Nothing’s more soul-sucking than being stuck behind a computer all day, but a new gadget aims to bring the “wellness benefits of sunlight indoors.” It’s called the SunBooster, from Amsterdam-based SunLED Life Science, and I got to check it out at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
The device resembles a webcam that you attach to the top of your monitor or laptop, and plug in via a USB-C connection. As you hack away at your work, the SunBooster projects near-infrared light toward your face and neck, which is designed to stimulate energy production in your cells and help uplift your mood, according to the company.
I didn’t get the chance to verify those claims as I hopped around the busy MWC conference hall — for once I wasn’t sitting in front of a computer. But if the SunBooster is effective, it could help anyone who either doesn’t have time to get their daily dose of sun during a busy workday, or who lives in an area where there isn’t much light during certain seasons.
Despite living in sunny California, there are many workdays I don’t get the chance to step outside and enjoy the sunshine, and I can definitely feel the difference in my mood. I’m curious if a product like this could help mitigate that, though I’m not sure there’s any true replacement for the soul-satisfying, old-fashioned walk around the block.
The SunBooster is already available in the Netherlands. It launches in the Nordics in March and in the US in April, where it’ll cost $249. It’ll come to the UK, France and Germany in the coming months.
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