Remember will.i.am's PULS wearable? It debuted to much fanfare in October but, despite tremendous promise, has yet to hit the streets. Today, will.i.am and Gucci announced a development partnership to "create an innovative wearable device concept." The PULS is a lovely and innovative device -- it operates untethered and uses an interesting and internally developed UI -- … [Read more...]
TAG Heuer & Intel Unveil Android Wear Smartwatch at Baselworld [UPDATED]
![TAG Heuer & Intel Unveil Android Wear Smartwatch at Baselworld [UPDATED]](https://wearablesinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2015/03/449c820954ad2bf022f50cd6384ca8989a8d5ce6-150x150.jpg)
The watch industry's big trade fair, Baselworld, started today, and the first smartwatch announcement is a bit of a deflation. TAG Heuer and Intel went public with their much-rumored alliance, but it turns out that the software behind it will be Android Wear. Reuters reports that the hardware will be based on TAG Heuer's popular Carerra design, pictured here. There are many … [Read more...]
Orgasm Tracker for Women
Let's try to be grown-ups here, OK? We all know about fitness trackers, and we've seen articles about various kinds of interactive women's underwear. Now here's a company that's using sensor technology -- admittedly not wearable, but still -- to track female sexual response. SmartBod, the product of a couple of entrepreneurs out of UC Berkeley, is a vibrator that tracks and … [Read more...]
Noted Briefly: Hot Stuff from SXSW, Chinese Tech Shoes, Wearable Design Principles
Three quick items from around the web: Here's a roundup of interesting-ish wearable stuff from SXSW, none of which should be new to you. Reuters reports that an athletic wear company, Li-Ning, is partnering with Chinese giant Xiaomi to produce smart running shows. Li-Ning is apparently in some financial distress. And a Citrix exec lays out seven design principles for … [Read more...]
US Government Sets Wearables Accelerator for Responders
First responders are an obvious, if difficult, market for wearable tech. Technical demands for responders are difficult to fulfill, governments don't have a lot of money, and purchase cycles are long. But where government money does flow, products follow. And government money is starting to flow to wearables. The US Department of Homeland Security has launched EMERGE!, an … [Read more...]
FIFA To Consider Wearables for Soccer (a/k/a Football)
With the European football season beginning to reach its climax (you knew that, right?), we're hearing that FIFA -- the global organization that controls the game -- is starting to embrace wearable technology. A group called the International Football Association Board has approved the idea of using wearables in game situations, as long as the data isn't made available to … [Read more...]
Microsoft Expands Distribution of the Band
Microsoft, which seemed to be using the first round of shipments of its Band wearable as market research, says it's expanding availability of the $200 device. Starting today, you'll be able to get the Microsoft Band at BestBuy, Amazon, and Target -- though the company says it'll be ramping shipments to them over the next few weeks, so don't freak if there's backorders. The … [Read more...]
Who Presented at the SXSW Wearables Accelerator
Much as we like Austin, we don't go down to SXSW because we can't really figure out what makes it worth that time. Nonetheless, there was a wearables accelerator competition there; this roundup may be worth checking out if you want to keep an eye on what's bubbling up. (Keep in mind: some of these businesses are "wearables" only if you have a particularly broad idea of what … [Read more...]
Re/Code Tries on Tech Clothing; Wishes It Were Better
A reporter for Re/code built a feature story out of trying tech workout clothing from Athos, OmSignal, and Sensoria. She basically acknowledged why someone would want it, but eventually came to the conclusion that it's a little early for general adoption. The drawbacks: none of it, she said, works all that well. Looking at a smartphone (which is how all these devices report … [Read more...]
Wired’s Deep Dive on the Disney MagicBands
If all there was to Disney's experiment with wearable tech was a wristband, it might have been just OK. But, as Wired beautifully reported in a post that went live this weekend, the MagicBand isn't just a piece of technology; it's a gateway into rethinking the theme park experience from long before arrival to long after departure. No one at Disney thought, "Hey! Let's build … [Read more...]