AN ELDERLY ‘SOS’ GADGET TO BEAT THE BAND
Vodafone have announced some new wearable tech designed to help families keep an eye on the wellbeing of elderly or vulnerable family members. The V-SOS Band has a built in V-SIM card and can send messages to five designated contacts when it’s activated. The band’s SOS alert feature is activated by pressing a button for three seconds and the band will even indicate to the wearer when one of the designated contacts is on the way. A really useful feature is fall detection which uses a built-in formula and onboard accelerometer to signal if the wearer has had a fall. The user’s location is determined by GPS and the mobile network for increased accuracy to ensure contacts know exactly where to go if there’s an emergency. Another useful feature is the band’s ability to detect inactivity, and if it detects this the wearer’s designated contacts will receive a notification. The band is water resistant and can be worn in the shower or bath, and the battery will run for up to a month. The VSOS requires a subscription of €2.99 and has an RRP of €80 but is currently available for €40 as a Black Friday promotion.