Smart masks? Doorbells sensitive to fever? CES 2021 Tech promises Covid protection.

The $ 150 Connected AirPop Active + mask, which I’ve been testing for a few days, was officially announced this week at what can now only be called CPS – the Covid Protection Show. Goodbye, CES!

It had to happen. Every year, tech companies and entrepreneurs come to the Vegas tech show with new ideas on how gadgets can solve our everyday problems. The biggest difference this year? Everyone seems to be focused on the same problem. Well, everyone showed up via the web. The show is completely digital.

But I don’t put all of the Covid-19 prevention gear – from smart air purifiers to video doorbells with temperature measurement – in the same category as the smart fork (a real CES product that I’ve reviewed before) or the smart toothbrush (another real CES product that I reviewed once). This year’s devices aim to help us understand a very clear and present danger. Better yet, some are built to annihilate it.

Since the best part of CES is actually touching and feeling the gadgets (talk about germs!), I asked companies to ship some of them to the CPS 2021 showroom, that is – say in my basement. Here are some of my thoughts on what is worth and what is not.

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I wouldn’t buy the $ 150 AirPop Active +, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like it. Six years ago, company founder Chris Hosmer lived in China, where his young daughter suffered from acute respiratory reactions to noxious air. He set out to build a mask that responded to man-made, ecological and pathogenic threats – primarily pollution, forest fires and disease.

The quarter-sized doodad built into the front of the mask has sensors that capture data, temperature and humidity related to breathing. It connects via Bluetooth to your smartphone to tell you your respiratory rate, the amount of pollutants blocked, the air quality index and more. Since he knows how long you’ve been wearing the mask, he can also tell you when to change his filter. The snap-on mask filters are good for 40 hours of wear.

Even though I feel like a superhero every time I put on the mask, it’s too much data for me. I just want a good mask to protect myself – and others – from illness. (I also had a first buggy unit, but the replacement works fine.) If you’re interested, the mask starts shipping in February. Or you can get a “dumb” version – without a sensor – for $ 56 right now.

LG’s PuriCare portable air purifier, which looks like it came straight out of “The Dark Knight Rises,” goes one step further. In addition to a respiratory sensor, it has built-in ventilators, a HEPA filter and an air purification system to protect you. I haven’t tested it myself – so far it’s only available in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Iraq. It is coming soon to other countries.

I can recommend a cheaper connected mask that I have been testing for a few months. The $ 50 MaskFone, as I said in the WSJ Personal Tech 2020 gift guide, is nothing more than a Motorola Bluetooth headset draped through a mask, but it does talk on the phone while being masked a more pleasant experience. Plus, it’s perfect for running: the headphones stay on because they’re attached to the earrings.

Apple,

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it is worth noting, has a mask of its own which I also use. Except there’s nothing “smart” about it – it’s a simple white mask made of thick material with adjustable earrings. It is not for sale; it’s made for Apple employees.

Kill germs

“I’m sorry this column is late. My keyboard and mouse were being disinfected. Fortunately, my editor understands the importance of disinfection.

The Targus UV-C LED Desktop Disinfection Lamp, designed to sit between your monitor and keyboard, automatically turns on every hour, projecting UV light for five minutes to destroy bacteria, viruses, fungi or more. molds. That’s the time it takes to achieve a 99% reduction in those things, a Targus spokesperson said. Are you typing a very important email? Its motion-activated sensors will keep potentially harmful light off until you’re away from the keyboard. Sanitization doesn’t come cheap: Targus plans to sell it by April for $ 299.

The problem with testing any UV disinfectant, including those smartphone tanning beds? Your devices do not seem clean afterwards. (My keyboard still has what appears to be dried honey mustard on the “H” key. Don’t judge.) Basic science is proven, but you have to take the claims at face value.

What else needs a good cleaning? The air around your desk. Not my desk, of course – my desk air has a “good” rating, according to the $ 200 LG PuriCare Mini air purifier I use. I can turn on the device the size of a milk carton using my iPhone and get a report on the current air quality. It’s for your car or cabin, not your living room. It is available now.

Is LG Too Big For You? The Luft Duo, which its maker claims is the world’s smallest molecular purifier, is shorter than a can of soda. However, it does not connect to smartphones, so I have to access it to change the settings. Life is hard.

Temperature detection

Option 1? Park someone at your doorstep to take the temperatures, just like they do at my son’s school. (Bless you, Mrs. Laura!)

Option 2? Install the Plott Ettie, a video doorbell with an infrared thermometer. Much like a Ring Doorbell, it connects to an app so you can see who’s on your doormat. But unlike Ring, it also shows that person’s body temperature. The device, expected later this year for $ 300, is aimed at both individuals and businesses. The non-working prototype I borrowed looks cool but is definitely bigger than the other smart doorbells.

Just keep in mind that a fever is not a clear indicator of Covid. “Temperature is essentially worthless no matter how you measure it,” says Dr. Eric Topol, cardiologist and executive vice president of Scripps Research. As he explained in my column a few months ago, most people diagnosed with Covid-19 don’t have high temperatures and you can spread the virus long before you have a fever.

A gadget that Dr. Topol doesn’t think is worthless? The BioIntelliSense BioButton, an FDA approved medical grade wearable patch that continuously tracks temperature, respiratory rate, sleep, and heart rate.

On “display” at CES this week, the patch can be used to spot symptoms of Covid-19 – perhaps even early. Originally developed to monitor patients in various configurable ways, it has a battery life of 30 to 90 days. I tested a similar fix for a video on using wearable devices, including smartwatches, to spot or diagnose Covid-19. Unlike a mask or disinfectant, this type of gadget doesn’t stop germs from reaching you, but early detection of Covid could do even more to slow the spread to others.

BioIntelliSense works with different companies, organizations and countries – for example, Saint Lucia, which will require that all visitors wear a BioButton one week before their arrival. It will go on sale to the general public next week for around $ 60.

There’s really only one problem with a gadget like this: Since you’re wearing it under your clothes, no one will know you’re a Covid tough guy.

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Write to Joanna Stern at [email protected]