This $100 handheld device could save your life

Heart disease accounts for one in four deaths in the U.S., but early detection "too often relies upon dumb luck," said Tim Moynihan in Wired. Kardia, a $100 electrocardiogram machine about the size of two sticks of gum, allows at-risk patients to monitor their ticker without bulky equipment or frequent doctor’s visits. Patients press their fingers to the device for 30 seconds and a medical-grade EKG reading is transmitted to their smartphone and to AliveCor, the startup behind Kardia.

The company uses artificial intelligence to analyze that data and build a profile of the user’s heart. If it detects possible signs of heart disease, AliveCor alerts the patient’s doctor to take a closer look. Eventually, Kardia technology could be built into smartwatches and other wearables, like sensor-laden clothing. "When that happens, checking your heart could be as easy as checking your temperature."

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