We've written before about the round Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch. The company announced today that the watch will go on sale October 2, but it may be a little hard to find. Although you'll be able to get it at Samsung's own site and Amazon, if you want to get hands on at launch, you'll have to make the a pilgrimage to your local Best Buy or to Macy's main store in Herald Square, … [Read more...]
Push Band Tracks Weight Training
Professional and amateur athletes have a lot invested in the level of their physical performance and fitness, and more athletes are looking to wearable technology to help them reach and remain in peak shape. One such product is Push Band, an armband that tracks and analyzes an athlete’s weight training program. The Push Band retails at $189, tracks sets, reps, and power, … [Read more...]
Making Fashion Work
The intersection of high tech and high fashion is well getting closer, if you believe what you could see at the September 2015 London Fashion Show. In fact, some in the fashion industry are predicting that within 10 years—possibly as few as 5—we’ll be wearing our phones and cameras on our sleeves as well as our hearts. Or, more accurately, in our sleeves, since the devices will … [Read more...]
Skype Enables Calls with Android Wear Watches
There are apparently people who like to manage phone calls with their watches -- beyond just seeing who's calling and rejecting them. Skype now makes that easier with Android Wear devices. With version 6.4 of Skype for Android, Android Wear users can accept or reject calls from their watches, and use voice-to-text to respond to chats. It's not clear whether you can initiate … [Read more...]
Polyera Wove Goes ‘Round the Bend
We love our electronic devices, but even an Apple watch can come to a hard end when hitting a harder surface. We might all sometimes wish the technology might have been a little more malleable. Polyera’s Wove Band is a flexible wristband with low-energy electrophoretic E Ink technology and a touch screen; a tap will bring up the user’s email, news, and weather info, as well … [Read more...]
Ars Technica Reviews Moto360 Update; Faster, But No New Tech
Ars Technica weighs in on the newest iteration of the Moto360 smartwatch, which it correctly pegs as the most iconic hardware expression of Android Wear. The verdict: OK, but nothing to get all fussed about. The new Moto360 has a faster chip than the older one -- a Qualcomm Snapdragon rather than a TI OMAP. The crown was moved from 3 o'clock to 2 o'clock, as many other … [Read more...]
Pebble Debuts the Pebble Round Smartwatch
Punditry that suggested that Pebble would be roadkill in the face of the Apple Watch and Android Wear is turning out have been somewhat overheated. The smartwatch pioneer has announced the Pebble Round, a thin round watch that merrily goes its own way. What's remarkable about Pebble is that it succeeds by doing only a few things well. Its watches are essentially notification … [Read more...]
Apple WatchOS 2.0 Released
It was supposed to hit the streets last week, but QA found a show-stopping bug. Things seem to have now been resolved, and Apple has released WatchOS 2.0 to the public. You can update over the air from your Apple Watch iPhone app. We haven't tried it yet, and we don't know what the bug was. We'll update as necessary. … [Read more...]
Iron Man to Enlist?
In the not-too-distant future, every U.S. soldier could sport an expert marksman badge, thanks to Mobile Arm Exoskeleton for Firearm Aim Stabilization (MAXFAS), developed at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory in Aberdeen, Maryland. The device is still a stationary prototype; however, developers are already looking at ways to make MAXFAS mobile. Similar medical technology … [Read more...]
Apple’s Revving Up for the Holidays
In another move away from Apple’s once vaunted isolationism, T-Mobile and Sprint will be selling the Apple Watch in store starting Sept. 25, the same launch date as for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. (This must count as an accessory for them, as there's no network connectivity or plan involved.) Not long afterwards, on Oct. 5, Apple and Hermes stores will carry a luxury … [Read more...]