By Andrew Liszewski
Once again the bar has been raised when it comes to smartphone functionality, but the lastest salvo doesn’t come from the Apple, HTC or even RIM camps, but from a German company whose H’andy sana 2010 phone includes a built-in heart rate monitor. Targeted towards persons with cardiovascular disease who should be having an ECG more frequently than others, the phone simply requires the user to press two fingers against its edge for 30 seconds for a heart rate reading to be taken. The data can then be sent to a hospital or doctor for interpretation. Not only does it save a patient from having to make frequent trips to a hospital or medical facility, but there’s a greater chance of catching a problem or complication before it becomes a serious life threatening issue.
As for the phone, well it’s your standard touchscreen affair with a 320×240 pixel display, a 1.3 megapixel camera, a microSD card slot facilitating its multimedia capabilities like MP3 & video playback and most importantly, a heart-shaped icon on what I assume is the home button. Certainly makes the rounded square on the iPhone’s home button seem downright cold! And while I’ve no idea where you can get one, or if you have to buy it outright or can get it subsidized through a carrier, the H’andy sana 210 is supposed to be available starting this month.
[ H’andy sana 210 ] VIA [ I4U News ]
This is why I love technology. Back in the 60s our parents were amazed by such gadgets as this in the Enterprise's sickbay. Today we have this, which while not the same exactly can also place calls, record video, schedule appointments, etc. etc. which even on that show were actions performed by separate, dedicated devices. Its an exciting time to be alive.