Unless you're a devoted reader of the Federal Register, you may have missed the Food & Drug Administration's recent guidance about what the agency really cares about when it comes wearable technology. The guidance, titled “General Wellness: Policy for Low Risk Devices,” is meant not only for the wearables industry, but for FDA staff in the Center for Devices and … [Read more...]
Yes, It’s a $150,000 Wearable. No, We’re Not Sure What It Does
There is, apparently, a $150,000 self-charging tech wristband from the luxury fashion house Christophe & Co. The Armill Apollo is reportedly designed by Pininfarina and customized to each wearer -- we should certainly think so -- and includes such decorative details as precious stones and leather. It doesn't have a screen, and it's not a watch, but does include a button … [Read more...]
Could Lottery-Style Rewards Be The Key to Wearables Success?
We're just catching up with an interesting article about wearables in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Doctors Mitesh S. Patel, David A. Asch, and Kevin G. Volpp, all of the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, suggest that "concepts from behavioral economics" might be key to getting people to continue involvement with their wearable tech for longer than the current … [Read more...]
Whistle Dog Fitness Tracker Buys Canine GPS Company Tagg
When we wrote about the Whistle canine fitness tracker a year ago, we said "what this thing really needs is geofencing and geolocation." We met the folks from Tagg at CES earlier this month, saw their dog GPS collar with its geofencing and geolocation, and thought it might be a nice accompaniment for Whistle. Now comes word that we weren't the only ones who thought so: Whistle … [Read more...]
Adafruit’s Ringly Teardown. Or, What $5.1 Million Buys You
We're suckers for a good teardown, so when the fine folks at Adafruit emerged from the New York snowstorm with a deconstruction of Ringly, we paid attention. Maybe we wouldn't have been so interested if Ringly hadn't closed that big funding round, but it did and we are. And a teardown that requires the use of a hammer, no matter how gently wielded? Sign us … [Read more...]
Apple Watch Gets April Ship Date
In an analysts' conference call after his company's earnings announcement, Apple CEO Tim Cook dropped the news that the Apple Watch will ship in April, which he called "right on schedule." (It wouldn't do for a watch to be late, now would it?) The Watch, of course, was announced September 6 with more fanfare than a U2 tour. Rumor has had it at one point or another that the … [Read more...]
Sketchy Reports of a Foldable Battery from Korean Company Jenax
There's a company in Busan, South Korea, called Jenax; its main business seems to be stainless steel thread used to make firefighters' turn-out gear. At a wearables conference in Japan last week, Jenax showed what media reports say is a foldable Li-Ion battery that can bend 1 million times in its lifecycle. Not all the details as they are being reported add up. Some reports … [Read more...]
Vuzix To Trade on NASDAQ Capital Markets
With its new $30 million funding from Intel, visor maker Vuzix is upgrading its stock. Previously available on the over-the-counter bulletin board system, the company says that starting Wednesday Jan 28, VUZI will be traded on the larger NASDAQ Capital Markets exchange. A press release from the company says the infusion of Intel money allowed the company's balance sheet to … [Read more...]
Fortune Magazine Takes a Tough Look at Jawbone
Fortune Magazine has a well-reported and cold-eyed look at Jawbone, maker of (among other things) the upcoming UP3 fitness band. It describes the company as a 16-year-old startup that skates from one rapidly commoditized success to another -- Bluetooth headsets, wireless speakers, and now fitness bands. The picture it paints is of an innovative company that hasn't quite figured … [Read more...]
Ringly Raises $5.1 Million Series A Led by Andreessen Horowitz
A ring that flashes and vibrates when it gets a notification from your phone. For this, Silicon Valley VCs ponied up $5.1 million. Ringly isn't saying publicly how many units it's shipped, but allows as how they've pretty much sent out all their first round of pre-orders at $145 each. The new pre-orders will go out this Spring for $195. The goods are nice: high quality … [Read more...]