We just came across a truly excellent roundtable about wearables and the consumer banking industry, featuring some forward-thinking consultants and bankers. Their consensus: we have so many other things to worry about first, maybe we'll get around to this in three years. Or ten. But not this year or next. Unless, of course, Apple does something, in which case we'll have to … [Read more...]
Researchers Say 2018 Wearables Market Will Be 14x 2013’s
CCS Insight is out with a new report that says the wearables market in 2018 will be 135 million units, up from 9.7 million units last year. The industry, they say, will be dominated by wristware: 87 percent of the devices shipped that year will be worn on the wrist. Or so they say. Marina Koytcheva, CCS Insight's director of forecasting, more or less throws up her hands in … [Read more...]
Has Applied Materials Made a Battery Storage Breakthrough?
It's not exactly news that batteries are a limiting factor for wearables: size, density, and flexibility are all problematic. But there's news that Applied Materials -- one of those technology infrastructure companies that are critical to the tech business but that no one outside it has ever heard of -- has made a breakthrough in the way batteries are made. Technology … [Read more...]
New Gartner Hype Cycle Shows Wearables Still At Peak
We've written a lot (and talked more) about how much we love the Gartner Hype Cycle, a thought model that graphically illustrates the steps that a product category passes through between introduction and adoption. Last year, Gartner showed wearable tech at the very top of hype, poised for a plunge into the "Trough of Disillusionment" and with general adoption expected in 5 to … [Read more...]
uBeam Wireless Charging Gets NYTimes Ink
The NYTimes is carrying a story today about a wireless charging startup called uBeam, which claims to be able to send power and data to portable devices using ultrasound. uBeam's promise is that portable (and by inclusion wearable) devices could have ever-smaller batteries because they would be able to suck power out of the air in rooms or facilities equipped with uBeam's … [Read more...]
Apple iPhone Event Sept. 9; Maybe iWatch, Too?
This much is known: Apple is holding a news conference September 9 to talk about iPhones. This much is not known: pretty much everything else. That's not quite true. We know that the event will be the public unveiling of iOS8, if you don't count the developer versions and the public beta. But the size of the phones, and processor they're based on (most likely the A8) and … [Read more...]
NFL Joins Advanced Metrics Game, Will Chip Players
"Moneyball" is so last century. If you're one of those old-time sports fans who hates metrics like quarterback ratings and WAR, you're about to be left further in the dust. Major sports -- soccer, baseball, and basketball -- have been experimenting with technology for the last several years to get deeper into their athletes' performance. But those sports have been relying on … [Read more...]
iBeacons in the Travel Industry
The hospitality business is one of the more obvious places that wearable technology will make an impact; we've already heard about a bunch of Google Glass trials by airline gate personnel. The site Future Travel Experience has an interesting rundown of how various airlines are using iBeacons -- devices that can track the movement and activities of individuals -- to enhance … [Read more...]
Samsung and Google: Peanut Butter and Chocolate, or Oil and Water?
The relationship between Google and Samsung is showing signs of being the tech world's Next Big Soap Opera. Paul Grey at Displaysearch thinks Samsung is coming back around to Android for its wristware, after having deployed the open-source Tizen OS for its Gear line. We don't think he's got it right, and that Samsung's flirtation is with Android, not with Tizen. Every July, … [Read more...]
Wearable Tech to Replace Cash at Lollapalooza Music Festival
The idea of using a wristband as an identity token in the hospitality industry is not quite new; Disney's using it quite effectively as MagicBands at Walt Disney World. Now, the folks putting on the Lollapalooza music festival this summer in Chicago are doing something similar: giving attendees wristbands that can be linked to credit cards. Wearers can tap the bands to vendors' … [Read more...]