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6 new tech products to help combat COVID-19

 

Life during the coronavirus can certainly be stressful. Many of us are still stuck at home, separated from familiar social routines. Some are returning to workplaces in states where case counts are rapidly rising. The anxieties can seem endless, but several companies are stepping up to the plate to take on our woes — creating new and amazing products designed to make our lives better (and safer) during the pandemic.

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Please be aware that due to COVID-19, product availability is always changing. Some of the items on this list may be on back-order.

iHealth No-Touch Forehead Thermometer

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If someone in your family has the virus, it’s a good idea to keep your distance from them as much as possible. But for those times when you need to step in to help someone take their temperature, particularly children, it’s good to have tech like iHealth’s No-Touch thermometer. The device uses a hybrid of three different thermal readings to indicate a person’s body temperature. Just aim the thermometer about an inch from a person’s forehead, then press the measurement button. When the reading is complete, the probe quietly vibrates (which is great for sleeping children), and the temperature reading is displayed on the probe’s LED screen. The No-Touch is powered by two AAA batteries, along with instructions and a one-year warranty.

TROPRO Touchless Soap Dispenser

Combining touch-free tech and sleek design, this soap pump by TROPRO is great for both the home and office. The pumping technology reacts to how closely your hand is placed to the dispenser. Hold it close for a little soap, or farther away for more. The simple two-button design handles both power and soap (or hand sanitizer) volume. Long-press to turn the dispenser on/off; when turned on, use short presses to adjust output. The leak-free casing means you won’t have to worry about shorting out the device and it will run on any brand of AAA batteries. Our only small criticism is that we wish the dispenser ran on its own rechargeable power.

Forno Anti-Touch Door Opener Tool

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It may not look like much, but this keychain-sized door opener can open several different types of door or drawer handles and knobs, and can be conveniently used for several other purposes. Press elevator buttons, grip and flush toilet handles, and interact with and power on/off certain devices. The gizmo is made of solid brass, so it won’t smash or crack if you accidentally drop it, and can be easily cleaned and sanitized with your preferred disinfectant. Even after the virus passes, it’ll be nice to have this little guy around. It’s also sweet that for under $20, you get four of them.

59s UV Light Sanitizer Wand

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This portable disinfectant-wand is great for on-the-go sanitizing, thanks to a series of ultra-powerful UV-C LED lights. Use it to disinfect your phone and other mobile tech, sofas, beds, and many other surfaces. To use, just unfold and scan the wand back-and-forth over the surface you’re trying to disinfect. Shoot for five to 10 swipes at about an inch away. That’s all there is to it. After about three minutes, the wand will power down (or you can press the scan button to manually end the cycle). The auto shut-off function will engage if the wand is accidentally turned over or re-folded during disinfection, and thanks to the built-in rechargeable battery, you won’t have to worry about power when you’re traveling.

GoZone Wi-Fi Touchless Menu™

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Right now, it’s crucial for re-opening businesses to minimize or eliminate touch-heavy items like physical menus. Fortunately, there’s a product designed for just that purpose. From the folks at GoZone Wi-Fi (a network analytics firm), Touchless Menu is a combination of hardware and software for both restaurant owners and their returning guests. How it all works is quite simple, but extremely effective: GoZone provides restaurant owners with a pre-configured Wi-Fi router that connects to their existing network-gear. After restaurant owners upload their menu to GoZone’s servers, the GoZone router creates its own Wi-Fi network that guests can connect to with their mobile devices. When guests launch their web browsers, the menu will automatically be displayed on their device. Demos of the product suite (as well as add-ons for other GoZone services) are available over on GoZone’s site.

Fitbit Ready for Work Dashboard

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It can be tough to decide whether or not you should return to work, especially if your state is in the middle of a virus peak. Fortunately, the minds at Fitbit have designed a new application for employers and their workforces. Once the service is purchased and activated, employees can download the Ready for Work app on their mobile device. Each day, the app walks the employee through a check-list of symptoms, and also allows them to input temperature and heart-rate readings, as well as symptom tracking. Many of these readings are synced to the app from actual Fitbit devices, whether employer-provided or personally owned. Based on the employee’s data, the app will then offer guidance on whether or not the employee should go into work that day. The app also offers various wellness services, such as positivity coaching and mobile co-op games for estranged office buddies.

For business owners, the Ready for Work dashboard lets the employer know whether or not employees are willing to return to work, as well as monitor to see if there is any history of COVID-19 symptoms on their team.

Michael Bizzaco
Former AV Contributor
Michael Bizzaco has been selling, installing, and talking about TVs, soundbars, streaming devices, and all things smart home…
Zoox recalls robotaxis after Las Vegas crash, citing software fix
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Amazon's self-driving vehicle unit, Zoox, has issued a voluntary safety recall after one of its autonomous vehicles was involved in a minor collision in Las Vegas. The incident, which occurred in April 2025, led the company to investigate and identify a software issue affecting how the robotaxi anticipates another vehicle’s path.
The recall, affecting 270 Zoox-built vehicles, was formally filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Zoox said the issue has already been addressed through a software update that was remotely deployed to its fleet.
Zoox’s robotaxis, which operate without driving controls like a steering wheel or pedals, are part of Amazon’s entry into the autonomous driving space. According to Zoox’s safety recall report, the vehicle failed to yield to oncoming traffic while making an unprotected left turn, leading to a low-speed collision with a regular passenger car. While damage was minor, the event raised flags about the system’s behavior in complex urban scenarios.
Establishing safety and reliability remain key factors in the deployment of the relatively new autonomous ride-hailing technology. Alphabet-owned Waymo continues to lead the sector in both safety and operational scale, with services active in multiple cities including Phoenix and San Francisco. But GM’s Cruise and Ford/VW-backed Argo AI were forced to abandon operations over the past few years.
Tesla is also expected to enter the robotaxi race with the launch of its own service in June 2025, leveraging its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. While FSD has faced heavy regulatory scrutiny through last year, safety regulations are expected to loosen under the Trump administration.
Zoox, which Amazon acquired in 2020, says it issued the recall voluntarily as part of its commitment to safety. “It’s essential that we remain transparent about our processes and the collective decisions we make,” the company said in a statement.

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Mitsubishi’s back in the EV game—with a new electric SUV coming in 2026
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Mitsubishi is officially jumping back into the U.S. electric vehicle scene—and this time, it’s not just dipping a toe. The company confirmed it will launch a brand-new battery-electric SUV in North America starting in summer 2026, marking its first fully electric model here since the quirky little i-MiEV left the stage back in 2017.
The new EV will be a compact crossover, and while Mitsubishi is keeping most of the juicy details under wraps, we do know it’ll be based on the same next-gen platform as the upcoming Nissan Leaf. That means it’ll ride on the CMF-EV architecture—the same one underpinning the Nissan Ariya—which supports ranges of up to 300+ miles. So yeah, this won’t be your average entry-level EV.
Designed in partnership with Nissan, the new model will be built in Japan and shipped over to U.S. shores. No word yet on pricing, battery size, or even a name, but Mitsubishi has made it clear this EV is just the beginning. As part of its “Momentum 2030” plan, the company promises a new or updated vehicle every year through the end of the decade, with four electric models rolling out by 2028. And yes, one of those might even be a pickup.
Mitsubishi says the goal is to give customers “flexible powertrain options,” which is marketing speak for: “We’ll have something for everyone.” So whether you're all-in on electric or still into gas or hybrid power, they're aiming to have you covered.
This mystery EV will eventually sit alongside Mitsubishi’s current U.S. lineup—the Outlander, Outlander PHEV, Eclipse Cross, and Outlander Sport—and help the brand move beyond its current under-the-radar status in the electric world.
In short: Mitsubishi’s finally getting serious about EVs, and if this new SUV lives up to its potential, it might just put the brand back on your radar.

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Toyota unveils 2026 bZ: A smarter, longer-range electric SUV
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Toyota is back in the electric SUV game with the 2026 bZ, a major refresh of its bZ4X that finally delivers on two of the biggest demands from EV drivers: more range and faster charging.
The headline news is the improved driving range. Toyota now estimates up to 314 miles on a single charge for the front-wheel-drive model with the larger 74.7-kWh battery—about 60 miles more than the outgoing bZ4X. All-wheel-drive variants also get a boost, with up to 288 miles of range depending on trim.
Charging speeds haven’t increased in terms of raw kilowatts (still capped at 150 kW for DC fast charging), but Toyota has significantly improved how long peak speeds are sustained. With preconditioning enabled—especially helpful in colder weather—the new bZ can charge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Also new: Plug and Charge support for automatic payment at compatible stations and full adoption of the North American Charging Standard (NACS), meaning access to Tesla Superchargers will be standard by 2026.
Under the hood, or rather the floor, Toyota has swapped in higher-performance silicon carbide components to improve efficiency and power delivery. The AWD version now produces up to 338 horsepower and sprints from 0–60 mph in a brisk 4.9 seconds.
Toyota didn’t stop at just the powertrain. The exterior has been cleaned up, with body-colored wheel arches replacing the black cladding, and a sleeker front fascia. Inside, a larger 14-inch touchscreen now houses climate controls, giving the dash a more refined and less cluttered appearance. There’s also more usable storage thanks to a redesigned center console.
With the 2026 bZ, Toyota seems to be responding directly to critiques of the bZ4X. It’s faster, more efficient, and more driver-friendly—finally bringing Toyota’s EV efforts up to speed.

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