Category: Technology News

Smart contact lenses are to result from Novartis and Google partnership.

The Swiss pharmaceutical company is teaming up with the multinational internet and tech company to create wearable technology for the eye, with the goal being to develop contact lenses that feature embedded electronics that not only improve the vision of the wearer, but also monitors their health.

The smart contacts could benefit individuals with diabetes or presbyopia.

Although terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed, Novartis stated that its Alcon unit will work with Google X, Google’s clandestine division, on lenses that feature microchips, non-invasive sensors and embedded mini electronics that can restore the natural focus of the eye in individuals who cannot read without glasses, a condition known as presbyopia, which is a form of vision loss that occurs naturally with age. In addition, the contacts can be used to monitor insulin levels of diabetics.

“Think about a contact lens that could help the eye autofocus on that newspaper and then when you look up it would autofocus in the distance,” said Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez, who added, “This is a key step for us to go beyond the confines of traditional disease management, starting with the eye.”

This wearable technology was first unveiled by Google in January.

At the start of the year, Google revealed its lenses, which feature sensors that reside between two soft lens layers, which are designed to measure the levels of glucose present in the tears of the wearers. The information collected by the sensors is wirelessly sent to a linked smartphone. Google commented that it hoped the wearable tech would be able to aid diabetics worldwide, preventing the need for them to regularly use traditional painful blood test methods for monitoring.

Moreover, Novartis has said that it would like to develop wearable technology that offers people an alternative to glasses and standard contact lenses. This may include the possible creation of “intraocular lenses”, which would be contacts that are inserted into the eye permanently to provide continual vision correction. Jimenez said that as patients become more involved in their personal health care, technology will gain greater importance in pharmaceuticals.

The Kidizoom is now being launched with the capability of taking pictures and video.

A rash of smartwatch unveilings and launches has suddenly started to hit the technology news headlines as electronics companies have recognized a market with a great deal of potential and that is, so far, untapped.

VTech has joined the early entrants to this sector with the Kidizoom, which is meant for kids aged 4 and up.

Even before the smartwatch has managed to truly catch on with adults, it looks like kids will be the next big focus. In the case of the Kidizoom, the price of the wearable technology device is expected to be $60 each. It appears that the these gadgets will be considerably less expensive than those that have been designed for adult wearers. This price will also likely reflect a much more limited capability.

The VTech smartwatch for kids is only the next step in a growing tradition of learning oriented technology by the brand.

The Kidizoom is meant to be a child friendly wearable technology device with a 1.4 inch color touchscreen. It will come with a number of different features, such as a built-in camera which can take both pictures and video. It also contains four different games, but that number can be increased as the device can be connected with the Learning Lodge app store from VTech. The built-in microphone can be used along with an app that gives the child the ability to record his or her voice and then alter it with any of five different audio effects.

While the options that are built into these wearables may not necessarily sound all that educational, the app store does offer a number of learning options that can be added to the device. This gadget also features a range of different functions that can be found in traditional digital watches, such as a timer and stopwatch, as well as an alarm clock. VTech also feels that the choice from among 50 different digital and analog faces will give kids wearing this smartwatch the opportunity to learn to tell time.