
Gadgets and widgets (p8):
Research, explorations, discussions, and products and resources relating to Gadgets and widgets: from Tech-enhanced Life.
Electronic gadgets, such as wearables and TV remotes, and mechanical widgets such as jar openers and grabbers.
For Older Adults, their Families, and Caregivers
— and for Companies Creating Innovations Related to Aging.
Scroll down to see Gadgets and widgets content from Tech-enhanced Life and the Longevity Explorers:
Analysis & Exploration | Explorer Discussions | Resources and Products shared by our Explorers.
Featured Guides & Reports: Gadgets and widgets
Medical Alert Systems: Help!
We kept getting asked "which medical alert system is best?"; and "how do I choose the right medical alert system for me?". This independent, objective, hands-on research tries to answer those questions. If you are looking for a medical alert system, either for yourself or for an older adult such as a parent, this piece of research is for you.
Alexa Questions & Answers
After writing several "How To" articles, relating to Alexa and related products, explorer Frank Engelman has been getting quite a few questions about things not covered in those articles. This page is to collect some of the common questions, together with detailed "how to" answers.
Alexa Care Hub: How To Advice
Amazon has a new feature in its Alexa artificial intelligence (AI) app called the Alexa Care Hub. It has the potential to help quite a lot in a situation where you are worried about, or caring for, someone who lives at a distance, and on whom you can not just "pop in" yourself — like your parent, or elderly relative, for example.
We are getting quite a few emails suggesting it is not at all easy to set up in certain real life situations. So we wrote this article to introduce you to what the Alexa Care Hub can do, and help you get it working successfully.
Summoning Help in an Emergency: Devices; Emerging Trends
Listen and view a live recording and slides of a talk on Medical Alerts and related technologies. The talk was given by Dr. Richard Caro to the Chicago Hyde Park Village in September 2020.
How to Set Up an Amazon Fire TV Cube
Recently, a product called the Amazon Fire TV Cube has become available and I am finding it often helps me solve challenges I am working on on behalf my older friends. I have developed this "How to" guide to help other people like me set up a Fire TV Cube for their friends, relatives, or aging parents. I include instructions for how to enable various features I have needed for the solutions I have created for my friends and relatives.
Best Automatic Pill Dispenser for You
While it is too simplistic to talk of the "best automatic pill dispenser", it is definitely appropriate to talk about the "best medication dispenser for a specific individual or life situation". We describe the different life situations, and make specific automatic pill dispenser recommendations for each one.
Best Pill Organizer: Older Adults Recommend
There are many, many pill boxes and pill organizer solutions to choose from in your local drugstore or on Amazon. Unsurprisingly, not all of them are equally good. The Longevity Explorers have strong views about what to look for in a pill box. Here are their recommendations, and a list of the "things to watch for".
Spends too Much Time on the Couch
If you are looking for a way to help grandpa in remembering to get up and stretch, I have a solution for you. In fact, I’m guilty of spending most of my day on the couch and use this solution to remind me to get up and stretch at least once an hour. I’ve been using this for about a year now and... .........Read more
Ideas for Music Source for Memory Care Person
Thanks always for the newsletter which I find very interesting.
My husband now lives at the Memory care unit at the CCRC where I live. He loves classic music but that’s one kind of music they do not play in that section of the CCRC.
My hope is to provide the classic music in his... ....... Read more
My Mild Hearing Loss and Air Pods Pro
This is about my experience with different types of earbuds, especially Apple earbuds. In particular, it is about a discovery I made that let me use the AirPods to compensate for my mild hearing loss.
If you like listening to music or podcasts, or regularly talk on your smartphone, you... ....... Read more
Fridge for Forgetful Senior
We have several problems relating to a fridge and a forgetful senior who lives alone. We worry that she will leave the fridge open by mistake and that the food will spoil and make her sick. We worry that she forgets to throw out food as it gets old, and that the food in her fridge includes food... .........Read more
Forget to Turn Water Off
As people grow older they often become somewhat forgetful. We start to worry about questions like "Did I leave the water running?" How do we make it so these sorts of questions are not things that we need to worry about? .........Read more
Hearing Loss and Loud TV: Explorer Report
Problem: My wife has lost some of her hearing and she turns up the TV volume loud to hear.
Solution: We bought a BeHear Proxy Neck Speaker and a HearLink Plus in a bundle.
Here is my report of our experience with... ....... Read more
View more Discussions on this Topic (and others).
(You can filter by topic and see hundreds more discussions like these)
Joy for All Walker Squawker
Walker Squawker from Joy for All is an animatronic bird intended for companionship and to assist the user in remembering to use their walker.
Dose Health
Dose Health offers the Dose Flip medication management device that is intended to help organize and dispense medicine with reminders and optional alerts to designated others by text or call if a dose is missed.
BurnerAlert
BurnerAlert is a safety device that is attached under the control knobs of many gas or electric stoves and is designed to prevent leaving the stove on for longer than intended by emitting alerts.
Kuhn Rikon Jar Opener
This product was one of the top performing jar openers in the Longevity Explorer jar open explorations. It helps with grip and leverage.
CookStop
CookStop is a safety device intended to prevent unattended stovetop fires on electric ranges..
Talking Bible
The Talking Bible is a battery powered digital player using an MP3 file and is intended for use by low vision persons as well as people of all ages who enjoy hearing the Bible being read aloud.
Yo Link Smart Home Products
Yo Link smart water leak sensors are intended to detect the presence or absence of water in the area where they are installed.
VoiceBooster Voice Amplifier
VoiceBooster is a small portable amplifier with a microphone and charger.
FireAvert - Stove Automatic Shut-Off
FireAvert is a device intended to protect the user from dangerous stove fires by turning off power (or gas) to the sstove when it hears a smoke alarm.
View more Resources & Products relating to this Topic (and others).
(You can filter by topic and see hundreds more useful products and resources like these)
Explore our Content
Get the latest insights on what works, what doesn't work, and for whom.
Products & Resources Database.