- The90 Gem Necklace measures UV rays in your environment
- He then gives personalized advice on how to stay safe
- The high-tech device is designed like a pendant necklace
It often doesn’t take much to burn your skin if you’re exposed to the sun, and even a few minutes of exposure can cause damage if you’re not properly protected. Instead of guessing about the best course of action, a new wearable device from The90 could help you know exactly what to do.
Dubbed the Gem, the product describes itself rather grandiosely as “the first personal solar intelligence system” that helps you “protect your skin’s future in real time.” Despite this, at first glance it looks like a simple pendant. Worn around the neck, it could easily be mistaken for jewelry to the untrained eye. But there is much more than that.
The main pendant is actually an ultraviolet (UV) light sensor that can measure the levels of UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) you are subjected to. It combines this with your personalized skin profile, which covers your skin type, current clothing and whether you’ve ever applied sunscreen.
Once the device has all of this, it can give you advice on when it’s time to apply more sunscreen, cover up with extra clothing, or move into the shade and out of the sun. It does this through the company’s companion app, available for free.
Actionable insights
Many weather apps provide UV data in your area, but the problem is that it will always be relatively inaccurate because it covers large areas. A device like the Gem, on the other hand, can measure UV levels in your direct vicinity, giving you potentially more accurate information.
And because it takes into account variable factors, like your clothing and skin type, it could give you more valuable and actionable information than just general advice.
However, it has some limitations. For one thing, there’s only one style, and it might not appeal to everyone. When you have a device that serves as both a health tracker and a wearable collar, it can be risky to only offer one appearance.
Additionally, the Gem is priced at $299, making it quite an expensive – and therefore quite specialized – device. This is perhaps reflected in its positioning as a high-tech piece of jewelry rather than a simple UV tracker. Still, it could cost more people more than a simpler product.
Despite all this, the Gem shows promise. Founded by a Fitbit/Google veteran and with lots of interesting ideas, it could definitely be one to watch.
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