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: Yahoo sells, LastPass hack, a solar plane, and More appeared first on Digital Trends.
Meet the CTRL XC sunglasses, heralded as "the world's most advanced and fastest tint changing glasses for mountain biking, extreme sports, and leisure." These shades promise to change tints within a tenth of a second.
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Ever wondered what your dog or cat is up to during the day? PawsCam will help you get an answer -- it's basically a wearable action cam for your pet
The post PawsCam is like a GoPro for your pet that wirelessly uploads video to the cloud appeared first on Digital Trends.
Security company Bishop Fox has created a flying hacker's laptop called Danger Drone. Built around a Raspberry Pi, it can access networks and short-range signals normally out of reach.
The post Danger Drone is a flying hacker’s laptop, but it’s here to help appeared first on Digital Trends.
BMW is lending its automotive computer vision expertise to helping Team USA develop cutting-edge technology for improving their swimming. "This tool allows for customized coaching," Peter Falt, director at BMW Designworks, tells Digital Trends.
The post How BMW’s self-driving car tech will give American swimmers a leg up in Rio appeared first on Digital Trends.
Designer Nikolas Bentel’s new Aerochromics line of shirts each change in some unique way when they come into contact with different environmental factors. They're quite the fashion statement.
The post High-tech shirts change their pattern and color in response to pollution or radiation appeared first on Digital Trends.
Wearable devices such as Apple’s iWatch or the Fitbit have become ubiquitous in the West hemisphere. It seems that main wearable tech brands are also catching up in Asia. Since Asian manufacturers are jumping into the market from all angles, it is a challenging opportunity for Western companies in Asia to stabilize. With rapid change and development WT began to wonder if Asian Companies are becoming the new leader of the market?
The Accenture’s 2015 survey points that tech fans in Asia are hungrier for wearables than any other countries. The equivalent figures for China indicated that 67% of participants intend to buy a wearable fitness monitor in the next five years. It also state that 73% of participants are interested in buying smartwatches. These numbers are really impressive, particularly when compared to The United States because only 32% are interested in wearable fitness monitor, and 27% are interested in a smartwatch.
In 2015, an interview with The Wall Street Journal CEO of xiaomi, Jun, revealed that “even a pig can fly if it stands at the centre of a whirlwind”. Xiaomi- a mobile company, which is fighting Apple to be number one in China with fast and half-price handsets. Besides, with the same strategy, the company develops low-price and fashionable wearables. My personal favorite is Mi Band because it can monitor your activity levels, track walking distance and calculate calories burned. All with an outstanding battery life of 30 days. Mi band targets you toward a healthier lifestyle and also keeps you connected by alerting you of an incoming call.
Watchdata wearables from Beijing offer NFC payment with transportation application. However, it also can track your steps, monitor your sleep and incoming call reminder. Besides the typical features, Watchdata is water-resistance and has a 10-days battery life all for a low price. Moreover, Watchdata provides users with various colour to match your daily style.
Lenovo also gives a few ideas into wearables market: 1. a phone that wrap around your wrist like a slap bracelet; 2. light-up shoes that track your calories. The wearable phone from Lenovo is called C Plus. It is long, slim and meant to be worn like a bracelet. After it bends around your wrist, the interface changes to a simpler UK design that works better as a watch and fitness tracker. Regarding light-up shoes, Lenovo has partner with Vibram. The smart shoes can track steps, calories burned and charge wirelessly. The soles light up when they sense movement.
Huawei is also another big name in Asian Manufacturers. Huawei is really successful with their TalkBand – a smart health tracker, a weather tracker or a phone finder. Besides, Huawei provides the classic look for watch with smart functions integrated for ones who would love to experience the smart tech but are still a fan of classical watches.
Mobvoi is not a big name in the wearable market – yet. However, Mobvoi is a recent WT star as they debuted Ticwatch 2 at the WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2016 USA. This wearable differs from typical smartwatches in a couple of ways. It runs an android-based OS and has a touch-sensitive surface on the right side of the face. First of all, it can be a health tracker which analysis heart rate, speed, distance and GPS location. Then, it is integrated with voice interaction so you can easily set notification, reminders and calendar appointment within seconds.
Last but not least, the tech Giant Samsung approached CES 2016 with Samsung Tiptalk. The Tiptalk is a clever new smart strap for traditional watches, adding fitness tracking, notifications, calling features to any watch. The most special thing is that you can take calls by pressing your finger into your ear. The call audio isn’t transmitted via bone conduction, but vibrations are being sent from your wrist to your finger through your body.
Along with the accelerated development and some of the world’s biggest brands in the back yard, Asian countries seem to be driving innovation and consumer acceptance within the wearable industry.
Samsung is apparently working on the Gear S3 smartwatch, code-named "Solaris," and has already commissioned luxury brand de Grisogono to make an expensive, luxurious version of the device. It could launch at IFA in September.
The post Samsung Gear S3 News and Rumors appeared first on Digital Trends.
We don't know much about Xiaomi's plans, but the company will make an announcement on August 1 regarding some type of virtual reality product. It could be a Daydream-certified headset, but we'll have to wait and see to find out.
The post Xiaomi is making a mysterious virtual reality announcement on August 1 appeared first on Digital Trends.
More rumors have finally surfaced about the mysterious Meizu smartwatch. A new leak shows purported images of the watch, and rumors point to a potential unveiling on August 10. Here's everything you need to know.
The post New rumors, leaks suggest Meizu might unveil a smartwatch on August 10 appeared first on Digital Trends.
Samsung's Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge boosted the South Korean giant's profits in the second quarter to its best ever in two years. The company estimates it shipped between 75.6 million and 78.3 million smartphones in the three-month period.
The post Strong Galaxy S7 sales propel Samsung to its highest profits in more than two years appeared first on Digital Trends.
Kokoon sleeping headphones was the winner of the IWC 2015/2016 for the Gaming and Lifestyle category. We interviewed their CEO Tim Antos to learn more about them. If you want to try them live make sure to register to our upcoming WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2016 Asia in Hong Kong on October 12 where they will be exhibiting!
1. How did you come up with the idea of brainwave-sensing headphones?
“I couldn’t sleep! I was having a very busy and stressful period at work which led to some sleep problems. I consulted a sleep clinic and was recommended audio techniques to try. They audio worked great, but traditional headphones were simply not up to the job – I needed something much more comfortable. From there, Kokoon was born and we worked to not only make comfortable headphones for sleeping, but also include technology to monitor and improve sleep and relaxation. There are many exciting applications for our technology and sleep is just the start.”
2. How are the headphones working and how they can help you to fall asleep and possibly trigger lucid dreams?
“Our mobile app includes many audio techniques. You can either use these to help relax and fall asleep or use whatever external audio you want. We’ll measure and learn how effective your audio is over time and make recommendations. Once you’re asleep, our disturbance protection helps make sure you’re not interrupted. The headphones have active noise cancellation, noise isolation and also active white noise, between them they make sure you can get a sound night’s sleep. Thanks to our brainwave sensing, we can the find the best time to wake you up – the lightest point in your sleep cycle whilst also making sure you’re not late getting out of bed!
Regarding lucid dreaming, it’s something Kokoon can help with, though it’s not something we’ll be targeting at launch. But with a combination of our brainwave sensors and the headphones themselves, an audio cue could be delivered to a user when they are dreaming. Applications like these are exactly why we will be making our API and SDK free and open to enthusiasts to allow them to develop this sort of functionality and more on our platform”
3. How does the app work combined with the headphones? Can users choose their own music to fall asleep or are the sounds pre-determined?
“As I mentioned earlier, it’s really up to the user. Our app includes a collection of audio which is free to users. We have worked with sleep professionals and music psychologists to produce audio which will help users relax and switch off. We will be building this library out over time as we learn more and more about what helps people sleep. However, you can also use the headphones for any audio. Audio for sleeping can be very personal so we wanted to make sure that if you’ve already got some favourite techniques you can use that too. So you can use your favourite music app or even audio books if that works for you.”
4. Some people move a lot during their sleep. How is Kokoon headphones not disturbing them when they move their heads while sleeping?
“This is something we’ve spent a long time working and perfecting. By focusing on spreading pressure evenly away from sensitive areas, keeping the headphone very low profile and enabling air circulation in the cushioning we’ve managed to make sure the design remains comfortable and cool. We’ve tested hundreds of design iterations across many different heads and optimised right down to the specifications of each individual material.
5. What’s your favorite wearable besides your own one?
“A very hard question! The pace of innovation in this market is fantastic and it seems new devices come around regularly. I’m not sure I could choose one favourite, but what I will say is those I find most exciting are those which actually ‘close the loop’ and make some sort of change to a user or their environment based on the data they are collecting. These are the devices which will really have a positive impact on people’s lives.
For the 7th consecutive year we will be presenting the latest healthcare and wellness developments in the wearables market at MEDICA, the globally leading trade show in the medical sector. The show attracts more than 130,000 visitors and over 4,800 exhibitors, amongst others general practitioners, hospital doctors, managers, nursing staff, technical managers, and medical specialized trade and cost units. The show is a “must” event for everyone busy in the healthcare sector.
With more than 30 exhibitors from 15 countries (Germany, UK, US, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Taiwan, South Korea, Switzerland, Ireland, Austria, Spain, The Netherlands, Slovenia, China) the WT | Wearable Technologies Show is as international and comprehensive as never before. WT | Wearable Technologies will also have two wearables sessions in the Connected Healthcare Forum on Monday and Tuesday during the show.
The topics this year in short:
Rehabilitation:
Bioservo’s Robotic SEM glove gives strength to weak hands and can therefore improve the quality-of-life and capability to perform everyday tasks. Dycare will present wearable motion sensors for clinical assessment and control of patients with movement disorders and TMG-BMC will showcase an electrical stimulator, sensors and electrodes for sports, medical, research and work related applications.
Analysis and algorithms and performance diagnostics:
Firstbeat’s heartrate analytic tools equip Suunto, Polar and Samsung products but are also used by professional sports teams like 30% of the NHL teams. Gait Up’s motion sensors, gait analysis and activity tracking solutions can be applied for research, clinics and the industry. OXY4 focuses on physiological performance diagnostics for athletes and performance diagnosticians. Their product can measure SmO2, THI, pulse, pulse index and HRV parameters.
Asthma:
Health Care Originals will present Adamm, an award-winning patch-type, flexible wearable that monitors your Asthma and can predict events.
Wellness Products:
Rooti Labs will exhibit SleepRX which can improve your sleeping habits, W/Me patch – their health monitor, CardioPad – a mobile heart rate monitor and blood pressure tracker and their latest innovatios. Color Seven will present light therapy devices which help against depression and menstrual pain and HIVOX Biotek will showcase sleep therapy and anti-snoring devices which help you to sleep better. Their massage patches help you to relax.
Vital Sign Monitoring:
Biovotion’s upper arm multi sensor device can measure 13 parameters all at one place. AiQ Smart Clothing will present their latest smart clothing solutions for body monitoring. And don’t miss Lumio Labs’ cell phone case that monitors your heart rate anytime anywhere. Qardio presents personal health monitoring by bringing innovative technologies, high-end design and exceptional user experience to the medical industry. You should definitely talk to them to learn more about the medical validated QardioARM (smart blood pressure monitor), QardioBASE (Wireless smart scale) and QardioCORE (medical-grade ECG).
Semiconductors and Batteries:
Shimmer offers complete body sensor solutions, tailored to each unique application requirement. Applications are for example environmental monitoring, epilepsy, player-tracking, biomechanics, motion-analysis, activity tracking, fall detection, neuromarkets. VARTA Microbattery will present their latest CP 1654 A3 version with 120mAh and their proven Hydrogen Gas Generating Cells for medical applications. Jenax will showcase their flexible, foldable and longlasting battery applicable for wearables and smart textiles.
Wearables for First-Aiders:
Spintower’s D.A.R.W.I.N. can facilitate the work of first-aiders by improving the communication, expert and skilled employee support and hands-free operation.
Wearables for fertility and (pregnant) women:
LifeSense Group will showcase their smart underwear helping women to develop strong and healthy pelvic floor muscles after giving birth. Raiing Medical will present iFertracker, helping you to conceive more easily and Ikangtai’s SheCare is a smart BBT thermometer for women who want to get pregnant.
Greater WT Ecosystem:
EBV Elektronik is a semiconductor distributor with 47 years history. They provide in-depth application support, value-added services and logistics solutions to a diverse customer base. Research companies at the booth are CSEM and VTT. Both companies will showcase their latest innovations such as patches, electrodes, sensors perfectly applicable for mobile solutions. And if you are looking for a reliable partner to manufacture your devices, you should talk to Quanta Computer.
We only have a few positions left. If you are interested in joining the WT | Wearable Technologies joint pavilion, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Here you can find some impressions from the previous years and our confirmed co-exhibitors 2016.
With an ever expanding market and features that keep improving, this is the year to take a fitness band backpacking. From ultra-pricey to ultra-light, here are a few of our current favorites, from the likes of Garmin and Fitbit.
The post The 5 best fitness bands for backpacking go where smartwatches fear to tread appeared first on Digital Trends.
Nintendo has crushed the dreams of many Pokémon Go players, and said the fun Pokémon Go Plus Bluetooth accessory (that may help conserve your phone's battery) has been delayed, and won't arrive until September.
The post Sorry, but you’ve got to wait for that Pokémon Go Plus wearable appeared first on Digital Trends.
Samsung's patents for a wireless charger, filed in January 2016, show a tall device that can charge your phone and wearable at the same time. It's unclear when we could see this device hitting the market.
The post Samsung patents show wireless chargers that can recharge two devices at once appeared first on Digital Trends.
A Chinese company just launched a Kickstarter campaign for a smartwatch called the Ticwatch 2. It’s not running Android Wear, but it’s a sleek-looking device with a mostly smooth OS.
The post Mobvoi Ticwatch 2 review appeared first on Digital Trends.
Apple's earnings report for the third fiscal quarter is in, and we take a look at the numbers. Sales of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac are down across the board from this time last year, but revenue from services is up.
The post Apple reports a 15-percent drop in iPhone unit sales from this time last year appeared first on Digital Trends.
In today's wearables-obsessed tech environment, there are devices to help you lose weight, gain sleep, and, now, get pregnant. Meet Ava and its Ava bracelet, a fertility-tracking wearable that wants to help women conceive.
The post Ava’s new wearable tracks fertility, just might help you get pregnant appeared first on Digital Trends.
Bellabeat sold 400,000 of its first piece of smart jewelry, and now it's back with a new wearable called the Leaf Urban. It's slimmer, sleeker, and looks like a gorgeous piece of jewelry. It comes with an app update that brings stress tracking.
The post Bellabeat turns over a new Leaf with smart jewelry to help you stay stress free appeared first on Digital Trends.
A Jedi-style HoloLens hackathon proof of concept would let smart home owners control their connected gadgets through augmented reality, using simple gestures and glances. Check out the awesome video demo here.
The post HoloLens concept lets you control your smart home via augmented reality appeared first on Digital Trends.
Sick of Apple's ridiculously long Watch charging cable? Want something more sensible to carry around? This is the Diskus, a tiny Apple Watch charger that will slip in your pocket and use any MicroUSB cable you want.
The post The first third-party Apple Watch charger is perfect for people on the go appeared first on Digital Trends.
Since early 2013, the smart jacket has been lingering onto the market. Even so, it has yet to go mainstream. With new developments in enabling tech, the smart jacket trend isn’t going to disappear. More companies are starting to play around with this idea. Below is the evidence the WT detector has gathered proving that smart jacket is making a comeback
Omius
Ever wondered how a plant can stay warm or cold without clothing on? Well, Omius Tech has studied this phenomenon and incorporated it into a mixture of robotics and textiles. The goal is to allow for the clothing to recognize when the body is hot or cold and adjust the air flow. They recently tested their jacket on Ingrid Drexel, Olympic Cyclist. They also spoke at the recent WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2016 USA.
Baubax
BauBax has created the World’s Best Traveling Jacket. It has specialized pockets for storing all of you most used electronics. It is light, comfortable and able to withstand weather changes. In 2015, BauBax hosted a successful Kickstarter. Now, you can purchase several styles of the jack for around $150-200. That’s not it, for the jacket has 15 features. A special one I would use while traveling, is the eye mask that folds down from the inside of the hood.
Sinapsi
Sinapsi is a heated line jacket designed in Italy. The jacket uses Bluetooth to connect any iOS and Android devices. Once connected, three heating panel placed on the front and back along with multi-level heat adjusting battery keep you warm for up to 10 hours. The lightweight construction makes it best for all types of activity. Along with the mobile app, you can turn on and off your Sinapsi at any time. Additionally, you can schedule appointments on the jacket about where and when you want to go. That’s not all! With the app you will be alerted when the weather conditions are changing, therefore you are always on prepared no matter what.
Google & Levis Coop
2016 marks the event that Google and Levi’s smart jacket has arrived! It’s a smart jean jacket that connects to your smartphone. The jacket contains a weave of the Jacquard interactive threading on the left alarm. There is an embedded Bluetooth which enables you to connect to the cuff of your jacket. That cuff allows you to talk on the phone throughout your jacket – now you call feel like a member of the Secret Services. Moreover, you are able to swipe the fabric to adjust the volume of your music, tap to change tracks and use another custom gesture to get navigational directions from Google Maps. A plus side of the commuter jacket is it makes biking easy with its built-in interactions. Now, bikers can use to control their phones safely while riding.This smart jacket will be available in 2017!
Thermal Tech
Thermal Tech is also another amazing jacket coming in 2016. It captures the power of the sun with the patented solar- absorbing technology that converts sun (UV light) into warmth to heat you up to 20oF in just 2 minutes. ThermalTech is designed to keep you warmer longer, thus allowing you to do the things you love the most in the outdoors. Beyond that, ThermalTech offers various jacket collections: Street (perfect for running errands around town or a night out on the town), Explorer (great for campers, hikers and fishing) and Extreme (ideal companion for snowboarding and skiing).
Vodafone smart jacket
Lastly, Vodafone Netherlands also made a new entry into the genre with their smart jacket. Designed to prevent cyclists from using their mobiles while riding. Vodafone teamed with Technical University Delft and the Dutch Cyclist Association. You map out your route on a map app and then tuck your phone into a special pocket, which uploads the route and transmits it to a built-in Raspberry Pi device hooked up to 300 built-in LEDs. Lights on the jacket sleeves direct the traveller along the best route to take while more LEDs on the back of the jacket alert drivers about where you’re heading.
Let’s see how these amazing smart jackets integrate into our daily life!
SmartCap tackles a very important topic – fatigue! There have been thousands of cases each year of drivers falling asleep while driving. In fact, fatigue related accidents kill more people each year than alcohol. We talked to Dush Wimal, the CEO of SmartCap to tell us more about the solution that can save many lives each year.
SmartCap offers a solution to vehicle drivers fighting a fatigue. Can you tell us more about it?
At SmartCap we recognize the quantum of fatigue related risks in our busy lives. Many lives are lost due to fatigue related incidents on a daily basis, primarily due to the lack of awareness of the risks related to fatigue as well as a reliable tool to manage fatigue. By incorporating dry contact EEG (Electroencephalogram) technology, patented circuitry and sophisticated algorithms in to a wearable, SmartCap has revolutionized fatigue management space. For the first time in human history, we are able to accurately measure alertness and fatigue, there by eliminating microsleeps.
With the release of the new product, Life, we are now able to offer a truly mobile solution that is applicable to anyone who wants to monitor and manage his or her fatigue and alertness. We are united in our mission to save as many lives as possible by providing the best in class technology to monitor fatigue. When the opportunity transpired to be involved with the Innovation series to showcase SmartCap technology, we were delighted. Ed Begley Jr. is a well respected and recognised host on a global scale and the Innovation series has an extensive global reach through Discovery and Fox. The opportunity to reach an extensive audience across the world and showcase our life saving technology is very exciting. The more people know about our technology, the more people who will use it and the more people we can take home safely to their families.
Brain monitoring is a hot topic right now and can be applied in many environments. Where do you see Smart Cap in the future?
Brain wave monitoring is fast becoming a hot topic indeed. There are many real world applications for brain monitoring such as focus, meditation, wellness/mindfulness, brain training and fatigue to name a few. Thanks to the innovative technology and wearable fusion it is becoming increasingly easier to collect data from humans while engaged in daily activities. Thanks to products such as Strava and Fitbit the consumer is becoming more comfortable about sharing their biometric data with other like minded people in the community. This trend of sharing personal data as well as the evolution of wearable technologies will continue to grow, enabling innovative solutions to real world problems such as alertness and fatigue. In the health sector, we will see an increasing trend of collecting patient data away from the clinic and more from their natural environment with the use of wearables. Most importantly in a very on invasive ways. For SmartCap – We see a huge future for us in the wearable space. Our core capabilities are developing world class algorithms and combined with our patented circuitry, we will continue to leverage from these and continue to innovate in the wearable space. All I can say is that we have an exciting Innovation Roadmap being developed by our CTO. So keep a close eye on us for some fantastic new products in the near future.
How do you think the wearable market will develop in the next few years?
As I mentioned before, wearables market is a fast growing market and there are many fantastic solutions being developed in this space. As the market becomes more accepting of the wearables technologies, we will see some tremendous innovations in the future. SmartCap aims to play a very big part of the wearable space in the next few years.
What is your favorite wearable and why?
My favourite wearable to date has to be a smart watch (other than SmartCap of course). We are becoming increasingly busy and having access to vital information is key for success. People don’t wear a watch to tell the time any more. A watch is an accessory. When you combine critical information with a wearable fashion accessory such as a watch, then you have a valuable tool.
If you missed the opportunity to meet Mr. Wimal at our conference in San Francisco, there is still a chance to listen to his speech on October 12 at WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2016 ASIA in Hong Kong.
Jiobit is building a revolutionary chip that, using machine learning and contextual clues, could drastically improve the battery life of wearables. It's working on smartwatches for kids., but it has bigger plans for the future.
The post Jiobit aims to make wearables so discreet they’re practically invisible appeared first on Digital Trends.
Tech is moving on down, from your wrist to your leg. The body real estate for wearable technologies is diversifying. There are several products that have recently emerged and are quite intriguing because they are simple, small and easy for any person to use.
LumiWave Infrared Light Therapy Device offers users the chance to temporarily escape pain. If you have minor aches or pains in your legs. Most of the time injuries occur from sports or weightlifting and the only solution is to not participate and rest, or take medicine. LumiWave is great because it is non-intrusive, and you do not need to take pain relief medication alongside. The device is adjustable to fit around any size leg, knee, ankle, foot, neck, shoulder, elbow or hand. LumiWave was successfully crowd funded a little over a year ago. You can now place your name on the pre-order list and purchase a single 200 LED set for $449.99 or a double 400 LED for $559.99.
Quell is another 100% drug free, wearable pain relief device. Instead of LEDs Quell is a black plastic box that uses intensive nerve stimulation to minimize your pain. They are calling their technology “OptiTherapy” because it can automatically adjust to provide optimal pain relief. If you want, you can also directly control the power of therapy on your smart phone. To put it on, you simply charge the device, slide it into a soft Velcro wrap, then secure it under your knee. It is ok to wear for 24 hours – even while you’re sleeping! Quell is for sale in retail stores, or on their online store for $249.00.
Quell Introduction Video from Neurometrix on Vimeo.
Keenbrace is about to go live on Kickstarter. It is a device that can strap to your legs, arm or wrist. Unlike the two products above, Keenbrace is an athletic coach and tracking device. The goal is to assist you in becoming the best athlete you can be, while remaining injury-free. They achieve this by providing various features: real-time coaching, accurate biosensors, scheduling and reminders, lastly insight on your progress.
There are other devices that can be worn around the leg, but have been on the market for a while. You can learn how Soundbrenner help musicians keep time, as well as other “legables” that keep you injury free or help with rehabilitation. The leg is a great space on the body that allows people to move. I am surprised not more wearables have the ability to move from the wrist to the leg. Granted, there are compression shorts that have embedded sensor technology, and exocskeletons have existing for a long time. Yet, now that enabling tech is smaller, devices should reflect this diversity. It also opens up the opportunity for individualized products for each customer to control. These ideas are aspects of nex tech products that catch consumers’ attention. WT (as always) will keep you updated on the latest news and developments within wearable technologies.
This jewelry design graduate has found a far more convenient and creative way to use an Oyster Card on the London Underground. She has taken the chip from inside the card, and put it in a set of false nails.
The post Nailed it: Chip inside jewelry designer’s false nails pays for London Tube rides appeared first on Digital Trends.
Apple will make special, limited edition straps for the Apple Watch in designs inspired by the national flags of different countries competing in the upcoming Olympic Games. They're just $50 each, but you're going to need to be at the Games to grab one.
The post Want one of these sweet Olympic Apple Watch bands? You’ll have to be in Rio to get one appeared first on Digital Trends.
The latest data from IDC is in, and Apple continues its lead over its competitors in the smartwatch market. Even so, the company saw a steep decline year-over-year, and the market as a whole saw a decline.
The post People are not buying as many smartwatches, but the Apple Watch still reigns supreme appeared first on Digital Trends.
Summer is a prime time for outdoor sports – extreme ones where safety is required. These days everything is smart! While the basic helmet keeps your cranium covered, a smart one can probably do more than that. It can improve your safety and offer an experience like no other. Below WT | Wearable Technologies focuses on smart wearables to protect cyclers.
Lumos
Lumos provides a smart helmet which can make you stand out on the road with super bright white LEDs in the front and super bright red LEDs in the rear. Lumos provides the ability to signal on the smart helmet by featuring bright left and right turn signals, activated via a wireless remote on your handlebars. The Lumos remote is small, unobtrusive and water resistant. Additionally, the battery life lasts for a month and the Lumos helmet detects when you slow down and automatically turns all the rear lights bright solid red.
Lumos: A Next Generation Bicycle Helmet from Lumos Helmet on Vimeo.
Lumenus
Lumenus provides a smart jacket targeted at cyclists. The jacket pairs to an Android or iOS app that runs on Google Maps servers. The Bluetooth-paired processor uses your phone’s GPS and accelerometer to light up the LEDs on your shoulders with turn indicators or brake lights to tell drivers where you intend to turn. Lumenus provides all the turn by turn functionality you want from a GPS.
Babaali
Babaali is a world leading helmet manufacturer. They have integrated a Bluetooth optical heart rate collector into the helmet for tracking your heartrate. The helmet is connected to an app that shows you your heartrate statistics. Another cool product from the same company is called Smart Construct Helmet. It measures your heart rate, speed, temperature, oxygen, VOC and pressure. For more information about the other selection of helmets, please visit their website.
Classon Brooklyness
Brooklyness is introducing Classon : The intelligent bike helmet that detects cars approaching in your blind spot. With the front and back camera, the information is interpreted by algorithm and communicated to you using visor interface. A non-disruptive light under the visor blinks in your peripheral vision as cars are approaching from behind. Light intensity is adjustable.
Moreover, it activates turn signals & brake lights based on your body movements because of gesture sensor.
You can now support Classon, as the smart helmet is live on Kickstarter.
Livall Bling Helmets
Last but not least is Livall cycling helmet. LED lights on the helmet keep other drivers aware that a cycler is on the road. Led Lights are controlled via a handlebar-mounted controller that is connected to the helmet via Bluetooth. Livall provides cool functions such as being able to answer or make phone call via Windbreak Mic and Bluetooth Speaker. Moreover, you can communicate via walkie-talkie function and additionally, all text messages get converted into a voice mail.
The wearable industry is taking over every aspect of the market. It is interesting to see how wearables totally change the cyclists’ experience by keeping wearers connected, interactive and safe. You can click here for more wearables for cycling. Stay tuned and keep on the road!
Fans of the Chaos Rings series of mobile RPGs will be pleased to hear that its creator is embarking on a new project called Cosmos Rings, an RPG developed exclusively for the Apple Watch.
The post Square Enix goes wearable with the first RPG designed for Apple Watch appeared first on Digital Trends.
Xiaomi’s back with the Mi Band 2, a sequel to the well-received Mi Band, this time with a screen and a heart rate monitor fitted. Does the addition of more tech ruin the wonderful simplicity of the Mi Band?
The post Xiaomi Mi Band 2 review appeared first on Digital Trends.
Corning has taken the wraps off of Gorilla Glass 5, the company's strongest glass to date. But how strong is it? According to Corning, it can withstand drops of 1.6 meters as much as 80 percent of the time.
The post Gorilla Glass 5 is coming to protect your phone from all those accidental drops appeared first on Digital Trends.
The cool thing about Pebble's wears is that they allow for third-party support. The smartwatches can only hold a few apps, however, so we've picked 30 favorite apps, games, and watchfaces for you to choose from.
The post 30 must-have Pebble Time apps, watchfaces, and games for your wrist appeared first on Digital Trends.
Racing horse is a challenging sport. Hundreds of racehorses are killed every year. As a result, a device for monitoring performance could help trainers avoid over –exertion and injury. In a previous article, WT | Wearable Technologies revealed some wearable health trackers for horses. Now in this article, we would like to keep you updated!
NIGHTWATCH
NIGHTWATCH is the world’s first smart halter which is designed to alert you via SMS/text, phone call, or email at the early signs of equine distress. This revolutionary biomedical device monitors real-time data on your horse’s vital signs and behaviours, works across cellular and Wi-Fi networks, offers GPS tracking, uses wireless inductive charging. Additionally, it adapts to your horse over time as the system learns their unique and normal patterns and parameters. All technology is embedded within the padded leather crown of either a breakaway halter or safety collar. Each halter contains multiple sensors, state-of-the art processors, transceivers, rechargeable batteries, and other small electronics in a flexible water and dust-proof enclosure providing long-term durability, reliability and performance. Therefore, it allows you the ability to know your horse’s activity, motion, posture and location at all times.
Seaver
Seaver is the first connected girth dedicated to horse performance and healthcare. It measures your horse’s heart and breathing rate, offering you real-time data to monitor its performance. Moreover, you can also analyse data for each session after each practice. In addition, the device lets you save and compare training sessions. You can playback your jumping path and strides. You can also measure vertical/horizontal jump height. Seaver helps to enhance traditional training methods for equestrian sports. Seaver girth is getting funded on Kickstarter!
Equimetre
Equimetre is also a smart device to monitor the wellbeing of horses. Equimentre is a sensor which fits onto the girth. It can monitor heartrate, respiratory rate and temperature. Besides, it also generates movement tracking metrics such as speed and acceleration. Environmental conditions like humidity is also under control. The sensor goes with companion smartphone or tablet app which generate comprehensive data for you to evaluate the stamina of the horse, compare fitness to other horses. Additionally, you are able to set up individual workouts. More interestingly, it can identify the risks of over training and detects emerging diseases. Equimetre is about to be launched in 2017.
WT | Wearable Technologies hopes that these clever wearable devices can go a long way to help trainers, owners to monitor the wellbeing of the horses.
The Booq Slimpack is more than a premium camera bag. With simple yet rugged design it'll pack in all of your camera gear and keep it safe no matter what mother nature throws at you.
The post The Booq Slimpack is the perfect camera bag for minimalists appeared first on Digital Trends.
A few months ago, WT published an article about diabetes. The facts are simple and the consequences are rapidly effecting today´s generation. The statistics published by International Diabetes Federation are astonishing and should be a warning to all people. You can learn more about the numbers concerning some of the studies at, Modern Man Disease. Unfortunately, diabetes has no immediate cure. Thousands of people are diagnosed each day. There are many options for monitoring glucose levels; from old invasive and painful devices, to now non-invasive Blood Glucose monitoring devices. For diabetics that are interested in learn about new, noninvasive technology, keep reading for a short review of the latest trends.
DIA-VIT is a non-invasive glucose self-monitoring device. It measures the glucose level in your blood. Their smartphone app keeps a diary of your daily data, so you can track patterns in your fluctuation glucose level. By monitoring your condition, you are then able to be more aware of your condition.
SugarBeat is a non-invasive patch. It contains an electronic sensor that detects real time measurements. The patch is disposable and is about 1mm thick. Your glucose level is measured through the skin every 5 minutes. SugarBeat is connected to an app where also all the readings are forwarded.
GlucoTrack clippes to your earlobe in order to test your blood sugar level. The device contains 2 parts: Main Unit (MU) and ear clip. The ear clip doesn’t hurt, in fact it’s really simple. Just clip it on and tap-da! Your glucose level appears on the MU. GlucoTrack uses three independent technologies, simultaneously: ultrasonic, electromagnetic and thermal. All measurements are combined by a unique proprietary algorithm, which calculates the weighted average and returns the user’s glucose level.
Glucosense Diagnostics is developing a device to directly monitor blood glucose levels without the need to penetrate the skin. We will inform you more about the product as soon as the developers share more details with the world.
It is good to see that diabetes patients don´t have to go through painful procedures to monitor their disease. We hope less and less people will have to use devices that monitor and control their diabetes. Instead, it would be great to see folks using wearables to enhance their fitness and wellness to gain a healthy life style.
With an updated processor and larger screen, the iPhone 6 is bigger and better than any Apple smartphone before it. Check out some of our favorite accessories for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, whether you're in the market for top-notch sound or a simple car mount.
The post Get the most out of your iPhone 6 and 6 Plus with these accessories appeared first on Digital Trends.
What an impact Pokemon GO! Has made on the overall population of Americans. There are good and bad articles that are trending on the internet. The coolest news so far, is that the wearable is sold out, and not yet shipping! This type of reaction to new tech is what WT is searching for. The gaming industry is vibrant and consistently engaging young and old folks. Of course, the industry would move into AR, VR and wearables are making it all possible.
The Pokemon GO Plus wearable is quite simple in fact. The reason for creating it is for users to be able to still play the game without looking at their screen. With Pokemon GO Plus you are able to catch Pokemon by throwing a Poke Ball. Whenever you are in range of a PokeStop, the wristable will vibrate and display an LED. You simply have to press the button and Wha-La you have a new Pokemon!
Another super awesome game that gets gamers onto their feet is SuperSuit by MadRat Games. Designer for children gamers, the SuperSuit takes the gamers into a Third Space. With the use of their SuperVest, SuperGlove and SuperBot you will have all the components to be a Superhero. There are 3 suits are different colors: blue, orange and purple. The player pretends they are battling bad guys and can play with their friends. Parents can download the parental app to their smart devices to see how much activity your child receives while playing. I can see it now, the annual 4th of July BBQ with kids running around slaying demons as the parents chat.
MadRat SuperSuit at CES 2016 from SuperSuit on Vimeo.
If you are a Minecraft player, then this is the device for you. Gameband is a wristable that can keep you playing while you’re away from your computer. Once you receive Gameband, you plug it into your computer, launch the Gameband App, launch Minecraft and backup your Worlds onto the Gameband’s servers. Now you can carry your Minecraft to any device! Better make sure your boss isn’t watching. A fun aspect about Gameband is the ability to hack it and make your own LED animation. Unfortunately, the Gameband Diamond ($79.99) is sold out, but Gameband Redstone ($49.99) is available.
Ever wanted to be a Titanfall 2 Piolet? Now you can! The Titanfall 2 Vanguard Edition was released about a month ago. The package comes with a fullsize helmet, dogtag USB, notepad, and more. The face plate glows blue (just like the piolets in the game) yet still allows for the wearer to see out. There are 2 attachments: simulated laser eight and a spotlight. This collector’s item is not cheap, but you can per-order it now to receive it the same day as the game is released (October 28, 2016).
March 3, 2017 is when OSSIC X will be on the market. Combined with HTC, OSSIC is the future of 3D audio. The headset has head tracking and a multi-driver array of speakers. This way no matter where your head is in space, you can hear sound as if you had no headphones on. You can plug OSSIC X into a computer, gaming console, or VR headset.
The world is quickly changing. Wearable tech can be assistive as well as entertaining. At this time, it seems like gaming is jumping to the forefront of consumers’ attention. It is already so great to see people outside freaking out about Pokemon, but there is space in the industry for more disruption. Just have to wait and see what secret games are being created behind the scenes.
Getting fit isn't just about tracking your activity -- it's also about eating right and getting the right nutrients. That's why Styr Labs has introduced a fitness tracking ecosystem, complete with a tracker, scale, and supplements.
The post Styr Labs wants to turn your fitness data into customized supplements 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: Brain zappers, sapphire razors, SuperMeat appeared first on Digital Trends.
There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but a free mobile VR headset? Those exist. Meet the FreeHMD, the world's first free VR HMD from Canadian tech developer Tek Gear. We always knew our neighbors to the north were our best friends.
The post Tek Gear releases the first free mobile VR Headset — the FreeHMD appeared first on Digital Trends.
Do you get sweaty armpits easily? Maybe you need to cool things down with these wearable fans that blast beautiful fresh air into your pits, keeping them as cool as possible at all points during the day.
The post Air out your sweaty pits with these wearable air conditioners appeared first on Digital Trends.
The electronic "tattoo" sticks to a user's skin and measures biometric signals throughout the day. When worn on the face, the electrodes can record muscle activity to identify expressions and emotions.
The post An electronic face ‘tattoo’ can biometrically map your mood swings appeared first on Digital Trends.
It’s not exactly Green Lantern’s ring, but the BioRing is a wellness tracker rugged enough to be waterproof and resistant to scratches while it measures various metrics about your overall health.
The post BioRing wearable smart ring smashes funding goal appeared first on Digital Trends.
We interviewed our exhibitor Heikki Raisanen from Emfit and asked him a few questions about wearables and beyond. You will also have a chance to meet the company in person at our WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2016 ASIA that will be taking place in Hong Kong on October 12.
Can you explain a bit more about your involvement in wearables?
We are a sensor manufacturer, but we also manufacture whole products with focus in health tech, all of which are contact free bed sensors with different applications. We focus in seizure detection for care of people with epilepsy, bed occupancy and exit monitoring for fall prevention in elder care, and now also athletes’ recovery monitoring.
We are very happy to have you exhibiting with us both in San Francisco and Hong Kong. Which products are you planning to show?
First we are showing Emfit QS, which we deloped for recovery, fatigue and sleep quality tracking for athletes and people interested in quantified self. Now it has found traction also among occupational health for quantifying employees’ short and long term recovery from work. We are also showing Safebed Cloud, which uses same hardware and code base in our servers, but is customized for enabling safe living of elderly living alone and in any institutional care.
Your company is focusing especially on sleep quality. What are the most important technology developments in this area.
We’d like to say we are focusing on recovery analysis rather than just sleep quality alone. Recovery is why we sleep and if we do not get sufficient recovery each day, it has a negative effect on our health. One of our core competencies is all-night heart rate variability analysis that Emfit QS does automatically every night. What’s really great about this product is that there’s no need to wear any device or use a phone for measurement.
How do you think the wearables market will develop in the next few years?
We think we are just in the beginning of the this new era. Focus will move to collecting more true health data and combining health data, for example combining heart rate variability analysis every night with daily activity tracking, like exercise, work and nutrition. We also believe that we’re going to start collecting data of our moods and personal feelings and how these affect us and how we feel about our health, both in good and bad ways. We now talk about “wearables”, but the word will disappear and will be replaced with something that better describes why we all do this, tracking of all this data.
What is your favorite wearable and why?
I actually don’t use any wearables, because I don’t like to wear any devices, and that’s why I only use Emfit QS and it’s perfect for me. It requires zero effort!
Mastercard user? You can now use Masterpass in-stores via tap-and-pay technology, just like Android Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay. The company also announced a brand change, with a new cleaner logo and lower-case name.
The post Masterpass now competes with Apple Pay, Android Pay with contact-less payment appeared first on Digital Trends.
Mastercard user? You can now use Masterpass in-stores via tap-and-pay technology, just like Android Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay. The company also announced a brand change, with a new cleaner logo and lower-case name.
The post Masterpass now competes with Apple Pay, Android Pay with contact-less payment appeared first on Digital Trends.
Are you looking for a wearable device to get more active this summer, however, there are many wearables out there on the market that makes you confused? To make your decision easier, WT| Wearable Technologies would like to reveal our top 5 favourite wearables this summer.
Soltrackr
It’s awesome to get tanned during summer time. However, are you aware that how bad UV affects our skin? More than 13 million people worldwide are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. Therefore, Soltrackr – a small device which can measure the sun’s UV rays to balance how much Vitamin D you make while estimating the time before getting a sun burn is definitely our favourite this summer. Moreover, it can also measure your stress level using your heart rate variability along with resting heart rate, and blood oxygen level.
soltrackr promo 2 from soltrackr on Vimeo.
My UV Patch
Ultraviolet seems to be a major health issue especially during summer time. Since the beginning of 2016, L’Oreal and La Roche-Posay unveiled My UV Patch, the first-ever stretchable skin sensor to monitor UV exposure and help consumers educate themselves about sun protection. The patch is a transparent adhesive that adheres directly to any area of skin that consumers want to monitor. The patch contains photosensitive dyes that factor in the baseline skin tone and change colors when exposed to UV rays to indicate varying levels of sun exposure. Consumers is able to take photo of the patch and upload it to My UV Patch app, which analyses the varying photosensitive dye squares to determine the amount of UV exposure the wearer has received.
Misfit Ray
It is of great necessity to get in shape to be ready for a hot summer. We would like to recommend you Misfit Ray – one of the most stylish and affordable wearables which is getting a makeover for summer. A new, polish, stainless version will be available in either gold or silver finish. These will come equipped with either a sports band in black or white, or a leather band in black, cream or white. Besides, it is, of course, still a very good tracker. It can monitor your sleep quality. It tracks steps taken, distance travelled, calories burned.
Nixon- The Mission
Summer time is when the temperatures rise and the days get longer. Therefore, you’ll undoubtedly be making it out to the beach, or at least spending some time near water, to keep cool and have fun despite the heat. Nixon the Mission – the highest waterproof rating of any smartwatch on the market deserves to be one of our favourite this summer. The Mission is built smart and tough. As a result, you can bring it to anywhere: in the water, on the hill, off the road and beyond. The Mission is equipped with a preloaded app and streamlines real-time surf and snow shred alert to your wrists. The Mission is an ideal watch for surf as it is powered by Android Wear and working hand in hand with Surfline.
GoPro Hero4
The last product among our top 5 favourite wearables this summer is GoPro Hero4– an action camera. Whether you go snowboarding down the mountain or under the water, it can capture the most natural memories when they matter most. GoPro Hero4 has two editions : Hero4 Black and Hero4 Silver. Hero4 Black is the most advanced model with a maximum resolution of 4K at a rate of 30fps. Or you can choose Hero4 Silver which doesn’t offer quite the same level of video quality (1080p at 60fps). However Hero4 Silver is the first GoPro to offer an integrated LCD Screen.
Have fun and enjoy your summer time !
According to J.D. Power's 2016 Smartwatch Device Satisfaction Report, Apple garnered the highest customer satisfaction score with its Apple Watch smartwatch. However, the likes of Samsung and Sony are not too far behind.
The post People are more satisfied with the Apple Watch than any other smartwatch, but not by much appeared first on Digital Trends.
They're pretty big and important.
Note: With the recent release of Pokémon Go, we thought it might be helpful to update this post, originally published in July 2015. The new information can be found starting in the second section, "What is augmented reality?"
A Microsoft PR rep recently shut me down mid-sentence. I was starting to ask a question about HoloLens, the company’s augmented-reality glasses.
"It’s not augmented reality," the rep interrupted. "It’s mixed reality."
My first thought: Well, excuuuuuse me.
After getting over my stubbornness and doing some more research, I realized the rep was right. HoloLens and other "mixed reality" tech like Magic Leap is different from augmented reality — and both are different from virtual reality. Really different, in fact.
Some of the experts I consulted for this story say that the terminology wars are more plaster than substance. My take: Even if this is all marketing spin, consumers should be able to understand what they’re being sold. So if you’re confused, don’t worry. Re/code is here to help.
You’ve probably heard the most about virtual reality, or VR. It’s the technology that is set to see big consumer releases within the next year, in devices like Facebook’s Oculus Rift, Sony’s Project Morpheus and the Samsung Gear VR. People also tend to know VR better because of its disastrous stab at the consumer market in the 1990s, and pop culture moments like "The Lawnmower Man" and "VR Troopers."
In VR, you wear something on your head — currently, a "head-mounted display" that can look like a boxy set of goggles or a space helmet — that holds a screen in front of your eyes, which in turn is powered by a computer, gaming console or mobile phone. Thanks to specialized software and sensors, the experience becomes your reality, filling your vision; at the high end, this is often accompanied by 3-D audio that feels like a personal surround-sound system on your head, or controllers that let you reach out and interact with this artificial world in an intuitive way.
What distinguishes VR from adjacent technologies is the level of immersion it promises. When VR users look around — or, in more advanced headsets, walk around — their view of that world adjusts the same way it would if they were looking or moving in real reality.
The key buzzword here is presence, shorthand for technology and content that can trick the brain into believing it is somewhere it’s not. When you flinch at a virtual dinosaur, or don’t want to step off an imaginary ledge, that’s presence at work.
And that’s where one of VR’s historically toughest challenges comes in. Turns out, our brains are actually pretty smart at sniffing out badly delivered presence. If you’re riding a virtual roller coaster but your body doesn’t feel like it’s moving, the brain might think something is wrong, and … blech. Best-case scenario, you keep your lunch but wind up being made fun of by the "What Does the Fox Say?" guys on Norwegian TV:
Recent tech advances have cut down on the latency, the time between when you move your head and when the virtual picture adjusts; that’s crucial for not making the brain feel sick. However, the current conventional wisdom is that some simulator-sensitive folks may never be able to have a long VR experience, and it will always be possible to intentionally design stomach-churning software — something platform owners like Oculus and Sony will want to control.
Augmented reality, or AR, is similar to VR in that it is often delivered through a sensor-packed wearable device, such as Google Glass, the Daqri Smart Helmet or Epson’s Moverio brand of smart glasses. That’s not always true, though, and the similarities stop shortly after that.
The key term for AR is utility. A typical augmented-reality experience will probably be a lot less exciting than meeting a dinosaur or riding a roller coaster, but analysts have argued that the potential market for AR applications is actually much larger than VR’s.
The whole point of that ugly word, augmented, is that AR takes your view of the real world and adds digital information and/or data on top of it. This might be as simple as numbers or text notifications, or as complex as a simulated screen, something ODG is experimenting with on its forthcoming consumer smart glasses. But in general, AR lets you see both synthetic light as well as natural light bouncing off objects in the real world.
AR makes it possible to get that sort of digital information without checking another device, leaving both of the user’s hands free for other tasks. That makes the current technology a natural fit for the enterprise, where a corporation in the energy field, for example, might want to give field workers who are inspecting equipment glasses that can take pictures of and deliver information about what they’re seeing from atop a wind turbine.
There are some consumer-facing applications for AR — for example, piloting a drone — but lately the non-enterprise crowd has decamped for either VR or mixed reality.
Updated 7/13/16: At the time of this update, the buzz around "augmented reality" has accelerated thanks to the smartphone game Pokémon Go. The game is mainly designed around maps, letting players find and catch characters from Nintendo's long-running Pokémon game franchise in the real world. But when they do find a Pokémon, players can enter an augmented reality mode that lets them see their target on their phone screens, superimposed over the real world.
However, some observers claim that Pokémon Go is not "real" augmented reality. Read on to better understand what they mean ...
This is the least-well-known of the trio right now, but it ironically might have the easiest road to mainstream consumer adoption — if the tech works as advertised.
The key term for mixed reality, or MR, is flexibility. It tries to combine the best aspects of both VR and AR, wrapped up in a marketable term that sounds marginally less geeky than its cousins.
In theory, mixed reality lets the user see the real world (like AR) while also seeing believable, virtual objects (like VR). And then it anchors those virtual objects to a point in real space, making it possible to treat them as "real," at least from the perspective of the person who can see the MR experience.
Update 7/13/16: Continuing the Pokémon Go update from above, characters seen in that game do not follow the rules of mixed reality, which some describe as "real" augmented reality. Once a Pokémon is encountered in the real world, its distance from the player does not change as that player's phone moves around; in other words, the character appears to be on top of the real world when viewed through the phone, but it's easy to break the illusion that it is in that real world.
With mixed reality, the illusion is harder to break. To borrow an example from Microsoft’s presentation at the gaming trade show E3, you might be looking at an ordinary table, but see an interactive virtual world from the video game Minecraft sitting on top of it. As you walk around, the virtual landscape holds its position, and when you lean in close, it gets closer in the way a real object would.
That sounds great, but real-world applications for MR are still largely happening behind closed doors. The E3 Minecraft demo wasn’t completely honest advertising, and Magic Leap* — a high-secrecy but high-profile company due to investments from Google, Qualcomm and others — has yet to publicly reveal a portable, consumer-ready version of its MR technology. In February, the MIT Technology Review described the company’s top hardware as "scaffolding," and a concept video for the eventual wearable device was dubious. Microsoft, meanwhile, has done several public demos but hasn’t yet committed to a release date for HoloLens.
For certain developers tracking the ecosystem, it may make sense to redefine applications that once were called augmented reality as mixed reality. Outside of the enterprise world, the former has largely served gimmicky marketing, while the latter is still buzzy and sexy. Well, buzzy, at least.
Just to make things extra confusing, some experiences that once were called augmented reality, such as Daqri’s Crayola coloring app, would now be called mixed reality under this definition. One person I interviewed for this story, who asked not to be named, insisted that mixed reality is "real AR," but acknowledged that Google Glass and its ilk had co-opted that term away in the popular mind.
So, there you have it: A basic primer in three future-looking technologies. Although the "Calvin & Hobbes" fan in me appreciates Google’s catchall "transmogrified reality," a better umbrella term might be "digital reality," which I stole from Adam Draper at Boost VC. (Thanks, Adam!)
Really, anything would better than "VR/AR/MR."
Questions? Things I left out? Tweet or email me.
* Magic Leap used to use the term "cinematic reality," but — thank goodness! — a company rep confirmed that it has dropped that confusing phrase. It’s all in on "mixed reality" now.
Samsung's Gear S2 smartwatch will soon get a big software update. The highlights include a recommended app screen and custom watch faces, plus an updated weather and clock interface and new voice assistance features.
The post Samsung’s Gear S2 will soon get a substantial software upgrade appeared first on Digital Trends.
Good Morning San Francisco! Today marks the second and last day of the 21st WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2016 USA. WT is happy to introduce Russell Okung from The Denver Broncos. Mr. Okung opening keynote is the perfect way to open the last day of the conference. For today we will touch on topics from Sports wearables, Healthcare, Professionals and Blending your Life with Tech.
9:30 Russell Okung from the Denver Broncos is taking the stage to explain us his first experiences with wearable tech! An awesome way to start your day!
In Enhancing the Future of Healthcare session, we have a fantastic moderator: Clint McClellan from Indie Health the former president of the Continua Health Alliance.
What if you could zap your brain into doing what you want, when you want it, regardless of whether you're stressed, tired, or under pressure? That's the idea behind the Elf Emmit headband, which has launched on Indiegogo now.
The post Cerebellum-zapping headband will help you work harder and sleep better appeared first on Digital Trends.
Google has released the second developer preview of Android Wear 2.0, boasting a number of great new features and bug fixes, including the ability for developers to incorporate wrist gestures into their apps.
The post Developer preview 2 of Android Wear 2.0 is out now! Here’s what’s new appeared first on Digital Trends.
Hooray, it's Amazon's Prime Day! Again! More deals than ever before are promised from the online retailer, and the world can't wait. Except behind all this, Prime Day has a more insidious purpose, and people are in danger of forgetting it.
The post Why I still hate Amazon Prime Day with a passion appeared first on Digital Trends.
Obsessed Pokémon Go players are spending upwards of $100 on eBay auctions selling guaranteed pre-orders for a wearable peripheral that retails for $35.
The post Pokémon Go wearable pre-orders are selling for over $100 bucks on eBay appeared first on Digital Trends.
Welcome to sunny San Francisco. Today, July 12th, WT | Wearable Technologies kicks off the 21st WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2016 USA. As we gather the wearable industry for the 5th year in a row to Fort Mason Center, we have noticed that the industry is growing rapidly. The exhibitor hall is bustling with companies working within every sector of the market.
9:30 We begin with an opening keynote from WT | Wearable Technologies CEO, Christian Stammel giving an overview of the market over the past 10 years!
FLEX VP of Consumer Technology, John Dwyer takes the stage to explain the strategy of Flex.
Getting fit isn't just about tracking your activity -- it's also about eating right and getting the right nutrients. That's why Styr Labs has introduced a fitness tracking ecosystem, complete with a tracker, scale, and supplements.
The post Styr Labs wants to turn your fitness data into customized supplements appeared first on Digital Trends.
Hooray, it's Amazon's Prime Day! Again! More deals than ever before are promised from the online retailer, and the world can't wait. Except behind all this, Prime Day has a more insidious purpose, and people are in danger of forgetting it.
The post Why I still hate Amazon Prime Day with a passion appeared first on Digital Trends.
Google is reportedly making two Android Wear smartwatches, and both devices will be integrated with Google Assistant -- the search giant's artificially intelligent bot. The larger of the two devices will have LTE, GPS, and a heart-rate monitor.
The post Google is reportedly making two Android Wear smartwatches integrated with Assistant appeared first on Digital Trends.
Ying Zhou is product and business director for Ticwatch2 international edition, which is the most interactive smart watch created by Mobvoi. She will be speaking at our WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2016 USA this year! Get a first idea of her presentation in our exclusive interview with her:
In your opinion what is the most important when using voice in a wearable and what are the biggest difficulties when designing this feature into a product?
We believe that the voice feature should be the shortest user path to the information you look for under appropriate user cases, and shouldn’t have any learning cost. Users should be able to talk to the device as if they were talking to an assistant: using natural language, asking for information/service with complex query criteria. The assistant should be responsive and knowledgeable within certain predefined domains. That’s why we are putting a lot of efforts on natural language processing and full integration with information providers. Today our voice engine can answer queries such as “find me some Japanese restaurants that are open now and with moderate spending nearby” – you can try it when it’s available.
Yet the openness brings also the biggest difficulty in implementing such feature into our device: the user habit takes time to build. Ironically, we found it hard to educate users something that should not have learning cost. Users sometimes will freeze in front of a voice assistant that prompts them to ask any question, or they will never go beyond the demonstrated questions. However, I believe that we, together with many players in this field such as Alexa, Siri and Google Now, will eventually bring this change to user behavior.
What makes your watch different from other watches in the market?
First, Ticwatch is arguably the most compact smart watch designed. We believe that smart watches should first be a beautiful time piece to wear. It shouldn’t be too big or too bulky to accommodate engineering requirement. Our designing team and engineering team worked hard to achieve the highest screen-to-watch face ratio (73.5%) in all smart watches, fully respecting Ticwatch’s design philosophy of simplicity and elegance, while keeping it a powerful one in terms of engineering capabilities.
Second, Ticwatch has the most ways to interact with: you can talk to it, tilt it, touch it, and “Tickle” it. This makes it really fun to use and practical under different user cases. What’s especially worth mentioning is Tickle, a patented design of Mobvoi. Smart watches carry a lot of information with limited display area, and touching the screen with your fingers covers most of the information. To make the info browsing more efficient, we designed a touch strip, Tickle, on the side of the watch to help scroll up and down, and zoom in and out.
Third, the Ticwatch OS, Ticwear, is our own Android based watch Operation System. It features a five-layer User Interface called Cubic UI, focusing on the shortest user path to get to the information needed. We have released our beta version to some users in the U.S. Market, and they claim Ticwear to be the most easy-to-use Watch OS they have ever experienced.
Lastly, our voice search engine focuses on bringing customers the most relevant information / service where using wearable to acquire such information / service makes the most sense. Today, Ticwatch partners with over 70 service providers directly in China in their respectful domains, to shorten the user path for search, and we are actively building that capability in the U.S. ; Ticwatch can complete some services that are needed on the go, such as calling for a Uber, in both China and U.S. Market.
Which is currently your favorite wearable?
It has to be Ticwatch right? If we don’t count Ticwatch, I actually find Nike’s HyperAdapt 1.0 very interesting. Seemingly simple idea, it focuses on removing one of the big friction during sports, and let athletes focus on things they love. I admire such philosophy because it drives home the idea that technology is supposed to make life simpler, not more complex. I need to remind myself of that sometimes.
Meet Ying in person in San Francisco on July 12 and 13! Join us for WTUS16!
Chicago-based startup Akhan Semiconducton wants to replace the silicon found in most modern-day electronics with diamonds derived from methane gas. The diamond-made devices will be more efficient and less harmful to the environment.
The post Every gadget you own may be filled with diamonds in a few years appeared first on Digital Trends.
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: ‘Inception’ is real, new iPhone 7 rumors, and life beyond Earth 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 cant buy yet: Solar hot dogs, dive cams, and crazy keyboards appeared first on Digital Trends.
The Bragi Dash and forthcoming Samsung Gear IconX can play music, track your workout, and filter ambient sound in and out -- all without wires. But which pairs of smart 'buds are better? Check out in-depth spec comparison to find out.
The post Bragi Dash vs. Samsung Gear Icon X: Battle of the earbuds appeared first on Digital Trends.
Have you been struggling with Apple Watch problems? We’ve compiled a list of the most common issues people are having and found workarounds and possible fixes to deal with them.
The post 10 annoying Apple Watch problems, and how to fix them appeared first on Digital Trends.
This 4K action camera is tiny but boasts up to four hours of battery life. Add in a motion sensor, a depth rating to nearly 200 feet and a 16-megapixel sensor and it's easy to see why the Mokacam now has over a million dollars in crowdfunding.
The post Tiny 4K camera racks up big support with over $1 million in crowdfunding appeared first on Digital Trends.
Have you ever had the feeling of someone following you while you are walking alone at night? Yes? Well you are not the only one who feels anxious in this situation. However, you don’t need to be nervous anymore. At WT | Wearable Technologies, we have solutions for you. Let’s get started!
Whether you’re on a nightly run, a first date, exploring the world abroad or working Sidekick (from React Mobile) will never be alone. The React Sidekick is the fastest way to reach a wide network in an emergency. You can build you own custom list of contacts you trust the most. When an alert is sent, your network is notified of your GPS location. Don’t forget to tap “I’m safe” when you’ve arrived at your destination safely, otherwise you might accidentally worry your friends and family.
React Sidekick Personal Panic Button by React Mobile from Robb on Vimeo.
Mangos is another wearable device that can keep you stylishly safe. It is a nice and lightweight smart ring that can instantly text your friends a SOS message along with a map of your location. How can you do this? You can quickly and discreetly call for help by holding the front of the ring down for 3 seconds until it silently vibrates. A plus for Mangosring is that the smart ring never needs to charge.
Similarly, Nimb is also a ring with a panic button that allows you to send an emergency alert to pre-set contacts from the mobile app with just the touch of a thumb. Nimb can also provide vibrational feedback to let you know that a message has gone out and help is on the way. Lastly, Nimb is always there to keep you safe whether you’re caught in a natural disaster, experiencing a health issue or in a personal attack situation.
Revolar has an idea that alone doesn’t have to mean you’re on your own. Revolar is small enough to wear anywhere, yet powerful enough to alert trusted contacts with your real-time location in seconds. It works by pairing with a compatible smartphone through the free Revolar App and Bluetooth low energy technology. Revolar stands out by its long battery life that last up to a year.
Revolar: For all the people you love from Revolar on Vimeo.
So hopefully you like our recommendation!
