You walk into a plant and immediately your cell phone begins to buzz. But you don’t have a call. Instead, your phone just alerted you that the air is bad for your asthma or allergy. You reach for your inhaler or meds and the problem’s solved.
Gentag Inc. of Washington, D.C. has developed technology that can perform diagnostic functions from your cell phone anywhere, even if you don’t have phone service in the immediate area. The company recently received a patent for its product called the Method and Apparatus for Wide Area Surveillance of a Terrorist or Personal Threat. Handset makers who use this technology can program their devices to detect most chemicals, from pollen and carbon monoxide to the noxious gases dispersed by criminals or terrorists.
Gentag’s patent covers the use of this technology for personal wireless devices such as cell phones, PDAs, pagers or watches. The aim is to allow people with multiple chemical sensitivities to customize their personal device to recognize specific chemicals that cause allergies or are dangerous.
This cell phone can perform diagnostic functions and detect most chemicals from pollen and carbon monoxide to noxious gases.
Safety networks have become more complex, and have actually become simpler and easier to deploy for plant operators. This slideshow highlights developments in plant safety with an emphasis on integrated safety networks.
As the MEMS industry spans a myriad of industries and markets, the future of MEMS in consumer electronics will enable a myriad of functionality, applications, and personalization.
The Nest is a sleek-looking digital thermostat which can actually "learn" its owners' schedule and then continue to regulate temperature to suit the user's preferences and patterns.
Thanks to embedded electronics, medical devices are getting smaller and smarter than ever. Pacemakers and implantable defibrillators are now able to call physicians. MRIs, CT scanners, and ultrasound machines are gaining mobility. And the venerable Band-Aid may soon be able to detect illnesses ranging from fevers to heart arrhythmias. On February 21, join Design News senior editor Charles Murray for a wide-ranging discussion, "Embedded Angles for Medical Products," which will explore the latest developments in medical electronics. The discussion will examine advances in medical device technology and offer an inside look at the embedded electronics behind it.
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This cell phone can perform diagnostic functions and detect most chemicals from pollen and carbon monoxide to noxious gases. 
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