By Chuck Larsen, SC Associate Publisher
The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week unveiled several new items of interest for islanders.
For the birders there’s a new tech birdhouse that not only photographs bird visitors, but also using artificial intelligence to identify the bird.
Bird Buddy is a smart feeder that takes snapshots of feathered friends and they come in to eat some bird seed.
Using a high-resolution camera, you get bird arrival notifications. Through the 
mobile app it can identify more than 1,000 species of birds so you know what kind of birds you’re feeding.
Described as a connection to nature, the device comes in blue or yellow, and has a solar roof to power the camera.
Options include a water fountain and suet ball holder.
For availability contact Mybirdbuddy.com
For pet lovers, there’s a fitness tracker collar that will relay medical information about your dog to keep him/her healthy.
The smart dog collar from Invoxia monitors pet’s activity and sleep, sending the data to your phone.
It does a vitals scan with Heartprint Technology, monitors activity, appetite and sleep. It uses real-time GPS tracking.
The color retails for $149 with a monthly subscription to the app that monitors the data. It can also share information with your veterinarian.
For availability contact Smartdogcollar.com.
Speaking of health….
The Whitings company out of the UK has provided a number of innovative home medical devices of the past few years.
They’ve created thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, sleep monitors, and scales that measure your weight and other vital body measurements.
This year they introduced a home device to test your urine.
The U-Scan fits inside the rime of your toilet seat and takes a measurement every time you go.
Just 90mm in diameter, this smart health lab sits within any toilet. It provides an immediate snapshot of the body’s balance by monitoring and detecting a large variety of biomarkers found in urine alongside actionable advice for health improvements.
Among others it will measure LH for precise menstrual cycle prediction and ovulation window, pH for protein-vegetable balance, specific gravity for fluid and water balance, and vitamin C level.
The app will keep a journal of results and provide health guidance based on the findings.
It then sends the results to your smart phone and you can share it with your doctor.
For availability contact Withings.com
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