Changing Times for Wireless

Incontinence is certainly no laughing matter and we’re ever mindful of the fact that for most of us good health is only a temporary condition, nevertheless we couldn’t resist the briefest of wry smiles after hearing about the SIM System electronic underpants. The basic concept is that when sensors embedded in the wearer’s pads detect moisture it sends an alert via a wireless link to a monitoring station, at a nursing home for instance, so staff can provide prompt assistance to a patient, when they need it. Over a period of several days the timing and frequency of the alerts is analysed, which could help carers and medical professionals determine if there’s pattern and subsequently assist with treatment or care strategies. Hopefully we’ll never have need of such a device – though the odds don’t look good as we live longer – so it’s good to know technology can help if, or rather when our plumbing lets us down.

Is Your Keyboard Bugged?

No, not that sort of bug, we’re talking about the type that gives you nasty infections. If your keyboard is anything like mine it’s probably crawling with gems, but that doesn’t matter, they’re my germs and we’ve got used to each other. One place where germs are unacceptable is in hospitals, where doctors can carry all sorts of nasties around with them, tap in your details on a keyboard, and then the next person to use it picks them up on their fingers, you get the picture. Read more