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The Wonder of Tech is pleased to welcome Sara, Ms. Digital Diva, as a guest author. Sara writes about exciting tech coming in 2018 to make our lives easier.
We constantly hear about the latest tech updates such as the newest iPhone or latest Tesla model, but there is so much amazing, life-changing technology being created each year that you may not know about.
Devices that save lives, improve experiences of people with disabilities, keep people safer and more are constantly being invented and improved. Although they might not affect you directly, it’s wonderful to know about these gadgets that benefit so many people.
The following are a few examples of products that will make many people’s lives much easier. These gadgets are scheduled to be available by the end of this year.
L’Oreal UV Sense
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas in January, L’Oréal revealed its new wearable, electronic UV sensor called UV Sense. This tiny sensor sticks to your fingernail and tracks how much sun you’re getting, and connects with an app on your phone.
The UV Sense app will work with both iPhone and Android devices.
Each person’s skin reacts differently to sun exposure, so the app asks a few questions before you get started to make sure that it’s giving you reports that correlate with your skin.
The UV Sense will be available from L’Oreal in the US this summer for less than $50. L’Oreal plans to release UV Sense worldwide by the end of 2019.
E-Vone Smart Shoes
E-Vone Smart Shoes helps keep seniors, hikers, workers, and others safe. These shoes have sensors, as well as a GPS tracking system, that will notify family, friends, medical services or other important if the wearer takes a fall.
When someone is notified that their loved one or patient has fallen, the GPS feature will show the contact exactly where they are so someone can check to make sure they’re safe. The shoe will vibrate to let the wearer know that their loved ones have been alerted to the fall.
The company plans to launch 26 different styles for men and women, which will be available in over 120 countries.
According to Engadget, the shoes should be launched in the US soon and prices will range from $100 to $150 for the shoes. Monitoring costs will be $20/month, or you can pay $30/month for monitoring and get the shoes for free.
Philips SmartSleep
The SmartSleep headband from Philips was also announced at CES. This headband was created to improve the quality of sleep.
SmartSleep has sensors that track brain activity via an app to record which phase of sleep you’re in. Using this information, the headband emits soft tones to enhance your night’s rest when it detects you’re in a deep sleep phase.
According to Philips, 70% of SmartSleep users felt less tired after using the device for two weeks.
SmartSleep will be available in late spring for $399.99.
My Special Aflac Duck
My Special Aflac Duck is a unique piece of technology that was announced this year as well. This robot was created by Aflac and Sproutel to comfort children fighting cancer.
Sproutel studied the needs of the children, their families, and their caretakers to see how this robot could help them. The duck reacts to various environments and will cuddle, dance, breathe, and more, depending on what the child needs.
Children can also care for the duck by bathing it, feeding it, and even treating it with similar treatments that the child receives, such as chemotherapy.
Each duck comes with seven cards that show emotions. Patients can tap the duck with the card that shows the way they feel and the duck will display that emotion. That way, patients can more easily share how they feel with their caregivers.
My Special Aflac Duck is scheduled to be released in December 2018. Aflac will donate a duck to each child older than three who is fighting cancer at a participating hospital.
Your Thoughts
Are you excited about these new gadgets that are coming in 2018? Do you think this new technology will improve many lives? Which one are you most excited about?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
* Climbing image (edited) by Brad Barmore on Unsplash
Sara, Ms. Digital Diva, is a passionate writer who is enthusiastic about cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and business leadership. As a woman with 15 years of experience in a male-dominated industry, she brings a unique insight to each piece that she writes.
The Aflac duck is a wonderful way to pay it forward. It’s reassuring to know the good guys are still out there. Thanks for the update! B Karr
Hi Barbara! Thanks for reading. Yes, the duck is such a wonderful thing that Aflac has been working on! I’m glad they are able to put their resources towards something that will benefit all those children.
Thanks Sara for sharing your a valuable post. The Aflac duck video is an awesome video.
Thanks for your comment, Hemendra. The Aflac video is awesome, indeed. Such a wonderful thing they’re doing for those children!
I’m thinking of picking up the Philips SmartSleep once it becomes available in our country. I’ve been having troubles sleeping lately and I hope it could help me improve that. Thanks for the great recommendations!
Hi Patrick! The SmartSleep is such a cool device! It’s definitely something that every single person would benefit from using.
The Uv sence sounds like a great idea. Most people worry about over exposure to harmful UV. Great information.
The UV sense is such a good idea, especially for fair skinned people or people that are not so careful with sun screen creams – from my experience at least, most sunburns and skin damage is caused as people make mistakes or do not realise how long they have been in the sun. Great article as always.