Important Innovations

Jointly Developing Contact Tracing Technology Source: Smart phone stock images Purpose: Slow the Spread of COVID-19 This is a very rare, global tech collaboration.  Google and Apple power 99% of the world's  smartphones. They've joined forces to develop contact tracing technologies to stop the spread of the coronavirus. They are using their smartphone platforms to do this.  They just made the announcement. Potential: To Help 1/3 of World's Population The importance of this new use of smartphone tech is massive.  Experts say it has the potential to monitor the conornavirus spread and help  about one-third of the world's population through smart information. That amounts to 3 billion  people being monitored and helped. Phone User Privacy Google and Apple say their plan protects user privacy. It's a phone user opt-in system to get an alert if you and your phone have been in close contact with someone who has

New Tech Could Lower Scan Cost to $100 Photo:  University of BC Lead Researcher Carlos Gerardo with new the transducer Potential Use for 24/7 Self-Monitoring by Smart Phone Engineers at the University of British Columbia have developed a new ultrasound transducer or probe.  It could lower the cost of an ultrasound scan to $100.  This is patent-pending breakthrough tech.  It's portable, wearable and can be powered by your smart phone.  It's no bigger than a band-aid.  The researchers say the potential is endless and could provide 24/7 monitoring of your arteries and veins to warn of the danger of heart attack or stroke. How Did They Do It? To simplify, they replaced piezoelectric crystals used to create images and deliver sonograms in conventional scanners with tiny vibrating drums of polymer resin.  The cost saving is dramatic and the image quality is as good or better than conventional systems according to published reports. The UBC transducer needs only 10 volts

Israeli App with Sense of Smell for Smart Phones This one is a first.  Israeli researchers are developing an app to give Smart Phones a sense of smell. The purpose of the sensor is to help users choose products.  The applications are many including alerting those with allergies what products are safe or not for them and warnings about toxins in the air. Nanoscent The Israeli company Nanoscent is developing the app and sensor that can analyze and identify scents in products that are most useful and suitable for the user or not.  The sensor acts as an electronic nose.  The sensor is made up of nanoparticles.  It emits signals based on the scent it's exposed to. Soap, Cosmetic, Perfume Compatibility The system can determine users' scent profiles and help them select products like cosmetics, detergents, perfumes and soaps most compatible to them.  The technology uses the interaction between the sensor and chemical substances emitted from our bodies to generate a di