LIFE WITH GADGETS

If squat thrusts and salads aren't your thing, maintain your health with these unusual technologies, like a combo glucose meter/gaming handheld and an MP3 player that sharpens your memory.

February is recognized as American Heart Month to help raise awareness of heart disease. The American Heart Association reports that an estimated 80.7 million American adults (that's one in three) have one or more types of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, or have suffered a stroke. In women, heart disease is the leading cause of deaths.
This is why it's extremely important to lead a healthy lifestyle, which means putting down that game controller or stepping away from the computer to eat a salad or do some squat thrusts. Yes, I know that doesn't sound like your type of fun, but you can stay healthy and geek out at the same time, my friends. Maintain and monitor your health while still getting your gadget fix with the help of these 10 unusual gadgets, from a combo glucose meter/gaming handheld to an MP3 player that sharpens your memory. They may be just what the doctor ordered.
SLIDESHOW:
Glucoboy
Checking your blood glucose level should be as entertaining as playing video games, right? At least, that's the idea behind the Glucoboy. This handheld blood glucose meter features a 10-second test time, 0.6 µL sample size, automatic shut-off, and 360-result memory. Even more interesting is its ability to provide access to two full-length video games and a mini-arcade when used with the Nintendo Game Boy Advance or Nintendo DS handheld. Here's how it works: to access the video games, the Glucoboy must be inserted into the cartridge slot of either gaming handheld. Then, your blood glucose test results are converted into what the company calls "Glucose Reward Points," which can be used to unlock games. The games included are Lost Star Saga and Knock 'Em Downs. Currently, Glucoboy is available in Australia for $299 ($260 USD), but the company is working to make it available worldwide.
MC Square
Don't have the sharpest memory? Then spend 15 minutes a day with the MC Square ($399)—an MP3 player-like device with goggles that claims to relieve stress, improve memory, and enhance concentration through light and sound. Developed by Daeyang E&C, the MC Square features six program modes with natural sounds like rain drops to soothe and relax your mind. Put on the earbuds and goggles, power the device, and you'll begin to see red lights flashing at your eyes. (Apparently, blood vessels in the eyelids pass red/orange light most efficiently, so that's why the company used red LEDs in the goggles.) The MC Square isn't just a stress-reducing device; it's also an MP3 player with 512MB of onboard flash memory and a mini SD card, as well as a digital voice recorder (30-hour capacity) and image and text viewer with a color OLED screen.

Now check out the rest of the products in our Top 10 Strangest Health Gadgets story, including The Xtensor, Eyesseuse Eye Spa, Crown7 Battery-Operated Smoking Device, kickTrak, InforMedix Med-eMonitor, ReliefBand, NuMetrex Heart Rate Monitor Clothing, and Soladey Ionic Toothbrush.