Items tagged with glucose
Google’s mysterious “X” division was reportedly experimenting with contact lenses that have built-in technology to detect glucose levels in the wearer’s tears earlier this year, and the company has now teamed up with drugmaker Novartis to make the lenses a reality. According to Reuters, the smart contacts will have two purposes, actually; one is measuring glucose, and the other is a solution to a condition called presbyopia wherein the eye losing its ability to focus. The lenses could possibly correct that inability to focus. Such a product could be be available in as little as five years, according to Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez, and once the technology matures, there could...
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Biometric monitoring via wearables appears to be the Next Big Thing, as far as the biggest tech companies are concerned. Samsung is on its second generation of smartwatches (with a new generation already rumored), Google is expected to reveal much more about its Android Wear wearable platform next week, and Apple’s iWatch is allegedly coming to market this autumn. However, for the perspective of the average user, biometrics are only so compelling. Sure, it’s neat to be able to monitor your heart rate from your wrist or track your steps, but that’s just it--they’re merely “neat” features. However, according to a Reuters report, the big aforementioned companies...
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A new breakthrough at Virginia Tech could be the beginning of a new type of commercial battery production. Granted, tech companies make these claims on a regular basis -- but this one may be worth paying attention to in the long term. According to EurekaAlert, a research team led by Y.H. Percival Zhang has created a high-density battery capable of running on sugar instead of relying on platinum as a catalyst. Why Sugar Could Work Sugar, or glucose, is a remarkably good source of energy. It stores far more energy than a comparable lithium-ion battery. Its energy density is on par with ethanol (think biofuel made with corn), and while it doesn't contain nearly as much specific energy as ethanol...
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