LAS VEGAS -- Tech for babies is having a moment. There are smart onesies, toys designed teach toddlers to code and even web-connected diapers that alert parents when there's a new, um, download.
While it's easy to argue some things are better the old fashioned way, the high-tech reboot that some traditional baby tools are getting can really make a difference. In some cases, the devices have some pretty great use cases for adults, too.
French company Withings has launched WiFi-connected thermometer called the Thermo which is used by hovering over the skin. This will allow parents to take readings in the middle of the night without disturbing a sleeping baby. But in a demo for Mashable at the 2016 CES, it worked on our aging foreheads, too.
The device requires you to find the temporal artery, which is relatively easy to do: it's found at both temples on the forehead. The temporal artery measurement is now considered most accurate and used by medical institutions -- and it's also less invasive and more hygienic.
Although there are other temporal thermometers such as BeWell and Exergen on the market, the Thermo is the first Wi-Fi connected option that doesn't require you to have a smartphone handy at the time of readings (it'll display the temperature directly on the LED display). The Thermo glows green for normal, orange for moderate and red for a fever. Baked into the thermometer are 16 infrared sensors that can quickly locate and measure emitted heat and compare it to the ambient temperature.
It then collects that data and feeds it directly to a corresponding app. Readings are then logged, so parents can note changes in temperature over time (and show it to a doctor, if necessary).
The Thermo thermometer will cost $99.95 when it launches later this quarter.