iPhone

A new study testing smartphone night modes that eliminate blue light wavelengths is suggesting they make no difference to overall sleep outcomes and the only way to improve sleep at all is to completely abstain from screen use before going to bed.

​It was just last year that we heard about how scientists from Michigan State University had developed a smartphone case/app combo that could measure users' blood pressure. Now, they've created an app that does the job using nothing but an unadorned iPhone.

The immense power of smartphones is enabling clever engineers to develop a myriad of portable technological devices that, until now, were expensive and large. The latest innovation is called the Butterfly iQ, a small ultrasound device that can display clear black-and-white pictures on an iPhone.

​Bats are cool creatures, but they're not always the easiest things to see. If you've got the right equipment, however, you can detect their ultrasonic echolocation calls. Well, the Echo Meter Touch 2 is claimed to be the "right equipment" … and it works with your iPhone.

​​If a couple is having difficulty conceiving a child, it's important that the man get a motility test done. The problem is, a lot of guys feel awkward about going to a clinic and "providing a sample" on-site. That's where the smartphone-based YO system comes in.

​Hyperspectral cameras allow people to "see the invisible." Unfortunately they also tend to be big and expensive, although researchers are working on making them smaller and cheaper. To that end, Finnish scientists recently succeeded in converting an iPhone camera into one.

​Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of arrhythmia and left unchecked, it can potentially cause strokes. Ordinarily, it's detected by hooking the patient up to an electrocardiogram (ECG). Now, however, an app has been developed that does the same job.

Visual impairment and blindness is an extremely widespread issue that affects an estimated 285 million people across the globe. oDocs Eye Care is hoping to put a dent in those numbers, producing low-cost, portable eye examination accessories designed to harness the power of the iPhone.

Although blind people are generally capable of going about things unaided, there are times when seeing something is a necessity. A new mobile app aims to help the blind in those situations. Be My Eyes connects individuals in need of visual assistance with sighted volunteers via a video call.

Of all the reasons that children are taken to the pediatrician, ear infections are among the most common. That's why CellScope created the Oto HOME. It's a smartphone attachment that lets parents image the inside of their child's ear, and then show the video to a pediatrician via the internet.

SVOne is an add-on that turns an iPhone into a portable eye test lab. Developed by Smart Vision Labs, it is low cost and could improve the lives of millions of people.

Azoi has announced the Wello, a US$200 smartphone case that measures blood pressure, ECG, heart rate, blood oxygen, temperature and lung function to a high level of accuracy. Wello is designed to enable anyone to track all their vital health data, and make informed lifestyle choices.