GumPack wearable vitals monitor: the new MedicAlert bracelet?

It may not have the charm or good looks of, say, the uBOT-5, but a new wearable vital signs monitor could cut back on doctor's visits for the chronically ill. Produced by a Kansas State University student, the GumPack -- known as such for its size -- is a multi-sensor monitoring device that fits in the palm of your hand and relays vital stats to your doctor via the internet. Along with a built-in camera and microphone for record keeping, as well as WiFi capabilities for connectivity, the battery-powered GumPack will sport various sensors, like a reflectance pulse oximeter or a two-thumb ECG. The monitor is still in the concept stage, and will likely not be available for mass-market distribution for years -- if ever -- but with technology like this in the works, the "I've fallen and I can't get up" lady might as well start looking for a new gig.

Green Goose sensors monitor your life, you earn experience points (update)

We're pretty certain that once embedded wireless sensors catch on, they'll pervade every aspect of our lives, and Green Goose is building a microcosm of that eventuality in the form of a role-playing game. The five-person SF Bay Area startup has embedded custom 915MHz radios and MEMS accelerometers in a variety of tiny transmitters which you can mount to household objects -- like a water bottle, bicycle, or the toothbrush above -- which report back to the receiver with your actions and thereby increase your score. Brush your teeth on time, take your vitamins, or exercise repeatedly within a couple hundred feet of the receiver, and you'll eventually level up. (Or, optionally, muck with the sensor just right, and it'll register points anyhow.) Presently, that level isn't worth anything, but founder Brian Krejcarek says there are tentative plans to tie these points into a real game and an API to build the idea out, and he's presently looking for partner companies here at the Launch Conference in San Francisco to help roll out the sensors (which cost approximately $4 each) under branded marketing initiatives of some sort. If you don't want to wait, the company will sell starter kits starting February 28th for $24. Not bad for a head start on the future, right?

Update: VentureBeat reports that Green Goose raised $100,000 in funding at the conference. Another interesting note: ReadWriteWeb reports that the sensors were originally pitched as a money-saving tool.

Update 2: $100,000, not $100 million. Whoops.

Green Goose lifestyle sensors