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...]
Fitbit’s B2B Business is now HIPAA Compliant
The big players in fitness trackers have long since figured out that the big money will be in business-to-business sales; one big corporate contract can make an entire quarter. Fitbit has announced that Fitbit Wellness, its corporate offering, is now HIPAA-compliant, meaning the information it gathers and shares meets the U.S.-mandated privacy standard. It's an important … [Read more...]
93 Percent of Industrial Enterprises are Trying Wearable Tech, APX Labs Study Says
A survey of American industrial enterprises commissioned by APX Labs has found that nearly all of them -- 93 percent -- have either deployed wearable technologies or are trying them out. The survey collected 201 responses from from IT or business decisions makers with at least 500 employees, with an intentional skew toward enterprises with 5,000 or more employees, APX Labs … [Read more...]
UNICEF Announces 10 “Wearables for Good” Finalists
UNICEF has announced finalists for its "Wearables for Good" challenge, where entrepreneurs with wearable health startups are competing for one of two $15,000 prizes. The finalists come from seven countries, and present ideas ranging from encouraging hand-washing to tracking temperatures, APGAR scores, or immunizations. You can see the list of finalists and get more … [Read more...]
IDC Says Wearables Up 164 Pct From Last Year, 5-Year CAGR of 23 Pct
IDC says the worldwide market for wearable technology is up 163.6 percent from 2014, to a total of 76.1 million units to be sold this year. By 2019, the market research house says, shipments will reach 173 million, a five-year CAGR of 22.9 percent. About a third of that consists of sales of what IDC called "smart wearables," more powerful devices like the Apple Watch or … [Read more...]
Samsung Announces Gear S2 Round Tizen Watch
As expected, Samsung has announced a new round-faced smartwatch, the Gear S2. Continuing Samsung's embrace of the open-source Tizen operating system and rejection of Android Wear, the Gear S2 introduces a new interface element: a rotating bezel that would allow users to literally "dial-in" their inputs. The watches are nearly 12 mm thick and faces are 1.2 inches in diameter, … [Read more...]
Android Wear Now Runs on iOS
The Apple Watch now has some added competition at the low end: Google has released an Android Wear app for iOS that brings Wear-based watches into the Apple ecosystem. Or vice versa. At any rate, the app means you can now control Android Wear devices from your iPhone. Previously, smart wrist wear lived in one ecosystem or another; if you had a Moto 360 on your wrist, it … [Read more...]
FlexTech Alliance to Lead $170 Million Federal/Private Tech Hub in San Jose
The U.S. Department of Defense announce today that it has awarded $75 million to the FlexTech Alliance to set up a Manufacturing Innovation Institute for flexible electronics. The money is being matched by another $96 million from San Jose and many partners: 96 companies, 11 labs and non-profits, 42 universities, and 14 states and regional organizations. FlexTech said that … [Read more...]
Fun Wearables Quiz from the Verge
Think you know your smartwatches? The Verge has a fun link-bait quiz that challenges you to identify 15 well and not-so-well known smart band products -- some of them gloriously obscure. We do this for a living -- and we only got 11 out of 15. Check it out, and let us know in the comments how you did -- if you dare. … [Read more...]
Chicago’s TechNexus Picks 13 Wearables Companies for DHS Incubator
We wrote a few months ago about a call for applications to a Department of Homeland Security EMERGE program to develop wearables for first responders. TechNexus, a Chicago "venture collaborative" has picked 13 companies to work with it and DHS: BearTek: wearable tech built into task-specific gloves to wirelessly control devices. Energy Bionics: Develops, manufactures and … [Read more...]