Tech Trends

A look into the latest dental and general technology on the market

Zogo (Free, Zogo Inc.)

With the struggles of economic uncertainty today, financial literacy has become a critical issue especially among those who identify as millennial or Generation Z. Endless educational resources are available on this topic, including books, podcasts and seminars, yet very few are created specifically for digital-native audiences. Zogo is an app that presents financial information through a learning experience targeted for the internet generation, but it is also fun and rewarding for all users. Zogo is free because of partnerships with over 200 financial institutions and requires a name, email address and mobile phone number to sign up.

The app takes the user through a series of modules, and each contains a small lesson with learning objectives that are easy to accomplish in a few minutes. At the conclusion of every module, users take a small quiz on the content they just learned. Every correct answer is rewarded with pineapples, which is the currency the app uses to keep score. Every incorrect answer takes away hearts, which is equivalent to the number of lives when playing a game. Users start their journey with five hearts that regenerate every four hours. When the number of hearts is depleted, users cannot progress through the modules until their hearts are replenished. Users can redeem their pineapples in the marketplace for rewards that include $5 gift cards to major retailers, donations to charities, cryptocurrencies or various offers for other products or services. Users can learn at their own pace, earning experience points, or XP, to unlock higher levels.

The model of getting paid to learn is extremely popular among younger generations and is a refreshing approach to learning about finance for those who need it the most. With looming fears of an economic recession in the forecast, everyone can benefit from helpful financial advice and knowledge. Zogo provides a gamified experience for future generations to help them acquire financial literacy and be empowered to secure their own economic futures.

— Hubert Chan, DDS

Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug2: Metallic Edition ($179.95, Ember)

A heated mug sounds like an unnecessary luxury item. There are innumerable, well-tested and affordable options to keep beverages hot including thermoses, heated coasters and insulated mugs. Most people would point out, “Just drink your coffee/tea/hot chocolate faster!” Why would anyone ever entertain spending over $150 on a Bluetooth-connected, rechargeable, app-controlled, fragile, handwash-only smart mug that requires users to download software to keep it up to date? The Ember Mug2 is undeniably “extra,” but it needs to be “extra” to solve a simple problem: keeping a hot beverage at a consistent temperature from start to finish without hampering or adding steps to the drinking experience. The 14-ounce Ember Mug2 comes with a mug, coaster and power supply (we sampled the copper version). The mug contains a battery that keeps its contents warm for up to 80 minutes and a large power button on its underside. Its finish is fragile and scratched by metal utensils, so wooden or plastic spoons are recommended by the manufacturer. The coaster is a charging station, and innumerable online reviewers have emphasized the importance of keeping this item completely dry lest the charging pins be shorted from any moisture. An app controls the mug’s temperature, which can be set between 120 F and 145 F. When on its coaster, the mug can keep drinks at the selected temperature indefinitely.

The Ember Mug2 also has a built-in accelerometer that senses when it has not been picked up for more than two hours and shuts down the device. All this technology is mobilized to make the drinking experience perfect: Users put a hot beverage into the mug and enjoy at their own pace. No hot cups to burn hands, no lids to flip open, no thermos to prewarm, no extra gadgets to use or clean, and when users are done, they simply leave the mug on the charging coaster. The Ember Mug2 is an unnecessary luxury item, but for any practitioner who has ever been interrupted while drinking their coffee and been disappointed to come back to a cold cup, it solves this problem.

— Alexander Lee, DMD