3D-printed door latch now comes equipped with a functional PIN pad

Why it matters to you

3D-printed innovations like these may inspire the cheaper, simpler manufacturing of relatively complex devices.

You won’t find metamaterials in nature — in fact they may seem to defy its very laws. Consider the nanoscale wrinkles in wallpapers that can completely absorb sound. Or the light-bending particles that form the fabric of rudimentary invisibility cloaks. By experimenting with the shape, size, and arrangement of particles, engineers can create metamaterials that do seemingly impossible things.

Last September a team of researchers from Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam, Germany created 3D-printed objects with simple internal structures that could perform relatively complex functions. They called their door latches, pliers, and Jansen walkers “metamaterial mechanisms.”

“The field of metamaterials is an emerging and very interesting one,” Alexandra Ion, lead researcher and PhD student, told Digital Trends at the time. “Metamaterials can employ behavior that traditional materials cannot. We set out to explore this space and started by simply wondering if we can achieve, for example, rotation to implement a rotary knob.”

More: 3D-printed metamaterial ‘machines’ are greater than the sum of their parts

After developing a handle, Ion and her team realized that, by adding other cells through a custom metamaterial editing program that allows them to create rigid and shear blocks, they could attach a latch to their handle and create much more sophisticated systems.

This year they’ve added yet another feature: a PIN pad.

The PIN pad consists of a series of bistable springs, some of which are “locked” and other of which aren’t. By pressing the correct combination on the pad, the springs all switch to the unlocked position, allowing the handle and latch to turn.

“The goal of this work was to explore how we can create ‘materials that are machines’ at the same time,” Ion said of their metamaterial machines project.

Of course, these machines aren’t entirely practical. We certainly don’t recommend securing your home with them. Nonetheless, as Ion pointed out, the technology used to develop them could inspire cheaper and simpler manufacturing processes.

“These types of machines are very simple to fabricate, compared to the conventional manufacturing process of, for example, a door latch mechanism, which consists of many parts and requires assembly,” she said. “We envision that … doors can be 3D printed with the door latch mechanism already in place, in one single fabrication step.”

Huawei P11: Expect next year’s flagship at MWC 2018

Huawei will target February trade show for future flagship announcements, exec tells Android Central.

This year’s Huawei flagship announcement at Mobile World Congress in February came a couple months ahead of the usual launch window. The Huawei P10, which broke cover in Barcelona a week ago, landed well in advance of the April announcement events Huawei has hosted for the P9, P8, and previous models.

Bruce Lee, Huawei’s Vice President of Handsets Product Line, told us to expect future flagship launches in a similar cadence. Speaking exclusively to Android Central ahead of the P10 announcement in Barcelona, Lee said that the company had always tried to launch devices by March or April in order to kick off sales around the Easter period in Western Europe. Huawei wasn’t able to hit that mark with the P8 or P9 but did for the first time with this year’s P10.

“In the future, we will probably launch the devices at Mobile World Congress,” Lee told us through an interpreter.

Although Huawei’s standalone launch events — usually in London — have been well-attended in previous years, MWC allows the company to ride an even bigger wave of publicity, exposing its new products to journalists and others who may not have attended a separate press conference in another part of the world.

An earlier announcement, if it’s followed up by an earlier retail launch, would allow Huawei to get future flagships on store shelves around the same time — or perhaps even earlier — than its major Android rival in Europe, Samsung. And while there’s no guarantee that Huawei will hit this February target with future launches such as a P11 or P12, the timely arrival of the P10 is a good sign.

More: Huawei P10 hands-on

Best Dualshock 4 Controller Charging Docks

• Best Overall
• Best Third-party
• Best on a budget

Best Overall

PowerA DualShock 4 Controller Charging Station

See at Amazon

The PowerA DualShock 4 Controller Charging Station is the only officially licensed charging dock for your PlayStation 4 controllers. It works off of AC adapters to make it easy to plug your controllers in and get a charge without any additional hassle. With a design that makes it easy to plug in your controllers and one that doesn’t take up much room, this dock fits easily onto an entertainment system. From the design to the size, this dock makes it easy to keep your controllers charged and ready for you when it’s time to game.

Bottom line: The PowerA DualShock 4 Controller Charging Station is the officially licensed charge dock, which means it’s the dock that you can trust with the solemn duty of charging your controllers. Additionally, it’s a small dock that is easy to fit into even a crowded entertainment system.

One more thing: This charging dock can charge up to two DualShock 4 controllers at the same time.

Why the PowerA DualShock 4 Controller Charging Station is the best

PowerA DualShock 4 Controller Charging Station makes it easy to keep your controllers stored and charged for when you need them.

There are plenty of great reasons that this controller dock is the best, and they all combine to deliver an absolutely stellar product. The design means that you can slot your controllers directly down and into the cradle, which means that properly plugging your DualShock 4 controller in is a breeze. That same design also takes up as little room as possible. Since you may well already have an overcrowded entertainment center, this means that it won’t be taking up too much room. It’s designed so that you don’t have to think about what you’re doing; just drop your controller in and go about your day. While many other docks have a few more features, they don’t combine to form the excellent product that PowerA has delivered.

Best Third Party

Nyko Charge Base – PS4

See at Store

When it comes to third-party accessories, Nyko is well-known for delivering quality products that work exceedingly well. Its DualShock 4 charging dock is no exception to that either. The dock is small and easy to drop a controller into when it’s time to charge, and, like the official DualShock 4 Controller Dock, it can easily handle both of your controllers at the same time. It’s got a low profile design that you set your controller into when it’s time to charge, meaning that it’s easy to settle just about anywhere on your entertainment center. While it is a bit pricier than some of the other options, it does it job very well, so it’s worth it.

Bottom line: Nyko’s charge dock is easy to use, can hold two controllers at once, and has a low profile design that makes it easy to fit just about anywhere.

One more thing: When your controller is done charging, you’ll see an indicator light go out, letting you know that your controller is good to go for hours of gameplay.

Best on a budget

PDP Energizer 2X Charging Station for PlayStation 4

See at Amazon

When it comes to finding great accessories that fit into your budget, things can be a bit difficult. Thankfully, this controller port is both easy to use and affordable, even when you don’t have much money to spare. The PDP Energizer 2X Charging Station for PlayStation 4 can easily handle two controllers at once and lets you smoothly slot them into the charging port. Indicator lights will let you know that your controller has a proper connection for charging, which makes checking on your charge status at a glance an easy task. This charging station isn’t quite as sturdy as some of its competitors, but for just $20, it’s a solid purchase.

Bottom line: The Energizer 2x Charging Station delivers a great product without a steep price tag. It can charge two controllers at once, has convenient LED indicators, and is easy to fit in your crowded entertainment center.

One more thing: The indicator lights will shine red when charging and then switch to green when your controller is fully charged.

Conclusion

There are plenty of charging docks that are available for your DualShock 4 controllers, and, thankfully, many of them are fantastic at their jobs. While they often have similar features and functions, there are definitely some docks that work better than others. That’s why we recommend the PowerA DualShock 4 Controller Charging Station. It offers all of the features that you might want, as well as a design that makes it easy to pop your controllers in and out of without any frustration. It’s affordable, easy to use, and the officially licensed PlayStation 4 charging dock for DualShock 4 Controllers. All of these things combine to deliver a stellar dock that can get the job done without any issues in the process.

Best Overall

PowerA DualShock 4 Controller Charging Station

See at Amazon

The PowerA DualShock 4 Controller Charging Station is the only officially licensed charging dock for your PlayStation 4 controllers. It works off of AC adapters to make it easy to plug your controllers in and get a charge without any additional hassle. With a design that makes it easy to plug in your controllers and one that doesn’t take up much room, this dock fits easily onto an entertainment system. From the design to the size, this dock makes it easy to keep your controllers charged and ready for you when it’s time to game.

Bottom line: The PowerA DualShock 4 Controller Charging Station is the officially licensed charge dock, which means it’s the dock that you can trust with the solemn duty of charging your controllers. Additionally, it’s a small dock that is easy to fit into even a crowded entertainment system.

One more thing: This charging dock can charge up to two DualShock 4 controllers at the same time.

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

See on Amazon

Become a programming wizard with this Python 3 Bootcamp Bundle

Our world is quickly becoming automated, and an increasingly large amount of code needs to be written. This means that coding professionals are in high demand, but the most successful need to have a wide range of knowledge. Where to start?

Grab a nine-course Python 3 bundle for only $41 Learn more

Python 3, the latest iteration of the popular Python language, is considered one of the best programming languages to learn first. The problem is, there’s a lot to learn and the courses are generally quite pricey.

Right now, however, Android Central Digital Offers has a great deal on a Python 3 bundle; you get nine courses and over 30 hours of content for only $41. That’s a huge drop from the regular price of $810.

This bundle includes everything you need to learn the basics, as well as the advanced techniques that will land you a solid job. You can take your time and work at your own pace, as access remains open forever. Included courses are:

• Learn Python 3 from Beginner to Advanced
• The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Django
• Python for Programmers
• Python Scrapy
• Python Scipy
• Python Numpy
• Learn iPython
• Python BeautifulSoup
• Python Object Oriented Programming Fundamentals

Become a Python 3 wizard with this amazing bundle! Learn more

If you’ve always dreamed of getting into the world of coding, whether as an interest or as a lucrative new career, there’s no better place to start than Python, and this bundle has everything you need. Don’t wait too long, this deal won’t last forever.

HTC’s big, shiny U Ultra is finally shipping

HTC’s oversized phablet took two months from pre-order to shipment, but it’s here. Is it worth buying?

HTC waited until a few days after CES this year to announce the enormous, shiny U Ultra, but since that January day we haven’t heard much about it. Now, the device is finally shipping to Americans who pre-ordered the 5.7-inch flagship for $749 when it first went up for pre-order.

Now, we know that this likely isn’t HTC’s only flagship for 2017 — we’re expecting a true successor to the HTC 10 sometime in April or May — but the U Ultra’s existence feels like it needs to be justified. It’s a big, shiny combination of metal and glass, and though it cranks the specs to 11, it lacks mainstay features like waterproofing, wireless charging, a big battery, and a headphone jack. Our friend MrMobile said it best:

If you’re going to spend that much money in 2017, you may as well drop an extra Jackson and get a Pixel XL.

What you get in its place is capital P phablet with what appears to be a great camera, a beautiful SuperLCD display, sufficient power to appease most hardware enthusiasts, and that love-it-or-hate-it shiny exterior. Oh, and a second screen lifted straight from LG’s V series.

At $749, with compatibility in the U.S. for just AT&T and T-Mobile, the U Ultra is going up against some serious competition, and even though it’s shipping over a month before the LG G6 and Galaxy S8, we wonder how much impact it’s going to have overall. We’ll have our full review in the coming days, though, so stay tuned for Andrew’s thoughts on the phone.

See at HTC

Edifier R1700BT Review: Beautiful Bluetooth speakers for your bookshelves

Edifier’s Bluetooth-enabled bookshelf speakers deliver crisp sound quality at a great value.

Finding the right speakers for your home or apartment can be difficult. There’re a lot of options out there, and you typically want to strike a balance between sound quality, cost, and functionality. I was in that exact position about a month ago and ended up buying a great pair of speakers from Edifier: the R1700BT 2.0 bookshelf speakers.

If you’re looking for moderately sized speakers that deliver big sound in a stylish package, these are absolutely your best bet. These 2.0 channel bookshelf speakers are fairly compact, with each speaker including a 19mm “Eagle Eye” dome tweeter and a 4-inch bass driver, which deliver warm and balanced sound from both wired and wireless connections. They come with a dual RCA to dual RCA audio cable, 3.5mm to dual RCA audio connecting cable, and a wireless remote.

I’m no audiophile, but for $150, these speakers deliver great sound. I’ve used them for a variety of purposes without hiccup. They’ve delivered great sound for a basic home theatre setup, served well as laptop speakers for my office, and have pumped out the jams for impromptu dance parties. The sound is balanced no matter what style of music you’re listening to — from soft acoustic ballads to the thumping bass from the latest Run The Jewels album. Watching Netflix and other media is equally satisfying.

Beyond the sound quality, I really enjoy Edifier’s look and design here. Featuring a beautiful walnut vinyl finish on the sides, Edifier has blended high-tech innards with a classy vintage look that you’ll want to show off to all of your friends. Everything here is smartly designed: On the right side of the right speaker, you’ll find a recessed panel housing the volume, treble, and bass controls, allowing you convenient access to those controls without impeding the overall aesthetic or stashing them on the back. The speakers are also built on a 10-degree upward slant, a subtle tweak that Edifier says helps better direct the sound toward your ears. And the fabric speaker grilles on the front can be removed if you prefer that look instead.

They’ve delivered great sound for a basic home theatre setup, served well as laptop speakers for my office, and have pumped out the jams for impromptu dance parties.

The wireless remote included with these speakers is serviceable, though easily the weakest part of the package. It feels somewhat cheap in hand and is susceptible to getting lost in a couch cushion, but it does offer volume control and allows you to switch audio sources between Bluetooth and line-in from the comfort of the couch.

Setting up your devices to connect to the speakers is easy. Beyond connecting your phone up for music, I definitely recommend these if you own an NVIDIA Shield TV. Pairing the console directly to the speakers wirelessly is seamless and cuts out the need for added wires behind your TV.

When you consider the sound quality, design, and price, these speakers are well worth your attention at $150. They come with a two-year warranty from Edifier, and I definitely feel like I’ll be using these regularly for all my media needs for years to come.

You can find these speakers on Amazon, but you might get a better deal on shipping by ordering directly from Edifier’s website.

See at Edifier

Google is now making its own podcasts, and the first one is really good

Google is getting into original podcasts, and you should listen.

I’m obsessed with podcasts. When I’m not writing or listening to music, I’m usually walking down the street with someone’s voice in my head (😱). And increasingly, podcasts are big business. Companies like Slate, Gimlet and even we here at Mobile Nations have made a pretty good dent in the universe with series that appeal to every type of person.

Well, after Spotify announced that it was getting into the original podcast business, Google has followed up with its first series, and it’s pretty darn good. Hosted by one of my favorite podcasters on earth, Hrishikesh Hirway, the series is called City Soundtracks, and it pairs great bands or artists and the cities that inspire them. The first three episodes are available now, and they range from R&B superstar Kehlani touring around her home town of Oakland, California, to (my favorite) Spoon giving Hirway the lowdown on Austin, Texas.

Hirway hosts two other notable podcasts, Song Exploder, which asks an artist to break down a song into its individual components, and The West Wing Weekly, where he goes through every episode with Joshua Malina, who played Will Bailey from season four until the series’ end in 2006.

It’s unclear what Google’s intentions are for its original podcast content; one show with three episodes isn’t likely to sway anyone to sign up for Play Music over Spotify (especially given Spotify’s considerable investment in its own original media), but it’s hopefully the beginning of a consistent output of worthy shows.

Google Play Music: The ultimate guide

How to manually set your IPD in PlayStation VR

How do I change my interpupillary distance in PSVR?

Unlike the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, PlayStation VR doesn’t have a slider or a dial on it that lets you physically set the interpupillary distance (IPD) in your headset. Instead, PSVR has software that takes a picture of your face and lets you move crosshairs onto your eyes. The rest is all handled automatically. Unfortunately, this process isn’t quite exact, and it might take you quite a few tries to actually get it right.

Why worry about IPD? If it isn’t right, your image can be blurry, resulting in eye strain and headaches. To get the perfect IPD and a perfect image, Reddit user Vlaid created a chart that shows how to manually (yet not physically) change the interpupillary distance in PlayStation VR. It works great and is much more precise than relying on the software.

Read more at VR Heads!

Best Solar Chargers for Your Phone

What’s the best solar charger for my phone? Wait, there are solar chargers for my phone?!

Our yellow Sun is what gives Superman his powers, so of course it can also keep your phone charged while you’re on the go! It’s almost weird, right? Using nature to keep technology working. What a beautiful melding of the old and the new! If you can’t find an outlet (because you’re camping or whatever) then grab a solar charger and take advantage of the biggest battery Earth has!

Note: Yes, the Sun is powerful. No, the Sun will not charge a solar battery bank/charger or your phone as quickly as a wall outlet. You will have to be patient with these.

• Anker PowerPort Solar Lite
• Dizaul
• Voltaic Systems Amp
• Ayyie

Anker PowerPort Solar Lite

The Wirecutter’s top choice for best battery bank also belongs at the top of our list. Anker makes excellent charging products and the PowerPort Solar Lite fits in well. This 15W charger is very thin (0.7 inches folded or 0.2 open) and lightweight (12.5 ounces), making it perfect for long treks where lightening your load is imperative.

This solar charger is so efficient that you can charge two devices simultaneously, and it can charge at up to 2.1 amps in direct sunlight, making it about as fast as regular chargers under ideal conditions. Without an actual battery, you don’t have to wait for the PowerPort to charge up — just grab it and hit the trails.

See at Amazon

Dizaul

Diuzaul’s solar charger is one of Amazon’s best sellers and 73% of its reviews are 5 stars. Its size makes it ideal for camping or hiking, and it’s waterproof, so if you’re traversing waterfalls, you won’t kill it. The 5,000mAh battery is handy just in case you have to hide from a bear in a cave (worst place to hide, by the way) — just don’t expect it to charge quickly. By opting for a smaller solar charger, you do compromise on the size of its solar panels, meaning it’ll take quite a while to charge fully (even in direct sunlight). That being said, if you’re looking for a portable option that can hold on to a charge in battery form, then definitely check it out.

See at Amazon

Voltaic Systems Amp

Voltaic Systems’ Amp solar charger is a neat little device that features a removable 4,000mAh battery, which can be charged by sunlight or via USB. The Amp has two solar panels that are waterproof and covered in a self-healing plastic that can withstand some abuse (kind of like some screen protectors). About 3.5 hours in direct sunlight should fully charge your phone (according to Voltaic Systems), which is pretty quick for most solar chargers, but that is probably under ideal conditions, so you’ll wanna be patient with this one, as with all solar chargers.

Designed for the rugged life, the solar panels and battery are housed in a rugged and lightweight, water- and UV-resistant fabric made from recycled soft drink bottles.

If you need your solar charger to withstand a bit of the rough and tumble, go with the Amp.

See at Amazon

Ayyie

At about the size of a larger phone, the Ayyie solar charger is another awesome option made with portability in mind. This charger is perfect for the happy wanderer, being water, shock, and dustproof, and it features a two-LED flashlight with multiple settings, including S.O.S. Five indicators will show you the status of the internal 10,000mAh battery, and once full, you’ll be able to charge most phones at least twice. Again, a smaller unit means smaller solar panels, so it’ll take a long time to fully charge the battery on Sun juice alone.

See at Amazon

Got a favorite?

Do you have a great solar charger for your phone? Let us know which one in the comments below!

Semen, centrifuges and a personal journey in male fertility

In August 2012, I came into a neon-pink shot glass. Nine months later, a baby was born.

I’d never planned on having a child of my own — and to be clear, I still don’t — but when two of my best friends started looking for a donor, I jumped on the opportunity. For those of us who can’t have children with our partners through good old-fashioned sex, the path to pregnancy is complicated and expensive. After careful consideration, my friends decided on what’s commonly referred to as the Turkey Baster Method. I would masturbate into a sterile collection cup and pass the resulting semen to my friend who would draw it into a syringe and deliver it to his wife. She would then plunge it into her vagina.

Because they lived in Texas and I lived in California and turkey basting isn’t quite as foolproof as straight-up penis-in-vagina insemination, a lot of research and careful timing went into preparing for the moment that I found myself jacking off in their guest bedroom. We knew she was fertile as a result of a comprehensive physical, but it wasn’t until after our second attempt that we considered that I might be shooting blanks. My spunk was ultimately fruitful, but for a while, we had our doubts.

My spunk was ultimately fruitful, but for a while, we had our doubts.

So, I set off to have my semen analyzed. There were piles of paperwork, bunk referrals and uncomfortable conversations with closed-minded doctors. I’d spent days driving all over the Bay Area before ending up with my pants around my ankles in a UCSF collection room. Ultimately, my sperm was healthy and in great supply, but it was the most complicated, time-consuming orgasm I’d ever had.

Fast-forward four years and a small Bay Area startup is attempting to make that process a little easier, decreasing the time and money spent on simple sperm analysis. According to Chief Scientific Officer Greg Sommer, Sandstone Diagnostics aims to “revolutionize consumer health care,” and it’s starting with male fertility, specifically an at-home sperm-analysis kit called Trak.

“Trak allows guys to collect their sample and get a measure of sperm count in the comfort of their own home,” Sommer said. “Today’s alternative is really going to a fertility clinic or urology office for a clinical semen analysis, and for a lot of reasons, embarrassment and privacy — and lack of understanding — men simply aren’t going in. At least, not early on as a couple tries to conceive.”

Sandstone’s solution is a small, hockey-puck-shape, double-A-powered centrifuge that whirls a small amount of semen around on a small propeller. The force created from that rapid rotation separates the seminal fluid from sperm and offers an FDA-approved reading of a man’s sperm count in just 45 minutes. Unlike a traditional lab test, Trak can’t measure sperm motility (movement) or morphology (shape), and it’s not the only device of its kind on the market, either. You can pick up over-the-counter kits like Sperm Check for around $30 at most pharmacies, but these tests only provide a positive or negative result while Trak can tell you where you fall on a fertility spectrum.

Sommer says the real advantage isn’t just in saving men embarrassment, time and money, but in what Trak does with the information it provides. Using the app, men can enter information about their health and lifestyle, receive tips on how to increase their sperm count and track fluctuations over time.

It’s a seemingly low-tech device but, as Stanford University urologist and Sandstone consultant Michael Eisenberg told me, Trak is a potential game-changer for diagnosing infertility in men because, you know, masculinity is so fragile.

“If you look at good data on infertility, about half the time, it’s men; half the time, it’s a woman. But usually in this country, women seek care first,” Eisenberg said. “I think that is because usually, they’re having a, a gynecologist they’re used to going to, and they have a relationship and so … that conversation sort of begins there. I think also, there’s just a historic lack of knowledge, I guess, about the whole process. And a lot of people think fertility tends to be a female problem.”

The American Society of Reproductive Medicine says men contribute to 40 percent of infertility cases, and Eisenberg estimates that 20 to 25 percent of the time men in infertile couples will never seek care. It’s amazing to think how much time and money could be saved if those men would just loosen up and jizz into a cup.

We ordered takeout while the enzymes turned my semen from a thick, sticky substance into a runny, cloudy sperm soup.

Anyway, the proof is in the pudding, or in this case, the semen, so I gave Trak a spin. I’d already been through the needlessly complicated process of having my sperm analyzed in a lab. If Trak could simplify that process for other men and at the same time teach them something about what’s hanging between their legs, I thought, it might actually justify that $200 price tag.

According to Eisenberg, sperm concentration is highest when a man refrains from ejaculating for two to five days. I rarely go more than 24 hours without an orgasm, so I was near ready to explode by the time 48 hours had passed. I pulled out the collection cup — the same sort used for takeout at fast-food restaurants — and read through the straightforward step-by-step guide to collection and analysis. Just as the nurses had done before my sperm analysis the manual recommended that I refrain from using lube or condoms during collection (why you’d do the latter is beyond me, but hey, different strokes for different folks) as they can kill healthy sperm.

I was far more comfortable in my bathroom than the sterile environment of the UCSF collection room, and my phone offered a much more expansive spank bank than the clinic’s bootlegged porn collection. I remember quite distinctly feeling distracted by the thought of all the men who’d come before me on the collection room’s small, uncomfortable couch and by what was happening on the other side of the locked door. Of course, the nurses in the office were all professionals, but knowing that they knew I was in there rubbing one out was more than a little unsettling.

At home, I had my own expectant audience. Our camera crew was waiting outside to film the results, but just being able to masturbate in a place that I’d done it so many times before put me at ease. I fired up my favorite Tumblr and within five minutes, I’d unloaded a sufficient-enough sample for the test and swirled the sample around to combine it with enzymes in the bottom of the collection cup. From there, it was just a matter of waiting. We ordered takeout while the enzymes turned my semen from a thick, sticky substance into a runny, cloudy sperm soup. After the recommended 45-minute resting period, it was time to set the centrifuge into action.

I dropped the suggested amount into the small opening in the middle of the propeller, covered the hole with the provided sticker, snapped the propeller into place, shut the lid and turned the thing on. Within a few minutes, a flashing light indicated my sperm count was ready. I popped open the lid to find the simple white line created by my sperm cells indicating that I had optimal sperm count. Lucky for me and my bio-baby’s mama, I had more than 55 million sperm per milliliter of semen — ideal for baby-making. Men who fall between 15 and 55 million sperm per milliliter may have a harder time getting their partners pregnant; those falling below 15 million have an even lower chance and are encouraged to seek medical help. If my count had fallen below 55 million, I could have used the Trak app to identify ways to improve my count.

The app is heavy on data collection. Since it doesn’t connect directly to Trak’s hardware, you’ll be prompted to enter the results of your tests and the results of any other sperm analysis lab work you’ve had done, as well as answer a series of questions about your medical history and lifestyle. In order to make the most of Trak, you’ll need a pretty extensive overview of your health including cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood sugar and hormones. I didn’t have any of these readings readily available and would have had to see my doctor to obtain them. It’s counterintuitive for an at-home diagnosis kit, but fits in with Sandstone’s ambitions. Sommer says, perhaps unsurprisingly, that the data it collects from the Trak app will factor into future generations of the device and the company’s broader strategy.

I entered as much information I had at hand, including my height, weight, waist size, eating, drinking and exercise habits and how often I expose my testicles to certain types of heat: saunas, baths, hot tubs, etc. I was then given a score on a scale of 1 to 100, rating my health, which, despite my optimal sperm count came in at 66 due in large part to the fact that I drink, smoke and toke daily. If I were looking to increase my sperm count, I’d be able to update these stats in addition to new test results to see how changes in my lifestyle might affect my count over time.

Ultimately, using Trak in the privacy of my home was a far easier process than what I’d experienced in the traditional medical environment. But its success hinges on a lot more than convenience.

At $200, it could prove inaccessible for many of the people it could help. It’s also the sexual equivalent of an apple corer or melon baller — a convenient but limited single-use device. After all, sperm count is only a fraction of the greater picture for male infertility. It may be a “headline parameter,” as Sommer put it, but it’s far from the sole factor in successful insemination. Trak is also facing an uphill battle when it comes to how we look at fertility as a society. It will have to overcome the deep-rooted sexual discrimination that has led so many couples to think of infertility as solely a female problem. Trak is a small step toward the futuristic DIY diagnostics symbolized by Star Trek’s Tricorder, but Sandstone is going to need to look beyond semen if it plans to revolutionize consumer health care.