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Highlights from the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES)

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This year, more than 150,000 people attended the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, where annually, the latest and greatest in technology makes its debut. Among the plethora of newly launched gadgets, a few specific trends emerged from the show. Read on for highlights from 2016’s CES:

CES Debuts New Smart Home Developments and Connected Devices

It comes as no surprise that more and more manufacturers are ensuring their products are internet-ready to streamline the customer experience. In fact, it is estimated that 15,000 of the 20,000 new products presented at CES have sensors that make them internet-capable.

One of the most buzzed-about connected products that debuted last week is the LG Signature Refrigerator, an appliance that takes convenience to the next level. The refrigerator’s doors open with a wave of your foot, and a knock on the door makes the opaque surface transparent, saving energy when you need to browse your fridge inventory.

Since its launch in June 2015, Amazon’s voice-activated assistant, Echo, has been paving the way for centralized smart home automation. Last week at CES, we saw several manufacturers launch Echo-compatible products and apps that make the “smart home” concept even more of a reality.

For instance, TrackR’s Bravo ($29) is a small Bluetooth-enabled tag that you can attach to your keys, wallet or virtually anything else. As a result of Echo’s new integration with Amazon’s Echo, users will be able to ask Echo to help find their missing, tagged items.

Ford drivers will also soon be able communicate with in-home systems that are set up with Amazon’s Echo from their car. That means one day, drivers will be able to activate their home security systems or shut off their porch lights from the road.

CESPhoto credit: Business Wire

360-Degree Video

Another emerging trend to watch is 360-degree video. With this technology, viewers can get a dynamic, holistic view of an event or subject on screen (as an example, check out this red carpet footage from the Golden Globes). During CES, Nikon and GoPro announced their plans for consumer-grade 360-degree cameras.

Users can currently view these videos on Facebook and YouTube, but until recently, there weren’t many manufacturers creating affordable cameras to shoot the spherical content.

While it will likely be 2017 before these new, 360-degree cameras hit the market, we’re eager to see how brands and consumers adopt the technology.

Wearables for Every Member of the Household

Smart watches and fitness trackers took center stage during CES, but other wearable companies debuted and shared exciting updates, too:

  • Owlet recently released the wearable sock baby monitor that gives parents peace of mind. The smart sock tracks babies’ heart rate and measures how much oxygen is in their blood. Bluetooth technology shares the information to the parents’ smartphone in real time.
  • Sensoria, a line of smart fitness clothing, debuted smart athletic shirts and a sports bra during this year’s CES. The clothing line includes embedded sensors to improve running by tracking speed, pace, cadence, foot landing, distance and more.
  • WELT by Samsung looks like a standard belt, but it tracks physical movement and monitors eating habits. Made by Samsung’s Creative Lab, the WELT is still under development and currently unavailable for retail purchase.
  • WonderWoof and WonderMeow are bringing pets into the wearables game. These Bluetooth-enabled bowties for dogs and cats track pets’ steps, sleep and play activity.

CESPhoto credit: Owlet

Autonomous Automotives

During CES, automakers addressed self-driving cars, and more specifically, why they aren’t ready for widespread adoption. One of the reasons they shared: These autonomous cars have difficulty managing inclement weather and unexpected occurrences. The lack of consumer trust in autonomous cars is another hurdle for car manufacturers.

Nonetheless, Volvo announced that the first semi-autonomous car will be available for sale in the U.S. later this year.

We can’t wait to see how these trends take shape this year. What technology trends are you most excited to follow?

Featured image courtesy of Consumer Technology Association

This Giving Tuesday, Dance to Help Eradicate Polio

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On Tuesday, December 1, 2015, The Motherhood will be celebrating the fourth annual Giving Tuesday (#GivingTuesday), a global day designed to support giving and philanthropy.

This year, we are working with United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign to champion vaccines – specifically, the polio vaccine – as one of the most cost-effective ways to save the lives of children in developing countries.

Did you know that we are 99% of the way to eradicating polio all together? In 1988, there were 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries. Today there are 51 cases in two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Eradicating polio will have a long-lasting impact: it will generate savings of $50 billion over the next 20 years, and the expertise, infrastructure and personnel are already being applied to address other health challenges.

Can You Feel The Beat…To Beat Polio?

To support the cause, we’re encouraging you to dance to end polio. Why dancing? Polio is a viral illness that causes paralysis and impedes the ability to move, walk and dance. As long as it exists anywhere, it’s a threat to children everywhere. This Giving Tuesday, let’s join together and dance to raise awareness of the need to end polio once and for all!

It’s easy to get involved on Giving Tuesday:

  1. Dance. Create a fun, short GIF or video involving your kids, other family members and/or friends dancing to create a polio-free world (to create GIFs, check out Boomerang).
  2. Share. Then, share your GIF or video on social media using the hashtags #ShotatLife and #GivingTuesday, and tag your friends to encourage them to do the same.
  3. Donate. Consider donating a small amount to support polio vaccines for children globally. You can donate here: www.ShotatLife.org/Donate.

Won’t you dance with us this Giving Tuesday and help end polio?

Wearable technology industry expands for women’s health

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As we predicted earlier this year, wearable technology continues to be a hot item in 2015. As smart wearables continue to become more stylish, the creators are making other changes to their devices, specifically with women in mind.

In the past year, many voices have addressed the issue that wearable technology, especially health trackers, seemed to ignore the needs of women. They claimed that not only were the size and style of wearables not female-friendly, but also that the functionality of the devices excluded features useful to women. Take Apple’s HealthKit app, released in fall 2014, which included capabilities for tracking diet, activity, sleep and more. According to many of its users, it left one very important thing out: a female reproductive tracker.

This year, we can’t help but notice how wearable technology is responding and adjusting for women.

One example that has gained significant media attention is Bellabeat’s LEAF. Bellabeat is known for the SHELL, a device allowing pregnant moms to hear, record and share her baby’s heartbeat. The company introduced the LEAF earlier this month, and it sold out the first batch — 10,000 wearables within the first 48 hours! This stylish, smart jewelry can be worn as a necklace, bracelet or clip and tracks women’s stress, activity, sleep and reproductive health, and provides real-time feedback through its app. 

Smart wearables for women are showing up in the form of clothing as well. Just take a look at the new Sensilk’s Fight Tech smart bra that measures women’s heart rate, respiratory rate and calories burned during a workout.

And finally, Apple will be adding women health features to the HealthKit App in the Fall 2015 iOS 9 update. We expect to see more changes like these this year! 

Do you use wearable tech or smart jewelry? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Little Book of Diet Help

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Today in The Motherhood, author Kimberly Willis discussed the unique tips and tricks she outlines in her new book, The Little Book of Diet Help, with a fantastic group of bloggers, including Joey, Real Mom Media; Staci, November Sunflower; Shanna, Motherhood on the Rocks; and Steph, A Grande Life.

 

“My book is a portable diet coach. It can work with your lifestyle and help you to break the emotional chains which are attaching you to that excess weight,” Kimberly explained.

 

“I know that with the plan I’m on, it’s definitely a lifestyle change. I also like to call it a weight loss journey,” agreed Stephanie of A Grande Life.

 

 

Addressing Food Emotions

 

“I wondered if any of you have ever been on a diet and found that either you gained the weight straight back on – or that you just couldn’t seem to shift it in the first place?” asked Kimberly. “This happens to most of the people I work with. They know what they need to do – but there are emotional issues, habits and food rules that need to be dealt with.”

 

“I agree. Emotional. I lost 40 pounds. AHEM. Gained 60. And I wonder why?!?!?! I know why. I eat for comfort. BAD,” replied Joey, Real Mom Media.

 

The emotions and habits tied to food differ from person to person. In Kimberly’s own experience, “it was understanding the food/mood links. Realising that what I was eating changed the way I felt. For example loads of sugar would give me a buzz then cause my mood and energy to crash. Eating foods that support the feel good chemicals in your brain can really help – like turkey, almonds, bananas, etc.”

 

Beating the Cravings

 

Kimberly had a few suggestions for decreasing the intensity of food cravings: “If it’s an emotional craving – rub the area under your nose and above your top lip for a minute or two. This is a soothing acupressure point,” she suggested.

 

For sugar cravings, “you can try this tip – rub the cartilage at the front of your ear between your thumb and first finger for a minute or two. You will find your craving is much less,” Kimberly added.

 

Helping Yourself Eat Healthy

 

“Education and understanding how the food you eat affects you is key,” Kimberly said.

 

Shanna of Motherhood on the Rocks goes without.  “I have to keep unhealthy foods out of my house. Out of sight, out of mind.”

 

“Learning more about what I’m putting into my body helps a lot,” added Staci of November Sunflower. “And not depriving myself of anything I really want. I eat clean, but I still enjoy some not so healthy stuff once in a while.”

 

Avoiding junk food deprivation is important, according to Kimberly Willis. She agreed with Staci, “It’s best never to ban foods. Forbidding a food just makes you think about it more and more – then you have some and feel like you are a failure. Allowing yourself a bit of the food you crave is good, then you can get on with your day!”

 

Boosting Energy to Avoid Lazy Eating

 

“You totally need to get rest at night. It’s when your body heals itself,” said Stephanie of A Grande Life.

 

And many in the group echoed the sentiment expressed by Tammy of Tammy’s Two Cents: “If I am tired or stressed I eat poorly.”

 

If you feel your energy flagging during the day, “for a quick energy boost, try standing up (if you are not too tired) and marching swinging opposite arms – then change and swing the same arms as legs,” advised Kimberly. “Do this for a couple of minutes and you will boost your energy.”

 

Staying on Track

 

Kimberly and the blogger co-hosts provided good general advice.

 

1) Believe in yourself. “Have you ever thought about your beliefs? Some key beliefs that can cause problems for weight loss are ‘I will always be big’ ‘Diets don’t work for me’ ‘I always gain the weight back,'” Kimberly pointed out.

 

2) Drink lots of water. “It really helps to fill you up and flush out the toxins,” said Shanna of Motherhood on the Rocks.

 

3) Mental tools. “I try to think of one thing every day that has or will bring positive change into my life (even if its something silly like new mascara that makes me feel pretty). I also rely on inspirational quotes a lot,” said mommabrown08.

 

4) The right food. “Lean meats, whole grains, lots of vegetables, low glycemic foods in general,” Becki advised.

 

5) An exercise that fits your lifestyle. “If I get outside for a walk or go to yoga, I crave healthy foods afterward. If I don’t, my cravings lean toward chocolate and other sweets,” noted Emily of The Motherhood.

Aging and Midlife Beauty: Dissecting the ‘Demi Moore Dilemma’

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At any age, women can feel pressure to conform to Hollywood standards of beauty – but as actresses like Demi Moore and Heather Locklear have demonstrated, that pressure seems to intensify as we get older.

 

In The Motherhood today, Dr. Vivian Diller, Ph.D. and author of “Face It: What Women Really Feel As Their Looks Change,” led us through a fascinating exploration of aging and midlife beauty.

 

As Jamie of Blonde Mom Blog said, “Beauty and confidence really do come from within. Our society just places so much value on looks and being beautiful – meaning, being ‘youthful.’ I think it’s up to all of us to dispel that myth!”

 

Your Self-Image Matters

 

Rising above the cultural insistence that youth = beauty doesn’t mean women should write off their emotions about their changing physical appearance. Dr. Diller pointed out, “Too many women dismiss their complicated feelings about the issue of an aging appearance as irrelevant, silly or superficial.”

 

She noted that as we live longer – and outlive our historical role to “attract a mate and procreate” – “We are trying to redefine what it means to be attractive, vital women in our 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. There are few role models.”

 

Finding Older Beauty Role Models

 

Aging gracefully doesn’t have to mean giving up on maintaining your health. “My mom is in her 70s and does yoga daily…she is a testament to taking care of yourself and the benefits of exercise,” said Jamie of Blonde Mom Blog.

 

And then there’s 90-year-old Iris Apfel, who just signed on for an ad campaign with MAC Cosmetics.

 

“I recently wrote a story about Iris Apfel for a beauty website and spent scads of time combing through images of her and loving every minute of it. She is such an inspiration!” said Victoria of The Mummy Chronicles.


Taking More Drastic Steps

 

Above and beyond maintaining your health to maintain beauty, more and more often, women are turning to Botox, plastic surgery, drugs and other products and procedures.

 

Most of the group agreed that they have no objections to cosmetic procedures done for a person’s own self-confidence. “I think if someone wants to have Botox or injections to feel better about themselves they should definitely do it,” noted Aracely of Daytripping Mom.

 

But Victoria of The Mummy Chronicles pointed out that she would examine the underlying reasons for seeking surgery. “I wouldn’t say that I would not consider it and I can understand how actresses feel pressured to look a certain way and/or age. However, I think the extreme measures are a sign of that lack of confidence. You are insecure about something if you are going to extremes in surgery.”

 

Agreed Beth of Anti-Supermom, “I hope that Botox and plastic surgery are done with only you in mind and with you feeling beautiful. Not beautiful in others’ eyes.”

 

“The reason why I go out to talk to women is to provide them information about what they may be feeling, underneath the defensiveness and fear about this subject,” responded Dr. Diller.

 

Be Honest with Yourself

 

It can be jarring, as Emily said, to look in the mirror as you get older and see a face you don’t recognize.  Dr. Diller pointed out, “We all have to mourn our youthful appearance – it’s about letting go of a self image that does change over time, no matter what we do. Unless we do that, we get caught in the fear of loss. When we mourn, we make room for something else to move in its place.”

 

She went on to note that not everyone has a positive attitude about aging. “Why would 11 billion dollars be spent on anti-aging cosmetics? Why would there be a steep rise in the number of women under 30 getting cosmetic surgery? Sometimes I have to remember that the stats don’t line up with what I hear women say. That concerns me. It’s why I want to keep the conversation going toward why this whole issue seems so hard for some.”

 

Remember Who’s Watching

 

As tough as it might be for you, remember to watch what you say aloud. Beauty messages bombard our daughters from all angles, and they absorb everything they see and hear from us.

 

“Before this talk, one of my readers brought up the discussion of airbrushing for magazines,” said Leigh of Hines Sight Blog. “It would be nice if we could see a little more reality. I know stars look good, but the magazines make them look really good, sometimes too good. It really starts to impact a girl’s thoughts at a young age. Too much perfection.”

 

Agreed Jamie of Blonde Mom Blog, “I showed my girls a recent video (I believe it was from Dove) showing a model getting totally made over in Photoshop. We had a good discussion about how what they see in magazines is NOT real. These images are not what women really look like.”

 

 

“As a mom to 3 girls I have toted them all to the gym with me since they were 8 weeks and they know when I’m about to go running,” said Victoria of The Mummy Chronicles. “I always tell them that I do it so I can be there for them and keep up with them. ‘Mommy wants to be healthy and strong!’ I try to never make it a weight/looks issue.”

 

Cooper added, “I was recently at an event where an expert said that for every one ‘you’re pretty,’ our daughters hear from us, they should hear three messages about strength, character, brains etc.”

 

Keep Learning about Midlife Beauty

 

Dr. Diller will appear on the TODAY Show this Thursday, March 15, at 8:09 a.m. ET to talk about “Ageless Beauty” and authenticity.

 

You can also read her latest article on this topic on the Huffington Post or check out her book.

Navigating Hypothyroidism: Update

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Thank you everyone for your amazing comments, ideas and feedback on my post last week about the (not so) joys of being hypothyroid. I have learned so much in such a short time from all of you. Once again, magic of the internet prevails! Thank you!

 

This week I’m underway with several of your recommendations and have found some great suggestions through some of the research I’ve been doing, too:

1) Eliminated Gluten. Oh I do miss a warm baguette. But I’m on day five of eating no gluten – and the one big thing I’ve noticed is I’m not itchy! It wasn’t until you guys posted in the comments about gluten last week that I wondered if maybe it was gluten that made me so itchy around mealtime. Isn’t that crazy?

 

2) Increased thyroid-friendly veggies and cut out most sugar. Loving asparagus, avocado, greens, sauteed spinach, and lean proteins like chicken breast and flank steak. Lots of salads and steamed veggies mostly this week, and hummus and veggies are my “after school” snack of yumminess. My husband was not so wild about the rather dry ground turkey meatloaf, but he’ll get used to it.

 

 

3) No coffee or wine (for now!) I thought a little detox would be helpful so green tea is my morning cup of sunshine this week! I do miss my evening vino, but I’ve replaced it with a cup of lovely chamomile tea. I’m definitely sleeping better these days.

 

4) More water! I’m taking a big, huge glass of water to work every morning (with a slice of lemon in it – makes me feel fancy) and then filling it up through the day. And, yes, I’m constantly going to the ladies room.

5) Exercise. The dog is thrilled, he and I have been taking long walks everyday. Next week I’m thinking “gym” and walks with my pup.

 

I also bought some new things at the grocery store like almond butter and coconut oil. I keep reading that coconut oil is a super food, metabolic, etc. so why not! I’ll keep you posted if it gives me super powers.

 

Taking a first step has put a spring in mine and I have all of you to thank.

 

If you have any gluten-free resources or ideas, let me know and I’ll post them here. Also, any other links you’d like to share link them in the comments and I’ll share in my update next week!

 

Hugs! It’s a start!