Blog Archive



November 2006

Talking Medical Equipment
Following on from yesterday's posting, "Who Makes a Talking Blood Pressure Monitor?", I've done some searching, and come up with the following.

Oregon Scientific has a talking blood pressure monitor, as do LifeWise and LifeSource. Also, check out here and here. And a Google search suggests there are plenty more.

Check the Ann Morris Enterprises and Independent Living Aids websites (among others) for information on talking glucose monitors and medication dispensers.
November 28th, 2006

 

Who Makes a Talking Blood Pressure Monitor?
Any medical equipment manufacturers reading this? The Macon County Telegraph reports on the wish list of 32-year-old blind diabetic Jennifer Bivins:

A talking blood pressure monitor, a talking glucose monitoring system, and a syringe dosing system specifically designed for blind diabetics. With those tools, she can get outside of the room that is both confining and, for now, absolutely necessary.

..."She has been trying to get out of the nursing home for two years now," said Andreena Patton, a peer supporter with Disability Connections. "For her to be able to live independently in the community, she would need these devices."

Patton said Bivins is affected by her current living situation.

"She's a very motivated person. I know at times she's discouraged just because she's 32 and living in a nursing home."

Until Bivins can control her diabetes on her own, she must remain in the home where care providers can regulate her disease.

"It's depressing here," she said from her nursing home bed, the covers pulled nearly over her head.
November 27th, 2006

Garmin's Great, Says Motley Fool
The best international stock to buy for 2007? GPS specialist Garmin, according to Motley Fool:

It's one of the world's great stocks. Since its 2000 IPO, Garmin has grown sales at an annualized 30.6% clip. We've seen that growth accelerate over the past 12 months to 59.5%. But growth is not just top-line. My free cash flow estimate has grown at a compound rate of 38.9% since 2000, which provides Garmin with scary flexibility. All growth initiatives are completed using cash on hand. Need a new European headquarters? Done! Another new production facility in Taiwan? No problem. Want a nice bolt-on acquisition? You get the idea.

Garmin offers the perfect combination of "it-product" growth, shareholder-aligned management, international exposure, and high-quality earnings. The company is a cash machine, recently doubled its dividend, engages in opportunistic share repurchases, sports $461 million in cash and short-term investments, and has no long-term debt.
November 25th, 2006

Car Breathalyzers? Are You MADD?
Considerable media comment on a call from MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) for breathalyzers to be installed in the cars of drunk driving offenders. The breathalyzers would be capable of shutting down the car motor if they detected alcohol.

Two companies have recently introduced products that hint at future strategies. Saab, which is owned by General Motors, is testing in Sweden a Breathalyzer that attaches to a key chain that will prevent a car from starting if it senses too much alcohol. Taxi companies and other fleet owners are the target market, a company said.

A New Mexico company, TruTouch Technologies, is modifying a technique developed for measuring blood chemistry in diabetics and using it to measure alcohol instead. The appliance shines a special light through the skin on the forearm, and analyzes what bounces back. Future devices might read alcohol content when the driver's palm touches the steering wheel or gear shift lever, experts said.

A columnist at Network World examines the issue and asks:

Anyone believe this technology will work perfectly? Didn't think so. What about false positives? Will my prescription medications render my car a useless hunk of junk? What happens when the technology simply malfunctions? Who will have the expertise to fix it? The mechanic on the corner? Will there be special repair facilities? And how do you get the car there if it won't start?

That's just two cups of coffee worth of questions. I'm sure you can add to the list.
November 21st, 2006

 

Teku Teku Angel Pedometer

The Plastic Bamboo website reports on the newest pedometer from Japan, the Teku Teku Angel. It features a screen displaying creatures whose weight fluctuates according to how much you walk. It goes on sale in Japan in December. You can read more about it (in Japanese) here.
November 20th, 2006

Xmas Gifts for Women

Fox 23 Online News, under the headline "What Women Want for the Holidays", features the Omron Digital Premium Pedometer HJ112 as one of its five picks:

If your wife, girlfriend, or mom loves to work out, or is looking for a reason to start, the Omron HJ112 is a great choice. Not only does the digital device track how far you've walked, it also tracks your walking and workout habits. For the first week The ODPP will record the aerobic steps and calories burned. You set a goal for week two, to increase your activity...and continue to increase activity in the weeks to come. Features include "Aerobic Step" which accounts for activities which burn the most fat, and data that can be saved for up to seven days.
November 15th, 2006

Watches That Just Tell the Time Are So Boring
Coolest-Gadgets.com reviews the OV-Watch Fertility Predictor:

Watches that just tell the time are so boring, so what extra functionality can you add to your wrist watch to make it that much more useful. You guessed it, a fertility meter.

...It looks like a digital wristwatch and it has a sensor that tracks the differences in salt levels to accurately predict when you should do “it”.

This fertility gadget could come in real handy for couples planning on trying for a baby (remember practice makes perfect), or for those who run a mile when babies are mentioned.
November 9th, 2006

 

Sony's Sports MP3 Player - A Stunning Reply
The Hardware Zone website is impressed with the Sony pedometer-equipped NW-S203F Sports MP3 player:

Vendors who had taken a shot or two at the sports MP3 player market will tell you that it's not an easy market to breed success. Often, such products are complicated and rarely strike the right balance between form and functionality. The new NW-S203F Sports MP3 player is the latest effort from Sony to entice sports enthusiasts and it seems to be a stunning reply to the recent partnership between Apple and Nike.

...What’s remarkable about this player is how its built-in pedometer intelligently detects and records down the number of steps you take. Simply enter your height and weight and the player will tell you how far you have ran and how much calories you have burned.
November 1st, 2006