit, and you sleep on it.

Beddit is an innovative ultra-thin film sensor that measures how you sleep. The device uses ‘ballistocardiography’, with a sensor that is sensitive enough to measure the mechanical forces that come from your heart beat, your pattern of breathing, and the way you move in bed. Simply place Beddit  under the sheet and it will connect wirelessly to your smartphone. In the morning, the accompanying app will draw a full report on your personal sleep habits and will and suggest how to improve the quality of your sleep.

Learn more about Beddit here.

What Sparks Our Fire: An innovative monitor that can help us reach good health and general well-being.

Would you try Beddit?

My Phone is Judging Me

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I really don’t want Apple to know how unhealthy I am, mostly because I don’t want to know. Also, bacon-wrapped filet mignon and I have been friends for far too long to ever stop seeing each other. However, according to recent reports, the iPhone of the future will be able to tell heart rate, blood pressure and glucose levels, all on the new iOS 8, nicknamed Okemo.

iWatch Concept

This news is on the tail of rumors of the iWatch, the wearable tech rumored to support Apple technology in a way akin to other fitness-based wrist pieces like Nike+ Fuelband SE and the Fitbit Force. It is rumored to sync with iPhone app, Healthbook, a new development in fitness bands, which has not yet made the leap to smartphones.

The 5S won’t have the ability to measure most of these vitals, but new software and hardware will roll out in the coming year that will show you just where those extra double quarter-pounders are going.

What Sparks Our Fire: First the mp3 player, then the cell phone. Apple may well be on its way to revolutionizing the health wristband as well.

Would you wear an iWatch?

Exoskeleton Expansion

In 2008, the United States Army began to develop a technology that would lead a single doctor to save over 100 soldiers a leg amputation. The Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis is in essence a support system for legs injured by battle, created by making a mold of the injured leg and creating a carbon-fiber cast. It’s not a prosthetic, and it’s not a brace, but it functions a little like both. The relatively low-tech solution works by supporting the weaker parts of the leg with energy gathered from regular steps.

The most important part of this technology is that it is completely functional. Inventor Ryan Blanck says that many of his patients have considered amputation as a solution. “They might be able to stand on it, but they can’t fully bear weight on it. They can’t push off from it.” Blanck’s invention helps soldiers regain the use of their legs, eventually strengthening muscles and joints. The device can reduce pain to almost nothing, and can be used for daily wear, as well as more strenuous exercises like hiking and running.

Even better, this device will soon be available to civilians, allowing for even more people to regain their mobility. According to Mashable, several dozen patients are already waiting for their own.

What Sparks Our Fire: Low-tech solutions to serious medical issues, allowing soldiers and civilians to maintain their independence.

Do you know anyone who would benefit from this invention?