Wearable Computing & Fashion News - Page 20

Kinematix has been heavily promoting its TUNE, a wearable designed for runners, able to collect all sorts of information - well beyond pace and speed - including each foot's ground-contact time, heel-contact time, and more.

TUNE includes insoles with electronic sensors, able to to sync with small electronic devices that connect to the outside of the shoe. After each run, athletes are able to take a closer look at their technique throughout the workout - and the TUNE app even shows how to properly do exercises.

The insole is extremely thin and should be able to fit into most shoes, and since the insole isn't in direct contact with a person's foot, there should be no need to try and wash it.

Swatch CEO Nick Hayek said his company will release the Swatch NFC smartwatch this summer, and there are already 20,000 units ready for launch. The connected watch isn't designed to be a smartphone on your wrist, but will be able to support wireless payments and other mobile functions.

"We will launch it in the US, China and Switzerland," Hayek said in a statement to the Wall Street Journal. "We have 20,000 already in stock and we are very optimistic about the watch."

Hayek didn't disclose what impact the Apple Watch has had on the company, but Swatch's effort to join the smartwatch market should be a telling sign. I think it's a good move by Swatch - as the Apple Watch and other smartwatches won't take the high-end market - but will pressure the lower-end Swatch target market.

One thing that unites all wearables would have to be their lackluster battery life, but it looks like researchers over at Microsoft's WearDrive project might have solved this.

The researchers are using a RAM-based system that doesn't rely on a battery, something that would save battery life in wearables. The way this works is by pairing the wearable with a smartphone through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, with the more energy consuming apps processed on the smartphone, instead of on the wearable where it consumes the important battery life.

Microsoft's WearDrive energy saving system was tested on an Android-powered smartphone, with the researchers noting that there was a "negligible" impact on smartphone battery life, while there was a 300% improvement on battery conversation on the werable. The we arable was also 800% faster than normal application runtimes, which is a huge achievement. The WearDrive also deactivates when it's out of range of a paired smartphone.

The new version of Google Glass will be powered by an Intel Atom processor, thanks to the detectives over at 9to5Google. They've reported that the new version of Google Glass will be called 'Enterprise Edition', or just 'EE'.

The updated Glass will feature a bigger prism, which is the little part of the wearable device that you look into, while Intel will provide an Atom processor. The larger prism is very welcomed, as it will help reduce eye strain and allow larger Now cards to be placed in front of your vision, while the Intel Atom processor will provide improved performance and better battery life.

Additionally, heat management has been improved, and thanks to the Intel Atom processor and its increased battery life, you should get through more of the day with the new Glass. Google has also reportedly developed an external battery pack for Glass, which I can't see many people using. Where are you going to install an external battery pack? On your ear? The new Enterprise Edition will also feature 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual-band Wi-Fi.

The Apple Watch brought attention to the smartwatch and wearables market, but it looks like initial demand for the watch is dying down.

If you're thinking about purchasing an Apple Watch, you'll be happy to know there are plenty of them available to choose from. Even though some estimate 13 million to 20 million units have sold, the hyped Apple wearable isn't seen as a necessity.

"The initial demand for the Apple Watch looks lackluster," said Brian Blair, managing director at Rosenblatt Securities, in a statement on CNBC's "Power Lunch." "It's not clear what the killer app is. It's nice to get notifications, but it's a nonessential product."

The wearables market is growing, and while analysts can't agree on what the future holds for the evolving market, Intel isn't going to sit on the sidelines and wait it out. Intel recently announced it purchased Recon Instruments, a company known for creating connected eyewear for athletes.

"Going forward, we'll continue leading the smart eyewear category for sports, and we'll be able to bring our technology and innovation to completely new markets and use cases where activity-specific information, delivered instantly, can change the game," said Dan Eisenhardt, co-founder of Recon, in a blog post.

So far in 2015, Intel introduced the Curie hardware model, a new system-on-chip (SoC) designed for wearable products, while also announcing a partnership with Oakley. The company didn't stop there, as Intel will also work with Google and TAG Heuer in the smartwatch market.

There are plenty of smartwatches, fitness bands and other wearables that we can choose from, though it looks like manufacturers are still fighting to get casual consumers to spend.

There are a few different barriers that must be addressed, such as the following: lack of persuasive uses, no killer apps, limited functionality, and style, according to a recent Business Insider Intelligence consumer survey.

When asked why they don't have interest in a smartwatch, 51 percent of those surveyed said they simply don't see the point of owning one. Perhaps providing a killer app could help woo new users, and that would essentially kill two birds with one stone.

Huawei has been forced to delay the launch its debut smartwatch, caused by an unknown problem in China. The smartwatch, powered by Google Android Wear, will be released in the United States and Europe sometime during Q3 - and suspected issues stem from Google services used in China.

"We're experiencing some problems with Google's Android Wear [the watch's operating system] in China," Yang said, in a statement published by the Wall Street Journal. "It's a new product."

It looks like Huawei will leave the hardware specifications alone for the watch: 1.4-inch AMOLED (400x400) display, 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor, 512MB RAM, and 4GB of storage capacity. The watch is just 11.3mm thick and is powered by a 300 mAh battery.

It looks like Apple is planning some big upgrades to the Apple Watch 2, with 9to5Mac reporting that the next iteration of Apple's wearable to feature some big improvements.

Apple Watch 2 should feature a FaceTime camera, which will allow you to make video calls directly from Watch 2. One thing that keeps the Watch from really excelling is its constant reliance on the iPhone, something that Watch 2 will hopefully solve. Apple is working on something it's supposedly calling internally "tether-less" that would see Watch 2 having more functionality when not connected to your iPhone.

Battery life is also reportedly set to be improved on Watch 2, where Apple should be able to make the wearable faster, better, and either have similar, if not improved battery life when compared to the current Apple Watch. The last rumor is that there will be a few different models between $1000 and $10,000 - with Apple set to possibly introduce Watch 2 variants based on titanium, tungsten, palladium, or platinum. Prepare your credit cards, people.

The Apple Watch has created a new revenue stream for Apple, and there is something else the company is able to sell along with the wearable: extra watch bands. Almost 20 percent of Apple Watch customers are purchasing at least one extra watch band, according to data Reuters has received from Slice Intelligence.

Apple hasn't issued a statement regarding the number of smartwatch units sold, but Slice believes around 2.79 million units have been sold. However, the entry-level sports band costs just $2.05 to make and sells for $49 - so there is plenty of extra room for Apple to cash in.

The Black Sport Band, Milanese Loop and White Sport Band appear to be the top three favorite extra bands that consumers are picking up. The Milanese Loop is $149, so consumers are seeking an added bit of luxury with their Apple Watch.