Apple aside, Fitbit may be the most recognizable name in the fitness band business. Then why do its products seem to just barely clear the bar? It's tough to judge something before we get out hands on it, so we're willing to give the Fitbit Ionic the benefit of the doubt for now. But its announcement this week did little to make our pulse race. Its major new features -- a … [Read more...]
Eyes F.lashing Before Your Life
We really really really don't like writing about Kickstarter projects, no matter how successful the funding is. But sometimes, you've just got to pay attention. Like when we hear about something like F.lashes: a digital eyelid accessory that sticks on like fake eyelashes (eyelash adhesive) and blink in various patterns. If this still sounds like a great idea, consider this: … [Read more...]
Smarty Pants: Nadi X Yoga Leggings
Even with all the hype about the “intersection of fashion and technology,” you don’t often run across clothing that gets written up in Vogue, WWD, and Wired. However, Nadi X yoga pants from Wearable X seem to tick a lot of boxes for both the fashion-forward and technology junkies—and even some yogis. The company calls their product “Nadi X Pant & Pulse,” and its … [Read more...]
Rings: How Smart Can They Be?
A couple of years back, smart rings looked like they might be the coming thing. We checked out the Neyya ring from India, London-based Kerv, and there were even rumors of an elusive Apple iRing. And while none of them—with the possible exception of the iRing—seems to have had an appointment with Mount Doom, consumer response was and remains underwhelming. Into this … [Read more...]
Swatch’s Hayek Gets Smartwatch Religion, but Barely
Swatch CEO Nick Hayek is saying that the time giant is working on its own operating system, and expects to have something on the market next year. Cautious as it is, Hayek's comments late last week on the eve of the Baselworld watch show are his company's biggest step yet into the emerging market. Hayek's correct objection to the existing generation of smartwatch OSes -- … [Read more...]
Misfit Moves to Full Display, Away from Intel/Google: CES
Misfit, one of the grand old brands in consumer wearables, had a couple of surprises at CES; one obvious, the other less so. The obvious one was the unveiling of its Vapor smartwatch, which abandons Misfit's signature design language. From the first, Misfits trackers have been small aluminum disks (or later, tubes) with only subtle LEDs as indicators and year-long battery … [Read more...]
Is a Fitbit Smartwatch Coming? Sure Looks Like It: CES
There was nothing explicit about Ftbit's plans at CES, but the dots were there to connect. Fitbit CEO James Park told The Verge at the conference that his company was building an app store, like the one for Pebble, the assets of which Fitbit bought a month earlier. The thing about Fitbit's product line is that there's no product for apps to run on, so Park's comment was … [Read more...]
Garmin Launches New Fenix 5 Line: CES
Alone among the Big 4 wearables companies, Garmin is launching new products at CES. It's introducing the Fenix 5 line, building on its rugged high-performance wristwear. There are three Fenix 5 models: the 5, the 5S, and the 5X. They've got a different look -- a bit smaller and less aggressively masculine. All the models come in a variety of colors and finishes and have … [Read more...]
Sensoria and Vivobarefoot Show Net-Connected Running Shoe: CES
Long-time readers know Sensoria, which pioneered weaving sensors into athletic socks. The company is announcing at CES a deal with Vivobarefoot, which calls itself "the leading global producer of barefoot shoes," to build the technology into those shoes. (Note that Vivobarefoot does not make those geeky five-toed running shoes that were all the rage a couple of years ago. … [Read more...]
Motiv Introduces Activity Tracking Ring: CES
The wrist has become the most common place to put activity trackers, but it's not the only place. The start-up Motiv has unveiled the Motiv Ring: a simple device that tracks your activity and heart rate with a simple band around your finger. Motiv is hardly the first company to sell a connected ring, but one thing that separates it is the product's discipline. It's not a … [Read more...]