The first in-depth review of an early production model of the Healbe GoBe is out from Engadget, and it's ... well, it's not as bad as a lot of people expected. The GoBe is likely the most controversial wearable to come down the pike. It had a hugely over-subscribed crowdfunding campaign, based on its claim that it could monitor caloric intake and glucose levels … [Read more...]
Swatch to Sell Smartwatch Within Three Months, Says Bloomberg
Remember when Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek said smartwatches would never catch on? He's changed his tune, and now tells Bloomberg that he'll be selling a smartwatch, complete with an NFC chip for payments, within the next three months. Why the turnaround? Because Hayek did not get to be the boss of the world's biggest watch company by being stupid. It's clear that people want … [Read more...]
NYTimes on Google Glass: “It Wasn’t Supposed To Be That Way”
New York Times reporter Nick Bilton broke the story that became Google Glass. Today, he tells what went wrong, and it's really pretty simple: the marketers saw what the engineers were working on and put it out to the world far before it was ready. In other words, what happened was exactly what anyone with any sense knew what was going on. What happens next? Glass is now in … [Read more...]
Wirecard Wearable Wallet Reportedly Targets Summer Launch
There's a German company called Wirecard that's active in the payment business, similar to PayPal. It has its own payment network, issues cards, and is active in mobile payments. GigaOM is reporting that Wirecard is planning this summer to release its own smart band to act as a credit card replacement. It's a segment that's starting to get crowded. Apple Pay has made the … [Read more...]
Re/code is Less Than Impressed By New Fitbit Trackers
Re/code's Lauren Goode has been checking out the latest fitness trackers from Fitbit, the leader in the smart wristband market -- the Charge, Charge HR, and Surge -- and she was not particularly impressed. The Charge is OK -- a slight upgrade for the recalled Force -- but the clasp continues to be annoying. The Charge HR and Surge, both of which monitor heart rate, suffer … [Read more...]
Yes, It’s a $150,000 Wearable. No, We’re Not Sure What It Does
There is, apparently, a $150,000 self-charging tech wristband from the luxury fashion house Christophe & Co. The Armill Apollo is reportedly designed by Pininfarina and customized to each wearer -- we should certainly think so -- and includes such decorative details as precious stones and leather. It doesn't have a screen, and it's not a watch, but does include a button … [Read more...]
Whistle Dog Fitness Tracker Buys Canine GPS Company Tagg
When we wrote about the Whistle canine fitness tracker a year ago, we said "what this thing really needs is geofencing and geolocation." We met the folks from Tagg at CES earlier this month, saw their dog GPS collar with its geofencing and geolocation, and thought it might be a nice accompaniment for Whistle. Now comes word that we weren't the only ones who thought so: Whistle … [Read more...]
Apple Watch Gets April Ship Date
In an analysts' conference call after his company's earnings announcement, Apple CEO Tim Cook dropped the news that the Apple Watch will ship in April, which he called "right on schedule." (It wouldn't do for a watch to be late, now would it?) The Watch, of course, was announced September 6 with more fanfare than a U2 tour. Rumor has had it at one point or another that the … [Read more...]
Sketchy Reports of a Foldable Battery from Korean Company Jenax
There's a company in Busan, South Korea, called Jenax; its main business seems to be stainless steel thread used to make firefighters' turn-out gear. At a wearables conference in Japan last week, Jenax showed what media reports say is a foldable Li-Ion battery that can bend 1 million times in its lifecycle. Not all the details as they are being reported add up. Some reports … [Read more...]
Ringly Raises $5.1 Million Series A Led by Andreessen Horowitz
A ring that flashes and vibrates when it gets a notification from your phone. For this, Silicon Valley VCs ponied up $5.1 million. Ringly isn't saying publicly how many units it's shipped, but allows as how they've pretty much sent out all their first round of pre-orders at $145 each. The new pre-orders will go out this Spring for $195. The goods are nice: high quality … [Read more...]