AMAZON INTRODUCES FITNESS WEARABLES
Amazon is getting into the fitness-band space with the invitation-only introduction of Halo. Halo will have the usual fitness-tracking capabilities, along with an accompanying app, but will also offer several innovative features including 3D body scans and voice-tone tracking. The body scanner will help calculate the user’s body fat while the voice tracker helps determine the user’s emotional state during the course of a day. To improve the user’s health-related habits, Halo will offer “labs” that are quick challenges such as meditation, better sleeping routines and exercise implementation. For now, the device is designed to focus “a little less on sports and exercise and a little more on lifestyle changes.”
HAND-SANITIZER DISPENSERS GET AN UPDATED DESIGN
Half a year into the pandemic, all sorts of new inventions and devices are entering the marketplace—many offering touch-free options. An interesting one is from a design project called Hygiene Friendly Visits, a residential doorbell that doubles as a dispenser for hand sanitizer. Guests place their hands under the sensor, and it rings a touchless doorbell then dispenses a few drops of hand sanitizer, which helps limit the volume of germs entering the house. It will be interesting to see if this idea is put into production.
CLOROX CO-RELEASES A GUIDE TO KEEP YOUR HOUSE CLEAN
The Clorox Company and Cleveland Clinic have partnered to release a home safety guide, “Safer at Home During the Coronavirus Pandemic,” which offers best practices for families to “help protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities from further spread of COVID-19.” The online guide is free and includes prevention tips, resources for disinfecting at home, guidance for taking care of loved ones who have contracted COVID-19, and communication pointers for discussions “about the new realities and emotional challenges" brought on by the pandemic.
