OneLife, an Illinois-based medical software/data collection company, is offering AT&T LTE-M certified medical wearable. The wearable, in the form of a smartwatch, is the first AT&T LTE-M certified medical device offered by any company. With LTE-M certification, an IoT device can connect independently to a 4G network, without needing a smartphone or other device as a gateway.

Read more Maxim’s New Wrist Worn Platform Allow Developers to Design Highly Precise Health Wearables

The OnePulse smartwatch features step tracker, heart rate monitor, activity tracker, sleep tracker, reminders, and alert technologies. Powered by AT&T wireless connectivity, the advanced wearable securely and independently transmits certain critical medical and health data to the cloud. This allows clinicians, patients and their caregivers to monitor user status and well-being, reports Nasdaq.

“Enabling AT&T connectivity for our devices is a major step in launching our ‘Hub-of-Care’ concept in becoming a leading Population Health Platform with our innovative wearable having the ability to connect patients to their caregivers, virtually in near real-time, almost anywhere in North America,” stated Robert Wagner, CEO of OneLife Technologies, Corp. “We all want the best healthcare possible – in an emergency, as we age, for our loved ones, or to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  Now, that level of service is available with the AT&T-connected OnePulse medical and health smartwatch.”

OneLife’s proprietary Bluetooth protocol allows it to connect to other health and medical devices. For example, blood pressure cuff, glucometer, SPo2 monitor, weight scale, etc. can connect for collection and transmission of additional health data tracking. This provides the clinician and patient a wide-ranging view of overall health.

The benefits offered by OnePulse include:

• 24/7 monitoring with near real-time alerts for family and/or doctor
• Medication reminders and auto prescription refills
• Fall detection
• A customizable suite of services, for specialty conditions
• Fully encrypted medical records that can be accessed via a cloud-based dashboard.
• Artificial Intelligence analytics and predictive analysis
• Open API allows connection to any system including Electronic Health/Medical Record platforms

Read more Empatica-DRIVe Partnership to Develop Smartwatch That Alerts About Lung Infections Before Symptoms Appear

OneLife Technologies is a mobile medical software/data collection company with a suite of proprietary, patented, medical grade wearable tracking technologies designed to provide patients, physicians, nursing homes, and hospitals with 24/7 real-time centralized, personal, comprehensive health data.

For medical students, it’s important to have operating room (OR) access in order to learn new and updated procedural techniques from top experts. However, ORs are highly restricted areas, where only patients and doctors are normally allowed.

Related FundamentalVR Tool Combines VR with Haptic Sensors to Make VR Surgery Feel Like Real Thing

GIBLIB, is a streaming media platform with the largest library of on-demand medical lectures and surgical videos in 4K and 360-degree virtual reality. Today, the company announced the launch of the first VR app for an immersive operating room experience to enhance surgical education. Through the app, medical students and practicing physicians can enjoy the most immersive and accessible OR experience anywhere, reports GIBLIB.

The app supports GIBLIB’s direct-to-consumer offering, which requires consumers only have a subscription to the Company’s streaming media service and an Oculus Go headset or Oculus Rift System. GIBLIB exclusively partners with leading academic medical centers, Cedars-Sinai and Stanford Children’s Hospital, to provide engaging and informative content from the best surgeons and physicians in the world, which is now accessible through the VR app that connects to the Oculus Store.

Each video is filmed with studio-quality 4K resolution to be both visually descriptive and informative. GIBLIB leverages precise camera angles from the surgeon’s point of view and 360 spherical panorama, in addition to intuitive digital overlays, ensuring practicing physicians and surgeons receive the most authentic media-based OR experience. Supporting medical staff in ORs, including nurses and surgical assistants, can also gain important insights into how to best conduct themselves during procedures and use the most up-to-date surgical and robotic equipment.

Related Doctors Use HoloLens to Investigate Heart Scars in High Resolution Before Surgery

“The latest surgical techniques and procedural best practices are advancing faster than ever before, and the ability to gain access to educational content that keeps surgeons up-to-date needs to meet demand,” said Brian Conyer, CEO and Co-founder of GIBLIB. “Our goal is to bridge the gap between medical professionals and the knowledge they need in order to enhance their techniques in a way that is universally accessible and retains the authenticity of the learning experience.”

Biobeat – The medical smart monitor from Biobeat Technologies is ready to take the lead. They are the winner of the GORE Innovation Center Prize in the 10th IOT/WT Innovation World Cup®. Dr. Anik Eisenkraft, the Chief Medical Officer of Biobeat Technologies is here with us to share his team’s ambition of enabling innovative healthcare for patients and doctors worldwide:

1. WHAT IS THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND BIOBEAT?

The patented technology behind Biobeat is based on reflective photoplethysmography (PPG). The use of several LED, wavelengths and our specialized algorithms would allow a full monitor of the blood pressure and the heart rate anytime, anywhere. This smart tool could assist both in-hospital and homestay patients. Accordingly, an alarm could be set against the warning limit. Moreover, it applies a real-time transmission system that information could be uploaded on the Cloud and shared with the medical healthcare center. Doctors can thus constantly check the patients’ conditions from afar and provide early treatment.

2. WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THIS PRODUCT?

The Biobeat’ sensor could be integrated into any wearable devices like watches, wristlets, and patches. For instance, our company introduces a Biobeat’ s sensor watch that battery could last up to 3 days. Another version is a single-use patch with a lifespan up to 10 days.

3. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOUR COMPANY TO FULLY DEVELOP BIOBEAT?

Biobeat was founded in 2014. We started the patch project in mid-2018. By now, it has been 6 months – a very fast track!

4. WHAT’S COMING IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

We have started selling Biobeat in Israel, USA, and Europe. The next big step would be collaborating with medical centers and research institutes, taking up pilot studies to ensure the device performance in practice and look at numerous use cases. Additionally, we want to focus more on strategic marketing to make our product available to the public.

5. DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE IOT/WT INNOVATION WORLD CUP^® JOURNEY IN A SHORT SENTENCE

It is a very big and interesting event. Perhaps tech start-up and SMEs should be more aware of it, take part in which to extend the network and to gain deeper insight into the industry.

Find out more:

The success story of Biobeat is inspiring for many techpreneurs in the wearable technologies and innovative healthcare sectors. Learn more about Biobeat and keep up with such a life-changing product.

Yours may be the next to be presented on our IWC series success stories. Do not hesitate to join in the Innovation World Cup® Series ecosystem, extend your business horizon and compete to be the winner of the next 11^th IOT/WT Innovation World Cup®.

Watching a premature newborn in intensive care is heartbreaking and at the same time a helpless experience for parents. Premature babies often have poor sucking reflex, rendering them difficult to feed. Researchers at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital created a novel device called Pacifier-Activated Lullaby (PAL) to help premature babies develop sucking skills.

Read more Raybaby – World’s only AI-Powered Non-Contact Health & sleep Monitor for Babies

PAL, which is now undergoing test at the UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, plays lullaby recorded by the babies’ parents. The device “is empowering parents by helping their babies and strengthening the parental-infant bond when mom and dad can’t be with their child,” reports UCLA Health.

“Babies born before 34 weeks gestation often struggle to feed orally because they have not yet developed the reflex to suck, breathe and swallow,” said Shelly Frisco, RN, a nurse in the NICU at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital. “With the PAL device, babies learn to feed faster and gain weight because they want to keep hearing their parents’ voices.”

Music therapists working in the neonatal intensive care unit help parents write and record a special lullaby. PAL can detect if the baby is sucking on the pacifier, so it plays a song when the baby sucks on it and stops when they stop sucking.

“Hearing their parents’ voices is an incentive to keep sucking,” said Jenna Bollard, expressive arts therapies manager at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, who conducted the research.

Read more Masimo’s Rainbow Acoustic Monitoring RAS-45 Breathing Sensor for Babies Gets FDA Clearance

According to the researchers, 70% of babies who use PAL improve their proficiency using a pacifier, a skill that’s important to feeding. This also results in shorter hospital stays, which helps to remove the parents’ stress. “Giving parents a way to be part of their babies’ treatment helps them feel more bonded with their baby and gives them a very important role in their health and development,” said Bollard.

Nanusens, a Spain-based nanodevices company, announced that its proprietary technology can significantly increase the battery life of earbuds by up to 20 percent. This can be achieved by replacing the MEMS sensors in an earbud with a much smaller (up to 10 times smaller), single multi-sensor chip, freeing up space for larger batteries. The company will be announcing this technology solution at MWC 2019.

Read more Epsilor Will Present Wearable Battery for Digital Soldiers at DVD2018

Nanusens creates its sensors on the nanoscale within the layers of its CMOS chip that also has the control electronics. As a result, the NEMS (Nano Electro Mechanical Systems) chip is only one cubic millimeter so this will create a saving of three cubic millimeters for every MEMS package that it replaces. In addition, the tiny, single chip requires far less PCB estate compared to the PCB estate needed for several MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) packages. The freed-up space is used to increase the size of the battery or add a supercapacitor to extend the battery life, said a Press Release.

Dr Josep Montanya, CEO Nanusens, explained:

“We are in a unique position of being able to provide more space inside earbuds for designers to use as they wish with our nano-sensors. While some manufacturers want more battery life by using a larger battery or a supercapacitor, others want to use some of this freed-up space for features such as memory so that songs can be stored locally on the earbud. This is another way to extend the battery life as songs would not need to streamed over Bluetooth, again giving longer audio on the go.”

The current earbud market stands at 50 million units a year and is forecasted to grow at a fast pace. The key driver is new thinner designs with more space.

Read more LG’s New Wireless Tone Series Earbuds Have Dedicated Google Assistant Button

“New smartphone sales are forecast to be 1.5 billion units a year so as more and more start to ship with a pair of earbuds, our total available market is phenomenal, which is why this is our first target market,” said Dr Montanyà.

Nanusens plans to release its first product – a 2D motion detector for earbuds – in Q4 2019. This will have features like tap and double tap for control, wake-on-movement and sleep-on-rest functions. A 3D accelerometer will be added soon after. A bone conduction sensor for noise cancellation is next to be integrated into the single chip solution.

Cellnovo, a Paris-based medical technology company, announced its insulin cartridges are now refillable, allowing people with diabetes with higher insulin requirements, including some with type 2 diabetes, to use the Cellnovo System. The Cellnovo system is composed of an insulin micro-pump communicating via Bluetooth with a locked-down Android smartphone.

Read more Valeritas’ V-Go Shows Significant Benefits Compared to Conventional Insulin Delivery in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Until now, patients using the Cellnovo System with daily insulin dose needs over 50 units were required to use more than one cartridge every 3 days, leading to higher costs and potentially limiting its use to only patients with higher insulin needs. These patients will now be able to refill the cartridge within three days of use and enjoy the benefits of a miniaturized system, without any additional costs, reports Busuness Wire.

“Enabling patients to refill their insulin cartridges allows us to offer the Cellnovo System to 100% of people with type 1 diabetes, and to some of people with type 2 diabetes. All current Cellnovo System users will have immediate access to these cartridges. This will contribute to the continuing commercial growth of the Company,” said Sophie Baratte, Chief Executive Officer of Cellnovo.

Cellnovo Group is a global medical technology company supporting the needs of people with type 1 diabetes. Cellnovo’s connected platform for diabetes management aims to make life easier for people with type 1 diabetes. Cellnovo’s insulin delivery system comprises a discreet, wearable micro-pump that communicates via Bluetooth Low Energy with a locked-down Android smartphone. This unique system allows optimal management of insulin dosing and delivery while ensuring freedom of movement and peace of mind. Thanks to the transmission of data in real time, the patient’s status can be seamlessly monitored by family members and healthcare professionals.

Read more CeQur Buys Johnson & Johnson’s Calibra insulin delivery patch

Cellnovo is currently participating in several major Artificial Pancreas projects with TypeZero, PEPPER and Diabeloop, to develop fully automated, closed-loop insulin delivery systems.

Neural Stimulation involves electrical stimulation of nerve tissues and is the basis of emerging treatments for neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. One of the major problems with this technique is the need to have a cable connecting the implanted electrode to an external controller. Researchers at the University of Pittsburg (Pitt) have developed a less invasive method of neural stimulation that involves an untethered ultra-small electrode activated by light, a technique that may mitigate damage done by current methods, reports Swanson School of Engineering – University of Pittsburgh.

Read more New Method of Deep Brain Stimulation Adapts to Patient’s Changing Needs

“Typically with neural stimulation, in order to maintain the connection between mind and machine, there is a transcutaneous cable from the implanted electrode inside of the brain to a controller outside of the body,” said Takashi D. Y. Kozai, an assistant professor of bioengineering in Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering. “Movement of the brain or this tether leads to inflammation, scarring, and other negative side effects. We hope to reduce some of the damage by replacing this large cable with long wavelength light and an ultrasmall, untethered electrode.”

The researchers decided to use photoelectric effect, which is when a particle of light, or a photon, hits an object and causes a local change in the electrical potential.

The team created a carbon fiber implant that is 7-8 microns in diameter, or roughly the size of a neuron (17-27 microns). Kaylene Stocking, a senior bioengineering and computer engineering student, and first author of the paper, simulated their method on a phantom brain using a two-photon microscope. She measured the properties and analyzed the effects to see if the electrical potential from the photoelectric effect stimulated the cells in a way similar to traditional neural stimulation, according to the Swanson School of Engineering.

Read more Innovative Brain Implant Reads and Stimulates Brain to Improve Parkinson’s Treatment

“We discovered that photostimulation is effective,” said Stocking. “Temperature increases were not significant, which lowers the chance of heat damage, and activated cells were closer to the electrode than in electrical stimulation under similar conditions, which indicates increased spatial precision.”

The team has plans to advance this technology further and try to reach deeper tissue and enable wireless drug delivery.

With the approach of Summer, the smartwatch market is going to heat up with a huge selection of watches. First, tech giants like Samsung is expected to release its Galaxy Sport this month. And now Google, it seems, is adamant about launching its Pixel watch soon. A report in Nikkei Asian Review says that the tech giant plans to release a watch this year to compete with the Apple Watch. The report also mentions few other products Google is planning to release soon.

Read more Google Agrees to Buy Fossil’s Secret Smartwatch Tech for $40 Million

Other Google products mentioned by Nikkei are Google’s Pixel 3 Lite smartphone, which is expected to be priced lower than Apple’s $750 iPhone XR. Along with the Pixel 3 Lite, Nikkei also notes that Google “plans to launch a new premium phone in its Pixel range” – what we’re anticipating to the Pixel 4, reports Android Central.

“The company will also roll out an updated version of its signature smart speaker Google Home this year, as well as a new smartwatch to compete with the Apple Watch, the person familiar with the plan said,” reported Nikkei.

“One person with direct knowledge of the matter told Nikkei that Google plans to release a new security camera later this year after it integrated the team from Nest Labs, the tech startup it acquired in 2014,” the report added.

It should be noted that the Pixel Watch had been rumored for October of 2018, but Google shot those rumors down in an interview with Tom’s Guide.

Read more Google Wins FCC Approval for its ‘Project Soli’ Radar-Based Motion Sensor

Google will also reportedly roll out an updated version of its signature smart speaker Google Home this year.

It’s not clear about the release date of these products, but most of them are believed to be announced and launched around October of this year. Previous rumors have indicated that the Pixel 3 Lite will launch a bit sooner, but it couldn’t be confirmed as of yet.

New York City-based Woo Audio has been producing some of the most eye-catching, coolest-looking products available since it was founded in 2004. However, their latest product is somewhat unlike anything they’ve produced so far. While their previous DAC/AMP products used vacuum tube circuitry, making it a signature item for them, their new product, the WA11 Passport, is their first truly portable solid-state headphone amp.

Read more Nuheara Building Ecosystem for Hearables with its IQStream TV

“It all started when we were developing the WA8 Eclipse. We learned that in order to reduce the size greatly, it needs to be with transistors. Introducing the WA11, an ultra-compact high-performance headphone amplifier and DAC. Over the course of 3-years of intensive research and 9 working prototypes deployed in real-world applications,” says Woo Audio.

WA11 delivers an audiophile sound quality that rivals many desktop systems and with the features users dream of. Weighing at 413g and 24mm thick, the WA11 Topaz is a battery-powered, fully-balanced headphone amplifier and DAC running in a Class-A topology. It is capable of driving the most demanding full-size headphones while maintaining an ultra-low noise floor for reference in-ear monitors. There is also a 4.4mm balanced input for use with balanced sources such as a modern digital-audio-player (DAP), home CD player or DAC.

For charging and data, WA11 Topaz has two USB Type-C ports. Separating the two allows the user to listen and recharge the internal battery simultaneously. This feature extends the industry leading 7 hrs. of playtime immensely.

Read more Jabra Elite Active 65t: Amazing Fit with Great Sweat-Proof Sound

“Even without the aid of tubes the WA11 ($1,400) sounds velvety-rich, powerful and refined. Instruments and vocals surely have a lot more body and substance than what I hear from my iPhone 6S’ headphone jack,” writes CNET’s Steve Guttenberg, who tried out the headphone amplifier.

“The Woo Audio WA11 Topaz demonstrates extreme high-end sound in a portable size is possible. At least for audiophiles who’ve already invested in top-quality headphones they would like to enjoy on-the-go, at home or office. Wherever you go, the WA11 will bring out the best in your headphones.”

Samsung has inadvertently revealed its own lineup of wearable devices that are presumably set to be unveiled alongside the Galaxy S10 next week. First spotted by Twitter account SamCentralTech, the leak was revealed in an update to its Galaxy Wearable app.

Read more Samsung Might Launch a Sensor-Covered Smart Shirt that Detects Breathing Problem and Lung Disease

The update to the Android version of the Galaxy Wearables app added three currently unannounced products compatible with the app. The products include the Galaxy Watch Active, the Galaxy Fit (and Fit e) fitness bands, and the Galaxy Buds in-ear wireless headphones. While, these products have already been revealed by other means, this was the first time an official app confirmed their existence.

First on the list is the Galaxy Watch Active. It resembles the sports-focused smartwatch that was recently leaked under the name Galaxy Sport. According to the app, the watch has a 40 mm case, and comes in at least 2 colors, reports The Verge.

There will probably be a heart rate monitor, and consumers would like to see some wellness features as well, like yoga, meditation and breathing exercises. More advanced sleep-tracking is also expected from Samsung’s upcoming smartwatch.

An ECG like the one on Apple Watch would be a good addition as well, and that would be high on Samsung’s list of priorities for its next wearable.

Next on the leaked list is the Galaxy Fit and Galaxy Fit e, two fitness trackers with rubber straps. It was last month that we first learned about the Galaxy Fit e. It was through a Bluetooth certification. Now, we are seeing how it looks like in reality.

And finally, on the list are a pair of wireless earbuds, called the Galaxy Buds.

There aren’t any price leaks yet, but the Samsung Galaxy Watch launched for $329 for the 42mm version or $349 for the 46mm model. So we’d expect the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active will cost at least that much or even more.

Location of brain tumors are hard to access and the blood-brain barrier prevents most drugs from reaching their targets, this makes treating brain tumors notoriously difficult. Now, a new device called Tumor Monorail that mimics the physical properties of the brain’s white matter to entice aggressive tumors to migrate toward the exterior of the brain, where the migrating cells can be collected and removed, has received FDA’s “breakthrough” designation, reports Duke University.

Read more Medtronic’s Flex Embolization Device Receives FDA Approval for Brain Aneurysms

“The tumor monorail device is a true game-changer in how we think about treating brain tumors,” said Barun Brahma, a neurosurgeon at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, who has been a member of the research team since the beginning. “There are many tumors that are considered inoperable due to the location of the tumor or the frailty of the patient. This device affords clinicians the ability to surgically treat these tumors with a minimal approach.”

The device is made of polymer nanofibers with thin film and the film is made with a structure that mimics the pathway to the tumor, normally uses to invade to other places of the brain. It is connected to a cartridge containing a toxic hydrogel. This is a pied piper approach, where the tumor comes to the drug rather than the drug going to the tumor.

“This was the first demonstration that you can engineer migration inside the body and move a tumor from point A to point B by design,” said Ravi Bellamkonda, the Vinik Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University, who began the research while at Georgia Tech. “It was also the first demonstration of bringing the tumor to your drug rather than your drug going into the brain and killing valuable cells.”

Read more AI Tool Accurately Detects Cancer Type and Genetic Changes in Patient’s Tumor

With the help of the FDA, the research group now hopes to solidify their experimental plans within the next several weeks so that they can begin their next study as soon as possible. They are working toward gaining FDA approval for human trials by the end of 2019.

The US Homeland Security wants to make sure that the thousands of dogs that work for the agency stay healthy. So, the agency signed a $200,000 contract with HaloLights to prototype a sensor-equipped harness that monitors dogs’ heart rate, body temperature and other vitals. In addition to health data, the harness would also track each dog’s GPS location and monitor environmental factors like air temperature and humidity.

The data would be fed back to support staff in real-time and alert them of any irregularities, reports Nextgov.

K-9 units in Customs and Border Protection often work in tough conditions. They sniff out illegal drugs, firearms, currency and trafficked persons at ports of entry and along the border. HaloLights’ Canine Health Analytics Monitoring Platform (C.H.A.M.P.) can provide a holistic picture of each dog’s health, helping Homeland Security keep its K-9 units safe and strong, according to an official.

Read more Animal Dermatology Group Announces Scientific Publication Validating Wearables for Dogs

“With the potential risks Customs and Border Protection canine agents face in their daily operations, there is an expressed desire for improved health monitoring tools to ensure their safety,” Don Roberts, who manages the office’s Detection Canine program, said in a statement. “In funding this project, [the Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate] is working to ensure that officer safety, human or canine, is a priority.”

Melissa Oh, the SVIP managing director, said:

“Ensuring the proactive detection and intervention of health complications will simplify the work [U.S. Border Patrol] does to keep K-9 agents in top shape.”

As of 2016, Customs and Border Protection had more than 1,400 K-9 units deployed across the country.

Read more These Wearables for Animals Will Keep Your Pets Happy and Engaged in Social Media

Based in Orlando, FL, HaloLights produces LED dog collars. The company mentioned its partnership with the Homeland Security in its facebook page, saying:

“We’re very humbled to be working alongside the Department of Homeland Security SVIP S&T Directorate in developing smart k9 wearables that will aid in the safety and wellbeing of all working K9s.”

Huawei Watch GT will be available in the United States via Amazon starting this week. It’s been a few months since Huawei announced the Watch GT, but it was available in overseas markets. Now, folks in the U.S. can now pick up the Watch GT Sport for $199. The Watch GT Classic retails for $229.99.

Read more Huawei reveals details of its Bluetooth TalkBand B5 After Images Leaked Online

At first glance, the Watch GT will give you an impression of any Wear OS smartwatch, instead, the Watch GT is powered by Huawei’s own LiteOS – a lightweight smartwatch operating system with fitness tracking, notifications and custom watch faces, reports Android Authority.

The Watch GT Sport and Watch GT Classic share the same hardware. That includes a 1.39″ 454×454 AMOLED display, 16MB of RAM and 128MB of storage, and a sizable 420mAh battery.

HUAWEI TruSeen™ 3.0 heartrate monitoring technology provides a more efficient and accurate real-time personal measurement of your heartrate by using a self-learning algorithm and innovative sensors.

Modern GPS supports 3 Satellite Positioning Systems (GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO) worldwide to offer more accurate, faster and precise positioning.

The Watch GT provides coaching in introductory to advanced running courses to assist you in real-time while also providing guidance training and giving time-movement effect feedback.

HUAWEI TruSleep™ 2.0, a sleep monitor program for every cycle of sleep, was produced by a joint-study with Harvard Medical School CDB Centre. It identifies usual sleep related issues and provides more than 200 potential suggestions to help you get a peaceful sleep.

Read more Casio Pro Trek WSD F30 Smartwatch: Built for the Great Outdoors, Coming in January

Perfect for counting steps, your sedentary status and monitoring peak intense activities. Notifications of any messages, phone calls, alarms or set reminders are all organized on your wrist.

The biggest attraction in Watch GT is its battery life. According to Huawei, the watch will last up to 22 hours on a single charge with continuous exercise tracking, GPS, heart rate monitoring, and the screen turned on at all times. The battery life jumps to two weeks with heart rate monitoring and 90 minutes of exercise tracking each week. You can extend the battery life even further to 30 days if you turn off heart rate monitoring and only use the Watch GT for notifications and calls.

A female Swedish patient became the first recipient of an osseo-neuromuscular implant to control a dexterous hand prosthesis. In a pioneering surgery, led by Prof. Rickard Brånemark and Dr. Paolo Sassu, surgeons placed titanium implants in the two forearm bones (radius and ulnar), from which electrodes to nerves and muscle were extended to extract signals to control a robotic hand and to provide tactile sensations. The breakthrough is part of the European project DeTOP (Dexterous Transradial Osseointegrated Prosthesis with neural control and sensory feedback) project, which involved the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Italy, and Integrum AB, a Swedish firm.

Related Scientists Use Virtual Reality and Neural Stimulation to Help Amputees Use Their Prostheses

A team led by Dr. Max Ortiz Catalan at Integrum AB and Chalmers University of Technology developed this new technology.

In conventional methods, electrodes are placed over the skin to extract control signals from the underlying stump muscles. But these superficial electrodes deliver limited and unreliable signals that only allow movements like opening and closing the hand. More accurate and reliable information can be obtained by implanting electrodes in all remaining muscle in the stump instead. Therefore, the doctors implanted sixteen electrodes into the Swedish woman’s stump to achieve more dexterous control of a novel prosthetic hand, reports Detop.

One of the most important part of this project is that this technology can be used regularly. Integrum AB and Chalmers University of Technology have previously demonstrated that control of a sentient prosthesis in daily life was possible in above-elbow amputees using similar technology.

“Several advanced prosthetic technologies have been reported in the last decade, but unfortunately they have remained as research concepts used only for short periods of time in controlled environments,” said Dr. Catalan, who also heads the Biomechatronics and Neurorehabilitation Lab at Chalmers University. “The breakthrough of our technology consists of enabling patients to use implanted neuromuscular interfaces to control their prosthesis while perceiving sensations where it matters for them, in their daily life.”

Related Electronic Skin for Prosthetic Hands Lets Amputees Feel Pain

The patient with the new implant is learning how to control it using virtual reality. She will have to spend some time becoming comfortable with controlling the device. Two more patients will be implanted with this new generation of prosthetic hands in the coming months, in Italy and Sweden.

Global consumer electronics company Coolpad announced fulfillment partnership with Quality One Wireless (Q1) for Dyno Smartwatch, a wearable made specifically for children.

Related Children are Becoming Major Driving Force Behind the Wearable Market Growth in China

The secure, sturdy and colorful dyno smartwatch is the first in a series of family-oriented connected products to come from Coolpad. The smartwatch offers 4G LTE connectivity, an intuitive user interface, an SOS button for quickly contacting parents, and kid-proof protection against dust and water. Paired with an easy-to-use companion app, the smartwatch allows parents to quickly locate their children, set “safe zones” with virtual perimeter alerts, and communicate via voice and text messages.

“Coolpad Americas chose Q1 as a fulfillment partner for Q1’s valued e-commerce management and logistical support,” said Casey Ryan, CEO, Coolpad Americas.

Quality One can create a customized website and mobile store (typically in less than 30 days), managing the entire e-commerce ecosystem including inventory, checkout, customer support, forward and reverse logistics, said a press release.

“We are excited to join together with Coolpad Americas for the sale of the Dyno Smartwatch, and we are proud to support its online store and shipment to customers,” said Victor Anez, VP of Operations for Q1.

Related The 5 Best Fitness Trackers for Children

Pricing and Availability

Dyno Smartwatch went on sale on January 28 for $149 through its website.

About Coolpad

Coolpad Americas is a top consumer electronics company that has built strategic partnerships with key wireless carriers and retailers. Headquartered in Frisco, Texas and operating in the U.S. market since 2012, Coolpad has embarked on a bold mission to become the number one provider of family technology. Coolpad develops world-class consumer electronics that are inspired by innovation, purpose, and family.

According to a report from The Verge, Microsoft will be holding a press event at Mobile World Congress on 25th February, and the company hints it could reveal the long-awaited mixed reality HoloLens 2 at the event.

The actual invite provides little detail, but The Verge notes that CEO Satya Nadella, CVP Julia White and technical fellow Alex Kipman will be hosts at the event. Given the names involved, it seems Microsoft has some significant news to release. Kipman is the creator of HoloLens, so his presence suggests Microsoft will have at least some news on the latest version of HoloLens.

Related HoloLens Will Help Surgeons in UK Hospital by Providing Important 3D Visualizations During Surgeries

Rumors surfacing last year suggested the software giant would unveil HoloLens 2 late last year or early 2019, so the February event fits that timeline. Microsoft will reportedly use Qualcomm’s 850 or XR1 chip to power the system – Qualcomm designed the latter especially for virtual reality and augmented reality headsets. It supports 4K video at 60 frames per second, along with 3D overlays and directional audio.

Microsoft has confirmed that HoloLens 2 will include a custom AI chip, and according to reports, the new headset will be more comfortable than its predecessor.

Microsoft’s first HoloLens went on sale in 2016 for $3,000, while the commercial suite was priced at $5,000.

HoloLens, the standalone AR headset, was positioned for developers and enterprise. However, Microsoft has long envisioned the devices will become part of consumer’s lives too. To that end, its’ not clear if HoloLens 2 will be aimed at consumers.

Related Microsoft HoloLens 2: What We Know So Far About the Next-Gen Headset

“We’re not trying to sell hundreds of thousands or millions or anything, it’s expensive, and it’s not in huge numbers. So we’re happy with the level of sales that we’ve got – I can’t tell you anything about the numbers, but it’s in thousands, not hundreds of thousands, and that’s fine. That’s all we need,” Roger Walkden, Microsoft’s HoloLens commercial lead told The Inquirer back in 2016.

SOLOS Smartglasses and CTS are teaming up to provide CTS coaches, athletes, and training camp participants access to innovative, high-performance SOLOS Smart Glasses. Kopin Corporation, which owns the Solos wearable technology company, announced the news in a press release.

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The SOLOS Augmented Reality (AR) smartglasses provide athletes with critical in-workout performance data in its high-resolution heads-up display and integrated stereo speakers, allowing athletes to focus on the road or trail ahead, rather than looking down at their bike computer, GPS watch, or smart phone. Athletes can choose to display metrics such as heart rate, speed, power, pace, cadence, distance, and other ANT+ and Bluetooth compatible data. SOLOS’ latest app update also gives athletes the option to import TrainingPeaks structured workouts and be coached through the workout specifics with visual and audio cues, directly through the headset, said the press release.

“We are very excited to announce our strategic partnership with CTS, and look forward to working together with one of the most successful endurance sport coaching companies in the world,” said SOLOS General Director Ernesto Martinez. “Starting from our initial co-development with USA Cycling and Team USA athletes for the 2016 Rio Olympics, to our technology integration with TrainingPeaks, SOLOS remain committed to bringing the most advanced performance enhancing experience to the athletic community.”

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CTS Founder and CEO Chris Carmichael said this partnership will not only help athletes improve their training and push the boundaries of their performance, but it will also help athletes stay safe on the road. “Now with the integrated capability of having all the important real-time metrics and audio features in a heads-up solution, athletes can keep their eyes off their bike computer and focus on the road. This is game-changing technology that is going to have a large positive impact on athletes’ training and safety,” he said.

The iQ Group Global, an Australian consortium of life science and financial services companies, developed a biosensor capable of accurately measuring glucose in a person’s saliva.

This groundbreaking technology is the world’s first non-invasive, saliva-based glucose test for diabetes management that measures glucose in saliva rather than blood. The saliva-based glucose test is being developed to improve the quality of life for over 425 million people living with diabetes globally.

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The technology, invented by Professor Paul Dastoor and his team at the Centre of Organic Electronics at the University of Newcastle in Australia, comprises the Glucose Biosensor Unit and a digital healthcare app. The iQ Group Global acquired the biosensor technology in 2016 and has accelerated its development for diagnostic applications. The Glucose Biosensor Unit is a small, disposable strip, which when exposed to an individual’s saliva instantly provides a glucose measurement. The glucose measurement will be presented in real-time, via a proprietary digital app on a patient’s smart device, said a press release.

“Diabetes is a global epidemic, with 1 in 11 adults living with the disease. Achieving normoglycemia is one of the main targets for diabetes patients. However, finger prick testing is a painful and frustrating process, with many citing the pain as the main reason for poor adherence to testing protocols. By eradicating the need for finger prick blood tests, the saliva-based test will lead to increased glucose monitoring and better healthcare outcomes among these patients,” says Dr. George Syrmalis, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of The iQ Group Global.

The Glucose Biosensor Unit

The patent protected modified organic thin film transistors work in combination with Glucose Oxidase (GOX) to initiate an electrochemical reaction that produces an electrical signal. This signal can be displayed on the patient’s smart device in real time. Due to its high sensitivity the biosensor can detect glucose levels at considerably lower levels than in blood. It has a linear glucose sensing capability at concentrations of 100 times lower than current blood measuring methodologies.

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Future Medical Applications

The iQ Group Global is currently working on a pilot research and development program with the University of Newcastle to expand beyond the saliva glucose diagnostic test and develop the platform of Point of Care Diagnostic Tests beginning with tumor markers, hormones, and communicable diseases.

As smart rings are gaining popularity, there’s a race happening on crowdfunding sites as entrepreneurs compete to see who can make the best smart ring there is. Smart rings make a great wearable device because of their smaller size and the way they fit around your finger. Some experts believe smart rings might replace smartwatches in the future. Smart rings can collect valuable health data because your fingers have easy-to-sense arteries. Some smart rings can even track your sleep or send SOS alert in case of an emergency. Here I have made a list of some of the most popular smart rings in the market.

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Oura

Developed by Finnish sleep improvement platform Oura Health, Oura ring helps you pinpoint what’s going on in your body throughout the day, so you can tweak your inputs in response to your measures.  With daily feedback to improve your health, Oura helps you better understand your body and reach your goals. You’ll be guided through an intelligent, data-driven plan to help you improve across the most important aspects of your well-being. The sleep tracker automatically collects the wearer’s data and synchronizes it to the Oura app to a smartphone running Android or iOS. Just wear the ring around your finger, and it’ll measure your physiological signals, with no switches or flashing lights. The Oura ring registers your body temperature reading every minute while you sleep. By comparing that value to values from earlier nights, it indicates your body temperature baseline and any variations from it.

Ringly

Ringly is an activity tracker that also sends notifications and alerts. Ringly founder Christina D’Avignon believes “Women deserve technology that helps them live healthy, balanced lives without sacrificing style or comfort. The days of clunky fitness trackers are behind us.” Besides basics like email, text and calls, you can also get messages from social media sites including Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter plus other apps like Viber and MyFitnessPal. A small light on the side of the ring flashes different colors depending on alerts you want. You can also program the device to vibrate.

Motiv

Motiv Ring is a basic tracker that tells you how many calories you’ve burned, how many steps you’ve taken and how your overall sleep quality is. For a basic tracker, Motiv is a great option. On top of that this stylish tracker comes in the form of a ring and it’s so light and comfortable that you’d forget you’re wearing it. The band fits like a wedding ring, but despite its tiny size, it packs an optical heart-rate monitor, Bluetooth, three-axis accelerometer, and LED. The ring features WalkID – a new biometric authentication system based on gait analysis. WalkID can run as long as the user is wearing it and walking, which allows for continuous, passive authentication. The company said fingerprint and facial recognition through a paired smartphone will further extend the biometric authentication security of the ring. The ring is water resistant up to 50m, connects via Bluetooth and supports a host of Android devices. The battery lasts for three days.

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ORII

ORII is a sleek smart ring that lets you talk via your mobile phone while holding just your finger near your mouth, emulating a scene from of a James Bond movie. The ring gives you clear and crisp audio while listening to text messages through your finger without the need of a screen, making communications more stylish and efficient. The ring is created by Hong Kong startup Origami Labs, who last year raised $500,000 in crowdfunding and closed at a substantial total funding of $2.5 million. It received over 4000 pre-orders from 3000 plus backers in 60 plus countries. ORII is very lightweight and comfortable to wear. It’s splash-proof and even features anodized aluminum.

A recent Ernst & Young study explored how large number of available data on human body is helping the healthcare industry to provide more effective and personalized patient care. According to the study, technology is changing the operating model and practices of existing industry players, creating new opportunities for non-traditional players, and redefining the role of the patient.

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Meanwhile, artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a big role in healthcare as well. AI is speeding up the process of diagnosis and cure of illnesses and improving the pharmaceutical industry’s failing rate in research and development, reports EY.

“I have spent the bulk of my career in the pharmaceutical industry, and when I left the company I work for, I realized that actually we had to do things differently, Professor Jackie Hunter, Director, BenevolentAI, which pioneers the use of artificial intelligence to research new medicines and develop blueprints to cure sicknesses, said in a podcast. “The pharmaceutical industry is actually failing to innovate consistently and the exciting thing for me about joining BenevolentAI is that we had a real opportunity to do things differently, be totally disruptive and just reengineer the whole model.”

To create value in the industry, organizations really need to focus on unlocking the power of data to fuel innovation. So, looking at how you can connect data, combine data and share data better to fuel innovation, to deliver better health outcome, but in a very personalized way, according to the study.

“As we discover more and more about human body, there are so many data processes that lie within it that we have yet to understand fully. So, if you link that with the pace of change and the technology development, the data collection through sensors that we’re beginning to see emerge, said Pamela Spence, who leads EY’s Global Health Sciences and Wellness practice. “I do believe that human body is going to be one of the biggest sources of data in the future, so understanding the data within the platform of the human body will really bring great dividends to the wider healthcare industry in the future.”

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Spence believes small innovations, like wearable devices can pay massive dividends to the healthcare industry. Vital signs that are normally measured in the primary care or the secondary care environment, now can be done by the patients themselves. “And I do believe, you know, we’ll be able to have blood tests at home. So, then we’ve got full vital sign capture, we’ve got full blood capture and we don’t need to go to the actual facility for our health care per se. And I think that makes us more empowered because we get access to more and we become more responsible, linked with all the behavioral nudges. I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for us to have better access to health care because the health care industry starts to revolve around us as patients, rather than we having to, at some personal cost to ourselves, try to fit into a clunky and very antiquated system,” she said.