Over the Holidays I purchased the “**Qardio Arm**”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/86560/qardio-qardioarm-blood-pressure-monitor-white for my mom. She’s been struggling with blood pressure issues over the last several months and working closer with her doctors to help manage this. She is also a recent adopter to the iPhone, so I admit, another reason for the purchase was to get her to use her phone more to see all that it’s capable of doing for her!

It took just five minutes to set up the blood pressure cuff and download the App. With the tap of the phone to the cuff the unit quickly came to life and good it’s first reading then the information was quickly sent to your iPhone. Once the first reading is taken all you need to do is launch the App, tap “measurement” and then the green start button. One of the great features and why I purchased the product is that it easily keeps your history. No more bringing a sheet of paper or notebook to the doctor’s office. You can simply open up the App and show it to your doctor, the iPhone can provide location information, providing you with detailed information on your health. A simple yet convenient feature about this product is it runs off AAA batteries making it easy to keep up and running no matter where you are. Additionally, you can have multiple users utilizing the cuff and it even has the ability to share the information with others. Lastly it works with Apple HealthKit allowing you to fully track your fitness and health history on one convenient device.

It’s amazing the technology that we can fit into our pockets these days, even more amazing is how useful and easy to use so much of it is.

Here’s my predictions from last year, let’s see how I did:

h3. The Apple Watch will be huge hit with over 10 million sold in 2015

bq. __The Apple Watch has been a hit and while the final numbers are not in for the holidays, Apple expanded distribution channels and most predict about 15 million were sold in 2015. I know I still wear mine everyday and find new uses for it all the time. One right for Don and Apple.__

h3. Apple Pay will become the de facto standard for mobile payments

bq. __Well, Apple Pay is the most predominate mobile payment standard with more and more locations accepting Apple Pay but there are some huge holes where Apple Pay is not accepted and there are still some competing standards. I’m giving this one a toss-up because it is the most successful but I can’t call it the de facto standard quite yet.__

h3. Apple will become the first $1 trillion company

bq. __Miss. Apple stock has taken a hit in 2015 regardless of the great new products, record setting sales and earnings and a huge cash stockpile.__

h3. Okay, this year we will have undisputed evidence of extraterrestrial life

bq. __Hmm, I thought we were really close when NASA held that press conference to announce an astounding Mars discovery but it was just confirmed evidence of water. Soon.__

h3. Cubbies will make the playoffs

bq. __The did but got beat by the arch-enemy Cards.__

h3. The Patriots will not win the Super Bowl

bq. __Rob was doing his little victory dance – yeah, the New England team won.__

h3. There will be 11 vetoes by President Obama

bq. __Not even close, despite the gridlock in Congress, President Obama has only use the veto 5 times in his Presidency.__

h3. The Dallas Mavericks will win the NBA Championship

bq. __Wrong again, the Warriors are just too good!__

h3. Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush, Rand Paul and Chris Christie will run for President

bq. __Got those five right and there are a bunch more, too! Feel the Bern!__

h3. Apple will make one surprising acquisition

bq. __Nothing too spectacular here, I mean they didn’t buy Sony, GoPro, Tesla or anyone huge.__

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h2. Sapphire Ball Gazing

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I have traded in my crystal ball for the much tougher Sapphire Ball and hope that I do better this year.

* Cubbies will win the World Series – THIS IS THE YEAR
* Warriors will repeat for the NBA title but the Celtics will get by the first-round
* Patriots will lose in the Super Bowl
* Bernie Sanders will win the Democratic nomination
* Donald Trump will win the Republican nomination to a lot of people’s dismay
* Bernie Sanders will beat Trump for the Presidency
* 2016 will be the warmest ever recorded
* Spring will come to Vermont early
* Apple stock will recover to record highs
* There will be evidence of extra-terrestrial life
* Marijuana will be legal in 7 states
* Democrats will re-take the Senate
* Apple will make that surprising large acquisition this year

Whether my new Sapphire Ball is accurate or not, 2016 is going to be a great year!