- The 90 Gem necklace measures UV rays in your surroundings
- It then provides personalized advice on how to stay safe
- The high-tech device is styled as a pendant necklace
It often doesn’t take much to burn your skin if you’re out in the sun, and even just a few minutes of exposure can do damage if you’re not properly protected. Instead of guessing the best course of action, a new wearable from The90 can help you know exactly what to do.
Called the Pearl, the product rather grandly describes itself as “The first personal sun intelligence system” that helps you “protect your skin’s future in real time.” Despite that, it looks like a simple pendant at first glance. Worn around the neck, it can easily be mistaken for a piece of jewelry to the untrained eye. But there is much more to it than that.
The head pendant is actually an ultraviolet (UV) light sensor that can measure the levels of both UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) that you are exposed to. It combines this with your personal skin profile, which covers your skin type, current clothing and whether you’ve already applied sunscreen.
When the device has all that, it can advise you when it’s time to apply more sunscreen, cover up with extra clothing, or get completely in the shade and out of the sun. It does this through the company’s companion app, which is available for free.
Actionable insight
Lots of weather apps provide data about UV rays in your local area, but the problem is that they will always be relatively inaccurate as they cover wide areas. A device like the Gem, on the other hand, can measure UV levels in your immediate vicinity, potentially giving you more accurate information.
And because it takes into account variable factors – such as your clothing and skin type – it may give you more valuable and actionable insight than something that just gives general advice.
Still, it has a few limitations. It only comes in one style, for one thing, and it may not appeal to everyone. When you have a device that doubles as a health tracker and a wearable necklace, offering only looks can be a risk.
On top of that, the Gem is priced at $299, making it a fairly expensive – and therefore rather niche – device. That is perhaps reflected by its positioning as a high-tech piece of jewelry rather than a simple UV tracker. Still, it can price more people than a simpler product would.
Despite all that, Gem has promise. Founded by a Fitbit/Google veteran and with lots of interesting ideas, it could definitely be one to watch.
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