Pokemon Go Plus, the wrist-worn device that notifies Pokemon Go players when they’re around Pokemon or Pokestops, and allows capturing without a visual cue, originally sold out before its official release date. Now Niantic Labs, the developer, has announced the $35 gadget will be back on the market “in most countries” on Sept. 16. Pokemon Go Plus communicates with both Apple … [Read more...]
Samsung’s WELT: A Terrible Thing to Waist
Samsung, while it's not putting out fires, recently announced that the WELT, the company’s e-belt product, has met its Kickstarter goal and is ready to go to market. What, one might reasonably ask, is an e-belt? The WELT is basically a fitness tracker in a (men’s) genuine leather belt, with at least one unique feature. Like wrist-based trackers, WELT tracks data such as … [Read more...]
AmazFit’s New Tracker: Fitness as a Fine Art
AmazFit, manufacturer of the Equator and Moonbeam fitness trackers, is owned by Huami, one of the top wearable companies worldwide, and has sold 24 million fitness trackers in China through the company’s partnership with Xaiomi. Xaiomi’s Mi Band, originally sold only in China, is second only to Fitbit in global market share. The AmazFit Equator marks the company’s expansion … [Read more...]
Dubai Runners Will Move to the Light
Athletes wearing LED-enhanced gear seem to be trending since Team Britain’s shining shoes at the Olympic closing ceremony. Now they are about to light up the wrists of runners in the 5K nighttime. In the Electric Run 2016 in Dubai on Nov. 4, 10,000 race entrants will receive Pixmob Electrobands as part of their registration packets. Electrobands are like technologically … [Read more...]
Epson, DJI Ink Consumer AR Drone Deal
DJI, the maker of consumer drone aircraft, and Epson, which makes the Moverio augmented reality visor, have partnered to give customers a first-person perspective on what their aircraft is doing. The Moverio BT-300 binocular visor -- significantly smaller and lighter than previous models -- was introduced earlier this year at Mobile World Congress and is expected to ship in … [Read more...]
Apple Debuts Waterproof Watch Series 2 with GPS, a Nike Version, and Pokemon App
Apple introduced its follow-up to the original Apple Watch today with the Watch Series 2, which is waterproof, includes a GPS radio, faster processors, and a brighter screen. The new watches are available in aluminum (gold, rose gold, silver or space black) or stainless steel (stainless or space black). Pricing starts at $369. There's a new Watch Edition in white ceramic for … [Read more...]
Next Apple Watch Tipped to Have GPS
It's late summer, so it's time for the latest Apple mobile rumors. MacRumors quotes a research note from KGI Securities as saying an Apple Watch 2 is likely to announced next month along with the iPhone 7. The major features of the watch would be GPS, a faster processor, and a larger battery enabled by a slimmer display -- handy because GPS kills battery life. Earlier rumors … [Read more...]
Got $3,000? You Can Now Buy Microsoft HoloLens
Now that Microsoft has finished seeding initial developers, the company is opening up availability for a first wave of commercial customers. Go to hololens.com and you can pick up as many as five of the AR visors, for a mere $3,000 each. Along with the developer's software, there's a Commercial Suite that adds enterprise features like a kiosk mode, device management, an app … [Read more...]
Philips Debuts Connected Health Platform
Philips, the Dutch electronics powerhouse, is dipping into the connected health business with a line that includes a body monitor scale, blood pressure cuff, in-ear thermometer, and motion-monitor wristband. The company hopes to use its strong brand and FDA approval to help differentiate itself. The company (disclosure: I worked for a small obscure division of Philips … [Read more...]
Fitbit Promises New Trackers This Year, Probably Including NFC
When Fitbit announced its quarterly results yesterday, CEO James Park said that the company would announce "more new products for this holiday season that we've ever had before." Given the company's iffy record of making holiday ship dates, that may translate to "two or three." The top of the company's line are the Charge HR, the Surge, and the Blaze. The Blaze was announced … [Read more...]