Skip to main content

Clever new wearable stops you from becoming a hunchback while you stare at your phone

eyeforcer enforces good posture on device users eyeforcer01
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Do you, like many other smartphone and gadget users, find yourself spending far too much time slouched over with your neck bowed? We do too, and while there are a lot of things you can try to do to correct that, it’s even more important to make sure our children aren’t doing it. That’s what the Eyeforcer wants to make easier than ever, by giving them a stark reminder to sit up straight.

No we aren’t suggesting they get a rap on the knuckles every time they slouch down like some of our grandparents did — we have a more technologically minded solution: the EyeForcer.

How to use the EyeForcer

The EyeForcer is a smart wearable that is worn like a pair of glasses, but this eyewear has no lenses, nor even a complete frame. Its purpose is to detect the position of the wearer’s head, while being connected to the device they’re using. If that gaze dips down and the head follows, off goes the screen.

Recommended Videos

Related: In a slump? This smart stool improves your posture

Please enable Javascript to view this content

You can make the app a little more forgiving than that if you like — that’s your prerogative as a parent — offering warnings instead of it turning off automatically. Trials show that might even be the better method, since it encourages users to keep correcting their own posture to continue playing, rather than punishing them for not listening.

It’s important to get this right too, as poor posture can lead to a lot of medical conditions down the road.

So how much does this little pair of non-glasses cost? $120 at the Kickstarter price, which we’re told represents a 30-percent discount. There are higher value pledges available, but all of them just give you more pairs of the Enforcer at the same discount level.

There’s no benefit to buying more than one pair in terms of the price. Still, the idea of a “classroom” package does suggest that perhaps as technology enters the classroom, schools should consider this sort of technology to make sure the use of electronics doesn’t have a negative impact on the health of their students.

The EyeForcer is slated to begin shipping in November 2016, though as with all Kickstarter campaigns, this date may slip as many have in the past.

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is a freelance evergreen writer and occasional section coordinator, covering how to guides, best-of lists, and…
Best Cyber Monday Deals 2022: Laptops, TVs, AirPods, and more
Best Cyber Monday Deals 2022

Cyber Week is here! With some truly epic deals out there, this is the best time of year to buy a new tech gadget. If you slept through the Black Friday sales, then the Cyber Monday sales, you better grab what you need during this week of slowly diminishing deals. From tablets to air fryers, laptops to smartwatches, we've rounded up the best Cyber Monday deals across a range of categories, and you'll find them all below.
Cyber Monday sales: Quick links

Amazon: Huge discounts on laptops, Echo devices, and tablets
Best Buy: Your destination for sales on super-sized TVs
Dell: Unbeatable discounts on gaming laptops, monitors, and more
Gamestop: Cheap video games, console accessories and monitors
HP: Gaming PCs, laptops, monitors, and printers from $129
Kohl's: Home decor, clothing and kitchen appliance steals
Lowe’s: Up to 60% off appliances like refrigerators and decor
Staples: Save big on laptops, home office hardware and supplies
Target: Tons of cheap kitchen appliances and stocking-fillers
Walmart: Great for laptops, and is restocking PS5 and Xbox Series X

Read more
Best Cyber Monday Smartwatch Deals: Apple Watch, Fitbit, Galaxy Watch
Best Cyber Monday Smartwatch Deals

Cyber Monday may be over, but the best Cyber Monday deals have still stuck around. Some of the other deals we've seen  have sold out fast over the weekend, so if you spot something you like below, snap it up fast. We've rounded up some of the best Cyber Monday smartwatch deals on brands like Samsung, Fitbit, and Garmin. We've even collected some Apple deals, but if you want to read about them specifically, be sure to check out our list of the best Cyber Monday Apple Watch deals.
Best Cyber Monday Smartwatch Deals
Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS) -- $149, was $279

When the first-generation Apple Watch SE was released in 2020, we described it as the best Apple Watch for most people. While a lot of things have changed since then, including the launch of the second-generation Apple Watch SE, the original budget Apple Watch remains a worthwhile purchase in the Cyber Monday smartwatch deals for iPhone owners who want to try what it's like to own a wearable device. The smartwatch offers comprehensive health-tracking features and responsive performance, while also providing you with notifications from your iPhone.

Read more
Digital Trends’ Top Tech of CES 2023 Awards
Best of CES 2023 Awards Our Top Tech from the Show Feature

Let there be no doubt: CES isn’t just alive in 2023; it’s thriving. Take one glance at the taxi gridlock outside the Las Vegas Convention Center and it’s evident that two quiet COVID years didn’t kill the world’s desire for an overcrowded in-person tech extravaganza -- they just built up a ravenous demand.

From VR to AI, eVTOLs and QD-OLED, the acronyms were flying and fresh technologies populated every corner of the show floor, and even the parking lot. So naturally, we poked, prodded, and tried on everything we could. They weren’t all revolutionary. But they didn’t have to be. We’ve watched enough waves of “game-changing” technologies that never quite arrive to know that sometimes it’s the little tweaks that really count.

Read more