No matter how well you brush your teeth, brushing alone doesn’t kill all the bacteria in your mouth nor does it completely prevent yellowing of your teeth, especially as you age. Germs in your mouth can lead to bad breath, gum disease, and cavities. Yellowing teeth can sap your self-confidence. There are treatments for both these issues, but wouldn’t it be easier if you could address both issues just by brushing? The makers of Bristl, a light-therapy electric toothbrush, say that you can.
Bristl is a sonic toothbrush (12,000 rpm in gentle mode, 24,000 rpm in strong mode) with a 2 minute timer to encourage you to brush long enough to be effective. For extra effectiveness, Bristl adds patent-pending dual light therapy technology that is “clinically proven to kill bacteria, heal gums, and whiten teeth.”
The light therapy component uses red light, blue light, and purple light (red and blue together). The red light is said to promote collagen secretion to strengthen gums and prevent and treat gingivitis. Blue light kills germs that cause gum disease and helps whiten teeth. Purple light combines all these promised benefits.
The planned MSRP is $99.00, but while the Kickstarter campaign is still active, you can receive a Bristl toothbrush, charger, and 2 brush heads for a pledge of $79.00. Other pledge packages are available. The funding goal was met within four hours. The funding period ends Sunday , April 29, 2018, at 1:00 AM EDT. Delivery is expected in June 2018. Pledge for your own Bristl toothbrush at Kickstarter.
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Giving yourself a manicure or pedicure at home doesn’t have a lot of tech associated with it, but it certainly does have some gadgets. In addition to scissors, clippers, files, and other little tools to keep our nails trimmed, some of us like to add polishes to our arsenal. Going to the salon can be a nice way to pamper yourself and keep your nails looking nice, but it is more expensive than doing it yourself. Manicures are usually easily done at home, but doing a pedicure can be difficult because it can be hard to find a place and a position to sit where you can see and easily reach your toes as you work. Enter the Stedi Pedi at-home pedicure assistant!
The Stedi Pedi is a platform that fits under a chair cushion or the edge of a mattress and has an adjustable footrest that puts your foot at the perfect position for you to do your own pedicure at home. Your bodyweight holds the Stedi Pedi in place, and the platform is designed to support the weight of your leg as you work. The kit comes with a bright LED task light to help you see what you’re doing. The base of the Stedi Pedi has space to hold your scissors and clippers or even some nail polish as you work, and a pull-out tray in the front catches any dips or clippings.
If you need a little extra help seeing, there’s a lighted magnifier (3X and 5X) you can add to the pedicure assistant. Or you could add a drying fan to help polish dry quicker. There’s even a battery pack so you can use all three accessories at once.
The Stedi Pedi at-home pedicure assistant is $39.95. Accessories start at $9.95 each, or you can get an extra task light, lighted magnifier, cooling fan, and the extra battery pack for $34.95. Stedi Pedi will pay for itself in no time when you save by doing pedicures at home. Purchase your own pedicure assistant at the Stedi Pedi website.
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According to Harvard Medical School, there are several variables that have an influence on sleep quality, including temperature, light, and noise, and this is true for infants, toddlers and adults, alike. Eliminating stressful elements and distractions in the bedroom can lead to better sleep, which has given rise to various white noise devices, like the LectroFan Kinder Sleep Sound Machine.
What is it?
The Kinder Sleep Sound Machine is a small speaker that plugs directly into the wall and emits dozens of unique, non-repeating nature sounds, ambient noises or lullabies to promote more restful sleep for your child. It also sports a top facing multi-color LED with several brightness levels. LectroFan makes several models of white noise devices, but this one in particular is aimed at infants and toddlers.
Hardware specs
Plugs directly into a wall outlet
High fidelity, non-looping sounds create a peaceful environment and mask noise disturbances
Soothing LED nightlight displays a rainbow of color
Controlled by easy to use iPhone or Android smartphone app
No Wi-Fi or internet connection required
What’s in the box?
And that’s all you need. The packaging is cute, though.
Sound machine
Instructions
Design and Features
I’ve used a sound device in my daughter’s room since she was a baby, just a simple one with about 7 different looping sounds. The one thing I disliked about that one was the few sounds that it had (rain, ocean, heartbeat) were noticeably repetitive. You could make out the loops in the sound waves very quickly and that was super annoying to my ears.
That’s where one huge difference lies between that old device and this LectroFan Kinder Sound Machine. Not only does the Kinder have 75 sound environments, the sounds are very high fidelity and non-looping. From what I understand, the proprietary technology behind LectroFan’s sound machines mean the audio created is somewhat organic and not just one looping sound file. So if you have the sound set to Ocean, you’re not going to hear the same one wave over and over again. Any loop was undetectable, to me, when testing out the different effects.
My favorites were the fan sounds… attic fan, box fan, industrial fan and even an oscillating fan. Since I usually sleep with a fan on in the room, the Kinder did a great job in emulating that low steady hum. I also appreciated the top-facing nightlight. At the very dimmest setting, it’s just about perfect, although I wish it could get a bit dimmer, still. The multi-color LED allows a wide range of colors or slowly cycle through a rainbow, which is a neat effect in a dark room.
I mostly kept it at a blue-green, since that seemed like the best color conducive to a sleeping environment. Although if you really want your kid to have some nightmares, you could choose red.
The Kinder Sound Machine is controlled entirely through the downloadable app, so if you don’t have a compatible smartphone, you might as well stop reading right now. With so many sounds and light colors to choose from, I don’t see how else you could control it. The app is easy to use and connects to the device via Bluetooth, so you can use it almost anywhere in the house.
Everything is controlled through their cute, straightforward app.
The Kinder does have a physical button on the device itself that turns it on and off, using the last setting programmed into it. The good thing about remote operation is that you can place the device in an out of reach socket, like behind a dresser or bed, and turn it on or off without having to be in the room.
Using the app is simple and intuitive, but feels a little clunky when trying to browse through all of the sounds. It allows for savable custom presets, so you can find your perfect mix of sound, light color and levels for both brightness and volume.
Naturally, the star of the show is the sound quality. The tiny speaker does a fantastic job of reproducing the ambient noises. It’s plenty loud and has natural-sounding acoustics. And they didn’t skimp on the sound selection… everything from nature, with rainstorms, distant thunder and several beach scenes, to a wide range noise “colors”, from muffled deep brown to hissy white.
They all sound great and most importantly, are designed to be unobtrusive and ignorable. After a few moments, it’s like your brain just sort of tunes out the noise and focuses on something else, which is exactly what you want when trying to fall asleep.
What I liked…
great audio fidelity
app is easy to use
adjustable nightlight
Might be a turn-off, literally…
has an on/off button on the device, but requires smartphone app to control light/audio levels
Final thoughts
The LectroFan Kinder is fantastic. I wish I would have had it when my daughter was younger, so I didn’t have to listen to those repetitive ocean waves while rocking her to sleep so many evenings. Simple to use and dozens of ambient non-looping sounds to choose from. I loved it.
Price: $79.95 Where to buy: You can purchase the LectroFan Kinder Sound Machine on Amazon. Source: The sample of this product was provided by LectroFan. You can find out more on their website.
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A few years ago I took a pretty bad fall while skiing and injured my neck and suffered a concussion, which has had lasting effects to this day. I was interested in the Tuner from Rezzimax because it offers multiple applications for high frequency massage of your neck, shoulders, face or anywhere else you may need a little relief.
What is it?
The Rezzimax Tuner is a compact yet powerful personal massager that is aimed to assist people with migraines, neck pain, jaw pain (TMJ), sinus pain and other ailments. In a few minutes of use the user can experience substantial relief if not total resolution of the pain they are experiencing. The Tuner is portable, wireless and easily fits in your hand. It utilizes adjustable high frequency vibrations to massage your problem area and bring relief in a short time.
Hardware Specs
The Tuner weighs two pounds and is 10 x 6 x 2.5 inches (about the size of an electric toothbrush when the massaging head is not attached). I couldn’t find any information about the battery but I have been able to get many sessions with this out of one charge so battery life isn’t a concern for me.
What’s in the box?
When you purchase a Tuner, you receive a hard sided carrying/travel case with a sturdy sipper closure. Inside the case you will find the Tuner base, adjustable massaging head attachment, a charging base, USB/micro USB power cable and a wall adapter that is similar in size to an iPhone power cube.
Designs and features
The first thing I noticed about the Tuner compared to other massagers I have seen or used was the compact size. With the sturdy, hard-sided carrying case I have been able to pack this in my briefcase or suitcase to go to the office or on a trip without taking up much room. Once I began using it I instantly was aware of the resonance technology that they discuss on their website. This massager vibrates at a much higher frequency than other products on the market. At first I didn’t know if this would make a difference but after a few sessions with it I really noticed a difference in my neck pain, sinus pressure and overall stress level. It has a way of humming you into a very relaxed state while your trouble area is worked on.
The battery life has not been an issue for me. I have used it multiple times on a single charge, and while I cannot find information on the battery capacity or battery life, I am not concerned with running out of juice once charged. The unit charges wirelessly in the base so all you have to do is set the Tuner base in the charging cradle and it begins the charging cycle automatically. I love this feature as I’m sure anyone with anything that charges wirelessly does.
The dark grey adjustable massaging head can open or close to fit most of your needs. I say “most” because I have a slightly larger than average head and the arms do not open wide enough for me to massage moth of my temples at once, which is a big drawback for me as that was a feature I was really looking forward to. I do use the adjustable head to massage my neck, face and head and it honestly feels AMAZING! In one of their videos they even show putting the massager in your mouth in between your cheeks and upper gums to relieve TMJ pain. I have yet to try this as I don’t have TMJ issues but I can imaging it would provide relief just like it has for my headaches, neck pain and sinus pressure. You can also use the tuner without the grey attachment for a more precise and intense massage. I usually go without the attachment for my neck where I can really get into those tight muscles that cause my headaches and where I hold my stress.
What I like
It works!
7 levels of vibration to dial in the treatment you like best
Results in minutes
Compact size/carrying case
Wireless charging
Long battery life
Natural alternative to pain management through medication
Attractive and high quality design
What needs to be improved
Wider messaging head to fit more people to massage temples
At $249, it comes in at the higher end of personal massagers.
Final thoughts
Since receiving the Tuner, I have been hooked. I have used it when I am in pain or had sinus pressure but have also used it just to relax at the end of the day. I keep it in my briefcase so I can use it at the office or at home and find myself reaching for it instead of the bottle of Advil. If you suffer from any of the issues I have mentioned here or that are listed on the website, or just carry a lot of stress and get relief from massage, I can confidently recommend this product. I think the price tag of $249 is a little high but can’t argue much since I have seen results and it has relieved my pain. From that perspective, I think it is worth it.
Price: $249 Where to buy: Rezzimax Source: The sample of this product was provided by Rezzimax.
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Some gadgets are perfect for everyone – the USB battery pack can be used by just about everyone. Other gadgets are only used by those in certain industries but appreciated by many more. The Butterfly iQ is an ultrasound system that connects to the iPhone; it’s useful to doctors but cool tech to everyone else.
The Butterfly iQ for iPhone is the world’s first Ultrasound-on-a-Chip based imaging system. This device takes the place of larger cart based systems that have multiple transducers and can cost 100 times as much. Its small size and low cost means that the device can be more available to more doctors. Because the system is battery powered, it can also be readily used in the field. Butterfly achieved this reduction in cost and size in a way similar to the transition from transistor based computing to integrated circuit and system-on-a-chip based computing. They replaced thousands of piezoelectric transducers with tens of thousands of MEMS sensors on a chip. Because of this change in technology the manufacturing of these systems, which is traditionally labor and material cost intensive, can be done with cheaper materials in a way similar to computer manufacturing. The transition of the ultrasonic probe to a chip based device has the ability to make this technology as available as a digital video camera is today, compared to the tube based recorders of the past.
Butterfly Network’s Chief Medical Officer has said, “Offering a unique blend of affordability, diagnostic versatility, and assistive intelligence, Butterfly has the potential to impact human health more profoundly than any diagnostic device since the stethoscope, invented over 200 years ago. At less than $2,000, healthcare providers can purchase an easy-to-use, powerful, whole-body medical imaging system that fits in their pocket…By removing the barrier of price, I expect Butterfly to ultimately replace the stethoscope in the daily practice of medicine. We can now provide a diagnostic system to address the millions of children that die of pneumonia each year and the hundreds of thousands of women that die in childbirth, and these are just two examples of the impact this technology will have.”
Not content with ushering a hardware revolution, Butterfly Network has developed deep learning-based artificial intelligence applications that are tightly coupled to the hardware and assist clinicians with both image acquisition and interpretation. “Deep learning and ultrasound imaging are a perfect combination,” said President Gioel Molinari. “As physicians use our devices in the field, they help improve the neural network models. The more physicians use Butterfly devices, the better they will get. Improvements to acquiring and interpreting images will ultimately enable less skilled users to reliably extract life-saving insight from ultrasound.” Butterfly plans to release assistance and interpretation functionality in 2018 as a software add-on to the Butterfly iQ system. The system is also paired with a HIPAA-compliant cloud which enables image storage and collaboration among clinicians as well as connectivity with traditional hospital medical record systems. The combination of AI assistance and cloud based communication means that one day people with limited medical training may be able to use this device as a diagnostic tool in the field, and provide the information to medical centers in preparation for treatment.
Hopefully, one day, Doctors Without Borders will carry this around instead of a stethoscope and bring this level of medical diagnostic to patients worldwide.
