We got an apparently legit e-mail this evening informing us that we were entitled to a $25 Nike gift card as a settlement in a class action suit against Nike and Apple. Say what? It turns out that a) there was such a suit, alleging that the companies knowingly made false claims about the health benefits of the FuelBand, and b) the companies are settling it. Anyone who bought … [Read more...]
Aviation Wearable Keeps Planes in the Air
The Australian aerospace company TAE will soon begin commercializing wearable gear that will help aircraft technicians keep airplanes flying. A story in the Australian Financial Review says Guardian Mentor Remote, developed by the Australian national science agency CSIRO, comprises a headset and visor that can let technicians bring in experts to help wherever they are in the … [Read more...]
HTC Grip Wristband: Ummm, Never Mind
HTC, back in March, unveiled its Grip fitness tracker in partnership with Under Armour, the clothing maker that's been making a big noise in fitness apps. It was slated for a "spring" release. Now on the cusp of July, HTC acknowledges that it's pulling back, saying the product needs more work and will come out later in the year. At the same time, HTC is teasing a new line of … [Read more...]
Cheap Smart Shoes Coming from Xiaomi
Xiaomi is best known in the US for a $9 smart band that's only sold in China. Now there's word that the company's getting into the athletic shoe business. According to the International Business Times, Xiaomi is teaming up with sporting goods maker Li Ning to equip a sneaker with a motion sensor, which will send data to a smart phone. The concept's hardly new: Nike and … [Read more...]
Details of Samsung Orbis Smartwatch Are Emerging
SamMobile, a site that tracks Samsung's mobile business, is out with tech details of the upcoming Orbis smartwatch, which will apparently be called the Gear A. An SDK indicates that the watch, which will have a circular screen, will continue Samsung's commitment to the Tizen operating system. It will use Exynos 3472 dual-core processor with 768MB of system RAM, 4GB of user … [Read more...]
Misfit Adds Control App and Smart Button, Cuts Prices
Misfit, the activity tracker company, today delivered on a January promise to add smart home connectivity to its products. The company announced Misfit Link, software that lets the Misfit Flash fitness tracker also control camera, presentations, and music on your smartphone. And iOS version is available immediately, the company said; Android will follow next month. The … [Read more...]
Withings Activé Watches Now Track Swimming
Very few fitness trackers -- and fewer still at the lower end of the pricing spectrum -- can withstand extended encounters with water. The Withings Activé line has been the exception, but even they didn't actually track swimming activity. Now, though, Withings says its software will now recognize swimming motions, and track them against your daily goals. The Activé sells … [Read more...]
New Enterprise Glass Details Reported
The drip of information about the Google Glass Enterprise Edition appears to have started. 9to5Google is citing "several sources familiar with advanced prototypes" as saying that the business-oriented version will have a larger display prism that's easier to see than the initial Explorer edition. Also, the site reports that Enterprise Glass will be powered by an Intel Atom … [Read more...]
Google Glass’s Enterprise Edition Makes Perfect Sense
There was a bunch of buzz over the US holiday weekend that Google has filed with the FCC information about an enterprise version of Google Glass, possibly called the GG1. It makes perfect sense. Most of the activity in smart headwear over the last few quarters has been in the enterprise space, not the consumer market. Google and Intel both have development deals with optics … [Read more...]
Casio Smart Watch Coming in March at $400: WSJ
Get ready for another big-name entrant in the smart watch business. Japanese electronics maker Casio is prepping a $400 device for next spring. Casio president Kazuhiro Kashio sat down with the Wall Street Journal to talk about his company's extensive history with electronic watch features and what it's planning for the future. He didn't reveal much in the way of specifics, … [Read more...]