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A celiac’s new best friend: the Nima portable gluten sensor


For people with celiac disease, an autoimmune condition for which there is no cure, eating gluten-free isn’t just a way of life. It is life, considering a mere 20 ppm of gluten is all it takes to trip an immune response. Enter Nima, a portable gluten sensor that tests food for the presence of gluten exceeding the threshold of safety for celiacs.

The unit, which retails for $279 ($229 at the time of this posting), comes with three test vials, a micro-USB recharging cable and a carrying pouch, which fits in a purse or pocket. The unit measures 3.5 inches wide and 3.1 inches high and has bluetooth connectivity so it can synch to your smartphone. Users can contribute their test results to the Nima community using a free Nima app, which also provides a list of Nima-tested restaurants.

To test for the presence of gluten, users put a sample of food – liquid or solid – into a vial and insert the vial into the device. In three minutes, a wheat icon and a “gluten detected” warning will warn users if their food is not safe to consume; a smile icon gives diners the go-ahead.

Nima works using a combination of chemistry and sensors, and the vials are not reusable. Subscriptions are available for $59.95 per month for 12 capsules or $61.95 for 12 vials every other month. Those who eat restaurant or processed food often can opt for the $116.94, 24-capsule plan per month. Some foods – soy sauce, pure vinegar, beer, or alcohol – cannot be tested, leaving diners to make educated judgment calls before consumption.

Visit nimasensor.com for more information.

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A celiac’s new best friend: the Nima portable gluten sensor originally appeared on on June 29, 2017 at 6:47 am.

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Koogeek BP2 blood pressure monitor review


I don’t take my blood pressure on a regular basis, but maybe I should.  I have EMT training so I own a manual sphygmomanometer (“blood pressure cuff”) as well as a tabletop automatic and a portable. The Koogeek BP2, however, looked so small and sleek, I knew I had to give it a try.

The BP2 comes with a microUSB charging cable and documents.

  • Length (Fold): 150mm
  • Width (Fold): 75mm
  • Thickness (Fold): 85mm
  • Weight: Approx. 300g
  • Cuff Size: Approx. 220-360mm
  • Battery: 400mAh lithium charged via MicroUSB. Good for at least 50 times of continuous usage on one charge.

The top of the BP2 consists of (left-right) a microUSB charging port, reset button (recessed), LED and power button.

The BP2 reminds me of an iPod Mini.

Here’s a close-up of the cuff.  Check your upper arm circumference before ordering.

The BP2 also includes wireless connectivity to your Android or iOS device. I started to install the App, and came across this:

Why do I have to give them my email and password just to start cuff inflation and take a reading?  The app logs your blood pressure measurements, but I don’t see why you can’t just write it down yourself.  I guess I’m old fashioned that way, and I don’t feel like sharing my health information in this manner.

In the instructions, I found this note about not using your cell phone near the BP2.  I’m not sure someone proofread this. Why have a companion app, then?

Even more troubling was this note in part 4, “After the measurement”.  Why would the BP2 upload your readings to the server if you don’t launch the app?

Fortunately, for the paranoid-minded like me, you can operate the BP2 without the app.  Simply power it up, and press the power button a second time to begin cuff inflation.

As you can see in the video, the BP2 display shows systolic (the “upper” number) and diastolic (the “lower” number) plus heart rate.

But is it any good?  I was a little concerned when I saw my readings.  They were high for me.  So over the course of an hour, I took my blood pressure at rest using different methods.

Koogeek BP2:  125/74

Hyundai upper-arm portable:  118/75

Omron desktop: 114/77

Manual cuff with stethoscope: 115/80

On average I noticed the Koogeek BP2 measured about 10 mmHg higher than what I think is normal for me.  That’s not reassuring. It could be an individual error. I also noticed the screen went blank after giving a reading in about 10 seconds. If you don’t use the app, I would note the reading or write it down quickly.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Koogeek. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order one.

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Koogeek BP2 blood pressure monitor review originally appeared on on June 28, 2017 at 8:30 am.

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Read the news with NOOZ reading glasses


So, it’s official I am now my grandpa. How is that you may ask? Well, I will tell you, I need to carry reading glasses everywhere I go. The problem for me is that my options for carrying my readers get kind of limited with the size of most reading glasses. I do have some foldable ones that fit in my pocket but those can be a little bulky and I tend to forget them. I have ones that I can wear around my neck but hey I don’t want to look geeky everywhere I go. Enter NOOZ reading glasses from NOOZ optics. 

NOOZ glasses come in round and oval shapes and clip onto your nose.  A small case is included with the glasses that you can attach to your keychain or any other object you desire. The NOOZ has scratch proof Polycarbonate lenses and comes in strengths ranging from +1 to +3 in +.5 increments and are available in several colors. At a cost of $19.95 from the NOOZ website, you can take the grandpa and grandma out of your readers.

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Read the news with NOOZ reading glasses originally appeared on on June 26, 2017 at 6:38 am.

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Is the Welbean Heartscope a Star Trek medical tricorder for your ticker?


I remember watching episodes of Star Trek when I was a kid and wishing I had a tricorder or a communications badge.
Those types of gadgets aren’t sci-fi anymore. We already have small communicators in our pockets that can call people anywhere in the world as well as so many other things. We also have wearable fitness gear that can track our steps, our heart rate, and sleep. But a true wireless medical tricorder that can scan for medical problems is still out of the reach of regular consumers. Or is it?

Take a look at the Welbean Heartscope. This small disk has been designed to scan your heart contractility, motility, and heart rate without needing to attach electrical leads to your chest. After 30 seconds the mobile app will provide insights into your heart health and how your actions and exercise effect your most important organ.

Welbean Heartscope provides much more information about your heart than EKG can do. Your heart is essentially a muscular pump that never stops. While EKG only reflect the electrical aspect of heart nerves, Welbean focuses on measuring and analyzing your heart’s physical activities and charismatic movement patterns, which reflects all aspects of heart tissues including muscle, nerve, valve, and membranes.

Right now the Welbean Heartscope is only compatible with iOS devices like the iPhone, iPad, and iPod. You can read more about it at welbean.com and you can buy one for $159 from Amazon.

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Is the Welbean Heartscope a Star Trek medical tricorder for your ticker? originally appeared on on June 23, 2017 at 2:50 pm.

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Relieve tension and sleep better with Relax Pro by Thync


If you are having trouble sleeping or you’re feeling overly anxious, trying Relax Pro by Thync could be a drug-free and fairly inexpensive way to get some relief. This device stimulates your nerves to trigger a natural mechanism inside your body which signals your autonomic nervous system to allow your mind to tell your body to relax. Sounds fantastic to me! 

You simply select a neurostimulation program to play through the app controlled Pod which you place at the back of your neck. The device itself costs $149 and you can choose to pay month by month for the neurostimulation programs and pads which are $29.oo per month, or get the 12-month plan and pay $19.00 per month.  For the diehards out there…you can spend $429 and get a lifetime subscription and enough pads for 100 sessions.  All plans come with a 30-day money back guarantee.

To dive into the details and get more information on this seemingly too-good-to-be-true gadget, visit www.thync.com.

 

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Relieve tension and sleep better with Relax Pro by Thync originally appeared on on June 10, 2017 at 8:01 am.

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