https://vimeo.com/96151557 Back a few months ago, Samsung showed a reference design for wristware called the Simband. Not meant to be a product, the sensor-laden Simband was released to a limited set of developers to see what they would do with it. Today, at a big developers' conference in San Francisco, Samsung expanded the program, allowing new developers to enter the … [Read more...]
Nixie Wearable Quadcopter Wins Intel “Make It Wearable” Challenge
Nixie, designers of a wrist-worn quadcopter, has won Intel's "Make it Wearable" Challenge, pulling down $500,000. Five hundred teams applied for the challenge. They were winnowed down to 10 in the "developer" track and 10 in the "visionary" track, the prize for which was awarded in April. Second prize was won by Open Bionics, a British entrant that designs low-cost bionic … [Read more...]
Microsoft Announces Band Wearable, Health App, and Cloud
With Microsoft moving so aggressively toward cloud services and mobile technology, you could have seen this a mile away, even without the recent leak: the company has announced the Microsoft Band wearable and the Microsoft Health cloud service. First, the band. It's a full-featured device most closely resembling the Samsung Gear Fit. Black plastic, touch-sensitive color … [Read more...]
Google Ships Google Fit App
We wrote in August about Google's publishing an SDK to keep track of health and data; the company announced today that a Google Fit app is now available. Android only, of course, although there'll be a web interface that's not quite working as of this writing. The Google Fit app consolidates all your health tracking data into a single place associated with your e-mail … [Read more...]
SensoTrack Hits Kickstarter With Earpiece Fitness Tracker
We got an e-mail about a new-ish Kickstarter campaign for an ear-worn biometric tracker, the SensoTrack. The device looks like the marriage of one of those old behind-the-ear hearing aids attached to a Bluetooth headset. It claims to track heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, respiration, location, pace and body position, as well as the usual stuff like speed, steps, … [Read more...]
Skully Finishes $2.8 Million Indiegogo Round
Skully Helmets, the virtual reality motorcycle helmet, has finally closed a 2-month funding round on Indiegogo, clearing the $2.8 million mark. The company says it's the most successful tech funding ever on Indiegogo. The company has pre-sold 1950 units at about $1500 each. It had originally tried to raise just $250,000, a goal it hit in 8 minutes. Now comes the hard … [Read more...]
Nike and Apple Working Are Working on a New Wearable. Clothing, Perhaps?
When Nike stopped developing its Fuelband wristware earlier this year, the company insisted that it wasn't abandoning wearables -- and there was plenty of speculation that Nike was merely ceding hardware development to Apple. Now Nike CEO Mark Parker has told Bloomberg TV that the companies are, indeed, hatching something. Parker's not saying what that something is, other … [Read more...]
A Flexible Battery, But You Can’t Buy It
We've written about curved batteries, which are pretty cool. But Samsung is now showing flexible batteries, which not only bend, but can be bent repeatedly. The claim is that you can bend it around a cup and it will work just fine. The implications for wearables should be clear: batteries that can conform to whatever shape they need to, and that can flex along with your body … [Read more...]
Intel Announces “Make It Wearable” Finals Judges
Intel's "Make It Wearable" challenge is reaching its climax, and the company just announced the roster of judges who'll award the $800,000 at stake. Of the 10 finalists, the top winner will take home $500,000. Second place is worth $200,000, and third pays $100,000 The 10 finalists will need to impress: Intel CEO Brian Krzanich Best Buy President and CEO Hubert … [Read more...]
will.i.am to Join Wearables Business
The rapper will.i.am, best known from the band Black Eyed Peas, will be unveiling a wearable tech product next week at the Dreamforce conference. Called the i.am+, the device "allows for a sixth sense mentality and represents a new way of being connected." No, we don't know what that means. will.i.am, whose birth name is William Adams, has long been a technophile. He once … [Read more...]