TomTom is pretty well known among mapping geeks as one of the companies that powers car GPS systems and Apple Maps. The company has also had an unheralded line of sports watches dedicated to running, golf, and general training, and has now introduced a line devoted to what it calls the "any-day" athlete. The Spark GPS Fitness Watch line comprises five models: a basic unit, a … [Read more...]
Runtastic Launches the Moment Smartwatch
Smartwatch Week continues, with the Adidas-owned Runtastic introducing the Moment, its first conventional smartwatch. Though it also sells a heart rate monitor and the Orbit fitness tracker, Runtastic is better known as a leading fitness app developer, claiming 70 million registered users. The Moment looks like an analog watch rather than a tracker. It's aimed squarely at … [Read more...]
Motorola Unveils New Moto360 Smartwatches With Mid-Range Specs
It's apparently smartwatch week; in addition to Huawei, ASUS, and Samsung, Motorola's dived (dove? diven?) back into the pool with updated Moto360s. They're a lot like their predecessors: Android Wear, round screen, customizable at purchase, small "flat-tire" cutout at the bottom of the dial. But there are also some notable improvements and extensions to the line. This is … [Read more...]
Huawei Watch, a Round Android Wear Device, Available This Month
Back in March, Huawei -- one of the world's biggest cellphone makers -- showed off a handsome circular Android Wear watch. It's going on sale September 17. The Huawei Watch has a 42mm diameter dial, a stainless steel case and two-layer sapphire glass. Standard 18mm bands look like they'll work, too. It has the standard array of electronics including a 6-axis motion sensor, … [Read more...]
ASUS Zenwatch 2 Details Unveiled
The existence of ASUS's next smartwatch leaked out a few months ago; now there are some more details about what the ZenWatch 2 will actually be. The watch, according to AnandTech, will be a rectangular-faced Android Wear device and come in two sizes: about 50mm and 45mm tall. That's bigger than the Apple Watch, although the actual display is smaller on the ZenWatch. It will … [Read more...]
MC10 is Trying to Raise $40M
The Boston Business Journal reports that wearable tech company MC10 is beating the bushes for a $40M funding round. A Form D the company filed last week with the Securities and Exchange Commission declined to state revenues but confirmed the equity offering. The new round would put total investment in the company at $100M, with an estimated valuation of $300M, the paper … [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...]
Apple Watch a Close Number 2 Behind Fitbit, Says IDC
We've been saying for months that we won't judge the Apple Watch a success or failure until we see hard numbers from a company like IDC. Now, the market intelligence company says Apple shipped 3.4 million units in 2Q15 -- the first quarter of its availability -- compared to Fitbit's 4.4 million. The wearables industry as a whole shipped 18.1 million units, up 223 percent from … [Read more...]