Estelle Yang presented Birdfy, a smart bird feeder that captures bird activity and identifies species, raising over $400,000 to support both society and nature, contributing to causes such as bird conservation, social welfare programs including elderly care centers, educational birding initiatives, and accessibility-focused networks like Birdability that help people with disabilities enjoy birdwatching.

Takafumi Kawano showcased yoctoMat, an IoT yoga mat with pressure sensors, enhancing yoga practice and reducing injuries.

Yutaka Umetsu introduced ossist, a device that assists in pushing wheelchairs, designed to improve caregiver experience and prevent injuries.

Discussions included potential applications and future developments for these products.

The meeting also highlighted the importance of market research and user insights, especially in foreign markets like Japan.

Recorded on June 5, 2025, this episode is part of our CES Highlights as well as our Japan Series. Speakers are listed in their order of appearance.

Estelle (SiMian) Yang, Brand Manager and Public Relations for Birdfy, a Netvue brand

Takafumi Kawano, CEO and Founder, yocto - yoctoMat

Yutaka Umetsu, Founder, The Way Design, home of ossist!

Article about Birdfy:
Birdfy 4-29-25 NY Times Wirecutter declared Best Smart Bird Feeder by Rachel Cerciola

Articles about yoctoMat:
Captured on the Yocto website their press summary

CNET CES 2025 wellness roundup with yoctoMat mentioned

Article About The Way Design LLC ossist!:
Toyota Mobility Foundation 10-16-24 - English

BoomerTechTalk.com episode page with additional articles about these three products.

LinkedIn Show Post with carousel of photos of our speakers and products.

Co-Hosts: Linda Sherman and Debbie Howard

We continue to record new Rethinking Aging Club podcasts live on Thursdays. How to join live.

Please follow both of our podcasts including News for the Ages by Rethinking Aging Club.

We are catching up with publishing historical Rethinking Aging Club podcasts, and hope to be current by the end of August 2025.

New episodes on both of our podcasts are usually published the day after they are recorded.

Music: Solemnity written and performed by Richard Sherman

This episode focused on social isolation and connections. Victor Wang introduced Friendi.fi (pronounced “friendify”) a platform using AI to combat loneliness among older adults, highlighting its success in PACE programs and its mission to scale to millions. Friendi.fi was a spin-out from Care.Coach, Victor’s first startup.

Fernando Dellepiane shared Vermut’s marketplace of activities for older adults, illustrating its success in Spain, partnerships with healthcare companies and plans for expansion into the US.

Christian Ross discussed Happy Talks, a service offering social phone calls and more to older adults to combat loneliness; with memberships ranging from $59 to $189 per month. Noting its impact on mental health and the importance of sentiment analysis and prevention of exploitation.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

Recorded on May 29, 2025, this episode is part of our Social Isolation Series. Speakers are listed in their order of appearance.

Victor Wang, Co-Founder, Friendi.fi; Chairman of the Board, care.coach; co-Founder AgeTech Las Vegas
Friendifi is an AgeTech Collaborative from AARP Portfolio Company

Fernando Dellepiane, CEO and Co-Founder, Vermut App
Vermut won the AgeTech Collaborative™ from AARP pitch competition at VIVE in 2025

Christian Ross, Founder, Happy Talks; AgeTech Atlanta company member, Atlanta Startup Village Co-Host

Resources:
Victor’s Friendi.fi presentation at the Spring 2025 Medicarians conference

Mary Furlong’s 3-5-25 What’s Next Living Longer Better Smarter Podcast with Fernando

Bob Kramer’s mid-May 2025 LinkedIn post on Social Isolation and Intergenerational Connections

We apologize for the technical difficulty with some of Victor Wang’s audio quality during the second half of this show.

BoomerTechTalk.com episode page with additional resources connected to our speakers.

LinkedIn Show Post with carousel of photos of our speakers and products

Co-Hosts: Linda Sherman and Debbie Howard

We continue to record new Rethinking Aging Club podcasts live on Thursdays. How to join live.

Please follow both of our podcasts including News for the Ages by Rethinking Aging Club.

New episodes on both of our podcasts are usually published the day after they are recorded.

Music: Solemnity written and performed by Richard Sherman

May is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month. Debbie Howard provided an introduction to the hearing topic. Bill Schiffmiller highlighted the shift from traditional hearing aids to more inclusive designs, emphasizing the importance of auditory accessibility. Andy Bellavia spoke about Auracast, hearing aid fashion and the impact of Apple's FDA-approved hearing aid software. Brian Maguire introduced Lexi Hearing's self-fitting over-the-counter hearing aids and Eargo's nearly invisible CIC models that scan for issues like ear wax. Alex Westner added some illuminating commentary.

The discussion also covered the role of technology in reducing stigma and improving accessibility, with a focus on early detection and personalized solutions. The panel emphasized the need for better communication tools and the potential of AI in enhancing hearing care.

Recorded on May 22, 2025, this episode is part of our Hearing and Speech Support as well as our CES Highlights Series (13th in 2025). Speakers are listed in their order of appearance.

Bill Schiffmiller, Founder & Chief Development Officer, Akoio;
Board Member Hearing, Speech & Deaf Center; Forbes columnist

Andrew Bellavia, Founder and consultant, AuraFuturity; Contributor and co-host Hearing Health Matters Website, This Week in Hearing Podcast

Brian Maguire, Chief Commercial Officer (Lead Commercial Growth, Revenue Generation and Performance Marketing for LXE Hearing Brands: Eargo, Lexie, HearX

Special guest comment
Alex Westner, co-Founder and CEO, Xander

Resources:
Bellavia: Forbes, Apple’s AirPods, 9-11-24

PC Magazine, Tiny Eargo 8 Hearing Aids Scan for Issues Messing with Sound Quality (Like Earwax) 5-13-25

Akoio Complementary Research and Guides including: How to Talk to Someone Who Has Hearing Loss, Questions You Should Ask Your Audiologist, Managing Your Soundscapes in the Workplace and more.

We spoke about Hearing Self-care on our 5-20-25 News for the Ages by Rethinking Aging Club podcast with Ray Gordon's AARP article.

BoomerTechTalk.com episode page with additional resources related to this show and our speakers.

LinkedIn Show Post with carousel of photos of our speakers and products

Co-Hosts: Linda Sherman, Debbie Howard and Steve Ewell

Music: Solemnity written and performed by Richard Sherman