<p>Google Glass may have found its way into the ash heap of history, but other smart fashion choices still have the chance to stand the test of time. And that opportunity isn&#8217;t just limited to wearable accessories – it includes connected clothing, too. As smart clothing becomes more fashionable, it also becomes increasingly popular. In fact, by 2020 it&#8217;s expected to be a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180327005105/en/Juniper-Research-Connected-Clothing-1-Billion-Industry">$1 billion industry.</a></p>
<p>But don&#8217;t worry. You won&#8217;t have to wait that long to incorporate quality tech into your daily fashion. Here&#8217;s some options you can order right now.</p>
<h2>1. Vue Smart Sunglasses &amp; Glasses</h2>
<figure id="attachment_128439" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-large wp-image-128439" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/04/Screenshot-at-Apr-02-16-11-25-1200x468.png" alt="vue glasses" width="1200" height="468" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: Enjoyvue.com</figcaption></figure>
<p>One of the reasons Google Glass <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siimonreynolds/2015/02/05/why-google-glass-failed/">never really got off the ground</a> was that it wasn&#8217;t discreet<em>.</em> Wearing a strange contraption on your face doesn&#8217;t exactly scream &#8220;fashion.&#8221;<em> </em>That&#8217;s not a problem with <a href="https://www.enjoyvue.com/">Vue</a> glasses, though. These attractive spectacles come in styles that mimic the look of regular glasses and sunglasses. With Vue glasses, you can control your music, answer calls, and monitor your health. There&#8217;s even a &#8220;find my glasses&#8221; feature. Priceless.</p>
<p><em>Vue smart glasses, $249, <a href="https://vue.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders">Backerkit</a></em></p>
<h2>2. Ministry of Supply Smart Jacket</h2>
<figure id="attachment_128514" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-large wp-image-128514" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/04/Screenshot-at-Apr-03-12-14-12-1200x793.png" alt="ministry of supply jacket" width="1200" height="793" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: Kickstarter.com/Ministry of Supply</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Ministry of Supply smart jacket is your own personal thermostat. It uses artificial intelligence to learn your preferences, and automatically heats to your optimal temperature. The jacket is voice or app-controlled, durable, and can handle any weather conditions. It&#8217;s even available as a vest.</p>
<p><em>Mercury Jacket, $345, <a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=815402&amp;u=1363912&amp;m=63199&amp;urllink=ministryofsupply%2Ecom%2Fproducts%2Fmercury%2Dintelligent%2Dheated%2Djacket%2Dnavy&amp;afftrack=">Ministry of Supply;</a> Mercury Vest, $275, <a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=815402&amp;u=1363912&amp;m=63199&amp;urllink=ministryofsupply%2Ecom%2Fproducts%2Fmercury%2Dintelligent%2Dheated%2Dvest%2Dblack&amp;afftrack=">Ministry of Supply</a></em></p>
<h2>3. Hexoskin Smart</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<figure id="attachment_128426" style="width: 1156px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-128426" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/04/Screenshot-at-Apr-02-14-39-44.png" alt="hexoskin" width="1156" height="1030" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: Hexoskin.com</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.hexoskin.com/collections/all">Hexoskin Smart</a> is a top made for both men and women that monitors your biometrics, including your heart rate, respiratory system, sleep, and more. The wearer gets an analysis of the calories burned, sleep quality, and more. It fits close to the body, so it can be worn under other layers.</p>
<p><em>Hexoskin Smart, $169, <a href="https://www.hexoskin.com/collections/all/products/hexoskin-smart-shirt-men">Hexoskin</a></em></p>
<h2>4. Ministry of Supply Smart Shirt</h2>
<figure id="attachment_128588" style="width: 968px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-128588" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/04/Screenshot-at-Apr-04-11-45-25.png" alt="ministry of supply" width="968" height="842" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: Ministryofsupply.com</figcaption></figure>
<p>This item of clothing isn&#8217;t &#8220;smart&#8221; in the traditional sense, but it has utilized technology in interesting ways. The Ministry of Supply Aero dress shirt was developed to be wrinkle-free, sweatproof, and flexible. It&#8217;s also stain resistant. This is one of those rare dress shirts you can throw on your bedroom floor and just pick it up and wear it to work later.</p>
<p><em>Aero Dress Shirt, $115, <a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=815402&amp;u=1363912&amp;m=63199&amp;urllink=ministryofsupply%2Ecom%2Fproducts%2Faero%2Ddress%2Dshirt%2Dwhite&amp;afftrack=">Ministry of Supply</a></em></p>
<h2>5. Athos Core</h2>
<figure id="attachment_128431" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-large wp-image-128431" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/04/Screenshot-at-Apr-02-15-10-56-1200x826.png" alt="athos" width="1200" height="826" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: Liveathos.com</figcaption></figure>
<p>The <a href="https://www.liveathos.com/products/mens-full-body-kit-dual-core-v3">Athos Core</a> is similar to the Hexoskin, but it&#8217;s more complex and meant specifically for working out and playing sports. Sensors in the Core track your muscles as they move, and also track your heart rate and breathing. All of that information is fed to an Athos app that is easy to use. If you&#8217;re really working hard physically, you might want to try the Core.</p>
<p><em>Athos Core, $696, <a href="https://www.liveathos.com/products/mens-full-body-kit-dual-core-v3">Athos</a></em></p>
<h2>6. Sensoria Running Socks</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<figure id="attachment_128432" style="width: 1058px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-128432" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/04/Screenshot-at-Apr-02-15-23-40.png" alt="sensoria" width="1058" height="706" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: Sensoriafitness.com</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="http://store.sensoriafitness.com/sensoria-fitness-smart-socks">Sensoria</a> running socks will put your step counter to shame. Because the socks are right on your feet, they deliver perfect step counts. They also tell you how fast you were walking or running, how many calories you&#8217;re burning, and more. If you&#8217;re someone who likes to do cardio, then you&#8217;ll probably want these.</p>
<p><em>Sensoria running socks, $199, <a href="http://store.sensoriafitness.com/sensoria-fitness-smart-socks">Sensoria</a></em></p>
<h2>7. LifeBEAM Smart Hat</h2>
<figure id="attachment_128433" style="width: 1042px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-128433" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/04/Screenshot-at-Apr-02-15-30-23.png" alt="lifebeam" width="1042" height="686" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: 2xu.com</figcaption></figure>
<p>The <a href="http://www.2xu.com/us/p/tracking-hat/UQ4194f.html">LifeBEAM smart hat</a> is another great way to monitor steps, heart rate, and more. Perhaps, best of all, it&#8217;ll hide your hat hair. It connects wirelessly using Bluetooth, and it&#8217;s easy to use. It can withstand practically any weather, so it&#8217;s not going to get ruined if it starts raining.</p>
<p><em>LifeBEAM smart hat, $99, <a href="http://www.2xu.com/us/p/tracking-hat/UQ4194f.html">2XU</a></em></p>
<h2>8. SolePower Smart Boots</h2>
<figure id="attachment_128434" style="width: 952px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-128434" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/04/Screenshot-at-Apr-02-15-35-41.png" alt="solepower" width="952" height="596" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: SolePower/YouTube</figcaption></figure>
<p>At first, the <a href="http://www.solepowertech.com/smartboots/">SolePower smart boots</a> might remind you of the light-up shoes from your childhood. But they do so much more. The boots have built in GPS, wifi, motion sensors, and – of course – lighting. They&#8217;re even charged by your footsteps. You can also hook your phone up to them if it&#8217;s running low on battery.</p>
<p><em>SolePower smart boots, <a href="http://www.solepowertech.com/smartboots/">SolePower</a></em></p>
<h2>9. OMsignal Sports Bra</h2>
<figure id="attachment_128435" style="width: 1076px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-128435" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/04/Screenshot-at-Apr-02-15-50-04.png" alt="omsignal" width="1076" height="818" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: Omsignal.com</figcaption></figure>
<p>The <a href="https://omsignal.com/">OMsignal sports bra</a> is a smart sports bra. According to the company&#8217;s site, the bra &#8220;captures medical-grade biometric data paired with revolutionary AI algorithms that will inevitably change the course of human health.&#8221; This data includes breathing patterns, sleeping habits, and heart rate. It comes in many attractive designs, some with bright colors, and there are even options for men.</p>
<p><em>OMsignal sports bra, <a href="https://omsignal.com/">OMsignal</a></em></p>
<h2>10. Under Armour HOVR Phantom Connected Shoes</h2>
<figure id="attachment_128436" style="width: 1168px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-128436" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/04/Screenshot-at-Apr-02-15-52-04.png" alt="underarmour shoes" width="1168" height="756" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: Underarmour.com</figcaption></figure>
<p>If you&#8217;re looking for some high-quality shoes that are smarter than the average kicks, check out the <a href="https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/mens-ua-hovr-phantom-connected-running-shoes/pid3000004">Under Armour</a> HOVR Phantoms. Besides being comfortable, these shoes can track your steps and speed – all while you&#8217;re walking or running. That information gets sent to the Under Armour app on your phone.</p>
<p><em>Under Armour HOVR Phantom, $130, <a href="https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/ua-hovr-phantom-nc/pid3020972-301">Under Armour</a></em></p>
<h2>11. Skiin Smart Underwear</h2>
<figure id="attachment_128437" style="width: 1199px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-128437" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/04/SKIIN-VSM18882.jpg" alt="skiin" width="1199" height="801" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: Skiin.com</figcaption></figure>
<p>Made for men and women, <a href="https://skiin.com/">Skiin</a> underwear can track your sleep, your breathing, and heart rate all from the waistband. The company makes boxer-briefs for men, and classic underwear for women. Ever wanted underwear that could control your home? Skiin is for you. Adjust your thermostat automatically based on body-temperature, or your lights based on mood.</p>
<p><em>Skiin underwear, $199, <a href="https://shop.skiin.com/product/womens-smart-underwear-4/">Skiin</a></em></p>
<h2>12. Welt Belt</h2>
<figure id="attachment_128438" style="width: 1146px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-128438" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/04/Screenshot-at-Apr-02-16-04-57.png" alt="welt belt" width="1146" height="950" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: Weltcorp.com</figcaption></figure>
<p>We had to include a belt, and the <a href="https://www.weltcorp.com/welt">Welt belt</a> is a great find. It can track your steps, how long you&#8217;ve stayed seated during the day and more. It looks nice, with a classic black leather style, and it connects to an app that will give you all the information you could want. You can even track your meals with it, so hopefully it&#8217;ll help you get a smaller belt hole if you want to lose weight.</p>
<p><em>Welt belt, $140, <a href="https://www.weltcorp.com/store">Welt</a></em></p>
<h2>13. Project Jacquard Jackets &amp; Jeans</h2>
<figure id="attachment_128424" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-large wp-image-128424" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/04/Screenshot-at-Apr-02-14-31-09-1200x572.png" alt="jacquard" width="1200" height="572" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: Google ATAP/YouTube</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://atap.google.com/jacquard/">Project Jacquard</a> is a collaboration between Levi&#8217;s and Google. It&#8217;s a touch-sensitive jean fabric that will be used for regular jeans and is currently used in its attractive jean jacket. By touching certain spots on the wrist of the jacket, you can control your smart phone while you&#8217;re listening to music or making calls. There&#8217;s no evidence of buttons or any other controls on the jacket, which makes it look like any other well-made jean jacket.</p>
<p><em>Project Jacquard, $350, <a href="https://www.levi.com/US/en_US/clothing/men/outerwear/levis-commuter-x-jacquard-by-google/p/286600000">Levi&#8217;s</a></em></p>
<h2>14. Ghostek NRGcamper Backpack</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<figure id="attachment_128440" style="width: 906px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-128440" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/04/Screenshot-at-Apr-02-16-15-25.png" alt="ghostek backpack" width="906" height="788" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: Ghostekproducts.com</figcaption></figure>
<p>TThis Ghostek hiking pack charges your devices, with the help of a solar panel. It has a whistle and it&#8217;s water resistant. There are smaller versions, but if you&#8217;re going camping for a while, you won&#8217;t have any trouble with space in this model. It has pretty much everything you could ask for in a camping backpack, and it&#8217;s really sturdy.</p>
<p><em>Ghostek backpack, $229.95, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078NHY7J5/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B078NHY7J5&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=futurism0b-20&amp;linkId=4a19be33c5e151dbefcdfeba9d9ff4bd">Amazon</a></em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="disclaimer"><em> <strong>Disclosure</strong>: <i>Futurism fans: To create this content, a non-editorial team worked with <a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=815402&amp;u=1363912&amp;m=63199&amp;urllink=www%2Eministryofsupply%2Ecom&amp;afftrack=">Ministry of Supply</a>. They help us keep the lights on, and Futurism may receive a commission from sales. This post does not reflect the views or the endorsement of the Futurism.com editorial staff.</i> </em></div>


(Affiliate) Here's the smart clothing you didn't know you needed

14 smart clothes and accessories to give your wardrobe the tech treatment

14 Smart Clothes and Accessories to Give Your Wardrobe the Tech Treatment

Be the "smartest" dresser.

<div class="disclaimer"><em><i>Futurism fans: To create this content, a non-editorial team worked with <a href="https://www.viome.com/futurism20">Viome</a>, who is offering Futurism readers $20 off with code FUTURISM. They help us keep the lights on, and Futurism may receive a commission from sales. This post does not reflect the views or the endorsement of the Futurism.com editorial staff.</i></em></div>
<p>You may by now be familiar with the microbiome in your body. The microbiome is the bacteria, viruses, yeast and other organisms in your gut, and elsewhere, that affect your overall health and your mind. What you may not realize, and many don’t, is the world is facing a microbiome crisis.</p>
<p>As Nils Gilman and Tobias Mees of the Berggruen Institute <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/theworldpost/wp/2018/02/26/microbes/?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.de86b5a18dda">wrote</a> recently for the Washington Post, many aspects of how we live our lives are threatening our microbiomes in substantial ways. The processed foods we eat, the number of Caesarean sections being done, the antibiotics we feed ourselves and our livestock and our sterile environments appear to be some of the driving forces behind this crisis.</p>
<p>“The wholesale bombardment of the microbiome with full spectrum antibiotics happens both in humans and, perhaps more importantly, the livestock populations that humans feed off of,” Nils Gilman, vice president of programs at the Berggruen Institute, told Futurism. “There’s a whole series of health issues that are now beginning to be associated with this rampant use of antibiotics.”</p>
<p>Gilman explained that everything from <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-obesity-plague-and-antibiotics/">obesity</a> to <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/health-39495192">cancer</a> may be linked to the overuse of antibiotics, but he said that doesn’t mean they’re inherently bad. Antibiotics are great when you need them, but often times they’re prescribed when they’re not necessarily needed. The CDC claims around <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0503-unnecessary-prescriptions.html">30 percent</a> of antibiotic prescriptions are not needed. Besides what we take personally, farm animals also often receive <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=94466&amp;page=1">far too many</a> antibiotics, and they end up in the meat we buy and eat.</p>
<p>One way in which we get our microbiomes is through birth. Not just our genes, the act of <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/shortchanging-a-babys-microbiome/">being birthed</a> itself. C-sections have been <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=118015">on the rise</a> for some time, and this looks as if it&#8217;s causing a problem for the human microbiome. If we don’t get that bacteria at birth, it can cause problems later in life. Again, Gilman acknowledges that C-sections can save lives, but it seems they should be avoided when they’re not absolutely necessary.</p>
<p>“There’s been a whole series of well-documented patterns of certain kinds of health challenges that children who are born via C-section have at higher rates,” Gilman said. “Notably: <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/256915.php">Allergies</a>. Obviously there’s been an enormous increase in the amount of allergies.”</p>
<figure id="attachment_129270" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-large wp-image-129270" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/04/bacteria-426997_1280-1200x900.jpg" alt="bacteria gut" width="1200" height="900" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: Pixabay</figcaption></figure>
<p>One solution doctors are trying is <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2075768-boost-c-section-babies-by-giving-them-vaginal-bacteria/">literally swiping</a> babies with the vaginal bacteria they would encounter during birth after a C-section is performed. This is seen as a way to get the baby a better microbiome than if they hadn’t done it. That said, some doctors have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2017/aug/23/should-you-use-vaginal-seeding-if-your-baby-is-born-by-caesarean">warned against</a> this practice, as it could expose the baby to <a href="https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1471-0528.14792">dangerous bacteria</a>.</p>
<p>Kids not being exposed to their environments enough is also a problem when it comes to the microbiome. If children are kept inside and don’t play in areas that have lots of bacteria they can be exposed to, that’s actually harmful for their microbiome, which needs that kind of exposure.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most predictable reason there’s a microbiome crisis is the simple fact we’re not eating well. We’re eating too many processed foods that lack the kind of bacteria our gut thrives on, and we’re not eating the kinds of food that are high in that kind of bacteria.</p>
<p>“People don’t eat foods that are as bacterially rich as they used to,” Gilman said. “We eat a lot less pickled stuff and cured stuff, which are often quite rich in microbiotic terms.”</p>
<p>So here we are. But what can we do about it? We can start by eating better. It&#8217;s important to understand that there is no such thing as universally healthy food. A food that’s healthy for one person can be inflammatory for another person. Even a food that’s healthy for you today may become harmful few months later. In the era of new fad diets coming out almost daily, eating right can be very confusing. As we know, what you eat can affect the gut significantly, so learning what foods you should eat is critical for your good health. In order to do that, you need to know where you stand. One way of doing that is to get your gut tested.</p>
<p>As we’ve <a href="https://futurism.com/sponsored-viome-is-here-to-bring-your-gut-into-the-future/">reported before</a>, a company named <a href="https://www.viome.com/?refcode=Futurism20">Viome</a> is selling quite possibly the best gut analysis kit ever created, and they recommend precisely what foods are good for you right now and what foods you need to minimize and avoid. Instead of analyzing the DNA in your gut, which is often from organism that are not active in it, they analyze the RNA, which shows ever organism that’s truly active in your system, and more importantly what they are actually doing. Are they converting certain foods in to nutrients that your body needs or converting the so-called “healthy” food into toxins that are causing inflammation?</p>
<p>When you know better, you do better. Have a healthy microbiome helps you have a healthier life. A company like <a href="http://www.viome.com/futurism20">Viome</a> can help you make that first step. Once you have that information, you can make the changes you need to make to remove yourself from this growing gut crisis. If you don’t know what damage you’ve done, you’re not really going to know where to go next.</p>
<div class="disclaimer"><em><i>Futurism fans: To create this content, a non-editorial team worked with <a href="https://www.viome.com/futurism20">Viome</a>, who is offering Futurism readers $20 off with code FUTURISM. They help us keep the lights on, and Futurism may receive a commission from sales. This post does not reflect the views or the endorsement of the Futurism.com editorial staff.</i></em></div>


We're in the middle of a gut health crisis, and most of us don't know it

The ways we live our modern lives are negatively impacting the bacteria in our guts, and that's having major impacts across the globe.

It's important to understand the factors that led to this growing gut health crisis

We’re in the Middle of a Gut Health Crisis, and Most of Us Don’t Know It [Affiliate]

<p>Every time someone does a <a href="https://www.statisticbrain.com/fear-phobia-statistics/">survey</a> on what people are most afraid of, death is right at the top of the list (somehow public speaking often beats it, but that’s beside the point). With so many people afraid of dying, there are logically many out there looking for ways to prolong their lives. One possibly life-extending solution is becoming increasingly popular and studied: Your own stem cells.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for humans, our stem cells <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5316899/">deteriorate</a> and decrease in quantity with age. Any treatment meant to extend your life, possibly by preventing disease, would be best conducted using your stem cells from when you were very young. Fortunately though, one company is trying to combat that exact problem.</p>
<p><a href="https://foreverlabs.com/">Forever Labs</a> helps people find a doctor that can extract stem cells from their bone marrow, near the hip, so it can be stored in a bio-repository where it will remain at its best quality until it&#8217;s needed later in life. [Note: Forever Labs is offering Futurism readers $250 off if they use the code FUTURISM at checkout, and Futurism may receive a commission if you use this code]</p>
<p>“The whole reason we’re doing this is that as you age, your stem cells decrease in quality and quantity, so you really want to get your stem cells when you’re as young as possible and store them,” Jessica Frisenda, COO of Forever Labs, told Futurism.</p>
<p>The procedure only takes 15 minutes or so in a doctor’s office, and people can find the right doctor in their area using Forever Labs’ website. Frisenda said the procedure is “relatively painless,” and she would know, because she’s done it herself. She said many people go back to work the same day they do it.</p>
<figure id="attachment_129175" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-large wp-image-129175" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/04/stem-cell-163711_1280-1200x675.jpg" alt="stem cells" width="1200" height="675" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: Pixabay</figcaption></figure>
<p>“We partner with physicians across the country—right now we’re in 10 markets and will be expanding to more in the next few months—and we partner primarily with orthopedic surgeons and plastic surgeons who perform the stem cell collection from bone marrow,” Frisenda said. She explained that bone marrow has the highest quality and quantity of stem cells in the body.</p>
<p>We&#8217;re still learning about the seemingly-infinite possible uses of stem cells. Frisenda said <a href="https://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/49964/title/Stem-Cells-in-the-Hypothalamus-Slow-Aging-in-Mice/">one recent study</a> found that injecting these cells into mice helped generally combat deterioration in their bodies—they started aging more slowly.</p>
<p>“I think there are around 500 clinical trials using these types of stem cells to cure or treat ailments such as heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, osteoarthritis,” Frisenda said. “There was actually just a study published where they were using these stem cells to combat alcoholism in rats. There are just so many things that they can be used for.”</p>
<p>“There’s a commonality that all of these age-related diseases tend to have, which is that they tend to relate to problems that arise at the tissue level that really started at the cellular level,” Steven Clausnitzer, CEO of Forever Labs, told Futurism. “If we can address those issues at the cellular level, maybe we don’t have cardiovascular disease or stroke or Alzheimer’s.”</p>
<p>All of that said, we should be clear that the science on stem cell treatments is not settled. There is still a large debate about what stem cells can be used for and how effective they can be. Forever Labs makes no guarantees that they&#8217;ll be able to cure or treat whatever kind of ailment you may get in the future.</p>
<p>Clausnitzer explained that what they’re really doing is replacing the stem cells you lose as you age with your younger stem cells, which serve an important function.</p>
<p>“The bone marrow is the largest producer of blood in your body, it supports your immune system, connected tissue, your vasculature, your soft muscle—by having younger bone marrow, you essentially have a younger biology. It stands to reason we could live significantly longer and healthier,” Clausnitzer said.</p>
<p>Anyone who wants to get their stem cells removed and stored will pay Forever Labs a reasonable annual fee to keep their cells for them. It’s kind of like having a different form of health insurance. Frisenda said for most people there’s very little risk to getting the procedure done, but anyone who could face risks would be informed beforehand.</p>
<p>Clausnitzer explained that this isn’t just about extending the end of your life, which can be an unhappy time, but it’s about expanding the amount of healthy years you have on top of extending your lifespan. “What you’re really doing is extending health-span, and extending lifespan is a function of that,” Mark Katakowski, president of Forever Labs, told Futurism.</p>
<p>No one ever knows what diseases may come their way in 5, 10, or 20 years, and we also don’t know what advances in stem cell research will be made in that time. However, it does appear stem cells hold promise to treat many illnesses, and we know it’s best to have the younger stem cells, so it makes sense to get stem cells stored sooner, rather than later.</p>
<div class="disclaimer"><em><i>Futurism fans: To create this content, a non-editorial team worked with <a href="https://foreverlabs.com/">Forever Labs</a>, who sponsored this post and is giving Futurism readers $250 off if they use the code FUTURISM at checkout. They help us keep the lights on, and Futurism may receive a commission from sales. This post does not reflect the views or the endorsement of the Futurism.com editorial staff.</i></em></div>


[Sponsored] Want to live a longer and healthier life? You might want to store your stem cells sooner than later. One company can help you do it.

This company wants to store your stem cells to treat future diseases

Want to live a longer and healthier life? You might want to store your stem cells sooner than later. One company can help you do it.

This Company Wants to Store Your Stem Cells to Treat Future Diseases

It appears that we can use our stem cells from when we're young for future medical treatments.

<p>Many people feel that listening to music at work improves their mood. Others claim it even makes them more productive. Is there any merit to these impressions?</p>
<p>Of course, researchers have weighed in. Listening to music at work can make “absorbing and remembering new information” more difficult, according to a 2012 <a href="http://ideas.time.com/2012/09/12/does-listening-to-music-while-working-make-you-less-productive/">Time Magazine article</a>. However, research has <a href="https://www.inc.com/melissa-chu/research-shows-listening-to-music-increases-produc.html">also found</a> that listening to music at work can make people <em>more</em> productive.</p>
<p>So what’s the deal with the disparity?</p>
<p>The connection between listening to music you like at work and an improved mood is strong, says Teresa Lesiuk, associate professor of music education and music therapy at the University of Miami, to Futurism She said that about “90 percent of the time” people have positive experiences when listening to whatever kind of music they prefer, and listening to that music often produces “mild, positive moods.” Being in that frame of mind can be helpful for getting work done.</p>
<p>“It’s shown that when you’re in that particular mood state, you take in more options, you don’t narrow your focus, and that is beneficial to creative problem solving,” Lesiuk said. “When you’re in that mood state, you’re better at problem solving and thinking creatively.”</p>
<p>So not only can music help with productivity, it can make you more creative at work. Lesiuk said that, of course, there might be exceptions. If an artist’s music is especially dissonant or the tempo is extreme, that could create some distractions (sorry EDM lovers). But overall the improvements hold true if someone likes the music. If music is being piped into your workspace that you don’t particularly enjoy, the same effects probably won’t occur.</p>
<figure id="attachment_128041" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-128041 size-large" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/03/adult-beard-business-845451-1200x800.jpg" alt="music business office work" width="1200" height="800" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: Pexels.com</figcaption></figure>
<p>One especially interesting thing Lesiuk has learned through her own research is that getting a significant boost in <a href="https://futurism.com/its-time-to-shift-our-society-to-robotic-labor-and-a-basic-income/">productivity</a> from listening to music can depend on how good you are at what you’re doing. In <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0305735605050650">one study</a>, she said she found the best effects were felt by people who weren’t new to what they were doing, but also weren’t experts.</p>
<p>“If a person was already expert in their work, they benefitted in terms of mood, but it didn’t affect their productivity,” she said. “They were going to do well no matter what.” However, if a person was moderately good at what they were doing, productivity increased significantly. “If they were novice in their work, if they were just learning the skill, it didn’t help their productivity, because they didn’t have the skill,” she said. “It did still benefit their mood.”</p>
<p>Lesiuk said listening to music you like activates the pleasure center in your brain, and “a particular pathway through the limbic system up to the orbital frontal cortex, which is your thinking area, is stimulated.” The effect of this stimulation is an improvement in creative problem solving, she says.</p>
<p>Some companies are working to take advantage of these neurological effects and create music that can maximize them. <a href="https://focusatwill.go2cloud.org/aff_c?offer_id=2&amp;aff_id=1549">Focus@Will</a> is an app that produces “streamlined music.” This music is specifically designed to be listen to while you’re working on something to improve mood and productivity. The company built a system that focuses on the key of the music, the tempo and more to make it as effective as possible.</p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://www.focusatwill.com/app/pages/how-it-works">company</a>, it “uses the brain-shaping features of sound to keep your mind from avoiding two undesirable states: distraction and habituation.” Its music affects the previously mentioned limbic system in the brain to improve your ability to focus. There are different kinds of music to choose from so you can pick the kind that matches your tastes best.</p>
<p>A study from last year that was published <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1610.04255">by arXiv</a> found that streamlined music can indeed improve “perceived focus, task persistence, precognition, and creative thinking,” as well as general mood. Notably, the study also found streamlined music had no effect on “visual attention, verbal memory, logical thinking, self-efficacy, perceived stress, or self-transcendence.” So you’ll focus better and probably be more creative, which is essential for many tasks you might want to complete.</p>
<p>If you needed an excuse to listen to music at work, you now have one. Not only is it generally enjoyable, which improves your mood, but it can actually make you do a better job. So if your boss tells you to rip the headphones out of your ears, just tell them you’re trying to be the best employee you can be.</p>
<div class="disclaimer"><em><i>Futurism fans: To create this content, a non-editorial team worked with <a href="https://focusatwill.go2cloud.org/aff_c?offer_id=2&amp;aff_id=1549">Focus@Will</a>, who sponsored this post. They help us keep the lights on, and Futurism may receive a commission from sales. This post does not reflect the views or the endorsement of the Futurism.com editorial staff.</i></em></div>


(Affiliate) It's more helpful than you might imagine.

You listen to music at work, and it alters your mind. Yes, seriously.

Hard Science

If you listen to music at work, there's actually a lot going on in your brain because of it.

You Listen to Music At Work, and It Alters Your Mind. Yes, Seriously.

We now have a much clearer understanding of the effects of listening to music at work.

<p>Have you ever had that gut feeling? A feeling that makes you suddenly feel anxious or feel like something isn’t right? It’s not just a figure of speech, because there is actually science behind it. This is caused by the microbes in your gut communicating with your brain via something called the vagus nerve, and vice versa. So let’s look at what has to happen in the gut to cause it to start sending signals to the brain that result in problems like depression or anxiety.<br />
Scientific evidence shows a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3492709/">strong connection</a> between chronic diseases and inflammation. Inflammation is most commonly rooted in the gut, where around <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2515351/">70 percent</a> of our immune system resides. Our food choices result in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10693912">oxidative stress</a>, setting the stage for inflammatory ailments such as depression, anxiety, brain fog, obesity and more. The health of your gut directly impacts the health of your brain.<br />
The gut communicated with our immune system and also communicates with the brain using, among other things, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gut-feelings-the-second-brain-in-our-gastrointestinal-systems-excerpt/">neurotransmitters</a>. One function of neurotransmitters is that they that they send key messages to the brain, resulting in various effects on the body.<br />
Serotonin and dopamine are some well-known neurotransmitters that are typically associated with a good mood. In fact, while many believe that serotonin is primarily produced in the brain, it’s been found that up to <a href="http://www.caltech.edu/news/microbes-help-produce-serotonin-gut-46495">90 percent</a> of serotonin is actually created in the gut.<br />
Dr. Helen Messer, the Chief Medical Officer at <a href="https://www.viome.com/refcode=FUTURISM">Viome</a>, which analyzes the gut microbiome, told Futurism that “the bacteria in the gut make or consume the majority of neurotransmitters in our bodies.”<br />
Essentially, if your gut is producing an adequate amount of mood-improving chemicals like serotonin, then it will send signals to the brain that will result in various benefits such as better sleep and satiety. It’s obviously more complicated than that, but that’s the general rundown. So how do you influence your gut to help it produce the good neurotransmitters and other compounds that make the mind feel better? A lot of it has to do with eating the right diet that your gut needs.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-127561" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/03/gut-mind-brain.png" alt="gut mind brain" width="1100" height="733" /></p>
<p>The foods that we eat affect the composition of our microbes and in turn change the products that our gut produces, Dr. Messier said. A fatty diet, especially, can turn on the bad bacteria that like those types of food. These fast food loving organisms produce inflammatory compounds setting the stage for chronic diseases.<br />
The truth is that your gut is incredibly unique. It’s more unique than your fingerprint. It’s important to understand that there is no food that can be considered universally non-inflammatory. The same food that can heal one person and cause inflammation in another person depending the composition of the gut microbiome, Viome CEO Naveen Jain told Futurism. Your gut can metabolize the same food to produce nutrients that your body needs or can produce harmful toxins that cause inflammation. That spinach you’ve been told to eat your whole life may not actually be healthy for you right now.<br />
A healthy diet personalized for you allows your gut not produce inflammatory compounds and instead produce healthy compounds like butyrate and neurotransmitters that positively affect the brain and mind. It’s not just neurotransmitters, though. The bacteria in your gut also produce vitamins and nutrients your brain needs to function properly.<br />
“Neurotransmitter production in the brain is dependent on specific vitamins,” Dr. Messier said. “Folic acid is an example. Our brain absolutely depends on folic acid, and our bacteria make it for us. If they don’t have the right building blocks that come from the food, they won’t be able to make the things we depend on.”<br />
If your brain does not get the nutrients it needs, then nerve signals slow down, and different parts of the brain start having trouble communicating effectively, Dr. Messier explained. The good news is that the microbiome changes. If someone adequately improves their diet, based on personalized recommendations, Dr. Messier says their gut can be rebalanced in a matter of weeks.<br />
To find out what your unique microbiome needs, it’s best to get your gut tested. <a href="http://viome.com/futurism">Viome</a>, where Dr. Messier works, has developed an RNA sequencing method that is affordable and accurately identifies which organisms are active in your gut. Not only what organisms are there, but also what these organisms are doing and what they are producing. We’ve <a href="https://futurism.com/sponsored-viome-is-here-to-bring-your-gut-into-the-future/">reported on it</a> in the past. <a href="http://viome.com/futurism">Viome</a> offers personalized food recommendations based on the needs of your gut. Not only will your gut thank you, your brain will thank you too.</p>
<div class="disclaimer"><em><i>Futurism fans: To create this content, a non-editorial team worked with <a href="http://www.viome.com/futurism">Viome</a>, who sponsored this post. They help us keep the lights on, and Futurism may receive a commission from sales. This post does not reflect the views or the endorsement of the Futurism.com editorial staff.</i></em></div>


The gut and the mind are intertwined, and what you put in your gut can significantly affect how well your mind works.

How your gut controls your mind and what to do about it.

Your gut and your brain communicate, and it's important to know how to get your gut to make your mind happy.

How Your Gut Controls Your Mind and What to Do About It

Your gut controls your mind, but you can make that work.

<p>Add a photo. Tag your interests. Get 20 personalized suggestions of the people you need to meet to further your career.</p>
<p>That’s how easy it is to use <a href="https://shapr.onelink.me/3806145626/81cd30ac">Shapr</a>, a free app that will help you meet people with matching professional goals. Shapr, which has offices in Paris and New York, is a startup that has set out to make networking easier, faster and more meaningful.</p>
<p>Shapr was created by renowned data scientists who built one of the most complex algorithms available for swiping apps. Using relevant criteria like your location, professional level, specific networking goals and self-selected interests, <a href="https://shapr.onelink.me/3806145626/81cd30ac">the app</a> churns out personalized suggestions of who to meet to network more effectively. Here’s the best part: Everyone you match with is actively interested in meeting people like you. They’re all there for the same reason you are.</p>
<h2>Opportunities at Your Fingertips</h2>
<p>The point of Shapr is to meet face-to-face, learn from your matches and discover potential areas of collaboration. Unlike social apps that just aggregate thousands of “followers” who you rarely engage with, Shapr is designed to get you actually chatting with your matches over coffee, Skype or in other ways.</p>
<p>“I have found 40 of my 80 podcast guests through the app,” says Joe Rizzo, host of the podcast WeeklySitDown. “I even found my publicist. I like the app because it’s full of people [who] want to help you and who can introduce you to others who may be able to help.”</p>
<p><a href="https://shapr.onelink.me/3806145626/81cd30ac">So why does Shapr work so well?</a> Beyond the personalized, useful suggestions of who to meet, the app has a built-in community of people who are as motivated as you are to meet and support each other. Shapr has over 1 million users, and they’ve shared countless success stories of how they boosted their careers through meeting the right people who can get their resume in the door or found people who can offer advice on a possible career change.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-127306" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/03/3_screen_in_app_2018-1200x753.png" alt="" width="1200" height="753" /></p>
<p>Pixon Games CEO Kam Punia says he actually met his investors, former King’s executives, through the app.</p>
<p>“Through Shapr, we found our first investor, who happens to be one of the people behind Candy Crush,” says Punia. “There are a huge amount of possibilities and opportunities that have come from the app, all because you are able to meet individuals from different industries who are equally excited [about] sharing ideas.”</p>
<p>Ultimately, Shapr takes the work out of mining LinkedIn for connections or hustling at industry events, and it makes networking more meaningful, inspiring and fun. Test it out for yourself &#8211; <a href="https://shapr.onelink.me/3806145626/81cd30ac">Shapr is free for iOS and Android.</a></p>
<div class="disclaimer"><em><i>Futurism fans: To create this content, a non-editorial team worked with <a href="https://shapr.onelink.me/3806145626/81cd30ac">Shapr</a>, who sponsored this post. They help us keep the lights on. This post does not reflect the views or the endorsement of the Futurism.com editorial staff.</i></em></div>


[Paid content] It's an app that's going to change networking forever.

Shapr is using AI to replace networking events

Shapr is an app perfected by data scientists that can put you in the networks that will change your career.

Shapr Is Using AI To Replace Networking Events [Sponsored]

Shapr is changing the world of networking

<p>In recent years, the role of the bacteria and other organisms in the gut have become a major focus of those looking to improve health and wellness. Probiotic companies that promise everything from improved digestion to a better mood have made billions selling their products. However, every gut is entirely unique. What may work for you may do little for someone else, so it’s important to know exactly what your gut needs. A new company called <a href="https://www.viome.com/?refcode=Futurism20">Viome</a> is looking to provide a high-tech way of making that happen.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-124977" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/02/KIT_PSD-1200x756.png" alt="viome" width="1200" height="756" /></p>
<p>Viome is the only company that uses RNA sequencing to analyze your gut microbiome. This technology allows them to provide accurate personalized diet and nutrition recommendation for improved health and wellness. A customer <a href="https://venturebeat.com/2017/08/02/viome-raises-15-million-to-analyze-your-gut-and-give-you-health-tips/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sends</a> a small stool sample to Viome using a simple home test kit that is delivered to their door. A proprietary artificial intelligence engine that was created by scientists, physicians and nutritionists will analyze it. Customers also do a metabolic test and complete a questionnaire about their habits to help further hone in on their needs.</p>
<p>Naveen Jain, founder and CEO of Viome, told Futurism that many companies use DNA sequencing to analyze your gut, but looking at DNA creates false information about what’s ailing you. He said by analyzing RNA, they can tell customers exactly which foods are good for them and which ones are not.</p>
<p>“RNA only gets created when something is alive and replicating,” Jain said. “Since RNA only lasts for a short time, every time you take the sample, you only see microorganisms that are alive.”</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-124979" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/02/Viome-Coach-Vie-1200x800.jpg" alt="viome" width="1200" height="800" /></p>
<p>Jain said Viome was able to offer RNA analysis, which is usually very expensive, because it teamed up with Los Alamos National Lab. That lab does research related to national security, and they were studying biodefense before Viome launched. They were researching the best way to quickly find out what’s making people sick if there’s a biological attack, and they developed technology that was much cheaper to use so it can be used on a large scale. Viome now brings that technology to the populace.</p>
<p>Once a customer has done their tests and completed the questionnaire, Viome delivers nutrition recommendations and other advice specifically tailored to improve their overall health. People who are looking to lose weight, eat better, feel better or improve other aspects of their health can benefit from such an analysis.</p>
<p>Dr. Helen Messier, Chief Medical Officer at Viome, said that “by looking at the microbiome using RNA technology we now have an unprecedented understanding of how these microbes affect one’s health.  We can precisely see whether an individual will benefit or be harmed by specific foods such as spinach. walnuts, protein shakes, broccoli, or beets which were previously thought to be healthy for everyone.  It is not about the food being healthy, but about whether it is healthy for you. This is all determined by your microbiome.”</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-123896" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/02/Screenshot-at-Feb-20-13-25-39-1200x446.png" alt="viome" width="1200" height="446" /></p>
<p>Studies <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/06/gut-bacteria-on-the-brain/395918/">have shown</a> what happens in your gut also affects how you feel mentally, and vice versa. Have you ever had stomach issues and felt upset or gotten queasy before a job interview? We all have, and that’s because the gut and the mind are closely connected. There is actually a nerve called the <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201405/how-does-the-vagus-nerve-convey-gut-instincts-the-brain">vagus nerve</a> that connects the gut to the brain to relay messages between them. If your gut is happy, it’s much easier for you to feel happy.</p>
<p>“This gut-brain axis is the connection between our gut and our emotions and behavior,&#8221; Jain said. “Microbes in humans are really controlling everything we do.</p>
<p>There is an ongoing debate over what specific diet and foods are good for the average person. In the era of new fad diets coming out almost daily, eating right can be very confusing. Viome makes conflicting food advice obsolete. You are now able to harness the power of cutting edge technology to know exactly what you need to eat to feel better, lose weight, end cravings and have more energy. What you eat can affect the gut significantly, so learning what foods you should eat is critical for your good health. <a href="https://www.viome.com/?refcode=Futurism20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Viome</a> makes this easy, and you can use code FUTURISM20 for $20 off your order.</p>
<div class="disclaimer"><em>Disclosure: This is an affiliate post for <a href="https://www.viome.com/?refcode=Futurism20">Viome</a>, and Futurism may receive a percentage of sales. Futurism editorial staff was not involved in the production of this post.</em></div>


This company will change the way you eat and think.

A revolutionary new way to improve your diet and health

Viome has developed technology that looks at what's operating inside your gut, how its affecting your health and what you can do about it.

A Revolutionary New Way to Improve Your Diet and Health

Viome is pioneering a new way of figuring out what's up with your gut

<div class="disclaimer"><em>Disclosure: Futurism selected these products because we like them, but we may also receive a small affiliate commission on the purchases you make through this page. Want to support Futurism even more? <a href="http://amzn.to/2A3bwUZ">Use this Amazon affiliate link</a> when you do you your holiday shopping and we&#8217;ll receive a commission on some of the items you buy.</em></div>
<p>We&#8217;re always testing out and researching great tech products, so we&#8217;d like to help our readers find the best gifts out there this holiday season. We got together and compiled a list of our favorite things this year, and hopefully it will help you make the most futuristic shopper in your family. Here is Futurism&#8217;s holiday gift guide for 2017.</p>
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<div id="titleSection" class="a-section a-spacing-none">
<h2 id="title" class="a-size-large a-spacing-none"><span id="productTitle" class="a-size-large">Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic Instant Film Camera</span><span id="titleEDPPlaceHolder"></span></h2>
<figure id="attachment_111585" style="width: 264px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-medium wp-image-111585" src="https://wordpress.futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/fuji-264x300.png" alt="" width="264" height="300" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credit: Amazon</figcaption></figure>
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<div id="averageCustomerReviews_feature_div" class="feature"></div>
<div>Though we typically write about the future, this one feels like a blast from the past. The Fujifilm Instax Mini produces high quality instant pictures and fits in your pocket. It has many different useful modes for different kinds of scenes, and it&#8217;s pretty affordable at just over $100. If you&#8217;re looking for something someone can use during the holiday and long after, we&#8217;d definitely recommend this camera. (<a href="http://amzn.to/2iMiiov">Amazon</a>)</div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Luminette 2 &#8211; SAD Bright Light Therapy Glasses</h2>
<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-111586 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Screenshot-at-Nov-17-12-55-30-292x300.png" alt="" width="292" height="300" /></p>
<p>A lot of people have been doing light therapy during the winter to keep their mood up while the Sun is hiding. There was even an episode of <em>Broad City</em> about it. Well, Ilana could have used the Luminette 2 light therapy glasses, because they let you get some much-needed light while you&#8217;re on the go instead of dashing into a room for light therapy every time your mood goes down. These are for the person who has issues with seasonal depression who doesn&#8217;t have a lot of time. (<a href="http://amzn.to/2BjVKmL">Amazon</a>)</p>
<h2 id="title" class="a-size-large a-spacing-none"><span id="productTitle" class="a-size-large">Bose Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones </span></h2>
<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-111880 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/fsdfsdfs-260x300.png" alt="" width="260" height="300" /></p>
<p>There are so many different headphone options out there that it&#8217;s hard to know which ones to get, so we&#8217;ll save you some time. The Bose QuietComfort&#8217;s are top of the line, and they&#8217;re pretty nice looking too. The noise canceling is excellent, and these headphones have a mic so you can answer the phone without having to rush to take your headphones off. They work with pretty much every phone out there. (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bose-QuietComfort-Acoustic-Cancelling-Headphones/dp/B00M1NEUKK/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1510934001&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=bose+quietcomfort+25">Amazon</a>)</p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Amazon Echo</h2>
<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-111600 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Screenshot-at-Nov-17-13-09-13-241x300.png" alt="" width="241" height="300" /></p>
<p>The Amazon Echo isn&#8217;t new, but it&#8217;s gotten a lot more popular this year, and we&#8217;re enjoying using it. It has a new speaker and a nice fabric design that comes in different colors. Alexa can tell you the news, play music, set a timer and more. It&#8217;s also easy to take with you if you want to have your little personal assistant with you while you&#8217;re traveling. We use this product every day, so it&#8217;s definitely worth the money, and it&#8217;s only $100. (<a href="http://amzn.to/2iP8WJ0">Amazon</a>)</p>
<h2 id="title" class="a-size-large a-spacing-none"><span id="productTitle" class="a-size-large">Apple Airpods Wireless Bluetooth Headset</span></h2>
<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-111604 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Screenshot-at-Nov-17-13-11-23-290x300.png" alt="" width="290" height="300" /></p>
<p>They may look a little odd at first, but Apple&#8217;s Airpods are a great bluetooth headset for iPhone users. Unlike a lot of Bluetooth headsets, they&#8217;re small, so you don&#8217;t have to have these clunky objects hanging off your ears. Audio starts playing the second you put them in, the sound quality is good and you can use Siri to trigger any commands you want. They&#8217;re around $200, so they&#8217;re not the cheapest option out there, but we&#8217;d say they&#8217;re worth the money. (<a href="http://amzn.to/2zj1USJ">Amazon</a>)</p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Jackery Bar Portable Travel Charger</h2>
<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-111923 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gdfgdfgdfsss-250x300.png" alt="" width="250" height="300" /></p>
<p>If you&#8217;re camping or traveling or just not going to be near an outlet for a while, it&#8217;s very useful to have a portable charger, and this one is super affordable (only $19) and reliable. It holds about three charges, which is more than we can say about other chargers we&#8217;ve tried, and it has a bright little flashlight for if you need to look around in the dark. It&#8217;s also pretty cool looking. It&#8217;s less than four inches long, so it&#8217;ll definitely fit in your pocket. (<a href="http://amzn.to/2iMiZOD">Amazon</a>)</p>
<h2 id="title" class="a-size-large a-spacing-none"><span id="productTitle" class="a-size-large">Yuneec Breeze Drone</span></h2>
<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-111929 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/njknkjbk-268x300.png" alt="" width="268" height="300" /></p>
<p>It seems like everyone has a drone these days, and that&#8217;s probably because they&#8217;re really fun to use. The Yuneec Breeze drone is small, quick and captures great images. It&#8217;s also cheaper than a lot of high quality drones, at just over $300. The video and pictures are 4K, and the controls are pretty intuitive. If you or someone you care about wants to have fun and produce some terrific images, we&#8217;d go ahead and get this little guy. (<a href="http://amzn.to/2zjIJrW">Amazon</a>)</p>
<h2 class="text-header heading-large" style="text-align: left;">Tushy Classic</h2>
<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-111955 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Screenshot-at-Nov-20-13-39-51-253x300.png" alt="" width="253" height="300" /></p>
<p>If you&#8217;ve never been to Europe, you may never have used a bidet, but they&#8217;re good for staying clean. The Tushy is a nice and attractive option, and it only costs $74. The bamboo knob is classy, and the whole thing isn&#8217;t very large, so it&#8217;s not intrusive. Join the Europeans and stay super clean. (<a href="https://www.tushy.me/pages/shop?utm_source=Futurism&amp;utm_medium=Futurism&amp;utm_campaign=Futurism">Tushy</a>)</p>
<h2 class="col-md-10">Pico Model C Homebrewer</h2>
<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-111963 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/sdfsdfsd-272x300.png" alt="" width="272" height="300" /><br />
If you&#8217;re looking to get into homebrewing beer but don&#8217;t know much about brewing, then the Pico Model C is a great option. It&#8217;s easy to use, and it only takes a couple hours to brew the beer. Once it&#8217;s brewed, you can start drinking it about two weeks later. You can create all different kinds of beers, and you can even start inventing your own flavors while you&#8217;re at it. It&#8217;s extremely fun. (<a href="http://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=944859&amp;u=1363912&amp;m=68956&amp;urllink=&amp;afftrack=">Pico Brew</a>)</p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Muse Brain Sensor For Meditation</h2>
<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-111966 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Screenshot-at-Nov-20-13-58-40-265x300.png" alt="" width="265" height="300" /></p>
<p>Muse is a brain sensor that translates your brain patterns into natural sounds, like running water or wind, so you can meditate better. If the water is rushing, your mind is going too fast. If the water is barely moving, it&#8217;s calm. After you&#8217;re done meditating, an app on your phone will tell you how you did and what was going on with your brain while you meditated. It&#8217;s really cool. (<a href="http://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=635671&amp;u=1363912&amp;m=54749&amp;urllink=&amp;afftrack=">Muse</a>)</p>
<h2>Oculus Rift + Touch Virtual Reality System</h2>
<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-111970 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/dfbfgddhhdd2-278x300.png" alt="" width="278" height="300" /></p>
<p>The Oculus Rift is fun and very popular, and it&#8217;s only made more fun when you add in the Touch controllers. With Touch, you can use your hands to do things within the virtual reality world. Virtual reality is growing quickly, and this is the best set out there for joining in. You have to have a PC to use it, so you might want to consider buying <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Oculus-Touch-Virtual-Reality-System-pc/dp/B074Q6P1R7/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1511213452&amp;sr=8-1&amp;dpID=51eapOot%252BHL&amp;preST=_SX300_QL70_&amp;dpSrc=srch&amp;th=1&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=futurism0b-20&amp;linkId=49a541bca3c82578f98ea8258ff6812c">the bundle</a> if you don&#8217;t have one to save money. (<a href="http://amzn.to/2BhFXVE">Amazon</a>)</p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Biostrap Total Health</h2>
<p><img class="size-medium wp-image-111971 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gjghjgjg-277x300.png" alt="" width="277" height="300" /></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s one for the health nuts. The Biostrap Total Health is a device that you strap on that monitors your heart rate, your steps, your sleep, your workouts and more. If you want one device that can completely track your health and habits, this would be the one to get. It&#8217;s $250, so it&#8217;s not necessarily cheap, but it&#8217;s one of the best health monitors you can find. (<a href="https://shop.biostrap.com/products/biostrap-set?rfsn=647496.bb4e7&amp;utm_source=refersion&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=647496.bb4e7">Biostrap</a>)</p>
</div>


Something for yourself or for the techie in your life.

It's here. Check out Futurism's 2017 holiday gift guide

The holidays are here, and we've decided to come up with a gift guide that has some of the best tech you can buy for those you care about (or for yourself)

It's Here. Check Out Futurism's 2017 Holiday Gift Guide

The best tech you can get this holiday season.

It’s Here. Futurism’s 2017 Holiday Gift Guide

<p>Reddit was taken over by a robot Tuesday, but it&#8217;s not the kind of bot you&#8217;re thinking of. Anki, the robotics company behind the extremely popular and cute robot Cozmo, brought their little guy to Reddit. Cozmo is part of a six-hour &#8220;escape from Reddit&#8221; game that redditors have been able to participate in since 10:00am Pacific time.</p>
<p>Essentially, Cozmo is in real life environments that are based on subreddits. Those subreddits include r/ShowerThoughts, r/RarePuppers, r/Gaming, r/ShittyRobots, r/HailCorporate, r/WhatCouldGoWrong and r/MemeEconomy. For instance, the real life r/RarePuppers room is an actual room full of puppies. Redditors are being prompted throughout the day to vote on what room Cozmo should go to, what he should do in that room and more.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/38PiNcDZGnc?start=20&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>In order for Cozmo to escape, he will have to get three &#8220;cube keys.&#8221; These keys can be obtained by accomplishing certain goals within the game. Cozmo will be earning karma points throughout the game as he explores different rooms and does different things, which will also help him get those keys.</p>
<p>&#8220;Reddit is a community that really embraces technology and gaming. It&#8217;s one of the largest and most visited websites in the world,&#8221; Craig Rechenmacher, chief marketing officer at Anki, told Futurism. &#8220;In some ways Reddit is the only place you could do this, because that community is so engaged.&#8221;</p>
<p>The creative technology agency Wieden+Kennedy Lodge and Anki formed to make this game spent three months on it and amassed an incredible amount of expert knowledge. Reddit is excited about hosting this game on Tuesday, and people from within the company claim it&#8217;s the largest game of this kind Reddit has ever attempted.</p>
<p>One thing we&#8217;re sure will be hilarious is that Cozmo will actually have his own &#8220;shower thoughts&#8221; while he&#8217;s in r/ShowerThoughts, because the engineering director at W+K Lodge helped create a machine learning technology that uploaded hundreds of thousands of Reddit Shower Thoughts into Cozmo&#8217;s brain so he could learn from them and form his own.</p>
<p>“This campaign marks a first for Reddit and our brand strategy team,” said Zubair Jandali, vice president of sales at Reddit. “Not only is it the largest-scale campaign built entirely around the Reddit community, it’s also the single, most creative brand activation we’ve had a chance to work on. It’s been incredible to watch this concept come to life over the past several months, and I can’t wait to see how our users respond.”</p>
<p>This also marks the first time any team has ever tried to create a physical manifestation of Reddit, so it appears Reddit is finally going 3D after all these years.</p>
<p>“It’s the first physical manifestation of the Reddit community, and we knew that in order to get this right, we had to strike a balance between something both unique and familiar to Redditors. Most importantly, it&#8217;s a powerful demonstration of what&#8217;s possible for brands that embrace Reddit communities,&#8221; Joe Federer, senior brand strategist at Reddit, told Futurism.</p>
<div class="disclaimer"><em>Disclosure: This is a sponsored post paid for by Anki. Futurism editorial staff was not involved in the production of this post.</em></div>


Cozmo the robot is trying to escape from Reddit.

Reddit has been taken over by a robot

For the first time ever, a team tried to create a physical manifestation of Reddit. Now, a robot named Cozmo is taking it over.

Reddit Has Been Taken Over by a Robot, And You Can Vote on Its Fate

Cozmo the robot is stuck in Reddit and needs your help getting out.

Reddit Has Been Taken Over by a Robot

<h2>Enter the Ether</h2>
<p>At this point, you’re probably familiar with, or have at least heard of, <a href="https://futurism.com/want-to-learn-more-about-ethereum-ethereum-co-founder-explains-his-cryptocurrency/">Ethereum</a>. If you’re not, it is a quickly growing blockchain network. Many different things can be done using the Ethereum network, as it’s simply a platform for building any decentralized application (dApp), but it’s primarily being used to complete financial transactions of different kinds. However, it’s not just another way of sending money from one person to another person. It’s capable of far more than that.</p>
<p>As the New York Times explained in a<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/01/technology/what-is-ethereum.html"> <span style="font-weight: 400">recent article</span></a>, Ethereum is gaining the interest of many top companies because of the more complex transactions that can be done on the network.</p>
<p>&#8220;Let’s say two companies want to conduct a complicated financial transaction, like settling a stock option. Neither company trusts the other company to conduct the transaction on its computers,&#8221; the Times wrote. &#8220;Both companies could hire a third party, like a stock exchange, to conduct the transaction, which is what they generally do today. But that forces them to trust that third company and to pay that company fees. With Ethereum, they can conduct the transaction on a shared computer that allows them both to check the records, ideally saving on fees.&#8221;</p>
<p>That’s just one of many complex transactions Etheruem can be useful for, which is why industry leaders are paying attention to it and trying to find ways to utilize it. There have been many intriguing headlines since Ethereum started becoming more popular this year. “Blockchain Used to Sell Real Estate For the First Time,” a recent<a href="http://www.newsweek.com/blockchain-sell-real-estate-first-time-ethereum-682982"> Newsweek headline</a> reads. “Ethereum First: Investment Product Opens for Trading on Nasdaq Exchange,” reads a<a href="https://www.coindesk.com/ethereum-first-investment-product-opens-trading-nasdaq-exchange/"> CoinDesk headline</a>. DJ Khaled is even<a href="http://fortune.com/2017/09/28/ethereum-bitcoin-cryptocurrency-ico-dj-khaled/"> on the Ethereum train</a></p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Clw-qf1sUZg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Discuss Ethereum at this upcoming event</h2>
<p>With how quickly things are changing in the Ethereum world, it’s obviously difficult to keep up. One interesting event where people can learn about where Ethereum stands and where it’s heading is <a href="https://etherealsummit.com/">Ethereal SF</a>. It’s a conference that will feature leading experts on Ethereum and also people like renowned futurist Peter Diamandis. It takes place October 27 at the Terra Gallery in San Francisco. Many are calling it the &#8220;SXSW of blockchain,” as it will also feature art installations, virtual reality experiences and more.</p>
<p>&#8220;Ethereal is a nexus for leaders in decentralizing technologies like Ethereum to come together with entrepreneurs, developers, and futurists to decide together how we want to build the next generation of the Internet &#8211; the next generation of our reality,&#8221; Amanda Gutterman, a co-creator of Ethereal and ConsenSys chief marketing officer, told Futurism. &#8220;We are on the verge of sweeping, global change, ushered in by the evolution of exponential technologies like blockchain. As one of the largest and fastest growing companies in the blockchain space, focused on building software on the Ethereum platform, ConsenSys is proud to play host to these important conversations at Ethereal and beyond.&#8221;</p>
<p>Leading up to this conference, there was a hackathon at UC Berkeley from October 21-22. The hackathon focused on &#8220;designing and building a blockchain-based governance system that takes advantage of Ethereum&#8217;s unique platform of identity, voting and asset transfer systems,&#8221; according to the<a href="https://etherealsummit.com/hackathon/">Ethereal website</a></p>
<p>Ethereal is being hosted by ConsenSys, which is a production studio that builds applications for blockchain networks. ConsenSys has been leading the way in the Ethereum world for nearly three years.</p>
<p>&#8220;At Ethereal we speak about building the Web 3.0, about harnessing blockchain technology to improve how our world works,&#8221; Gutterman said. &#8220;The Ethereal Hacakthon at UC Berekely was an opportunity to bring students and professionals together to design solutions in real life, today, on the powerful blockchain platform afforded by Ethereum.&#8221; She said she believes ConsenSys and its partners are “uniquely positioned” to guide those breaking into Ethereum.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in Ethereum or just like hearing the latest innovators talk about the future, come join us at Ethereal. There will be plenty there to keep you busy.</p>
<div class="disclaimer"><em>Disclosure: Futurism is an official media partner of Ethereal and is receiving press passes to the event.</em></div>


And there's a conference called Ethereal coming up to discuss it.

Ethereum Has Had an Incredible Year So Far

And there's a conference approaching called Ethereal to discuss Ethereum's rise.

/Author

Thor Benson

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