The drip of information about the Google Glass Enterprise Edition appears to have started. 9to5Google is citing "several sources familiar with advanced prototypes" as saying that the business-oriented version will have a larger display prism that's easier to see than the initial Explorer edition. Also, the site reports that Enterprise Glass will be powered by an Intel Atom … [Read more...]
Is the Apple Watch Really Failing?
In the slow days of summer, it seems like journalists sometimes distract themselves from watching cat videos by writing apocalyptic stories about how everything on their beat is going to hell. Lately, there's been a spate of clickbait headlines (including this one) about the Apple Watch and how it's failing in the market -- more or less on schedule of reporters' typical … [Read more...]
History of Wearables On Display at Museum
For most of us, "history" as it relates to wearable technology goes back about three years. But in fact, wearable tech has been around for decades, and curators at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA, have put together a nifty exhibit to connect the past of the future. The exhibit is drawn from the collection of Thad Starner, a professor at Georgia Tech who was … [Read more...]
Google Glass’s Enterprise Edition Makes Perfect Sense
There was a bunch of buzz over the US holiday weekend that Google has filed with the FCC information about an enterprise version of Google Glass, possibly called the GG1. It makes perfect sense. Most of the activity in smart headwear over the last few quarters has been in the enterprise space, not the consumer market. Google and Intel both have development deals with optics … [Read more...]
Casio Smart Watch Coming in March at $400: WSJ
Get ready for another big-name entrant in the smart watch business. Japanese electronics maker Casio is prepping a $400 device for next spring. Casio president Kazuhiro Kashio sat down with the Wall Street Journal to talk about his company's extensive history with electronic watch features and what it's planning for the future. He didn't reveal much in the way of specifics, … [Read more...]
Fitbit Helps Debunk Rape Charge
Here's an odd one: a woman who claims she'd been raped had her story debunked by her fitness tracker. Lancaster Online reports that Jeannine Risley, of St. Petersburg, Florida told police that she was asleep when she was awakened at midnight March 10 by an intruder who had broken into the house she was staying in and was assaulting her. She said she had lost her Fitbit … [Read more...]
Is Fitbit Really Outselling Apple?
Slice Intelligence, which measures tech sales by monitoring e-mails to a recruited user panel, tells Bloomberg that Fitbit's sales are outpacing those of the Apple Watch -- once you discount Apple's initial sales surge. The figures they present do appear to be compelling, but there may be less there than meets the eye. Fitbit apparently had a holiday surge, as did pretty … [Read more...]
Hands-on with Eargo, a New Approach to Hearing Aids
Hearing aids often meet with resistance from the very people who could use them most—either because they're not comfortable, they're too obvious, or they're too expensive. Startup Eargo` aims to transform the market by solving all three of these common issues. At first glance, you wouldn't even think Eargo is a hearing aid. The design, says co-founder Raphael Michel, … [Read more...]
Smart Fabric Maker Clothing+ Acquired By NYSE-Listed Jabil Circuit
The Finnish smart fabric company Clothing+ was bought earlier this month by Florida-based Jabil Circuit, an NYSE-traded company (NYSE: JBL) that does electronics prototyping and manufacturing. Clothing+, which made the sensor fabric in the Victoria's Secret smart bra, has been in business for 17 years, integrating electronics into textiles. Its first heart monitor shirt was … [Read more...]
Google X Shows Health Tracking Wristband
Google is apparently working on a health-related wristband, but don't expect to be able to buy it anytime soon -- or ever. Bloomberg is carrying a story about a wristband from Google X -- the research division of Google -- that will be able to measure pulse rate, heart rhythm, skin temperature, and local environment. It won't be sold to people, but rather distributed to … [Read more...]