The idea of adding a sensor pack to regular watches is not new. Nor is the idea of expanding regular watch functions with a smart band quite new. But the French startup RIFFT has what appears to be a particularly smart approach, and they're unveiling it at CES. The CT Band comes in seven colors of leather (stitched or unstitched) and 11 colors of silicone. There are three … [Read more...]
The Worm Has Turned: Graphene into Silk
Graphene might a 21st century’s philosopher’s stone: flexible, strong, fashionable material that’s also conductive; the goal is fabric that can support technology without being clunky about it. Scientists at Beijing’s Tsinghua University have come up with the idea of combining silk with graphene—conductive carbon one-atom thick -- by feeding it to silkworms. It works, … [Read more...]
Shirt to Self: Stop Slouching!
The concept of clothes that electronically improve posture might bring to mind a sweatshirt concealing a robotic brace that grabs slumping shoulders and jerks them into place. Or it might make you think of attractive clothing that more subtly and discreetly urges you straighten up; for instance, Dutch designer Pauline van Dongen’s new smart shirt, FysioPal. This is not the … [Read more...]
Knit Picking Your Music with Cyberknitics
The first knitted socks date to Egypt in the 1100s. (They must not have fit or they would have worn out instead of surviving all those centuries.) And hand knitting is still popular today, even though the cost of yarn frequently means it is much cheaper to buy ready-made; but, you know, arts and crafts and all that. Knitting has longevity. It has not yet been ousted by … [Read more...]
Managing Runway Stress with Style
British fashion designer Hussein Chalayan recently partnered with Intel to give the clothes in his new show that little added something—electronics that monitor stress levels. This can only have been for both companies to show off a little, especially for Intel to make a fashion case for its Curie module, an itty-bitty computer. Chalayan has previously commented that “Only … [Read more...]
A Rebranded Snapchat Launches Spectacles Wearable Camera
We're somewhat optimistic about Snapchat's Spectacles, which the company (now apparently known as Snap Inc.) dumped on the world Friday afternoon. They're $130 brightly colored shades -- teal, coral, and black -- with a small camera and a couple of radios (and a rechargeable battery) built into the frame. The glasses take up to three 10-second videos and dump them, through your … [Read more...]
Is That a Computer on Your Jeans or Are You Just Glad to See Me?
Spoiler alert: This product is under development, but does not yet exist in the way that most people understand "existence." The Dutch design group Nieuwe Heren (New Gents), basically Erik de Nijs and Tim Smit, have announced a new, well, concept: controlling your laptop by means of a keyboard, mouse, and speakers imbedded in an apparently ill-fitting pair of jeans. OK, … [Read more...]
Female Runners Rejoice: OMbra Smart Bra Now Available
We were impressed with Montreal-based Omsignal’s smart running bra when it first surfaced at CES 2016. It’s well designed, both as clothing and technology, and you can’t help believing that something hugging your chest is going to get a more accurate breathing and heart rate data than something on your wrist. OMsignal recently completed a $10 million funding round, and the … [Read more...]
Samsung’s WELT: A Terrible Thing to Waist
Samsung, while it's not putting out fires, recently announced that the WELT, the company’s e-belt product, has met its Kickstarter goal and is ready to go to market. What, one might reasonably ask, is an e-belt? The WELT is basically a fitness tracker in a (men’s) genuine leather belt, with at least one unique feature. Like wrist-based trackers, WELT tracks data such as … [Read more...]
AmazFit’s New Tracker: Fitness as a Fine Art
AmazFit, manufacturer of the Equator and Moonbeam fitness trackers, is owned by Huami, one of the top wearable companies worldwide, and has sold 24 million fitness trackers in China through the company’s partnership with Xaiomi. Xaiomi’s Mi Band, originally sold only in China, is second only to Fitbit in global market share. The AmazFit Equator marks the company’s expansion … [Read more...]