Gesture-Based Remote Control

Gesture-Based Remote Control is a new technology being designed that will allow people watching TV to use hand gestures to function like a remote. It would use something like a webcam to capture your hand gestures and preform an action. Holding your hand flat would do one function while waving could execute another function. Your hand would control an arrow so if you move your hand in one direction then the arrow on the screen would follow. There is already a computer that uses a similar technology made by Toshiba and its just starting to be incorporated into Televisions. Reading Accuracy of the TVs is still a major issue with this technology. This would be a good product for people like myself who can never find the remote.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-5/future_tech.html#9

Tachyon XC Camera

The Tachyon XC Camera is a miniature camera that fits in the palm of your hand. It is used for outdoor adventures like mountain climbing, sky diving, and other activities. You attach it to your helmet, so you can use both of your hands while recording your activities. It records HD videos on to a SD card and its completely waterproof. It runs off 2 AA batteries, which is around 3 1/2hrs. It has a small LCD screen that displays the cameras status, and has very few buttons to remember. It also comes with a little remote, that can be kept in your pocket. It shoots 720p and has "weak" sound quality, but wind sound across the microphone isn't picked up. It cost $179, so its affordable for the average person.

http://www.myddnetwork.com/new-gadgets/tachyon-xc-hd-helmet-cam-catches-your-%e2%80%9cextreme%e2%80%9d-outings-perfectly/

Handheld Melanoma Scanner-Verisante Aura

The Handheld Melanoma Scanner uses a laser to instantly identify different skin cancers. In the past a lot of dermatologists had to look at a mole and try to give their expert opinion on if it's benign or cancerous. This device was created by the British Colombia Cancer Agency and it uses a laser light to find possible cancer spots that need to be examined. It uses spectroscopy to discover the "molecular make ups of moles by changing the vibrational state of the molecular bonds in a skin growth." When the light shines on the bonds there is a shift in the kind of light that is reflected back to the sensor, and that tells the scanner what kind of molecules are in the mole. The scanner then checks a database that has different examples of skin diseases. It is not 100% correct but it can help doctors get another opinion on a mole and can help prevent unnecessary biopsies.

new-handheld-melanoma-scanner-instantly-identifies-skin-cancers-laser-light

Telepresence Bots

Telepresence Bots allow for sick kids still be apart of class. It can allow for kids who may suffer from an illness the causes them to miss a lot of class to still talk to teachers and stay up to date with the class lesson. The robot can be controlled with a laptop, or a smart phone with an installed app. The student uses headphones and a microphone to communicate with the teacher, It even has a monitor that shows his face so it can seem more like he's there. It is 4ft tall and can be moved from place to place because of its wheels, allowing the student to drive it around school from where ever they are. It has a battery that can last up to 8 hours but can be plugged up to a wall outlet to recharge it. It cost about $3000-$5000.

http://www.smashingrobots.com/telepresence-bots-help-sick-teens-attend-class-and-provide-real-time-lessons/
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-02/telepresence-bots-help-sick-teens-attend-class-providing-real-time-lessons-and-adolescent-interaction

MedSignals Smart Pill Box

I was surfing the internet looking for a new technology and i ran across a thing called the smart pill box. The smart pill box was designed to help people who have trouble remembering the medications. It hooks in to your phone line, avoiding the need for internet, and when its time to take your pill the smart pill box will beep, flashes on whichever pill that its time to take, and announces how many pills to take. It cost about $200 bucks and theirs a monthly subscription fee as well as online registration is needed to activate it. It can hold up to four types of pills, it comes with English and Spanish languages, and can tell you any warnings with the medicine you are about to take. A family member can also check to see what time you opened the lid and took your pill because it records the time when you open a lid on it. This is something that i think my papa could've used because he always forgot which pill and how many he was suppose to take.