Google will turn some of its offices into COVID-19 vaccination sites

Google will convert some of its facilities into COVID-19 vaccination sites starting in New York City, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Kirkland, Washington. Partnering with One Medical and public health authorities, it will open “buildings...

How the world went from no COVID vaccines to two in under a year

First identified in 1545, smallpox ravaged humanity for centuries, spreading rapidly from India through Europe and into the New World. Smallpox is estimated to have killed 300–500 million people in the 20th century alone. But thanks to an unprecedent...

Apple’s COVID-19 screening tool can anonymously share symptoms with the CDC

Apple’s COVID-19 screening tool now helps you contribute to the public good in addition to providing personalized advice. TechCrunch notes that Apple has updated both its iOS app and website with anonymous symptom and health info sharing with the CDC...

US blames China for hacks allegedly targeting COVID-19 research

It probably won’t surprise you to hear that state-backed hacking is still going on during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the US is reportedly convinced that one country is mounting a large campaign. Officials speaking to CNN claim they’ve seen a surge of...

This absolutely creative soap dispenser glows for 20 seconds while you wash your hands!

Creatives are always up to the task when it comes to enhancing lives. Whether it’s a tiny 3D printed component that creatively turns a scuba mask into a respirator or a series of shipping containers that can be attached to a hospital to innovatively extend its wards to accept more patients, there’s nothing more uplifting than a great idea that actually makes a difference… and the Lumo Soap Dispenser gets that distinction too.

Instead of singing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice every time you wash your hands (and possibly singing it a little too fast out of pure irritation), the Lumo Soap Dispenser bottle helps you time your hand-washes by simply lighting up for exactly 20 seconds every time you dispense some soap. The 20-second hand-washing routine has been prescribed by the CDC and the WHO as the most effective method of neutralizing any virus that may be on your hands. Health officials and scientists claim that 20 seconds is enough for you to thoroughly wash every single part of your hands and fingers, and for the soap you use to dissolve the layer of protein around the virus and kill it… the only problem is that it’s really easy to forget it as you wash your hands anywhere between 5 and 15 times in a single day, every day.

What the Lumo Soap Dispenser does (and I personally love that name) is quite simple. It provides a visual cue that lets you know when 20 seconds are over… like a traffic light, but for exterminating germs. Just pump some soap out and the plunger activates a light that stays steady for 20 full seconds. Each Lumo Soap Dispenser even comes with a sticker that guides you through the CDC-recommended hand washing routine. Once the light goes off, you know you’re good to rinse and go about the rest of your day!

The Lumo Soap Dispenser was designed by Brandon Bourn, a mechanical and electrical engineer who just wanted to help humanity in his own way while his girlfriend, an ICU nurse, fought on the front-line to stop the pandemic. He’s designed and optimized the product and even mobilized manufacturing right out of his garage. With a bit of luck, the Lumo Soap Dispenser should make it out of his home and into yours by June, so just bear with the fact that we’ll have to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to keep ourselves safe till then.

Designers: Brandon Bourn, Brian Bourn & Melanie Grubb

Click Here to Buy Now: $25. Hurry, less than 72 hours left!

Lumo – Soap Dispenser that Glows for 20 Seconds

The Lumo is a soap dispenser that glows for about 20 seconds of handwashing—the minimum time recommended by the CDC.

In the world of COVID-19, lathering up your hands the right way is more important than ever. A 20-second hand scrub is simple in theory. But let’s be real—sometimes we go through those a little faster than we should. And for even the most vigilant hand washers out there, that 20-second wash isn’t doing much for you if the people you live and work with—your family, significant others, roommates, coworkers—aren’t doing the same.

That’s where Lumo comes in. With Lumo, you’ll know that you are getting the perfect hand scrub every single time. The signature soap pump lights up for 20 seconds of hand-washing, and comes with a sticker for the bottle or mirror that describes and reminds about the 7 steps for a proper handwashing.

Washing your hands consistently and effectively is an essential first step to protecting yourself, and everyone around you. The above image is a UV light comparison of handwashing stages.

Click Here to Buy Now: $25. Hurry, less than 72 hours left!

Apple helped Stanford create a COVID-19 screening app for first responders

With some help from Apple, Stanford Medicine has built an iPhone app that connects first responders in California to COVID-19 testing. The university developed the software using Apple's ResearchKit and CareKit frameworks.  First Responder COVID-19 G...

US officials use mobile ad location data to study how COVID-19 spreads

The use of phone location tracking to keep tabs on COVID-19 is becoming increasingly common, and the US appears to be no exception. Wall Street Journal sources say federal (via the CDC), state and local governments have been receiving location data...

Alexa can tell you what to do if you think you have COVID-19

Amazon is joining Alphabet's Verily and Apple's Siri in offering a COVID-19 screening tool. If you're in the US, you can now ask your Alexa devices to assess your risk level for the disease, as well as what to do if you think you have COVID-19. Alexa...

Apple’s Siri helps Americans wondering if they have COVID-19

It's not just Alphabet's Verily offering a COVID-19 screening tool. Apple has quietly updated Siri in the US to provide a questionnaire (using US Public Health Service and CDC data) when they ask if they have the coronavirus. The voice assistant will...

Lasers and smart pills could eventually replace injections

While getting shots or blood work done isn't anyone's idea of fun, roughly 10 to 20 percent of American adults suffer from trypanophobia, the extreme fear of hypodermic needles and injections. This phobia can prevent people from partaking in routine...