This ‘OLED Patch’ Will Heal Your Wounds Anywhere and Any Time

A team of scientists from South Korea have developed an innovative wearable patch that attaches to the skin to heal wounds regardless of location or time. The “OLED patch” treats injuries using an organic light-emitting diode source aimed at damaged areas. OLEDs are normally used in electronic devices, but this is the first time it has been used as a therapy.

The device uses a method known as photobiomodulation (PBM), a light therapy that utilizes lasers or light-emitting diodes to boost tissue repair and reduce inflammation and pain. The researchers designed the OLED patch as an easy, portable tool for delivering PBM.

Read more BioSensics Launches Digital Platform for Clinical Trials

PBM has long been considered a safe and noninvasive method of stimulating tissue regeneration. Yet, conventional PBM devices using pointed light sources, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and lasers, are usually inflexible, too heavy, and difficult to irradiate light uniformly. They may also produce localized heat. Due to these restrictions, it was difficult to improve the clinical effects of LED devices as they cannot adhere to the body.

Overcoming such disadvantages, the team led by Jeon Yong-min from Korean Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) and Choi Hye-ryung from Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, developed a wearable PBM patch using a “flexible red-wavelength OLED surface light source, which can be attached to the human body,” according to the research paper.

Ph.D. Candidate Yongmin Jeon at the School of Electrical Engineering. (Photo: KAIST)

The tiny OLED patch fits in a palm, it’s also flexible, lightweight, and durable. With a thickness of just 676 micrometers, it weighs only 0.82 grams. The patch can be used for more than 300 hours, and can bend along a curve with a 20 millimeter radius.

The temperature of these patches remain below 40 degrees C at all times, eliminating risks of a first-degree burn.

Read more Wearable Digital Thermometer Detects Fever Quicker than Current SOC method

They also meet the safety regulations of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) at red wavelengths (600–700 nm).

In the study, the wearable PBM patches showed outstanding effects with in vitro wounds because they stimulated fibroblast proliferation by over 58% of control as well as fibroblast migration by over 46% of control, proving its effectiveness in tissue regeneration.

“Once commercialized, our patch will enable patients to receive light therapy conveniently,” said lead author Jeon via the National Research Foundation of Korea.

“By controlling the amount of the emitted light, we can also extend the product’s use to include not just skin regeneration, but also treating conditions like skin cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and depression.”

The findings were published in the academic journal Advanced Material Technologies.

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Apple is most definitely working on augmented reality glasses

Apple is looking for a UI designer to help the company in the augmented reality space. The latest job posting fuels speculation that Apple is continuing work on its rumored mixed reality glasses, which could be ready by 2020.

The post Apple is most definitely working on augmented reality glasses appeared first on Digital Trends.

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Rockwell Collins Unveils FasTAK Tactical Combat Targeting

Rockwell Collins has launched a new tactical combat targeting system and secure communications gateway, called FasTAK. The company hopes the system can be successfully used in today’s digital battlefield. Rockwell is demonstrating the solution for the first time at the Canadian Association of Defense and Security Industries’ CANSEC trade show May 30-31.

“FasTAK simplifies a complex set of tasks for users, helping them carry out missions more efficiently while remaining agile,” says Troy Brunk, VP and general manager, Communication, Navigation and Electronic Warfare Solutions for Rockwell Collins. “From units on the move to command and control, the system provides reliable, secure connectivity across the battlefield.”

FasTAK features a wearable targeting system run by Windows and Android. Using a cell phone or tablet, the system is supplied with handy applications to arm battlefield soldiers with powerful communications data that blends with existing radios, lasers, and GPS devices.

Read more North Central College Opens Cutting-Edge Engineering Lab with Funding from OMRON

FasTAK is a lightweight solution that delivers simplicity, speed and data integrity from the commander to the soldiers in battlefield. (Image: Rockwell Collins)

The standard system contains a fully-integrated set of hardware including a tactical computer, laser range finder, video downlink receiver and the FasTAK digital targeting software. The wearable device is lightweight compared to legacy solutions, with the Windows backed system weighing less than 6 pounds and the Android backed system under three pounds.

To enable the system’s interoperability and establish connection with the targeting system, the FasTAK Gateway uses Rockwell Collins’ Link 16 terminal, TacNet Tactical Radio in combination with an AN/PRC-162(V)1 Manpack radio as a single transportable unit. A simple laptop running data link processor software manages the data links, data forwarding for the equipment and radio frequencies in a lightweight, transportable container.

Read more Microsoft’s Alex Kipman Discusses Windows Mixed Reality and HoloLens Features

Rockwell Collins is a leader in aviation and high-integrity solutions for commercial and military customers around the world. Rockwell Collins has been providing avionics and information technology systems and services to governmental agencies and aircraft manufacturers. For more than 20 years, the company has provided Joint Fires solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense, coalition forces and NATO that have enhanced communication and speed for successful tactical operations. As experts in cabin electronics, flight deck avionics, cabin interiors, mission communications, information management, and simulation and training, Rockwell Collins offers an extensive portfolio of products and services.

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Scientists Create Self-healing Health Wearable Powered by Body Heat

Health wearables are becoming part of our daily life. The industry is going through a metamorphosis not just because of big leaguers like Apple, Samsung and Fitbit, but because of big innovations.

One such innovation comes from Israel that self-repair our body and requires only body heat to run.

Scientists from the Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa have built a system of wearable monitors with sensors that can detect vital signs as early markers for disease.

Read more This Wearable Device Wants You to Sweat So that It Can Monitor Your Health

While this is not the first health-monitoring wearable, this setup is a bit more unique for the fact that it’s powered by the wearer’s body heat and from energy generated when the wearer moves. But that’s not all. The system can even repair itself if it becomes torn or scratched. Therefore, it would potentially be cost effective for hospitals and would also make it an important and non-invasive monitoring tool for long-term health studies.

The wearable system could mean painless health monitoring for patients, substantially lower medical expenses, and provide large-scale and comprehensive information for epidemiological studies, says Professor Haick and postdoctoral researcher Weiwei Wu, who invented the system.

Prof. Hossam Haick. (Photo by Yoav Bahar )

“Normal health is characterized by known markers such as 60 to 100 heartbeats per minute and seven to eight breaths per minute. If we detect dramatic changes in the various markers in real time, we can refer the patient to a more comprehensive diagnosis and prevent disease from developing or worsening,” said Haick.

Read more This Gadget Can Communicate Human Emotions Through Touch

The Technion wearable monitoring system is made of advanced self-healing materials, and would never need to be turned off for repair or charging.

Haick has already experimented with nanotech medical diagnostic systems including the NaNose for detecting cancer and other diseases from breath samples with 86% accuracy on average. He heads the SNIFFPHONE consortium, which integrates this system into a cellphone to enable uploading the data to the cloud for medical analysis.

The components of the new system already exist, but the researchers haven’t developed the platform that integrates them all. The system requires a complex arrangement of sensors, a small flexible circuit board which would measure the markers, and various parts that process the info and send it to the cloud. Haick’s research group is currently working to bring life to this potentially lifesaving wearable system.

Wu, now a professor in the School of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology at Xidian University in China, was a post-doctoral researcher in Haick’s lab.

Haick and Wu presented their results in the journal Advanced Materials.

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Smarten up your old-fashioned watch with the Montblanc Twin Smart Strap

Are you too attached to the old reliable watch on your wrist to give it up for a smartwatch? You'll soon be able to add smart functionality to your old-school watch with the Montblanc Twin Smart Strap.

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Montblanc Introduces TWIN Smart Strap and Wireless Payment Platform

Montblanc has unveiled a new TWIN Smart Strap that can be attached to most watches to make them smart. The TWIN Smart Start features notifications, activity tracking, vibration alerts and can make wireless payments.

According to the luxury watchmaker, the new Montblanc TWIN Smart Strap will “transform traditional timepieces into connected digital companions”

The new Montblanc Twin Smart Strap has two parts – a thin, lightweight smart module with a curved monochrome OLED display and a uniquely designed strap that can be attached on almost any timepiece. Montblanc has enhanced the design of the smart module quite a bit. The module is made of high grade stainless steel and is covered with a curved special glass highly resistant to scratches and shocks. The strap is made of a high-quality rubber composite. The strap acts as a mechanical clasp to fasten the timepiece, with a sophisticated design that blends in with most timepieces. According to Montblanc, the module is IP68 water resistant and can run for up to a week on a single charge.

Read more Jupl Launches Online Customer Sales of its Safety Watch

The most coveted feature of the new TWIN Smart Strap is wireless payment. A digital wallet allow users to make contactless payments, which Montblanc developed in collaboration with Visa and Mastercard. Users can make payments with a simple wrist gesture. The app is programmed to ensure the highest security standards and ease of use. The TWIN Smart Strap is also equipped with security sensors that deactivate the payment function in case of theft or loss, with state-of-the-art data encryption to prevent hacking of credit card data and other personal information.

The Twin Smart Strap has two parts – a thin, lightweight smart module with a curved monochrome OLED display and a uniquely designed strap that can be attached on almost any timepiece. (Image: Montblanc)

“With the new TWIN Smart Strap Montblanc has further narrowed the gap between the analogue and digital watchmaking worlds,”explains Nicolas Baretzki, Montblanc CEO.

“The idea of a Smart Strap is rooted in the growing desire for digital functionalities to be added to classic timepieces, which are emotional objects with deep history and meaning to their owners. That is why we developed a smart solution that can be attached to most timepieces of any brand. The timepiece remains untouched, while Montblanc TWIN Smart Strap is the innovative companion that elegantly enhances this relationship.”

Read more WHOOP Introduces Subscription Service to Its Fitness Watch

If you would like to upgrade your mechanical timepiece, the Montblanc TWIN Smart Strap is set to hit the stores starting August with a price tag of around $453 (€390).

The band will be available in four different designs including black calf leather, black nylon, vintage brown calf leather, and black & grey striped nylon.

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Oura Ring Ships First Pre-Orders to US, Canada

Are you getting enough sleep? Do you sleep sound or experience disturbed sleep pattern? If you aren’t sure about these questions and think you might have sleeping problems then Oura ring is for you.

Oura ring, a sleep tracker, has started shipping the first pre-orders of its new rings to customers in the United States and Canada.

The sleep tracker, which comes in the form of a ring, automatically collects the wearer’s data and synchronizes it to the Oura app to a smartphone running Android or iOS. Just wear the ring around your finger, and it’ll measure your physiological signals, with no switches or flashing lights.

Read more Innovative Bracelet Will Monitor Your Blood Pressure 24 Hours a Day

The Oura ring measures the physiological signals of your body, understands your lifestyle, and guides you to make your own optimal daily choices.

According to the company, it has a customer base that spans over 50 countries.

The new Oura ring is the first consumer-available wearable that provides circadian alignment guidance. By tracking long-term data on your sleep, recovery and activity, Oura is able to understand your personal circadian rhythm, and helps you to align your lifestyle to it.

The wearer’s data is sent via Oura app to a smartphone running Android or iOS. (Image: Oura)

What is Circadian Rhythm?

Our body operate according to a circadian rhythm – a roughly 24-hour rhythm that sets the pace for our bodies and minds in a steady manner.  For example, when we get sleepy and hungry at the same time of day, that happens due to our circadian rhythm at work.

It is important that we follow these so called internal clocks, and let our bodies function according to their pace. Disruptions in the rhythm (evident in shift-workers, for example) can cause different types of health problems such as sleep disorders, heartburn or ulcers.

Read more Run Angel – Personal Safety Wearable Designed to Keep Women Safe

The circadian rhythm is encoded in us and it follows the 24-hour rhythm of the sun. This alignment in the sun deals with our sleep. Sunrise and light in the morning sends a signal to our brain and asks it to wake up, whereas sunset and darkness are signals that tell us that it’s time to go to sleep.

Because our internal clocks plan the way our bodies and minds operate, we should learn what our own circadian schedules are, and try to follow them. This applies to sleep as well.

NOTE about Android users. For Android uers, the new Oura app is available as an Open Beta version in Google Play! If you have a phone running Android version 8.0 or higher, you can join the Open Beta and download the new Oura app. For the new ring you’ll need the new Oura app (app version 2.0 or higher) for Android.

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Embracing Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Healthcare

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning have taken the healthcare industry by storm. They aren’t just illusional tech any more, they are practical tools that can help organizations improve their service, optimize the standard of care, reduce risk, and generate more revenue. Nearly all the big companies in the healthcare arena have embraced the technology.

For people, smartbands and smartwatches can help them stay fit by tracking their health and activity level, calorie count, nutrient intake, sleep cycle and more.

With a market anticipated to grow to $27.11 billion by 2023, it’s apparent that remote monitoring and control will illustrate the future of healthcare. Here we present some of the important ways AI and machine learning is already helping, or will help the future healthcare industry.

Read more Kessler Foundation and Virtualwear Team Up to Improve Recovery Outcomes in Stroke Patients

Curing and Caring

When patients visit clinics or meet doctors face-to-face they commonly demand treatment for whatever the condition they may be suffering from without maintaining relationship with caregivers in between visits. That may change in the near future with 24/7 doctor/patient connection. With continuously receiving data, doctors and caregivers will be able to view and validate general wellbeing, and pinpoint illnesses and other irregularities, even before the folks under their care become aware of them.

Detecting Alzheimer’s disease

There is no single test that diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. While doctors can almost always be certain if a person has dementia, it may be difficult to determine the exact cause. Diagnosing Alzheimer’s requires careful medical evaluation. But, with AI-enabled robots Alzheimer’s can be diagnosed in less than a minute with about 82% accuracy. The AI systems can deal with the stretch of pauses between words, over simplistic descriptions, any leaning towards pronouns over proper nouns, and differences in repetitiveness and amplitude. These factors are hard for human listeners to detect with high accuracy levels, but easy for AI systems as they are impartial and quantifiable in their investigation.

Read more MC10 Receives its First FDA Approval for the BioStamp nPoint System

Diagnosing Cancer

Traditional cancer diagnosing methods are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), X-ray, and ultrasonography. Unfortunately, these methods cannot accurately diagnose many cancers. Stanford’s AI-enabled diagnostic algorithm has been shown to be just as effective at diagnosing possible skin cancers from images as a team of 21 board-certified dermatologists. Enlitic, a startup, is using deep learning to detect lung cancer nodules in CT images, and their algorithm is 50% more precise than a team of expert thoracic radiologists.

Robot-Assisted Surgery

AI-enabled robots can improve and steer the accuracy of the surgical instrument by combining real-time operating metrics, information from surgical experiences, and data from pre-op medical records. These advances by AI robots has reduced hospital stay by 21%, according to Accenture.

Conclusion

Machine learning and AI will back experience-based improvement, with medical analysis and assurance boosting in efficacy and accuracy with each ensuing diagnosis. More money is pouring into AI-enabled applications in the healthcare industry because they generate more revenue. And that’s only the beginning.

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Apple and Xiaomi in close battle for top spot in wearable band market

The wearable market has experienced a tremendous growth in the first quarter of 2018, and one of the reasons behind this is the strong demand for health-centric devices. And, on top of the competition, Apple and Xiaomi is going neck-and –neck.

While both companies are vying for the top market share, the wearable bands sold by both of them do not contest. While Apple Watch is a full-function smartwatch with LTE connectivity in its latest models, Mi Band 2 by Xiaomi is a cheap fitness tracker with a price tag of only $20. The Mi Band 2 has an OLED screen that displays time, tracks heart rate and counts your step. Xiaomi is planning to release Mi Band 3 at the end of this month.

Apple shipped 3.8 million Apple Watches in the first quarter of 2018, according to researcher Canalys. That beats Xiaomi’s delivery of 3.7 million Mi Bands in the same period. The wearable band shipment grew by 35%, year on year, in Q1 2018, reports Canalys. This includes both smartwatches and basic fitness bands.

Read more Upcoming Samsung Smartwatch May Be Powered by Google’s Wear OS

While wearable band revenue for smartwatches jumped form 74% to 80%, the shipped units were accounted at 43%.

According to Canalys, 20.5 million wearable bands were shipped in the first quarter of 2018. The top 5 brands contributed to 60% of these shipments. Apple and Xiomi had 18% stake each, with Fitbit closely following at 11%, Garmin at 7% and Huawei at 6%. The remaining 40% is shared by various fitness wearable brands.

“Key to Apple’s success with its latest Apple Watch Series 3 is the number of LTE-enabled watches it has been able to push into the hands of consumers. Operators welcome the additional revenue from device sales and the added subscription revenue for data on the Apple Watch, and the list of operators that sell the LTE Apple Watch worldwide is increasing each month,” says, Canalys Senior Analyst Jason Low.

Read more How Employees are Finding Apple Watch Very Useful at Work

Apple Watch Series 3 Cellular, which was launched in select global markets in September, 2017, has just recently been launched in India. The cellular watch supports electronic SIM that is capable of making calls, text messaging, emailing and other notifications on its own, without having to depend on the Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity.

Fitbit is betting on its new Versa smartwatch, while initiating health tracking for females in a bid to expand the addressable market. In the Q1 2018, Fitbit’s smartwatches, including the Blaze accounted for 24% of the company’s wearable band shipments, according to Canalys.

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This New Technology Turns Your Skin into a Touchscreen for Your Smartwatch

Samsung has applied for a patent for a novel smartwatch technology that would turn a wearer’s hand or forearm into a virtual touchscreen. A larger screen makes it easier to input commands on a small device.

Samsung likes to stay ahead of the trends. The company wants to solve the current problem of smartwatches – a small face. A small face makes it harder for the user to read and use the touchscreen to dial a number or text someone. Their solution is to project a larger screen on the hand or forearm.

Read more Upcoming Samsung Smartwatch May Be Powered by Google’s Wear OS

Samsung’s patent also shows the same technology being used with AR or VR headsets, which could project images onto surrounding surfaces, like a wall.

The novel idea, which is a sketch at the moment, shows sketches of a smartwatch projecting a dial pad, menu options, notifications, and even a writing surface onto the back of a person’s hand and forearm. The sketch also shows a wearer interacting with these interfaces outside the smartwatch.

The wearer can activate the technology through the menu on the smartwatch. It will then provide image options that will allow the users to project what’s on the screen to their forearm or on the back of their hand. This will give the user advantage of using a smartwatch dial where they can access a larger space to write and interact with a simple click of a button.

Read more Is it Time for the Smartwatches to Start Listening Carefully?

While this is only a patent – and no one has stated with certainty that Samsung is developing this technology – it’s nice to think we could soon be getting more functionality out of the tiny screens in our smartwatches. Hopefully other tech companies will follow suit addressing the frustrating issue with small smartwatch faces.

On a related note, it was reported in 2016 that the researchers at Carnegie Mellon have discovered a way to turn your skin into a touchpad for wearables like smartwatches. The technology called SkinTrack uses four pairs of electrodes embedded in the watchband, while a ring on the finger produces an electrical signal when the arm is touched. That signal is used by the electrodes to track finger movements, and that in turn turns your arm or hand into a touchpad. A larger touchpad makes it easier to input commands on a small device.

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Orange Debuts its VR Experience Platform at the Cannes Film Festival

From 8 to 19 May, Orange lit up the 70^th Cannes Film Festival with its VOD Virtual Reality service.

As an official partner of the Cannes, Orange made its debut appearance at Next, the innovation hub at the Marché du Film. The Group showed off its Orange VR Experience platform, the latest VR content and awarded the first Orange XR grants.

The French multinational telecommunications corporation has been developing augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) since 2016, and aims to aid customers in these new uses by offering unique experiences via its powerful high-speed broadband network.

Orange offers a wide variety of VR content (films, sporting events, documentaries) through its Orange VR Experience platform, along with a huge selection of 360° video experiences via the Orange Cinéma Séries (OCS) catalogue.

Read more Eye-tracking is Going to Be a Game Changer for Virtual Reality

“Orange’s strength as an operator lies in proposing innovative content. This is possible through aggregating immersive content on dedicated platforms via agreements with rights holders such as production studios,” says Edwige Henry, Head of Partnerships and Digital communication in the Orange Content Communication and Partnerships directorate.

At the Next innovation hub the group presented its Orange VR Experience platform and highlighted its partnership with production studios including Wevr, which presented its new VR productions TheBlu Season 1 and Irrational Exuberance during the NEXT Official B2B cocktail reception. The BABOAB studio unveiled its new virtual reality experience Crow: The Legend, which features the voice of Oprah Winfrey.

The evening also provided Orange the opportunity to announce the winners of its XR 2018 grant. The grant, which is the result of a collaboration between Orange and the lBeaumarchais-SACD , association, promotes new talent and experiences, rewarding three VR, AR or mixed reality projects.

Read more Kessler Foundation and Virtualwear Team Up to Improve Recovery Outcomes in Stroke Patients

“The use of immersive techniques opens up whole new perspectives in terms of writing,” says Henry. “From considering off-camera to sound, entirely new ways of staging content will emerge.”

Orange and the Cannes

Orange has been an official partner of the Cannes Festival for over two decades. The group is deeply committed to backing French and European film in all its variety. With its subsidiary Orange Studio, Orange turns that commitment into reality by co-producing and buying films. Orange Studio works on approximately 10 films each year and has obtained emblematic catalogues. It has put in long-term labor to construct a high-quality offer. Orange is also celebrating the tenth anniversary of the creation of OCS, its 100% cinema and series channels. The group supports French and European film creation through agreements with the film industry on pre-purchases of films and support for theatre screenings.

About the VR market

The virtual reality arena is valued at $7.9 billion this year and expected to reach $34.08 billion by 2023, according to a February Research and Markets study. Increasing use of VR in gaming and entertainment is cited as the major revenue driver.

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Rhinomed to Expand Mute Sales Through 3,000 Pharmacies in the U.S.

Australian medical technology company Rhinomed will soon expand sale of its proprietary nasal and respiratory solution, Mute, in the United States.

Currently, the United States is the world’s largest healthcare market which according to industry market analysts, is valued at around $70 billion.

As part of a new agreement with one of the largest pharmacy retailers in the U.S., the company has received an “initial opening order” of 6,000 units, “with more expected to follow,” Rhinomed said.

The new distribution agreement means an additional 3,000 pharmacies across the United States will stock Rhinomed’s Mute product, thereby adding to its existing activity in the country.

This agreement will expand Rhinomed’s global store base to over 10,000 stores across three continents.

While Rhinomed remains tight-lipped about the identity of its new US retailer, the company signed an agreement with Walgreens last years to sell its Mute product. Following a successful trial program in 2016, Walgreens pharmacies currently sells Mute products through its more than 4,000 stores in the U.S.

Read more enFuse Allows Patients Self-Administer Biologics with Ease

Rhinomed’s patented nasal technology platform seeks to “radically improve the way people breathe, sleep, maintain health and take medication.”

More specifically, Rhinomed is currently promoting two different products, based on closely-related technologies: the Turbine – a nasal dilator designed to help breathing during aerobic exercise, and Mute – a nasal technology that has been designed to improve quality of sleep by easing breathing issues for patients.

More Breathing, Less Snoring

Research shows that your nose holds the key to a good night’s sleep.

The ability to breathe freely through the nose during sleep, rather than the mouth, is essential for a good night’s sleep, as well as overall health.

Rhinomed’s clinical trial has shown that Mute increased airflow by an average of 38% and the company’s user trial showed 78% of users could breathe better at night.

Read more Innovative Bracelet Will Monitor Your Blood Pressure 24 Hours a Day

Why Do We Snore?

Snoring is very common and it often has more than one cause.

It may be difficult to diagnose the underlying causes of snoring. It may relate to deformities of the nasal septum (the cartilage between the two sides of the nose) and the other internal nasal structures.

Snoring may also be caused by blockages in the nose due to nasal allergies or colds or can result from the use of medication or alcohol. It is not uncommon for women to snore during pregnancy.

How To Use Mute?

Mute, a simple but effective device against snoring, sits comfortably inside the nose improving airflow and breathing.

Just 3 simple steps will ensure you a soundless sleep:

1. INSERT Wash your hands, hold the device by the bridge with the curved arms facing towards you and the ribbed paddles facing up and away from you.
2. ADJUST Bring the device up to your nose and place the curved arms in first sot that it makes contact with the inside floor of your nose.
3. BREATHE Gently place the device backwards into your nose to a point that it is comfortable. You may need to adjust your nostrils over and around the ridged paddles to ensure it is fully inserted.

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Upcoming Samsung Smartwatch May Be Powered by Google’s Wear OS

A new report suggests Samsung could be preparing to launch a smartwatch powered by Google’s Wear OS, formerly known as Android Wear.

Although Samsung previously ditched Android Wear for its own Tizen platform, the Korean conglomerate is said to be planning to release a Wear OS-powered smartwatch, tentatively named “Samsung Galaxy Watch,” in 2018.

That suggestion comes from prolific Samsung tech leaker Ice Universe on Chinese microblogging site Weibo claiming, “Samsung and Google will have an Android Wear flagship watch in the second half of the year.”

Read more How Employees are Finding Apple Watch Very Useful at Work

Another reliable leaker Evan Blass (@evleaks) recently claimed that Samsung employees have been seen wearing “Gear watches” running Wear OS. But he didn’t say whether this Android smartwatch is a separate venture, or if the next Samsung wearable will, indeed, ditch Tizen in favor of Wear OS.

The name of the new watch comes from other reports that said Samsung will dump the Gear branding and therefore the prospective Gear S4 tag previously thought to be the natural next step.

Samsung was recently awarded patents for a Samsung Galaxy Watch, and, should its next generation smartwatch bear that name, it would hint a change from the standard Samsung Gear naming practice. Could that be a signal that the company is planning to change perception on the smartwatch front?

According to Chinese website IT home, Samsung will choose Wear OS for a new smartwatch as Tizen users are cheated when it comes to app support. And while it does appear unusual that Samsung would enjoy maneuvering away from its own wearables platform after putting in so much time to advance it to today’s capability, it seems more plausible that the company would want to play on the same fields as its rivals.

Read more Samsung and Apple Reportedly Working on a Wireless AR/VR Headset

Back in 2014, Samsung joined LG to usher in the first generation of Wear with its Gear Live. And, before that Samsung had Android-powered Samsung Galaxy Gear, which it updated to Tizen OS via a firmware update months later after its release.

Dwindling popularity and poor sales pushed Google to make the decision to rebrand its Android Wear as Wear OS. By rebranding, Google hopes to regain its foothold in a market dominated by Tizen and watchOS. For Google, rebranding was an inevitable move, considering that every third Android smartwatch was being paired with an iPhone.

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Innovative Charging Solutions for Your Cellphone and Other Electronics

Carrying chargers for your cell phone or the laptop wherever you go isn’t very convenient. Everyone has different charging concerns; some people cannot find enough outlets for their charges and others deal with heavy, bulky devices.

Fortunately, researchers are making advances in charging devices, which may solve these issues. We’ve listed 5 innovative charging solutions for your cell phone and other home electronics:

1. WattUp Wire-Free Charging

WattUp is a wire-free charging technology developed by Energous Corporation. This award-winning charging system offers a revolutionary radio frequency (RF) based system, similar to a Wi-Fi system that delivers scalable power via radio bands. What makes WattUp stand out from other charging systems is that it delivers power at a distance (approximately 15 feet), to multiple devices – thus providing a wire-free experience that saves users from having to remember to plug in their devices.

Read more How Researchers are Working to Improve Performance of Batteries

WattUp charging technology can be integrated to provide wire-free charging to a wide assortment of electronic devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, fitness bands, cameras, wearables, headsets, LED lights, sensors, toys, remote controls, wireless keyboards and mice, and many other devices in your home, office and beyond.

Energous Corporation is based in San Jose, CA. Stephen Rizzone, the CEO of Energous will be speaking on stage at the WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2018 USA in San Francisco on July 11-12

2. Naztech

Naztech, a leading manufacturer of mobile accessories has announced the release of its 18W Super Speed Wall Charge. This multi-device power solution provides the latest high-speed charging technology – USB-C Power Delivery and Adaptive Fast Charging – in a single charger.

The charger has two ports, both of which deliver up to 18W output and can accommodate all USB-powered devices, such as smartphones, wearables, tablets, and even USB-C laptops eg. the 12″ MacBook. This high-speed wall charger can charge an iPhone X/8 or Samsung Galaxy 9/9+ from 0% to 50% in 30 minutes.

Naztech is headquartered in Valencia, CA. Since 1995, Naztech Technologies has provided distinctive lines of leading-edge consumer technology products; perfecting the ultimate blend of form and function.

Read more HTC Reportedly Working on a Blockchain-Powered Android Smartphone

3. Globis Charging Station

This is a charging station that allows you to multi-charge up to 6 devices. Its beautiful spherical design cleverly hides and adjusts cables inside. Globis is based in Sweden.

4. Hand Turbine Smartphone Charger

This device allows you to charge your smartphone with a hand turbine. It also comes with an AM/FM weather alert radio. Perfect for outdoor use.

5. Power Trekk

This charger provides a 2-in-1 solution: a portable battery pack and fuel cell. Ideal for travelling or in emergency situations as it only requires water to work.

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Wearable Digital Thermometer Detects Fever Quicker than Current SOC method

A study by the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohio has found that TempTraq, a digital wearable thermometer can detect rise in body temperature up to 180 minutes earlier than current standard-of-care (SOC) method. Earlier fever detection is important, especially in cases of children, where doctors can intervene faster.

“This temperature monitoring patch has the potential to improve clinical outcomes for patients undergoing stem cell transplant and intensive chemotherapy for hematological malignancies by identifying neutropenic fever and beginning clinical interventions sooner,” said Dr. Ehsan Malek, MD, UH Seidman Cancer Center.

“We believe TempTraq could be a game-changer when it comes to catching fevers earlier for a variety of patient cases – both inpatient and outpatient.”

Developed by Blue Spark Technologies, TempTraq is a thin, wearable wireless temperature monitor that can be worn like a Band-Aid. The Bluetooth-enabled patch continuously records body temperature every 10 minutes instead of every 4 hours (the current usual care) and sends data to an Apple or Android compatible smartphone.

Read more MC10 Receives its First FDA Approval for the BioStamp nPoint System

“Place it under a child’s arm, and it will take a temperature reading every 10 seconds,” said John Gannon, President and CEO of Blue Spark Technologies.

For their study, the researchers tested the feasibility of monitoring body temperature for 17 patients. All patients were undergoing stem cell transplants and received chemotherapy in high doses. The research team applied the patches every 24 hours. Overall, the team studied analyzed 5,856 continuous hours of body temperature measurements.

TempTraq sends the data to an Apple or Android compatible smartphone.

The secret behind TempTraq is its paper-thin battery. However, Blue Spark Technologies spent several years before deciding that the batteries should be used in medical devices, according to Gannon. Gannon along with Blue Spark VP of Marketing Matt Ream invented TempTraq.

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In 2015, Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio conducted a study of TempTraq using healthy adult staff members, according to Aris Eliades, director of operations and nursing research at Akron Children’s Hospital.

A second study in 2017 included more than 30 infants with an average age of 6 months. The doctors and nurses found that TempTraq to be accurate and convenient.

“I think it has a place for use in hospitals,” Eliades said.

The TempTraq system is scalable and can support a single hospital or a multi-hospital/physician group healthcare system.

About Blue Spark Technologies

Westlake, OH-based Blue Spark Technologies, Inc. is the industry leader for developing thin, flexible, printed power solutions for printed electronic systems, such as solutions developed using their thin, flexible proprietary battery technology. The company’s latest patented innovation TempTraq is the only Bluetooth, wearable temperature monitoring device that comes in the form of a soft patch. The company’s TempTraq Connect HIPAA-compliant service is supported by Google Healthcare Cloud Platform, which allows caregivers and parents to monitor body temperature from anywhere.

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BioSensics Launches Digital Platform for Clinical Trials

BioSensics LLC, a Watertown, Massachusetts-based company that makes wearable sensors, has launched a Sensor-Integrated Digital Platform for measurement and remote monitoring of movement-based biomarkers in clinical trials. Combining clinical-grade wearable sensors and turnkey data transfer and storage solutions, the platform collects sensor and ePRO data from trial participants in a timely manner. With clinically-validated algorithms doctors can evaluation a wide range of endpoints from the sensor data such as physical activity, gait, falls, frailty, balance, and fatigue, as well as disease-specific motor symptoms like tremor, foot drop, and chorea. The technology could be used in areas such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, musculoskeletal disorders, oncology, orthopedics, and many others.

Read more MC10 Receives its First FDA Approval for the BioStamp nPoint System

The driving force behind the platform is the company’s wearable sensors which have been used in over 50 clinical trials and more than 200 scientific publications. While the participants are wearing the sensors, the device continuously collects data of their daily activity and at the same time alerts the clinical study staff if the sensors aren’t worn accordingly. A customizable ePRO interface via smartphone or tablet automatically transfer data to a HIPAA compliant cloud server.

“Our support services streamline clinical trials by minimizing the burden on participants, clinical sites, and our pharma clients,” says Dr. Joseph T. Gwin, VP of Research and Development at Biosensics.

“We are very excited about the positive impact of our wearable sensor technologies in clinical trials. For diseases that impact movement and mobility, assessing how new therapeutics improve patient motor function is critical for understanding treatment efficacy. Our clinical-grade sensors and algorithms, combined with our digital platform, provide a robust solution for measuring those critical movement-based biomarkers.”

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In addition to the Sensor-Integrated Digital Platform, the company’s direct experience in clinical research for decades enables it to offer related clinical trial services. During each stage of the trial, hands-on support services are provided by a team of biomechanists, biomedical engineers, and algorithm development engineers working for Biosensics. Services offered by the company include custom algorithms and analytics, scientific consulting, patient follow-up, data management and reporting, site-training and technical support.

“Our support services streamline clinical trials by minimizing the burden on participants, clinical sites, and our pharma clients,” said Dr. Gwin.

About BioSensics

BioSensics is known worldwide as a company that provides wearable sensor technologies for clinical research and medical applications. Technologies offered by the company include novel solutions for telehealth, aging-in-place, physical therapy, chronic disease management, rehabilitation, and clinical research.

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This Gadget Can Communicate Human Emotions Through Touch

If you ask an engineer about the future of communications, he’ll probably show you a fiber-optic cable. If you ask the same question to an artist, he or she will produce something like the sleeve.

A revolutionary technology for communication is taking place at the Nokia Bell Labs in New Jersey. Engineers at this renowned research facility where the birth of transistor took place, have been working for the past year to develop a wearable armband called the “Sleeve” that can communicate emotion through touch.

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“We’re reductionist in our thinking; artists are divergent,” says Domhnaill Hernon. Hernon leads a program called Experiments in Art and Technology. The program was actually founded in the 1960s, but newly revived in collaboration with the design firm New Inc.

The program pairs up scientists and artists to investigate big questions about right-brain versus left-brain issues, such as: What’ will the successor to smartphones look like? Or Can humans communicated through touch?

The “Sleeve” tries to answer the latter question. According to Wired, the device is designed to collect data on the user’s emotional and physical state through gyroscopes, optical sensors, and accelerometers, then communicate that information via vibrational jolts, and messages displayed on the screen.

The scientists aim to inspire more engineers to consider the emotional plane, which they believe will soon enable us to express our heart through our sleeves.

Read more Kai – A Revolutionary Gesture-Based Workflow Automation Device Launches on Crowdfunding Site

Here’s how the Sleeve works:

1. Haptic motors

These motors produce haptic pulses or vibrational jolts that allow the wearer to receive environmental feedbacks from messages received by users.

2. Electromyography wires

This is an advanced alternative to tapping and swiping; these wires can measure subtle electrical signals in your forearm muscles and then sends messages through the Sleeve.

3. Inertial measurement unit

Accelerometers and gyroscopes identify directional movement. The Sleeve could control smart home devices with gestures.

4. Optical coherence tomography disc

This device tries to determine the body’s chemical makeup by measuring how light interacts with tissues. It can recognize biomarkers for stress and happiness.

5. Screen

A dot matrix LED screen emits messages, biological signals, and directions, providing more productive communication between users.

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zGlue’s Platform zOrigin Lets You Customize Your Own Wearable

Wearables are getting smaller and smaller. The smaller the components, the sleeker the devices, meaning nicer looks and more comfortable user experience. zGlue, a Mountain View, CA-based startup believes in a future where people will create their own wearable devices. That’s why the company created a zOrigin – a chipset and platform that lets you create your own wearable.

zOrigin is a tiny self-contained chipset that contains an ARM Cortex M0 processor, contact-based heart rate monitor, accelerometer, vibrating motor, temperature sensor, 25mAh rechargeable battery, LED, and Bluetooth LE radio. Essentially, it has the key components which are found in an average fitness tracker.

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The company says its DIY innovation arose in 2014 when they realized this was the time for a need of a different form of technology.

“We saw that people needed technology that is cheaper than SoC, smaller than PCB, and with a much easier and faster path from prototype to production than traditional design and manufacturing services can offer,” stated zGlue’s website. “We knew that a new and different kind of company was needed to build it. That’s why we founded zGlue.”

With the zOrigin chipset you can make and customize your wearable. (Image: zGlue)

One of the biggest investors of zGlue is Sonny Vu, former CEO and founder of Misfit. Vu is someone who has a good handle on the wearable industry. He knows the science behind creating design for various form factors.

Read more Australian Company Develops World’s First Modular Hearing Aid

Ideal for making tiny wearables, zOrigin is the first wearable built with the groundbreaking zGlue chip-stacking technology to make the wearable more custom-tailored. One of the great things about zGlue is its IoT platform which allows chips to be entirely customized, expunging high costs, difficulties, lengthy design time, and risks.

The company wants to give everyone unlimited freedom for creating things that are faster, smaller, and cheaper than what the conventional SoC and PCB integration technologies offer. zGlue envisions a future where an idea can turn into a software model in minutes and into a finished hardware product in just days.

“We want everyone to have access to the power of Moore’s Law, know the wonder of semiconductors, and experience the quality, speed, and scale of tomorrow’s technology. We’re not there yet, but we know the future is near,” says zGlue.

The kit costs $49 ($149, if you want the development board as well) and is being launched on CrowdSupply. You’ll have to wait until August to start enjoying this product.

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The best Apple Watch faces

The Apple Watch is one of the best smartwatches on the market, and it can change like a chameleon to match your style. Here are the best Apple Watch faces to help you better stylize your new device.

The post The best Apple Watch faces appeared first on Digital Trends.

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How Researchers are Working to Improve Performance of Batteries

They die at the most awkward moments. Your cellphone may bite the dust during important conversations because if you haven’t recharged it. Or you may have to face delays on your yardwork because the battery for the stringed trimmer just dropped dead.

All these issues haven’t stopped researchers from improving the performance of batteries. These technologies aren’t going to see the light of day soon, but as we watch our phones gobble up the last bit of power at the end of a long day, we can keep dreaming.

How do batteries work?

Even the most tech-savvy person may have hard time making sense of the complex technology involved in a battery. Lithium ion batteries, which are used in most portable and handheld devices, consists of an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte, a separator, a negative current and a positive current. The anode and cathode are the “ends” of the battery; when the lithium ions move between the two ends, it generates a charge. Although these batteries are considered to be one of the most efficient and the lightest, there are limits on how much charge they can hold.

Here are some improvements researchers are working on:

Silicon Anode

Typically, lithium ion batteries contain graphite anode materials. But researchers are developing silicon particles as a more productive replacement for graphite. California-based Sila Nanotechnologies thinks this technology will appear in the market within the next year.

Read more HTC Reportedly Working on a Blockchain-Powered Android Smartphone

“An atom of silicon can store about 20 times more lithium than atoms of carbon,” says Gene Berdichevsky, CEO of Sila Nanotechnologies.

“Essentially, it takes fewer atoms to store the lithium, so you can have a smaller volume of material storing the same amount of energy” as a typical graphite material. He said his company will launch its first battery product for the consumer market early next year. Berdichevsky expects to see 20% boost in battery life over traditional lithium ion batteries when the battery is launched.

Read more How Employees are Finding Apple Watch Very Useful at Work

Lithium Metal

Soon after hitting the market in the late 80s, batteries made with lithium metal caused enough commotions to warrant a massive recall. However, according to some experts, lithium metal batteries have been relishing some new-found interest over the past 5 years. Emerging novel designs use lithium metal for the negative anode of the battery instead of graphite, allowing the battery to hold a greater charge.

Solid State

Heavy-duty battery users sometimes use lithium metal and solid state interchangeably, since they can apply to different parts of a battery and co-exist within the same battery structure. And, like their lithium metal counterpart solid metal batteries have been generating an increasing amount of attention in recent years because of their potential use in Electric Vehicles (EV). A solid state battery replaces either the battery’s electrodes, its liquid electrolyte, or both, with some type of solid like ceramic or glass.

Again, that doesn’t mean we’ll see solid state batteries flooding the market anytime soon. Last year Toyota admitted it was having issues developing high-capacity solid state batteries.

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USA Cycling Tackles Neuroscience by Partnering with Halo

USA Cycling has partnered with brain stimulation technology brand Halo Neuroscience to give athletes advantage on the world cycling circuit. The ‘wide-ranging’ relationship will allow USA Cycling to work first-hand with Halo Sport and probe how the technology impacts athlete performance, according to USA Cycling.

The partnership will provide the USA Cycling National Team advanced neurological brain stimulation to its athlete training program. In addition, it will provide National Team athletes from several USA Cycling disciplines (Mountain Bike, Road, Track, BMX, BMX Freestyle and Cyclocross) the opportunity to experience Halo Sport, and also support research to identify breakthroughs in the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in cycling skills and endurance.

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“We are looking forward to introducing Halo Sport as a training tool for our National Team,” said Scott Schnitzspahn, Vice President of Elite Athletics at USA Cycling. “At the highest levels of our sport, the difference between standing at the top of the podium and finishing off of it can be tenths or hundredths of a second. The partnership will allow us to see how this technology can help our athletes train for their chance to be a World Champion or Olympic medalist.”

Halo sport is the first headset that accelerates the part of the user’s brain responsible for muscle movement, using neuropriming technology. (Image: Halo Neuroscience blog)

USA Cycling members will also be benefited by having the chance to buy Halo Sport units at an exclusive discount under the partnership agreement.

Daniel Chao, CEO and co-founder of Halo Neuroscience, said that he has been an avid cyclist since the early 90s, and the physiologic challenges of the sport inspired him to create Halo Sport to a significant degree.

“Cycling is a fascinating blend of endurance and skills, and an activity that can be significantly improved through the use of the neuropriming capabilities of our product,” said Chao. “We’re immensely proud to partner with USA Cycling and are dedicated to doing whatever we can to help all the athletes associated with the organization optimize their training and competitive results,” he said.

Read more Wearable Technology: The Latest Trend in Professional Sports

About Halo Neuroscience

Halo Neuroscience is the creator of Halo Sport, a neurotechnology device that unlocks human potential. The San Francisco, CA-based Halo sport is the first headset that accelerates the part of the user’s brain responsible for muscle movement, using neuropriming technology. It improves training, power, explosiveness, and skill. Halo Sport is trusted by athletes and teams from the military, Olympics, NFL, NBA, and MLB.

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The best Apple Watch apps

Apple's smartwatch is a jack-of-all-trades. Our favorite Apple Watch apps allow you to carry out a variety of tasks, whether you're looking to use mindfulness to relax, listen to music, or find a remote shutter for your iPhone camera.

The post The best Apple Watch apps appeared first on Digital Trends.

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Awesome Tech You Can’t Buy Yet: Battling bots, launch clocks, and bike-mounted BBQs

Check out our roundup of the best new 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: Battling bots, launch clocks, and bike-mounted BBQs appeared first on Digital Trends.

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The Dreem headset promised to improve our sleep, but it was a nightmare

If you're one of the millions of Americans with a sleep disorder, you're likely willing to try anything to get more shut eye. Dreem promises to improve sleep by stimulating brainwaves, if you're able to wear it through the night.

The post The Dreem headset promised to improve our sleep, but it was a nightmare appeared first on Digital Trends.

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MC10 Receives its First FDA Approval for the BioStamp nPoint System

MC10 Inc., the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based sensor maker has received its first FDA 510(k) clearance for the BioStamp nPoint system. The system is a more advanced version of the company’s BioStampRC which didn’t get FDA clearance.

“BiostampRC was primarily developed as an investigational tool, primarily used by academia, as well as by pharmaceutical companies, but they were doing internal development work,” says Don Fuchs, MC10s’ senior vice president of marketing and strategy. “Generally speaking, for new drug applications and for phase 1 through 4 FDA filings, the biometric sensors that would be used to collect data for those filings, the pharma companies are looking for FDA-cleared products because they need to be able to point to a clinical validation.”

Read more Valeritas’ V-Go Wearable Insulin Delivery Device Shows Promise for Type 2 Diabetes Patients

BioStamp nPoint, a wireless system intended for use by researchers and healthcare professionals, is a biometric data collection platform. It can continuously collect physiological data at home or healthcare settings. It is designed for research studies and clinical trials where scientists need to collect relevant data.

Fuchs said that their customers, who are mainly pharmaceutical companies, have told them they are struggling not so much with the concept of digital endpoints, but how to collect that data without bringing patients or participants into the clinic.

“How can I do that in the home setting, collecting longitudinal information over a long period of time?” he said.

Read more Fitbit’s New Smartwatch App Will Track Female Health

The system comes with two companion apps, the MC10 Link App facing patients and the MC10 Investigator app facing researchers.

The BioStamp nPoint in-home kit includes a smartphone running the MC10 Link App. MC10 Link app provides the patient with instructions on how to apply the patches and also deliver alerts and reminders to take medication.

The researcher uses the MC10 investigator app, where he is provided with information about all the data from the sensors. The system can monitor not only direct data, but derived data such as heart rate, posture and a number of other functions related to sleep.

“We need objective, sensitive measures of health that can be assessed by anyone, anytime, anywhere. MC10’s new sensor brings us one step closer to a reality that can improve health and accelerate the development of new therapies,” noted Dr. Ray Dorsey, MD, MBA and the Director of the Center for Health & Technology (CHET) at the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY.

BioStamp nPoint will be available in the market by enterprise organizations in June. Fuchs said that MC10 already has partnerships lined up with pharmaceutical companies. He expects those trials to be up and running by the third quarter of 2018.

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Is it Time for the Smartwatches to Start Listening Carefully?

As Apple says, the Apple Watch is definitely the most personal device they’ve manufactured. Still, the tech giants who have immersed themselves in the rise of the smartwatch industry may not have completely acknowledged what being a personal device can mean.

Unlike a mobile phone, a smartphone can hear almost the same things what your ears can hear. And better hardware will make it hear even better. Now, to go straight to the subject of this article, by continuously listening to your milieu, a smartwatch can meet a novel and as of yet under-utilized resolution – machine learning.

Read more Fitbit’s New Smartwatch App Will Track Female Health

The whole purpose of machine learning is to allow a software-run machine to recognize what a user is currently doing, while at the same time offering information or an experience that is pertinent to that specific contextual situation. For example, we can apply machine learning on a smartwatch by making it hear the sounds while you’re outside and allowing it to display a specific watch dial better suited to being readable in a surrounding with high light. On the other hand, while leaving a building at night into the outside, your watch dial might automatically activate a backlight in order help you read it in the dark. This would be possible by making the watch recognize simple noises like nighttime insects or sound of less traffic at night.

Knight Rider: Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) talking to his smart (?) watch.

By hearing through a listening device and learning what the user is doing, could allow a smartwatch to perform a number of interesting and useful tasks without any type of user interaction. The more your device knows about what you are currently doing, the more it may become helpful when you look at it. In fact, you may discover that your watch is offering you then-relevant information such as the names of the people around you in the room, duration of exercise and even the sound of your breathing which may indicate the need for medical help.

Read more Kai – A Revolutionary Gesture-Based Workflow Automation Device Launches on Crowdfunding Site

Currently available smartwatches are equipped with a good mix of sensors in them, including microphones. Almost all the smartwatches offered by big companies will perform comparatively accurate things if you send them voice commands.

Talking to device is becoming more common and the mechanism to transmit sound in almost real time appears to be well developed so far. But, keep in mind that the idea of talking to a watch is nothing new, it goes back to the days of “Knight Rider,” where we saw David Hasselhoff talking to his watch.

Smartwatches are also equipped with sensors such as the ones that measure direction, motion, and barometric pressure along with GPS and in some instances a heart rate monitor.

Basically, by listening smartwatches will learn what the user is currently doing. From that point imagination of the software developers will decide what the user wants to see.

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Pimax to Ship Pre-production “8K” Virtual Reality Headsets in May

Pimax, the developers of the first “8K” VR headset plan to send the preproduction unit, called M1, to the closed beta testing group of 10 participants this month. If the company receives green light from the testers, it will start the general launch in June for the Kickstarter project backers. The “8K” model will have a steady 80Hz refresh rate, while the “5K” model, due to be shipped in June, can reach up to 90Hz refresh rate, according to Pimax.

“We are very confident about M1. The plan is to start the shipments [to general backers] in June if the testers give the green light. As always, we will take the suggestions from the community into consideration to finalize Pimax 8K,” says Pimax.

Read more Samsung and Apple Reportedly Working on a Wireless AR/VR Headset

The China-based VR headset manufacturer said that it will pick the beta testers from a group of Kickstarter backers that were trusted community leaders, professional reviewer, or both,’ possibly pursuing the biggest potential social media presence.

It should be noted that the Pimax 8K VR headset does not create a full 7,680 x 4,320 resolution. Instead, it utilizes two 3,840 x 2,160 screens, which is more powerful than what Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and HTC Pro currently produces. The screens actually combine to produce a 7,680 x 2,160 viewing area with an exceptionally wide 200-degree field of view. Labeling the product as the Pimax 4K+4K may result in a marketing blunder, and currently there’s no standard set by the industry to label VR resolutions.

While this new design employs two 3,840 x 2,160 screens running at a stable 80Hz refresh rate, the company is still working on boosting that number to the target 90Hz. The units received by the Kickstarter backers may still run at 80Hz, while the 5K unit will push frames at 90Hz. Surely, these headsets do not guarantee a VR experience running at those rates considering that the overall performance falls to the hardware configuration of the parent PC, especially when you add two 4K screens into the mix.

Read more Apple Could Release an AR Headset in 2021, Predicts Gene Munster

“Up to now, the 80Hz [refresh rate] is confirmed stable.[Eighty-two] Hz just passes the initial test standard, and now we’re trying to optimize on 85Hz and 87Hz [refresh rates]. [Ninety] Hz is the [theoretical] upper limit of the whole system,” the Kickstarter post reads. It goes on to list the 80Hz to 85Hz range as the “worst-case scenario” for the final product.

Funding for the company’s Kickstarter project started in September 2017 and ended 45 days later, bringing in 5,946 backers who pledged a hefty $4,236,618, greatly exceeding the original goal of $200,000.

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Apple Could Release an AR Headset in 2021, Predicts Gene Munster

Apple could step into the augment reality wearable market by releasing an AR headset in 2021, according to noted analyst Gene Munster of Loup Ventures.

On Thursday, Munster published a report concerning Apple’s new product categories, covering his evaluation of the current technology environment as well as public views of wearables for a broad timeline for Apple’s smartglasses product.

Read more Secrets of Hololens 2: What We’ve Learned So Far

“We are pushing back our expected release of Apple Glasses from September of 2020 to December of 2021 based on recent meetings with several AR industry experts.” wrote Munster. “While these people do not have direct knowledge of Apple’s plans, it is becoming clear that, as a category, AR glasses are a few years away.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook has already laid the foundation needed for augmented reality to be a significant business within Apple, Munster writes, underscoring the release of ARKit (Apple’s framework for augmented reality apps and games), the use of dedicated AR optics in the iPhone X, and the purchase of SensoMotoric, a wearable computer vision technology company, as examples of AR’s progression.

ARKit app on an iPad (Image: appleinsider)

Munster recognizes investors’ mixed feelings about AR’s potential “given the two most popular AR use cases today are Snapchat and Pokemon.” The failure of Google Glass also add to the worry, as well as society’s resentment for normal people to be equipped with cameras and record almost everything they see.

Read more Wearable VR Gaming Devices To Increase Physical Activity

“This begs the question: are we ready for AR glasses? Not now, but eventually we will be. AR is better hands-free. We’re not made to experience the world holding up a tiny window,” said Munster. “Our arms and eyes get tired. Glasses solve that problem, but they also create a problem by breaking a social dynamic around privacy.”

While Munster believes the public isn’t ready for AR glasses, he is optimistic that it will become a more well liked concept, because, “We’re not made to experience the world holding up a tiny window.” Adoption of such wearable devices will be minimum “until the utility of an AR wearable offsets the negative social dynamic.”

Loup Ventures previously predicted a release of “Apple Glasses” around September 2020, but pushed the date back to December 2021 after meeting several AR experts. “While these people do not have direct knowledge of Apple’s plans, it is becoming clear that, as a category, AR glasses are a few years away.”

Experts estimate around 10 million units of the AR glasses could be sold in the first year of release, with Munster implying this could be comparable to the initial performance of Apple Watch. With an anticipated average selling price of $1,300, the famed headwear could yield $13 billion in the first year, accounting for 3% of Apple’s entire year’s revenue in 2022.

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