Need some extra battery on your Apple Watch? A bit more processing power? A patent filed by Apple suggests that you could soon simply swap out the watch's bands to add extra functionality.
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Spring just started a few days ago and it is bringing with it (besides the joy of the good weather) some events that will keep you busy for the next 3 months.
Really soon will take place LOPEC (“Large-area, Organic & Printed Electronics Convention”), the leading trade fair and the most important congress for the printed electronics industry. The event features 133 exhibitors from 19 countries and more than 2,300 visitors, over half of them international from different 42 countries. LOPEC will take place on April 6-7 at the Messe Munich. As well they will host a conference from the 5th until 7th of April.
WT | Wearable Technologies CEO Christian Stammel will be on stage to talk about “Wearable Technologies, a market overview and the impact for the organic electronic industry”. The speech will be held in room 13b as part of the LOPEC Business Conference on April 5 starting at 5 pm. If you want to attend this conference & exhibition register here.
On the next month, on May 7th until 14th, will take place the Disruptive Week in Milan. Disruptive Week is a week of coordinated international and domestic events dedicated to emerging technologies to highlight how they are shaping our business and everyday life. Discover with us how your business can benefit from this digital revolution. WT | Wearable Technologies will have a dedicated Session on May 10th where will present groundbreaking wearable tech companies from the entire value chain.
Last but not least, before summer catches us we will host for the third year our Global WT | Wearable Technologies Picnic! The first of June wearable tech enthusiasts will gather globally within their countries to celebrate innovations, tech and share their knowledge. If you are looking for an excuse to not go to work that day check here if your country has already an organizer!
See you soon techies!
Skype may be known for video chatting, but the app is set to play a much more prominent role in your life going forward with Cortana integration and bots, both of which can be helpful in day to day tasks.
The post Skype now has the smarts to book your trip, order pizza, and more with Cortana appeared first on Digital Trends.
Excited to develop for Microsoft's augmented reality headset? The $3,000 HoloLens' developer kit will be shipping to developers today, and included is the headset, a case, and a Clicker to help navigate the user interface.
The post If you ordered a HoloLens dev kit, it starts shipping today appeared first on Digital Trends.
What is a standard in the automotive industry could also become common in our daily routine – at least for seniors and for people performing (action) sports with a high risk of falling.
Wearable Airbags could be a great step for seniors to live independently for a longer time. According to CDC each year, 2.5 million older people have to be treated in emergency departments due to fall injuries. Over 700,000 patients a year have to go to hospital because of a fall injury – mostly because of a head injury or hip fracture. Besides the restrictions in daily life, the treatment resulting in falls can cause enormous costs. And not all of them are covered by insurances.
ActiveProtective developed a belt that automatically inflates airbags over the hip when the sensors detect a fall. According to their website 1-in-3 people over the age of 65 will fall every year. Tests show that their device can reduce the impact force by 90%. The algorithm determines the event of a fall by the absence of stereotypical human motion. The company closed a $2.4 million funding and announced a cooperation with Key Safety Systems (KSS), a leading global supplier of advanced engineered safety products for automotive and non-automotive markets in January this year. Future applications aim at sports, equestrian, high-risk occupational and military.
Hip-Hope™ from Israel is a smart belt-like device reducing the impact to the hips during fall by inflating two large-size airbags. The system, more specifically the sensors and algorithm, makes it possible to distinguish between real falls and misleading fall-like events. The device includes an automatic remote fall alert transmission, motion and pre-fall data logging, and a self-operated emergency button. Hip-Hope™ will be available at the end of the year in Europe and the USA. The price will be based on a monthly service model.
Wolk plans to release their first prototype in the first quarter of 2017 at a target price of about $470. The Dutch company works on an ergonomically shaped belt-like device which can be hidden underneath most clothing and that way can be worn unobtrusive. A feedback speaker makes sure that the device is worn correctly.
WOLK Proof of Principle Short from WOLK on Vimeo.
Another obvious market for wearable airbags is the sports market. Especially motorcyclists can benefit from the live-saving new technologies decreasing the impact forces during the event of a fall by up to 85%.
WT | Innovation World Cup finalist 2014/15 Alpinestars for example offers comprehensive upper body protection including back, shoulders, kidney area and chest without restricting comfort or design. There are two styles: Vapariaso ($775) for touring and Viper ($420) for the street. The vest with the system itself is available for about $1450 and can be exchanged between both types. The system is self-contained, does not require any pre-configuration and can be used on any machine. The algorithm is based on the knowledge that a rider’s body remains stable until the point when an accident develops. The system detects an impact between 30-60 milliseconds; and will fully inflate in 25 milliseconds. The battery lasts over 25h and needs 1h charging for four hours riding time.
Dainese has created several airbag solutions for different purposes since 2004, in various styles and also for professional motorcyclist. Recently they celebrated 1000 deployments of the D-air® system with the new D-AIR® MISANO 1000. In contrast to their former products, the jacket is a stand-alone system and there is no need to attach the former M-kit with sensors to your bike. The inner micro-filament structure provides uniform inflation of 5cm over all surfaces to provide maximum protection and comfort. The triggering algorithm utilizes six sensors housed in the back protector to monitor the dynamics of the rider’s body 800 times a second and determines when to deploy the system in the event of impacts, high-sides and low-slides with tumbling. The jacket protects chest, collar bone and limits excessive strain to the neck. The jacket is available at the price of about USD 1,700.
Dainese also recently launched the D-Air Ski System which we featured in a snowboarding and ski article last year and we already reported about the POC and In&motion Spine VDP 2.0 Airbag Vest in another article this March.
You are not an action sports fan, but are safety conscious and want to feel safe on the streets? Then Hövding might be perfect for you. Their airbag cycle helmet claims to offer the best shock absorption worldwide. Advanced sensors detect situations and movements that don’t happen in the cycling context. In the event of an accident the airbag inflates and fixates your neck. It looks like a hood and is made in an ultra-strong nylon fabric that won’t rip when scraped against the ground. The fabric shell protects the device and can also change the design to match to your outfit. Battery life is about 9 hours. Their new device 2.0 costs about USD 340, is also adapted to more types of bikes such as mini bicycles and folding bikes, is more lightweight and more comfortable to wear.
Xiaomi's not afraid of Samsung and LG, and it has proved it by officially partnering up with South Korean retailers to sell its hardware. But like its other international efforts, its smartphones won't be among them. Yet.
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Wearable Cameras record your experiences in a unique and first-person perspective. You can see yourself playing sports, interacting at parties and express your daily life. It is of great necessity to understand and know which features are available in different types of wearable cameras. It is important – as a consumer – to choose the best options for your lifestyle. Here are WT| Wearable Technologies recommendation for you.
GoPro HERO featuring HD recording capabilities with 5MP photos. Used for sports or an active life style camera
Pros :
– High-quality video
– Recording at either 720p at 60 frames per second or 1080p at 30 frames per second
– Good choice for both close and wide range shots
– Support up to a 32GB memory card
– Can record music, your voice or video narrative
– Waterproof design
– Convenient to use
Cons:
– Too large and bulky to wear all day
– Low quality photos at 5MP
– Poor choice to take stills for long time activities such as climbing & hiking
– 150-minutes battery life
Price: € 107.02
The Narrative Clip is the most wearable camera which is very small and light in size. It can be an ideal option for your choice.
Pros:
– Storage capacity of 4000 photos
– Two-days battery life
– Good choice for taking random life photos
– Comfortable and flexible to clip it onto our clothes
– Can share with friends and family via Narrative Cloud
Cons:
– No video function
– Limited 8GB storage
– Cannot print photos because of the low quality
Price: € 243.61
The MeCam HD equipped both video and photo functions has a small design which is combined with the advantages of a GoPro and a Narrative Clip.
Pros:
– Small and lightweight
– Can capture HD videos and still photos
– Ideal for selfies, group photos or distance shots
– Connect with your phone via wireless
– High-quality
– Suitable for recording pieces of life
Cons:
– Only two-hours battery life
– Lack of waterproofing
Price: € 107.02
The Pivothead Kudu life camera is paired with sporty sunglasses. It is a perfect option for sports and other occasions where sunglasses are typically worn.
Pros:
– Good quality for videos and photos under both low and high light condition.
– Featuring several modes including burst mode and time lapse mode
– Dedicated for filming sports and point-of-view video
– The sunglasses can protect your eyes while outdoors
Cons:
– Only one-hour battery life
– 8GB of memory
– No mobile control
Price: € 178.37
Having a wearable camera means you never miss an important moment in your life time. We hope you can choose one which best fit with your purpose after reading our article!
Ringly's collection of smart jewelry just keeps growing. We got a sneak peek at the new Aries collection of smart bracelets. The gold-plated bangles rock semi-precious gemstones, buzz with notifications, and track your steps.
The post Ringly’s new bracelets are techier than a Fitbit, and a lot more stylish appeared first on Digital Trends.
In 2016, the phrase “Wearable Technology „ is becoming familiar. We are now bombarded with many fitness trackers, smart watches, and smart glasses and so on. However since when the first class of wearable techs were on the market? Let’s follow the trace of wearables’ first class with WT | Wearable Technologies.
At CES 2016, VINCI Smart Hearable is announced as the world’s first smart hearable with a wireless and hands-free smart music player. However, on the timeline of wearable music player, do you know what and when the first wearable music player is? A portable music player that rocked the music industry and changed the way people experienced music. Did I hear IPod? Actually it is Sony Walkman which is the first portable cassette tape player from Sony. Sony Walkman was on sale since 1979.
It is so interesting that it has taken a traditional fashion brand like Ralph Lauren to step into smart clothing at the moment. Nevertheless, you may not know that since 1998 Clothing Plus from Finland launched the world’s first heart rate sensing shirt. They followed up on that in 2002 with a textile heart rate strap and have worked with Adidas, Salomon and Garmin.
The Apple Watch is obviously leading the smart watches market although it is not a new idea. Tech giants have been trying to get smartwatches right for more than a decade. In 2001, IBM Research and Citizen Watch got there first with a smart watch called WatchPad. WatchPad crossed all platform from large enterprise servers to medium-sized and small servers, desktop systems, laptops and the smallest intelligent devices. The watch is featured a LCD screen, Bluetooth and accelerometer. Additionally, it ran on Linux version 2.4. However, the battery life of WatchPad only lasts for a few hours.
Looking back on 2012 when Google announced their Google Glass. Google Glass at that time came with a tiny screen that sits in the upper right corner of your field of vision. The screen notifies notifications, contents from the web and also runs native app often referred to as Glassware. However, no one wants to walk around looking like a computer. Besides, along with the main concerns of privacy and the poor sales following, Google stopped selling their glasses and prepared for a new approach.
Wearable Technology has a fascinating past. The idea of wearable technology is in no way a new one, but we’re finally arriving at the point where years of research and development is paying dividends. The future of wearable technology is coming with endless possibilities and surprises.
In the tech world, a lot happens in a week. So much news goes on, in fact, that it's almost impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of the top 10 tech stories.
The post Weekly Rewind: Japanese ‘bots writing books, gene editing, Sony photo awards appeared first on Digital Trends.
Love hurts, and now, your Fitbit can prove it. No more of this qualitative emotions-driven approach; science can now check out your heartbreak (or lack thereof) by way of your heart rate.
The post Fitbit wearer’s heart rate drops after breakup appeared first on Digital Trends.
There's a wave of new entries in the virtual reality race. Could the long-awaited promise of VR finally be here? We take a look at the most promising headsets currently available, or on the horizon.
The post 11 incredible headsets that are making the virtual a reality appeared first on Digital Trends.
The RoadwareZ cycling vest replaces tacky reflective materials with signal LEDs, hands-free controls with voice controls, and introduces what could be a new concept in connected safety: GPS-linked turn signals.
The post This cycling vest has GPS-synced turn signals that automatically light up before you turn appeared first on Digital Trends.
Casio's first smartwatch is an Android Wear device that offers relevant information on certain outdoor activities as well. It's water-resistant up to 50m, and has a pressure sensor, compass, and accelerometer. It's now available for purchase.
The post Casio’s Android Wear rugged watch is now available at $500 appeared first on Digital Trends.
Acer's answer to slow business? Splitting into two. The company will now operate under two independent groups, core business and new business, with the goal of this being that the divisions can operate freely and without constraint.
The post Acer wants to make better products by splitting into two groups appeared first on Digital Trends.
If your wrist is looking a little bare, putting on an Apple Watch with X-Doria’s classy leather band and protective case will definitely help. The best news is, we’re giving one away in our latest competition.
The post DT Giveaway: X-Doria Apple Watch & Watch Band appeared first on Digital Trends.
When you plan to travel around the world there is one important thing to think about: your baggage. By partaking on a road trip you can carry a backpack with all your stuff in it. So… It should not be heavy. That is why wearable technologies can be very useful for you! They are smart, small, lightweight and innovative!
Let’s start with one of the most important thing during your road trip: The Camera. For pictures are ideal to take and keep as souvenirs.
Everyone wants to share what they have seen during their vacations. With the Camera DxO ONE you are now able to capture amazing pictures with a miniature format! This is a revolution! This will not take place in your backpack – only 32 mm high – and the picture or video you will take with it will clearly be in a better quality than your 5 years old standard heavy camera. The plus is that you can take pictures or videos with or without connecting your smartphone and this innovation is already on the market.
The second product will also provide you incredible souvenirs from your trip. Welcome to NIXIE! This is not a standard wristable because it can transform itself into a drone and capture pictures and videos in high definition. Film yourself during climbing, trekking and capture the landscape. The upside is that it is easy to use; a simple gest and it flies! But, do not worry the drone will come back to you like a boomerang. Do not miss the chance to own one by pre-ordering it now!
Another problem you face when traveling is the language barrier. Sometime you want to travel to a place where you cannot speak fluently in that culture’s language. But do not worry, with the SpeechTrans smartwatch you are now able to translate everything from up to 40 languages – instantly by voice translation. You can also take a picture of a menu at a restaurant or anything other written words and it will translate to your native tongue. No longer will you do not need to carry a big and heavy dictionary to communicate with the local population. SpeechTrans works everywhere there is network reception with your SIM card, WIFI or by Bluetooth. The cherry on top is that you can also use it as a GPS, Compass and Heart rate monitor.
Then, let’s introduce you to Gotoky! If you feel unable to pay extra money to communicate with folks when you travel abroad this technology is made for you! Gotoky works in pairs and you can talk, send and receive message for FREE. With all Gotoky users can also locate the people you love and share your GPS position. This lite and small device works with radio channels so you can use it even if your mobile phone does not work because there is no mobile network service. The coolest aspect about Gotoky is their emergency button. It will send your GSP coordinates with an SOS signal on every frequency. All you have to think about is staying calm while you wait for rescue.
However, if your target is to be tracked in real time (very precisely) by anyone around the world, you definitively need Kizy, Winner in the IOT/M2M Innovation World Cup 2016 in Mobility! First you can locate your backpack during your departure and flight, to be sure to find it when you will arrive in your destination. Then, leave it in your bag and start your travels. This technology works in 95% of the planet and is marked at a low cost. Do not worry the data are safe, only the authorized person can check where you are. The advantage is that it is kind of impossible to lose it, even if this device is very compact!
Last but not the least we have a backpack called Tespack. What happens when you are travelling with technology and do not find any electrical outlet? I have seen folks unplug a water fountain to charge their laptops – well no need for that. Now you can drink your water and charge all of your devices. With Tespack you will never run out of power, even if the sun is low you can detach the solar panel and place it under a better light source. These backpacks charge up with solar energy and they can keep this energy via their battery pack. This green energy harvesting backpack is the best purchase for changing the future, and therefore the environment will thank you.
Now you just need to take your flight ticket, pack up everything and enjoy your trip with all of these innovative wearables!
LG's follow-up to the Watch Urbane, with its own SIM card and 4G LTE, so it can be used entirely independently of your phone, is back up for pre-order after being delayed in late 2015.
The post It’s back: The LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition returns to AT&T and Verizon with 4G LTE appeared first on Digital Trends.
At first glance, TBS's upcoming show 'America's Greatest Makers' seems like it's just Shark Tank meets American Idol -- but after talking with one of the shows contestants, we found out that it's actually more like a televised startup incubator from Intel
The post America’s Greatest Makers is like American Idol for geeks, so we talked to one appeared first on Digital Trends.
Look mom, no hands! Technology that can be used without touching is one of the best inventions of this time. I know for all those that own the new iPhone, you love that Siri knows your voice and will do whatever you ask her to do (if you ask nicely). Well, truth is, Siri is not the only robot that the world loves. Below are a few companies that are creating the best hands free wearables.
Kapture Audio is the wristable for those folks who have a bit of short term memory loss. You simply wear the device, and if you didn’t hear something properly or wish to remember the words exactly, you can tap the device to re-run the past 60 seconds of recordings. Talk about time traveling into that past! The band is currently for sale at a discounted price of $129. The strap is available in several different colors so you can personalize it to your style.
ili is the wearable necklace for world travelers that do not completely understand or speak Japanese. They are working on extending to more languages, but at the moment ili can translate English, Japanese, and Chinese. The operation is really easy; click, talk, listen. Now you can leave your translation dictionaries at home and communicate with others through this sleek wearable.
One of the most commonly used placed for voice control is the automobile. This is why Volvo has teamed up with Microsoft to incorporate the Microsoft Band 2 to communicate with the computer system in their cars. If you are wearing the Microsoft Band 2 you can set a navigation location, turn on the heat, lock the doors, flash the car’s lights, and sound the alarm. This increase in digital assistance is the evolutionary path that cars are designed to take. A smarter car allows for a smarter city and thus a smart society. This is the time for driving IoT forward.
Even with these three products making headway on the market, there is much more that needs to be done to improve voice input in wearables. It’s that scene in the perfect sci-fi movie; Actor says, ‘computer turn on the lights… computer find me the best spinach and kale salad recipe….’ Then the computer does it. No problem, until the movie takes a twist. Yet, this is a time when we do not wish for twist. Instead we wish for efficiency in completing task on-time and in a professional manner.
If you regularly come back from winter runs or bike rides feeling chilled by sweat and the weather, your gear could be to blame. The key to great outdoor exercise gear for winter and the vagaries of spring is the fabric and fit.
The post Ditch the cotton workout gear and try these cool technical fibers appeared first on Digital Trends.
Recently I was given the priveldge to sit down with Mrs. Aniyia WIlliams and try out her awesome fashion wearable, Tinsel. This necklace is chic and cool – now you can look good and wear headphones. That’s right; no more ugly and uncomfortable headphones that break after 1 month. The chevron style allows for prime trendsetting, all while acting cool and listening to tunes. You can also take calls, and input voice control to Siri. A nice feature is that you can easily hide the earbuds if you don’t want to listen to music anymore, and still have a rocking necklace. I’ll tell ya, it is quite a fashion statement this company is making – innovation overload. Below is a write-up of our interview.
We are on a mission to transform tech essentials into fashion accessories for women. Our first product is an audio necklace, The Dipper, which cleverly conceals headphones within its design.
The idea for Tinsel camp from my love-hate relationship with headphones. They’re something many of us use on a daily basis, but are constantly stuffed at the bottom of a bag, tangled or getting lost or broken. I realized that by wearing them on my body, many of these issues would go away…but white rubber wires don’t match my outfit.
Overcoming challenges that seem unsolvable. There’s a constant balance you’re trying to strike between the stylistic elements and the tech. There were a few times when we thought something couldn’t be done or fixed, but after trying new approaches and ideas, we’ve been able to solve problems.
I think it’s missing an overall commitment to style. Making something pink or leopard-print doesn’t make it fashionable. You have to conceive the tech and beautiful form factor together, and they cannot be uncoupled.
Drop me a line. I love making new friends.
Well, I’m a little biased here, but I think I’m gonna have to go with Tinsel’s audio necklace!
If you are sold, then go to their website to reserve your very own Tinsel!
Pebble is one of the wearable world's biggest success stories, but the company is still facing rocky times. It's reportedly laying off as much as 25 percent of its workforce, despite having raised $46 million in funding over the last 14 months.
The post Pebble says ‘money is pretty tight,’ as it lays off 25 percent of its employees appeared first on Digital Trends.
Scientists this week published details on a new wearable wristband designed to monitor and treat diabetes. The see-through cuff contains graphene, small quantities of gold and thermoresponsive microneedles filled with diabetes drug metformin.
The post Graphene wristband can monitor blood glucose, deliver drug treatment appeared first on Digital Trends.
Kanye West opened a pop-up for three days in New York City selling merchandise inspired by his latest album The Life of Pablo. On its second day, Saturday, hundreds of people filled the streets and organized mayhem ensued.
The post No one likes Kanye’s clothes, but they’re still buying (and reselling) appeared first on Digital Trends.
Lundi is a smart boot for women that aims to solve the problem of matching the right footwear to the conditions, no matter the situation. The black leather boots have a smartphone-controlled heating element that keep your feet toasty warm, when you need it.
The post These heated boots are like smartphone-controlled radiators for your feet appeared first on Digital Trends.
LG's follow-up to the Watch Urbane, with its own SIM card and 4G LTE, so it can be used entirely independently of your phone, is back up for pre-order after being delayed in late 2015.
The post It’s back: The LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition, with 4G LTE, returns to AT&T for $200 appeared first on Digital Trends.
Pregnant women care more about what’s happening to their bodies in respect to how it affects their baby. This worry was the basis for the reason health monitoring wearables designed for women to learn more about their pregnancy.
Bloom, a San Francisco-based company, has created a wearable device for women in their third trimester. The product Belli helps pregnant women understand how their bodies are preparing for labor and track progression on the big day. With a small sensor worn discretely under their clothes, Belli measures the frequency and duration of contractions and sync that data with the phone. Moreover, Belli can automatically count contractions. This information is extremely helpful because it provides an early indication of baby’s and mom’s health.
Babypod is another pregnancy health wearable device that you can take advantage of. Research (that directed by Institut Marques) shows that music has many benefit for the human brain, which takes place throughout all of life. Thus, Babypod has developed a tool to allow moms to stimulate neurons in the fetus’s brainstem. The small device plays music directly to the fetus, promoting early attempts at vocalization.
Being overweight during pregnancy can negatively affect the health of the mother and growing child; therefore managing weight while pregnant is essential. This is the reason why the HAPIfork is here to assit your dietary management. The smart fork has a screen to display how long it takes you to eat your meal, the amount of “fork servings” and the time between “fork servings”. For that have never heard, a “fork servings” is every time when you bring food from your plate to your mouth.
Last but not least, Carin is born from the mission to empower women to feel confident again in their bodies. With the combination of Carin track, Carin exercise and Carin protect – it is able to help women develop strong and healthy pelvic floor muscles after giving birth. Besides, Carin is a solution for urine loss –one of the last remaining taboos in women’s health. How does it work? Carin track is a wearable sensor designed as Carin protect underwear. It tracks your progress although you won’t notice wearing it. Carin exercise is a pelvic floor exercise app: it guides you with core exercises, keep you motivated and gives feedbacks on your progress.
So, step into the wearables health revolution and have a fun and safe pregnancy!
Apple just announced its latest update to its mobile operating system -- iOS 9.3, and the highlight includes a new Classroom app for schools using iPads, and a new Night Shift mode that reduces the blue light on the display, so you can sleep better.
The post Everything you need to know about iOS 9.3 and how to get it on your iPhone and iPad appeared first on Digital Trends.
At a press event on March 21, Apple cut the price of the Apple Watch to $299 and introduced new nylon, leather, and Milanese band options. The bands debut in the next few weeks.
The post Apple drops the price of the Apple Watch to $299, rolls out new bands appeared first on Digital Trends.
LG's follow-up to the Watch Urbane, with its own SIM card and 4G LTE, so it can be used entirely independently of your phone, is back up for pre-order after being delayed in late 2015.
The post It’s back: The LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition, with 4G LTE, returns to AT&T for $200 appeared first on Digital Trends.
A team at the University of Washington have added an active sonar control system to a smartphone and a smartwatch, which turns any surface, or even the air surrounding the gadget, into a gesture control area.
The post Sonar’s not just for the Navy, it could be used to control your smartwatch or phone appeared first on Digital Trends.
Updated Apple Watch bands, a new 9.7-inch iPad, and the iPhone 5SE could be on the cards for Apple's March 21 event. Here's everything we expect to see at the event and how to livestream it on Apple's website.
The post Everything we expect from today’s Apple announcement, and how to watch live appeared first on Digital Trends.
Check out our roundup of the coolest crowdfunding projects and product announcements that hit the Web this week. You can't buy this stuff yet, but it sure is fun to gawk!
The post Awesome Tech You Can’t Buy Yet: Unforgettable umbrellas, wooden speakers appeared first on Digital Trends.
Why hire a personal trainer when you can just wear one? Thanks to the miracle of technology and the generosity of the Kickstarter community, we're now closer than ever to smart clothing that gives us a 3D picture of our full-body movement
The post Enflux smart clothing is the full-body wearable for the fitness fanatic appeared first on Digital Trends.
A new hearing aid from Starkey Hearing Technologies is able to connect to the user's smartphone through Bluetooth, after which users can stream music to their hearing aids and fine tune things like hearing aid volume.
The post These smart hearing aids restore the beauty of music to those with hearing loss appeared first on Digital Trends.
In 2016, 14.0 million Apple Watches will be shipped around the world, good for nearly half of the market. Android Wear smartwatches will follow with 6.1 million units, or 21.4 percent of the market.
The post Report: 14 million Apple Watches will be shipped in 2016, good for half the market appeared first on Digital Trends.
Many of us wear fitness trackers 24/7, so they can collect data on our activity, but there’s a danger that someone else could access that information. How secure are fitness trackers and what are the risks? We asked an expert.
The post Who’s tracking your fitness tracker? We asked an expert appeared first on Digital Trends.
When Threadsmiths sent us their latest stain-proof t-shirt with hydrophobic nanotechnology, we jumped at the chance to see just how stain proof it really is.
The post This hydrophobic t-shirt uses nanotechnology to repel water, wine, and even ketchup appeared first on Digital Trends.
That will be in three words the conclusion at Baselworld 2016. The first day of the Baselworld fair that goes for an entire week! 17th until 24th of March, left us with lots of press conferences and many announcements.
First of all let’s go far away from Switzerland to arrive in Japan where the company Veldt has nicely put together a smartwatch. The Serendipity is a watch that you can customize from the Veldt life assist app. Two of the most frequented functions can be assigned to the two buttons on the watch for quicker actions. The sensors on the watch can track your daily activity level and sleep patterns. But not only that, the LEDs on the analog face and a small screen will light up in different colors depending on to whom you assigned the color. Up to 5 contacts will make your watch bling and also check whether at certain times of the day you will need to use an umbrella! A collaboration with Kyoto Denim (brand with kimono dyeing history) will make your smart piece unique!
Tissot is also joining the Smartwatch game by adding some special features. The Tissot Smart Touch is….Solar powered! And you couldn’t believe there is a smartwatch that doesn’t need to be plugged-in to charge it eh! The Tissot watch is made for the adventurous out there, it acts as a compass when you need it, as a weather forecast, as a “mother” telling you where are your belonging (find-it function) , altimeter, GPS and air quality. The watch is not out yet and it is expected to be available in 2017. Still a long wait until we see a watch that works only with solar energy and capable of doing all of the functions mentioned above.
Samsung was somehow present at Baselworld by the hand of de Grisogono, their partner in “crime”. Samsung puts the tech and the Swiss brand the extra bling. The Samsung Gear S2 by de Grisogono is a limited edition with the bezel and push buttons in gold, 56 white diamonds on the turning bezel , 28 black diamonds on the top bezel and 43 black diamonds on the sides. No jokes about the extra bling bling I was talking about at the beginning.
Guess was also at Baselworld with their Guess Connect watch in collaboration with Martian watches. Even when Guess Connect is not new on the market what it is new is the spring colors they will launch this April. For ladies, a 41mm case will be available in a combination of silver and sky blue. The top ring is adorned with light blue crystals and sits on top of a silver case with a textured genuine leather sky blue band. For men, the 45mm case will be available in a sophisticated, yet sporty black and silver silhouette with silicone strap and pop of color with a red second hand. The features of the watch go from making and receiving calls, interact with Siri, receive notifications, saying goodbye to selfie sticks with its camera control and find your phone. The watch is both IOS & Android compatible.
Mondaine upgraded its game as well. Smartwatch+smart payment = win win! The new Mondaine’s PayChip smartwatch puts the chip in the strap of the watch in a “hidden pocket” on the back of the Helvetica watch. In partnership with Cembra Money Bank of Switzerland they will soon start shipping it. For outside Switzerland we will still need to wait until further partnerships are made. To refresh the memory of those who can’t remember what the Helvetica watch does, it tracks your activity, your sleep and gets active alerts.
Let’s forget about the bling and the Swiss style to focus a little bit on useful smartwatches for adventurous people. Casio made a strong, unbreakable and light watch. For fishing, cycling or trekking. Yes I said fishing. The Casio Smart Outdoor Watch works with Android wear and with its dual-layer display structure (monochrome LCD and color LCD) you can have a neat view of your watch even with bright light. It is water resistant and tested by the U.S Department of Defense. Download as many apps as you want like google maps and have a live GPS on your watch. The Tool button gives access to changes in phenomenon, speed, distance, elapsed time and changes in atmospheric pressure. The moment Setter are reminders of important information based on preset conditions during activities (like the best fishing time).
Nixon secretly kept it most newly watch The Mission! Android wear, up to 10 ATM water resistant and also with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 processor built specifically for wearables. For snowboarding or surfing, following the Nixon lifestyle philosophy it is as well a very hard and resistant watch. It comes with 2 apps. The Mission app to see real-time surf and snow conditions, and the Trace app featuring built-in sensors and GPS for pro-level surf and snow activity tracking. We say let’s catch some waves to Nixon!
More secrecy is what the Swedish company Anima has cooking in the oven. The young company says that now is the right moment to enter the smartwatch market. We will need to wait until the second half of 2016 to see what it is what they have going on…
Fossil was not at Baselworld, why be there when you can have your own event in your own store? The launching of the new wearable line from Fossil attracted many looks and many people. Nice designs and a lot of watches, which build in a host of smart features like fitness tracking with goal progress displayed on a second dial on the watch face. You will be notified about calls and messages from specific contacts on the watch, a similar feature like the Serendipity watch from Veldt. There are four ‘ranges’ , the Fossil Q Mate, Fossil Q Crewmaster, Fossil Q Gazer and the Fossil Q Tailor.
Victorinox was also at Baselworld, while we thought we could have a sneak peek of their smartwatch in partnership with Acer we were told that plans have been postponed due to the need of improvement of the watch.
Tag Heuer was once again attracting all the looks with their big and modern booth with a Redbull formula1 car hanging and the connected watch. In a press conference Jean-Claude Biver (CEO of Tag Heuer) stated that from the 20.000 smart pieces they ordered since they launched the smartwatch all of them are gone now. 60.000 pieces is the next goal which will start shipping in April. This means that the Tag Heuer Connected watch is a total success for the company.
Frederique Constant also had a press conference on the 17th in front of their booth. Peter Stas the CEO of the company explained and showcased the Horological Smartwatch powered by MotionX and introducing an updated version of its innovative timepiece for Baselworld. Indeed, in addition to its activity and sleep monitoring functions, the brand is adding a worldtimer function to its Horological Smartwatch.
Movado was another brand which was a bit disappointing since they didn’t have on-site their Movado Bold Motion smartwatch (in collaboration with HP). It is said that the American watchmaker is planning to give a host of its brands a smart makeover which includes Tommy Hilfiger, Coach, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Juicy Couture and Scuderia Ferrari teaming up again with HP for the software and tech part.
Swarovski added an extra bling as well at the fair. Its round booth and its exclusive pieces mixed up with the Misfit Shine collaboration with Swarovski. The activity tracker was as well there.
Michael Kors as part of the Fossil Group and its promise of launching wearables for 8 of its brands in 2016, also launched a smartwatch! The Michael Kors Access Android Wear smartwatch line has just been detailed. One’s a gold affair with jewels on the straps and one’s a black rubber affair with a more defined bezel and larger lugs.
2015 was for Baselworld the start of an era where fashion and tech collide. Followed by 2016 where we can see that many brands have joined the smartwatch race. For the rest of the companies when you ask them about smartwatches their answer is clear: 2017. So we will need more days at Baselworld and to wait to see what 2017 will bring in terms of bling, tech and watches.
Updated Apple Watch bands, a new 9.7-inch iPad, and the iPhone 5SE could be on the cards for Apple's March 21 event. Here's everything we expect to see at the event and how to livestream it on Apple's website.
The post What to expect at Apple’s iPhone 5SE event on March 21, and how to watch it appeared first on Digital Trends.
According to Oculus founder Palmer Lucky, adoption of the headset will take multiple years, and the company was never going to include the Touch hand-tracking controllers at the launch of the headset.
The post The Oculus Rift was never going to include Touch controllers at launch, Lucky says appeared first on Digital Trends.
The sequel to the TAG Heuer Carrera Connected smartwatch may not arrive until 2017, at which time it may be joined by connected models from the Hublot and Zenith brands, according to several reports.
The post Next TAG Heuer smartwatch may launch in 2017, possibly joined by Hublot and Zenith models appeared first on Digital Trends.
Tissot's the latest Swiss watch maker to launch a connected watch. It's called the Smart Touch, but it doesn't run Android Wear, and instead connects to your phone to provide GPS directions, weather updates, and time zone control.
The post The Smart Touch is Tissot’s connected watch, but it’s not really that smart appeared first on Digital Trends.
Michael Kors will finally offer a smartwatch. Announced at Baselworld in Switzerland, and based on Android Wear, Michael Kors Access caters to both women and men with glamorous and sporty looks.
The post Glamorous or sporty, Michael Kors’ new smartwatch line caters to women and men appeared first on Digital Trends.
Luxury watches traditionally haven't been very smart, but Bulgari's new watch includes an NFC chip, enabling users to make contactless payments and unlock hotel doors. Not only that, but the watch looks like a classic luxury watch.
The post Bulgari’s new luxury watch has an NFC chip for contactless payments appeared first on Digital Trends.
Sportswear company Nike has debuted the world's first pair of self-tying shoes, evoking the iconic scene from the enduring '80s film Back to the Future Part II. They'll go on sale to members of the company's Nike+ community later this year.
The post Great Scott! Nike debuts the world’s first pair of self-tying shoes appeared first on Digital Trends.
Microsoft is finally rolling out Windows 10 to your Windows smartphone, creating a unified, seamless, cross-platform experience across all your Windows devices. The update is available on select Windows 8.1 devices.
The post When will my Lumia get Windows 10 Mobile? Everything you need to know appeared first on Digital Trends.
If you thought finding out how your activity levels were doing was a chore, now you can just ask your local Amazon Echo or Tap device and it can tell you, because the Alexa back-end now supports Fitbit.
The post Fitbit teams up with Alexa to offer voice-activated fitness data appeared first on Digital Trends.
Speaking to Reddit users during an AMA, Steve Wozniak has offered up some criticism of the Apple Watch, as well as praising the efforts of the company's CEO Tim Cook.
The post Company co-founder Steve Wozniak blasts the Apple Watch in AMA appeared first on Digital Trends.
Casio's first smartwatch is an Android Wear device that offers relevant information on certain outdoor activities as well. It's water-resistant up to 50m, and has a pressure sensor, compass, and accelerometer. It goes on sale March 25.
The post Casio’s Android Wear rugged watch goes on sale March 25 appeared first on Digital Trends.
Samsung's teamed up with jewelry designer de Grisogono to produce a limited edition, super flash version of the Gear S2 smartwatch. Covered in gold and diamonds, Samsung's keeping quiet about the price, which probably means we can't afford it.
The post Samsung’s de Grisogono limited edition Gear S2 is flashy enough to make oligarchs blush appeared first on Digital Trends.
This is a global commerce generation. Many companies become international leaders within the first few weeks of releasing their crowd funding campaign. Yet, which countries are the ones providing the world’s best innovation within wearable technology? WT | Wearable Technologies is a global force. The insight gained from our experience has lead us to a list of 9 countries that are booming when it comes to innovation, product development, investments, and consumer adoption.
To close we have to note a strong force coming from Australia and India. These countries are vastly different in culture and history, however their ability to jump head first into the wearable industry is one to notice. The deep dive is initially taken by universities that wish to push their students to the next global competitive level. Stepping into the broader public, over half of these countries populations are interested in using an activity tracker – which means wearables have successful landed on the other side of the innovation chasm.
Hykso wearable wrist sensors measure boxers' punches and attacks in real time in order to help to improve performance, accuracy, and strategy. The sensors have already been used in training and live fights, and could soon come to dominate in combat sports.
The post Designed for boxers, this new wearable tracks the type, speed, and power of your punches appeared first on Digital Trends.
Protecting your head is the rule of thumb while riding a bike or working on a construction site. Not only that it keeps you safe, helmets have become imbedded with different technologies in the past few years that gives you a totally different experience.
LifeBEAM is a smart helmet that monitors your heart rate, counts your calories, gives you an accurate analysis of your performance, and protects your head. Optical heart-rate sensor is integrated into the helmet which means no chest straps are needed. The highlight of LifeBeam is that they began creating products for the military and have slowly moved into the consumer world. This experience grants them highly accurate data – better for you to know what you body is doing.
Mohawk is an action camera that can be attached to any kind of helmet. It allows you to record a video or take a photo, track your activity and be your emergency system all in one. It is connected to an app that allows you to share your adventures with your friends. It also tells you how fast you go, the routes you´ve taken and much more. An interesting aspect about this product is the Black Box that allows you to see all of your information and activities that occurred 2 minutes before the crash. It also locks down the last two minutes of the video so you can review it and see exactly what happened.
We have already mentioned Skully and BikeHud in our previous articles. For more information please read our article Motorcycle Season Starts.
Babaali is a company known for developing smart helmets. They integrated Bluetooth optical heart rate collector into the helmet for tracking your heartrate. The helmet is connected to an app that shows you your heart rate statistics. Another cool product from the same company is called Smart Construction Helmet. Smart Construction HelmetIt measures your heart rate, speed, temperature, oxygen, VOC and pressure. For more information about the other selection of helmets please visit their website.
Daqri Smart Helmet is tailored to the person´s field of work and the industry he is working in. It helps laborers work free hands because all machine information and instructions are displayed on the visor. The prices of these helmets are higher and will be mainly sold to corporations and not to individuals.
Last but not least is Livall cycling helmet. LED lights on the helmet keep other drivers aware that a cycler is on the road, which comes very handy while driving at night. Led Lights are controlled via a handlebar-mounted controller that is connected to the helmet via Bluetooth. Another cool thing about this product is that cyclers can communicate via walkie-talkie function and in addition all text messages get convert into a voice mail. No texting and driving!
The wearable industry is taking over every aspect of the market. It is interesting to see how different functions can completely change the wearer experience and make it more unique and interactive. Stay tuned, there is much more to come.
Looking for another reason to purchase the Apple Watch. Check out this story of Dennis Anselmo. Two weeks after buying the Apple Watch, it literally saved his life when he was having a heart attack.
The post This man suffered a serious heart attack, and his Apple Watch saved his life appeared first on Digital Trends.
Most smartwatches have some sport-tracking capabilities, but few are waterproof up to 100 meters and come preloaded with apps specifically for surfers and snowboarders. Well, Nixon's The Mission smartwatch offers just that.
The post Nixon’s Mission smartwatch is waterproof and built for action sports appeared first on Digital Trends.
Forget the flashy metal bands Apple sells for the Apple Watch, how about choosing one with a built-in ECG monitor? You'll want the Kardia Band, which takes AliveCor's ECG tech seen in its smartphone cases, and puts them on your wrist.
The post Forget flashy metal straps, this new Apple Watch band has a medical-grade ECG monitor appeared first on Digital Trends.
