iPhones Can Now Function as a Thermometer

A new app that checks for fever and temperature can now be plugged into iPhones, according to the Daily Mail.

The iPhone thermometer app checks not only the temperature of a person but also provides a thorough list of possible symptoms of fever. An actual thermometer device is to be attached to the phone's jack to read accurate temperatures that is then reflected on the phone's screen. Beyond checking temperatures, the iPhone thermometer app can also keep records of health concerns and provides a specialized 'illness forecast' that estimates the extent of a disease, how long will it take for the user to feel better and whether or not it is contagious. The app also comes with a 'what's going around' tab which allows users residing near each other to compare their symptoms and illnesses.

Founder of the device, Inder Singh, came up with the idea of creating the application after he fell ill with a lung infection. "After searching for clues about my mysterious symptoms, I found the internet 'void' of helpful information," Singh said. "Fever is an early sign of illness and I wanted to revolutionise the world's most common medical device," he added.

"We wanted to engage people who had just fallen ill in a conversation to give them the information they needed to get better faster and to collect information to map health. By using mobile devices intelligently, we are creating simpler, smarter, connected devices that will be available at or below the current cost of these products. We believe that products like our thermometer will become the norm eventually, he told eWeek. The company, Kinsa Health IT introduced their newest invention at the Demo Mobile 2013 conference and claimed that this venture is the first step in its mission to create a real-time map of community health.