Wearable Computing & Fashion News - Page 19

Samsung has a new "bio-processor" that's able to track up to five different biometrics at any one time to help keep tighter tabs on your state of health.

The little processor that they've developed is designed to be able to give more metrics and more data to the user. It'll support biometric impedance analysis, ECG readings, skin temperature, galvanic response and a whole lot of other metrics so that you can actually have real measurements of important health data. This should be far more efficient and accurate than any previous non-specific processors for the job. Theoretically at least.

Could you imagine being able to predict a heart attack before it gets to a critical point, letting you get to a doctor well before any permanent damage. That would be a very useful feature. Samsung envisions being able to put this type of technology in their future wearables like the Gear Watch S2.

I was a big fan of the original Google Glass, but the new Enterprise Edition version of the headset is looking much more appealing - with a new image shown off thanks to a filing with the FCC.

The work-focused eyepiece looks muhc better, with an improved design - including a larger prism to look through, and a nifty hinge that can be folded up. It looks like there's a spot for a magnetic battery attachment, and inside we should see an Atom processor from Intel.

We don't know when Google will unveil the new Glass headset, but 9to5Google reports that the Mountain View-based search giant will only distribute its new Glass headset to Glass for Work companies, which sucks - because I wanted one.

If you're interested in a brand new Omate Smartwatch design, you're too late - for the early bird entries at least. Raising over $100,000 in the first day of trading and currently sitting at $231,618 raised in total on IndieGoGo, Omate's new water resistant and carbon fiber bezel watch was blitzed by the public in no time at all.

Toting Android 5.1 and quoted as "the world's first standalone water resistant smartwatch," this product has already become 766% funded, reaching its original goal on December 9, 2015. There are still Omate Rise Standard Edition packs available for those looking to buy at $299 plus shipping, with the $209 and $199 early bird and early bird developer packs already clearing 500 units each.

This is yet another successful smartwatch crowdfunding campaign by this company and it's likely not the last. Here at TweakTown we will be receiving the TrueSmart+ when it hits the public around CES 2016, stay tuned for our thoughts.

Two-factor authentication is the security term on everyone's lips these days, with major global players all moving to this more secure method of self-identification, ranging from manufacturers to retailers and Government agencies alike.

In the latest news, Google has published its offline-enabled authentication app, suitable for smartwatches. Available to download for free off Google Play, this app is thankfully available without being always-online, allowing users to identify themselves efficiently and easily through a wrist-worn device.

There is also word on NFC authentication with this update, meaning that we could see authentication tags and wristbands in the future, meaning users are able to simply tap a product to their phone, computer, tablet or even television to confirm it is actually them.

Everyone who's ever played Fallout has always wanted their very own Pip-Boy, as evidenced by the Fallout 4 Pip-Boy special editions selling out in mere minutes. Now you can make that desire a reality with the Rufus Cuff, a stylized and futuristic-looking device that essentially straps a smartphone to your wrist.

Marketed as "more than just a smartwatch", the Rufus Cuff offers functionalities befit of a fully-fledged Pip-Boy-like "wrist communicator". It sports a 3.2-inch touchscreen and can run Google Play apps, send and receive voice and video calls, play music, and has a full suite of fitness hardware like an accelerometer and gyroscope. Essentially the wearable is a union between smartwatches and smartphones.

"The Rufus Cuff is an advanced wearable device with a revolutionary new take on wrist real estate. With a beautiful 3.2-inch widescreen, radical design, and reimagined form factor, the Rufus Cuff ends the era of the watch and ushers in the Wrist Communicator."

As wearable tech continues to expand into our everyday lives, OEMs are charged with finding innovative new ways to optimize and streamline wearables--especially in the battery life department. With this spirit in mind, Samsung has just revolutionized the world of wearables with its new line flexible strip batteries.

Samsung unveiled its new bendable battery duo, the Stripe and the Band, at this year's InterBattery 2015 showcase in Seoul, displaying a new generation of power solutions for two key wearable types. The South Korean tech giant called the new tech the "embodiment of the age of wearable batteries that is applicable to any curves of a human body."

Since the Stripe sports an ultra-slim 0.3mm battery strip with "innovative energy density", it could pave the way for nonexisting wearables like smart shirts, necklaces or hairbands. Thanks to its shape and size, the Stripe is extremely versatile and can mold and fit a huge assortment of form factors.

We already know that the Oculus Rift requires a GeForce GTX 970 or AMD R290 graphics solution to simulate VR, but it looks like GTX 970 owners will be able to run every single bit of software that Oculus will offer in the official Rift storefront.

In a recent Reddit thread, a curious gamer posed a specific question about future-proofing his rig for further generations of Oculus Rifts. Is it better to buy a GTX 970 to support the first generation, or should you pick up a GTX 980Ti so your setup is ready for Oculus Rift gen 2?

According to a verified Oculus VR employee, the GTX 970 will be enough to support the Oculus Rift for quite some time: "A consumer owning a 970 will be able to play everything on our store," said Oculus expert Philanthropi.

LG Electronics has partnered with REEDS Jewelers to create an expensive luxury watch that isn't like most other smartwatches currently available.

The watch features a 1.3" full circle P-OLED display, runs Google Android Wear, and features a 410mAh battery. Owners can receive smart notifications, alerts, navigational prompts, fitness integration, and use the "OK Google" feature. The watch itself has a handmade alligator strap and features 23-karat gold.

If you have deep pockets, you can visit the REEDS' website and pre-order a unit for $1,195. The limited edition watch will have an initial run of just 500 units - with each model receiving its own serial number to authenticate it.

Gaming peripheral company Razer has unveiled a redesigned version of the Nubu wearable during the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) convention in Seattle. The new device is able to monitor steps taken, distance, calories burned, activity minutes, and sleep duration each evening.

The wearable has an OLED 128x16 single color display, and features a 3-axis accelerometer and cylindrical vibration motor.

Pre-orders begin on September, and the updated Razer Nabu will begin shipping in October 2015. It has a $99.99 MSRP.

Apple has made its first appearance in the wearables market, and is already within striking distance of No. 1 company Fitbit, according to IDC. Apple shipped 3.6 million units during the second quarter of 2015, trailing Fitbit by just 0.8 million units - with the wearables market getting a whopping 223 percent year-over-year growth, increasing from 5.6 million units up to 18.1 million units.

Fitbit leads with 24.3 percent market share, with Apple (19.9 percent), Xiaomi (17.1 percent), Garmin (3.9 percent), and Samsung (3.3 percent) in the top five. It looks like Fitbit needs a drastic boost to keep its overall market lead, as Apple clearly took wearables by storm.

"Anytime Apple enters a new market, not only does it draw attention to itself, but to the market as a whole," said Ramon Llamas, research manager for wearables at IDC. "Its participation benefits multiple players and platforms within the wearables ecosystem, and ultimately drives total volumes higher.