Not only did Team Great Britain have reason to dance at the closing ceremonies for the 2016 Olympics, they had the perfect shoes to do it in. The record-breaking team that garnered even more medals that at the London games four years ago were wearing custom-made trainers—Brit-speak for athletic shoes—that lit the way. LED lights along the soles of the shoes lit up red, … [Read more...]
About Pugi Kohl
BAE Gives the Military a Wearable Charge
When we ran across a headline recently that defense contractor BAE was turning to clothing tech, we thought we might be onto a real old-fashioned scoop. After all, BAE produces some of the most cutting edge technology for the defense, aerospace, and security sectors all over the world. Now they’re moving into fashion? Well, no. As we might have expected, the clothing to … [Read more...]
Pokémon GO Plus Wristband Went Fast
You’d have to be living in a fallout shelter not to have heard of Pokémon GO, Nintendo's augmented reality game, over the last few days. But lost in all the hype is Pokémon GO Plus -- the Poké Ball-shaped device that vibrates and flashes to alert the wearer to any Pokémon in the immediate vicinity. Press a button, and the Pokémon is yours. Pokémon GO Plus sells for $34.99 … [Read more...]
A Blast from the Future of Baseball
Some foolish people have been known to say that 21st century baseball is slow and boring. We’re willing to bet, however, that even those guys get a thrill when the ball hits a bat’s sweet spot and is outta here. We can all agree that anything that makes that happen more often is what's technically referred to as a "good thing." Major League Baseball recently made multi-year … [Read more...]
SmartTrack: A Touchpad Within Arm’s Reach
Smartwatches put a powerful computer on your wrist, but at the cost of a little bitty screen and keyboard. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute’s Future Interfaces Group are working on that, turning your arm into an interactive surface. SmartTrack turns your forearm into a swiping, touching input device from wrist to elbow. Unlike … [Read more...]
Wireless Gas Detector: Technology Replaces Canaries
The detection of poison gas is critical in industry. Gas chromatographs are big and expensive, so sensor developers have been looking for years to find ways to detect both odors and harmful gases in a small, fast-acting, low-power, and lightweight device. Scientists may have found a way to end-run the problem. A team at MIT has developed a low-cost way to detect lethal gas … [Read more...]
I Spy with My Little Wearable Monitoring Device
Do you think the government uses our wireless devices to keep tabs on us? Well, we’ve found proof that you’re right—if you work for the U.S. government. ODNI (Office of the Director of National Intelligence) is developing MOSAIC (Multimodal Objective Sensing to Assess Individuals with Context): a project to help “U.S. intelligence firms” pick people who are spy material. The … [Read more...]
Converse ‘All-Wah’: Soft Shoe Goes Hard Rock
Converse, the shoe company that brought color to high-top sneakers and basketball shoes, is now bringing high tech and sound to same. The company’s Chuck Taylor All-Wah (you see what they did there, right?) doesn’t look much different from your regular or garden variety Chuck Taylors. That is, until you notice the connector in the side of the sole and right above that two holes … [Read more...]
Get a Gold Star for Talking
VersaMe has announced the launch of Starling, which is supposed to make your newborn to 5-year-old the next Leonardo da Vinci -- or at least smarter than the average bear. How? By counting the number of words your progeny hears each day and encouraging you to use more of them in the child’s earshot. Science Says 80% of your child’s brain development takes place in that age … [Read more...]
French Startup’s Wearable Not Horsing Around
Horse racing, the sport of kings, is an expensive business for owners, It's also dangerous for the horses; some 500 horses die from racing-related injuries a year in the U.S. and another 150 die in the UK, including Guy Fawkes, a horse belonging to Queen Elizabeth. The French have an answer to this, as they have to so many things. A Gallic startup, Arioneo, has developed an … [Read more...]