Gadget Designed to Make Sure Doctors Wash Their Hands Enough

     Biovigil has introduced a new gadget to the healthcare field and it is designed to make sure that doctor's hands are always extremely clean before interacting with a patient. Around 75,000 patients died last year from healthcare associated infections (HAI's) and cost hospitals over 30 billion dollars. This gadget is designed to sense the amount of bacteria on the doctor's hands before helping patients. The doctor simply puts their hands up to the device which is wearable and if the hands are clean the light will remain green, if their is bacteria detected on the hands then the light will either turn yellow or red to notify the doctor you must wash your hands before proceeding further with the patient.

   
     If the light goes yellow then the doctor must wash their hands and then re-test for bacteria and upon completion the light will turn green. If the doctor was to ignore the yellow light then after several minutes it will glare red indicating that the doctor ignored the yellow signal and essentially will not only show the doctor that they still need to wash their hands but also indicate to the patient that the doctor is not yet fit to work with them.
     This device not only applies to the healthcare field in the long run because there are many professions that require the user to have clean hands including those who work in the restaurant industry. This device definitely has the capability to expand its uses throughout the world where cleanliness is a must. By utilizing this device many infections and diseases can be prevented from being spread in workplace environments of all kinds.
     Personally i think that this device is a must have now that it exists because it allows not only the doctor to double check themselves but also for the patient or customer to double check them because clearly they do not want to interact with bacteria ridden hands. In the future I see this product moving into any industry that deals with food or health to ensure maximum cleanliness at all times.

     As you can see the Biovigil gadget is extremely small and has a simple easy to understand UI that will benefit many people for years to come. It also has a simple clip on the back which can be used to put in on the pocket of a shirt or strap on your belt. I see this being a pinnacle of health in workplaces at least for users hands and am excited to see where Biovigil takes this product in the future to help all of us feel a bit more comfortable in many situations.

Sources: Biovigil Gadget

US Open Debuts the Polo Tech "smartshirt" with Activity Tracker

     In a world where wearable technology is beginning to take over from google glasses to smart watches we are getting used to seeing computers just about anywhere and everywhere in the world around us. Polo tech has taken it one step further with their new "smartshirt" which is currently being used in the US Open by professionals not only to test the product but also to show that it can be worn in even the most extreme conditions.

     The activity tracker is located directly under the pectorials and contains conductive threads that come in contact with the skin. There is then a "Black Box" or "Tech Box" that snaps into the shirt near the left rib cage, this box receives heart-rate and breathing data from the wearer which is then translated into Calories burnt, steps taken, and amount of activity split into 3 different categories: Inactive, Moderate Activity and Active.

     This tech box will need to be charged once about every 30 hours through a USB charger and also comes with a bluetooth setup to upload information to your smartphone enabling long term tracking for individuals of their activity. According to Ralph Lauren "The Box will be half the size in a few months.... We are a lifestyle brand, major luxury fashion brand.  iwant to be able to gather this (biometric) information in a boardroom or from a baby in a crib. We'll find new needs and we're just at the beginning." 

     As this is the first smart garment in the Polo-brand technology line they have a lot of work to do to make the garment easily wearable for all individuals not just athletes. The garment is washable as long as the tech box is connected and so far they have not seen any issues with the conductive threads with normal wear and tear.

     As Polo definitely seems to be after this new wearable technology we will see large strides over the next few years and I'm sure companies like Nike, Adidas and other brand names will follow suit. This sort of technology will be able to benefit all professional sports players and enable their doctors to track not only their health off the court and field but also while they are competing as well.

     Wearable technology used to be bulky un-attractive and not appealing to users but now that this technology is being transformed into items that we wear everyday it is almost unnoticeable and soon everyone will be wearing technology without blinking an eye. I know that I am definitely excited to see where wearable technology is going in the years to come.

Sources: Ralph Lauren Tech Shirts

              Purchase a tech-shirt today!

Instagram's New App, Hyperlapse Feels Like a $10,000 Video Setup in Your Hand

      The creators of Instagram are releasing their new app known as Hyperlapse  which is an app that enables the user to take video and turn it into tracking shots and fast, time-lapse videos almost to look as they were shot by a professional in a Michael Mann film which was previously only possible with a Steadicam. This will only be available to the iPhone at launch which was on August 26th, but they are working quickly to make it available for Android phones as well. As you can see in the video below Hyperlapse not only makes the video move quickly but also stabilizes the video to eliminate the jumpiness that can come from hand-held video.

                                       

   
     Hyperlapse is looking to become simply a video speed edit app with smoothing capabilities and will allow users creativity to run rampant with the ability to increase a videos speed up to 12x while making the video smooth as silk. A lot of people are asking why it has been released as a standalone app and not a new feature of Instagram and the answer is that Hyperlapse will not have all of the features of Instagram such as filters. Hyperlapse comes with ony filter and that is a speed filter which allows you to alter the videos from 1x to 12x and once that is set you can quickly upload the video to Facebook or Instagram.

   

     Upon opening the app you will see that the first page is simply a video recorder with a record button and when the video is finished you simply test the different speeds that are available and when you are finished the app quickly renders the video and can enable the user to fit up to a 12 minute video into 1 minute.

     The reason that this kind of technology is now available on phones is because they have created algorithms that use a fraction of the battery life to run the app as they would have several years ago where a iPhone would not have had the raw power to run something so powerful. Now that we can create videos that $10,000 equipment used to be required to make the possibilities of what we will see coming out on Facebook and Instagram are endless.

     It is still to early to tell whether or not this will become something that is used by people in everyday or only fit to a certain niche of people in the industry but it will be fun to see where Hyperlapse ends up in the next few years and if it will truly be used to it's full potential by its users.

Download Hyperlapse Here

More Videos: Introducing Hyperlapse from Instagram

                    Stabilization for Hyperlapse from Instagram

    

                                                 

Healthy Living

    When people think of being healthy immediately we are struck with images of the gym, muscles, diets and running shoes but is that all it takes to be healthy in this day and age? We are constantly seeing people who are gym rats and spend 4-5 times a week perfecting their physical selves but there is more to it than that. To live healthier you must not only work on your physical self but your mental and spiritual health as well to live to your maximum potential.

     Lets face it we have all met people who look physically fit and healthy but the rest of their life is in ruins or perhaps they are in poor physical shape but are extremely intelligent or extremely spiritual . Now this is in no way saying that only being only healthy in one aspect in life is wrong, but rather stating that it is not truly the full definition of what healthy living is. A good definition I found for what healthy living is:

 "At a population level, healthy living refers to the practices of population groups that are consistent with supporting, improving, maintaining and/or enhancing health. As it applies to individuals, healthy living is the practice of health enhancing behaviours, or put simply, living in healthy ways. It implies the physical, mental and spiritual capacity to make healthy choices." (Public Health Agency of Canada).

So basically as people we have three different aspects of life that have needs which are the physical, mental and spiritual needs we have. Things like food, reading and spiritual connections (not necessarily religious) all play a daily part in our overall health and in order to enjoy our lives to the fullest each of these must be regulated on a daily basis. In other words keeping a happy medium and not over indulging or depriving ourselves from anything that provides us with a healthier life.
     Now what steps can we take on a daily basis to better ourselves in every aspect? These are some suggestions made by professionals in the industry.
     1. Analyze Yourself
               a. Physical - Make doctors/dentist appointments to make sure you are up to date with your own health.
               b. Physical -  Assess your current weight, height and BMI (Body Mass Index)
               c. Mental -  Determine current typical moods/energy on a daily basis
               d. Spiritual/Mental - Look at your social life including friends, family and whether or not these connections are affecting you positively or negatively.
 
      2. Get Out and Go!
               a. Physical/Mental - Make every experience FUN, whether it means bringing friends along or adding fun twists to your hikes, walks, runs or gym sessions.
               b. Physical/Mental - Keep track of your physical activity. Mark your calendar with the days you exercise in detail and look at it daily to use as both a motivator and reminder.
               c. Physical/Mental - Set goals for yourself as it will help motivate and once goals are met also helps build confidence levels.
               d. Physical/Mental - Keep activity in everyday even if it's only 15 minutes of exercise a day it is better than 0 minutes.

     3. Eat Better
              a. Physcial - Replace snack food with fruits and vegetables.
              b. Physical - Take vitamins on a daily basis to make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need.
              c. Physcial/Mental - Guilt can play a large part in unhealthy eating, skip the guilt and concentrate on the positives. Don't try to eat your problems away.
              d. Physcial/Mental - Plan your meals so that they work with your schedule and you have complete control over what goes in. This includes stocking the house with healthy foods instead of junk food. Out of site out of mind.
             e. Physcial - Savor your food and slow down. Those who eat quickly tend to eat more because their body doesn't have the time to start digesting and realize that it's full.

     4. Manage Stress
              a. Physical/Mental/Spiritual - Create some coping techniques to deal with everyday stress an example of this would be something like yoga, prayer or even exercise.
              b. Mental - Defeat suddenly stressful situations there are a plethora of ways that people handle stressful situations this could be punching a pillow or retreating to a quiet place to breath and reflect.
              c. Mental/Spiritual - Don't dwell on things that don't matter. Take a step back and ask yourself will this matter to me in the future?
              d. Physical/Mental/Spiritual - Breathe. Breathing is shown to be one of the best ways to calm not only the physical body but also the mind and spiritual body. If you find yourself in a situation that you cannot handle slow down and breathe calm yourself.

     5. Quality Sleep
              a. Physical/Mental - Don't exercise before bed causes the body to sweat which tends to prevent easily falling asleep.
              b. Physical/Mental - Hot shower or bath before bed as it relaxes the body.
              c. Physical - Setup a sleep schedule so that you are always getting the recommended 6-8 hours of sleep.

     6. Relationship Check-Up
            a. Mental/Spiritual - Remove relationships harmful to yourself or that negatively effect you.
            b. Mental/Spiritual -  Find friends who share have similar interests so that you can more easily communicate and relate to each other.
           c. Mental/Spiritual -If a relationship is negative but is too close to be let go then work to fix it.

     Hopefully these steps can help people to make better decisions on a daily basis to help improve their overall health and not negate to fulfill all of your needs. Next time you consider if your living healthy ask yourself am I fulfilled in ALL aspects of my life.

   Sources: WebMD
                 Public Health Canada

Ten Behaviors To Give Up For Success

In order to be successful in this world in this day and age we must learn to be the best at everything we do. Everyday that we sit and wait we are simply being passed up by people who have the drive and the right mentality to work as hard as possible everyday and make their lives better. This was a meeting that I listened to in my workplace and it has many tips that I feel can help each of us in our everyday lives.

     10 Behaviors to Give Up
        1.Give up the Habitat of Waiting
             Everyday we sit and wait for opportunity to find us, we end up losing out on opportunities that others are taking advantage of. It's our time to shine and make a name for ourselves rather than being left behind.
        2. Give up Making Excuses
              Each of us take the time to make an excuse for why bad things happen and we fail. Rather than always blaming the times or others around you, take the time to understand that you shape your own world and everything around it. No one is at fault except you.
        3. Give up Trying to be Perfect
             No one will ever be perfect so we have to realize that we can strive to do our best, but with every failure brings the strength to succeed later on. Do not try to be perfect because it is an impossible standard to hold yourself to. Be the best you that you can be and learn to be happy with it.
        4. Give up Doing Wrong Things
              We are what we do and the people who do wrong things every single day. Make an effort to be a better person and one who strives in the right not the wrong. Keep yourself to a higher standard than what the people in this world are doing everyday.
        5. Give up the Feeling of Entitlement
              No one in this world owes you anything. Don't expect your success to come from anyone else as this is simply a world where you must make your own way and keep striving and pushing everyday to earn your way and create your own success.
        6. Give up Relationships that Expect you to Change
              People in this world did not become successful by changing themselves to be like everyone wanted them to be. Each day we must learn to embrace our individuality and show it to the world with pride and prestige because each of us has something to offer the world.
        7. Give up Letting Others Decide what you can and cannot do
               You are your own leader. Do not let anyone tell you how to live and what you can and cannot do. People told Walt Disney that he was not creative and look what he created. No one knows what you can do only you have that control.
        8. Give up Being Helpless
                We are in control of everyday be the leader you need to be in order to succeed. You are not helpless rather you are strong and can change everything for yourself.
       9. Give up Worrying about past Failures
                Do not worry about failures that have came and went. If we concentrate on learning from each failure we can only develop ourselves into more well-rounded successful individuals. Embrace your failures, because without failures we cannot succeed.
      10. Give up Blaming Others
                 There is no one to blame for your failures except yourself. Just as if you came successful one day you can do it and say that YOU DID IT! No need for anyone sharing your success story, just as they should not have anything to do with your failures.

Just some words I thought would help everyone grow a little bit in themselves everyday until meeting their ultimate goals! Do not strive to be mediocre but strive for success, strive to be the best!

Daily Grind

     Each day, we wake up and go straight to business. The 9-5 Monday-Friday work week we all dread and has us all saying "Can't wait for the weekend!". If we all hate this lifestyle so much it just made me wonder why do we force ourselves to do it? Why not just move to Greece and live off of the land and provide for yourself without having to worry about how much your paycheck is going to be from week to week. Is this way of life so amazing that we all just want to go out and fist pump every Saturday night. I know I don't. When it all starts to make sense the reason we work so hard day after day is because we are motivated by something. Whether it be starting a family, being the richest of the rich or just having enough to get by and enjoy life in your own way. All of these things that motivate us to work require money and as unfortunate as it is we are controlled by it. Each day the daily grind gets us, countless Facebook posts on how everyone hates waking up early or updates saying how happy they are that the day is over and the weekend is coming. We all need to make sure that we are playing as hard as we are working though, each of us has to work but in the long run the truth is all work and no play makes each of us boring as it gets. Eventually we all want to retire and never work another day in our life so I encourage not only myself but also everyone to continue working hard and step at a time make this world a better place, get our economy out of the dumps and make enough money for all of us to retire and party all day everyday! Hard work pays off, pay now and play later!

                                         

A Prayer for the Families

     Yesterday our country suffered a great loss in the Connecticut shooting. This is a time for each of us to send our prayers and hearts to each of the families who have suffered greatly and know a pain that many of us will never know. This is a time where we must realize how much each of us really has and that family is all that matters in the end. We all may wonder how someone could ever look into the eyes of these children and mercilessly kill them and although this person was disturbed and perhaps mentally ill there is no way to justify what he did. So today is a day for mourning for the families who lost and throughout the day we should remember them and pray that they get all of the time, love and prayers they need to make it through this difficult time. I can never imagine losing any of my family to a tragedy such as this and these poor families never deserved to have their children taken from them. These children had Christmases, birthdays and all of their lives to look forward to and it was taken from them, so please God take care of them in Heaven as they join you in a place of perfection. Bless the teachers who risked their lives to keep the children safe and became heroes for the rest of us to look up to. It's time to take a stand against this unnecessary violence and unite as a nation to fight against these criminals and murderers, it's time for a change. To each family that lost their children: We love you and pray that you can somehow regain your strength, hope and lives in this difficult time you are not alone and we are all behind you, praying for you and will support you in any way we can. You are loved.