Updated 13 January
The Consumer Electronics Show this week is when gadgets take over Las Vegas. Out of the seemingly endless stream of releases and news out of CES–plus Living in Digital Times and Silvers Summit which focus on technology to assist the older adult–some highlights from Day 2:
The Silvers Summit’s first-ever Sterling Award, co-sponsored with AARP, was awarded in five categories to some companies familiar to TA readers:
- Health & Wellness – Company: GrandCare Systems, Product: GC HomeBase
- Education/Continued Learning – Company: LiveMocha, Product: LiveMocha
- Entertainment – Company: My Gait LLC, Product: My Gait Senior Computer
- Relationships/Family Caregiving – Company: No Tie LLC, Product: AutoVerbal
- Cause-Worthy Product/Service – Company: Great Grabz, Product: Unique Touch Grab Bars
The top five winning entries were posted to the Silvers Summit website and Facebook page. The competition relied on social media to invite the public to choose their favorite among the five to select the “Silvers Choice” award. In addition, a ‘people’s choice’ was selected via votes on the Silvers Summit website and Facebook page–GC Homebase by GrandCare Systems. And Martin Cooper, who while at Motorola in the 1970s pioneered the cellular phone (a brick at the time), received their first Innovator Award. Quote of the day? “Best way to think out of the box is not to make boxes in the first place”. Follow Silvers Summit on Twitter #silverssummit and #ces
Independa, developer of both the Internet-connected Angela and Artemis web-based social connectedness + telehealth systems [TA 10 Dec], is going ‘basic POTS telehealth’ with Health Measures, which connects over the phone to their Caregiver Web App. Independa also announced a new alliance with the Zenith division of LG Electronics to integrate the Angela social connectedness web services with their specifically designed multimedia commercial TVs to be installed in LTC communities. A very smart idea in integrating with a global company which has a strong chance of breaking through in this area with AL and SNFs. Release.
On the sleep monitoring front, relatively new entrant NovaSom is partnering with Verizon Wireless to offer the NovaSom AccuSom home sleep test for sleep apnea (a/k/a obstructive sleep disorder or OSD). AccuSom is the only FDA-cleared wireless home diagnosis test available for OSD. It measures respiration airflow, oxygen saturation, pulse rate, respiration effort and snoring. Release.
Continua Health Alliance will make its Design Guidelines publicly available for download free of charge after an eight month pilot phase. According to the press communications, the Alliance is giving public access to the Guidelines to help technology companies streamline, provide seamless interoperability and connectivity, and simplify the development of personal connected health products and services. Continua will make the 2011 Guidelines available as a free download in April of this year. Release
Thanks for the round up of CES thus far. The telehealth/care content is very impressive this year makes you wonder if 2012 will not turn out to be some kind of breakthrough year for consumer useable / consumer awareness re Telehealth. I wondered if you’ve noticed the Zomm product yet? http://www.zomm.co.uk/ whilst they have a UK domain which is a mirror of their .com domain, not clear how they are or intend to market the product in the UK. The traditional Telecare model is changing, there can be no doubt about that.