smartphones, cellphones

My brain hurts.  AARP is hosting an upcoming innovation competition for their Life@50+ event in New Orleans – and they are soliciting entrepreneurs: 'LivePitch pitch event participants will be focused on consumer-oriented health technologies for the "50 and over" market.'  So what IS a consumer-oriented health technology for the 50+ that is not also a consumer-oriented health technology for the under-50?   In fact, 50 is an arbitrary dividing line for AARP based on its stated mission – someday that may be re-stated as the 40+, or more sensibly, with our lengthening life expectancies and lengthening work lives (see new LinkedIn partnership called 'Work Reimagined'), maybe it will be the 60+ or the 70+.  Or multiple AARPs – as there are today that are based on language and geography.  There’s a reason AARP is not spelled out to include ‘retired persons.’

Rounding up from a series of press releases over the past two months, here are some new technologies and/or services that may be new to you, for use by or in support of older adults.  All material is from the vendor published information:

Securus, Inc. offers the eCare+Voice Mobile Medical Alert System.  "eCare+Voice was designed to enable active seniors to live confidently and independently. It is a one-­‐of-­‐a-­‐kind, compact emergency phone that connects users with the Securus Emergency Care Center via two-­‐way voice communication, just by pressing the alert button. Unlike other medical alert devices, eCare+Voice is fully self-­‐contained and works indoors and outdoors, anywhere in the US, with a powerful microphone and speaker built directly into the unit. The eCare+Voice unit has a long-­‐lasting battery and can be recharged using a cord-­‐free, inductive charging pad."  Learn more at SecurusGPS.com.

Bad weather, no power, misery all around.  So by now you may know that there was a major storm that generated (besides rain and lightning) outages in the greater Washington, DC area that brought Amazon and Netflix down for a while, and knocked out Internet, TV, cellular and landline access (including E911) for several million people – and for several days.  For 1 in 4 people, it will be a few more days before the various utilities get everything running again. You also know that only 56% of those aged 76+ have a cell phone and that seniors have been the last to give up landlines.  

Rounding up from a series of press releases, encounters and other notifications accumulated over the past few months, from the very small firm to the very large, from the very new to the very new release, here are some new technologies and/or services that may be new to you, for use by or in support of older adults.  All material is from the vendor published information: