Wearable Computing & Fashion - Page 19

2014 has definitely been the year of the wearable, and with the sector growing more with every passing day more retailers are finding better ways at capitalizing on this trend. Today Amazon.com announced that it has launched a new online storefront that is dedicated 100-percent to wearable technology.

"Wearable technology is an exciting category with rapid innovation and our customers are increasingly coming to Amazon to shop and learn about these devices," said John Nemeth, Director of Wireless and Mobile Electronics at Amazon. "We're thrilled to bring our customers a store with the largest selection and great prices that helps eliminate the guesswork when deciding which wearable devices best fit their needs-whether that is tracking activity, staying connected through smart watches or capturing their next adventure with wearable cameras."

The new online storefront is designed to not only sell customers on the latest and greatest wearable electronics, but educate them on what is best for them too. "To help customers learn more about wearable technology, the new store features a "Learning Center" which includes product videos and detailed buying guides. These resources provide information about device compatibility, product comparisons and use-case suggestions to help customers find the right device for them. Customers can also take advantage of the "Editor's Corner" to find information about wearable technology industry news, device reviews and more."

Most people who have played Fallout 3 loved the idea of the wearable Pip-Boy 3000 device, well, a five-member group called Team Reno have done just that - created a Pip-Boy 3000 like device.

Team Reno created the device as part of NASA's SpaceApps Challenge, which saw designers creating wearable technology for future space travelers. Team Reno's device was capable of displaying relative humidity, altitude, latitude and longitude, atmospheric pressure, ambient temperature, object temperature, and radiation levels.

The team wrote about their entry, saying: "We wanted to make a piece of popular science fiction into a reality so we chose the Pip-Boy 3000 from the game Fallout 3. The goal was to bring environmental sensors into an easy-to-use cuff device that could help a wearer determine if their environment is safe for navigation or helmet removal".

There are some incredibly exciting devices coming out this year, with the Virtuix Omni VR treadmill being one of them. Virtuix, the company behind the VR treadmill, has just received $3 million in a round of investment.

Virtuix has said that it will use the investment to increase the amount of staff it has, improve the mass production as well as the distribution of the Omni treadmill. The Virtuix Omni begins shipping in a few months to its Kickstarter backers, after which it will go on sale to the general public - and hopefully arrive at my house for a good old thrashing.

Google is pushing out an update to Glass, which will see some improvements, and the removal of the function to video call people. Google removed the video call function from Glass as the feature didn't meet Google's "high standards".

The search giant says that around 10% of Glass users were using the video call function, so in light of this, the Glass team made "the hard decision to remove video calls from Glass until the experience is better". Onto the updates, where Glass will not bundle photos together - this is really important, as your timeline can be completely cluttered with photos.

The latest update to Glass will bundle all of your photos, videos and vignettes into a single bundle for each day. For someone like me who takes lots of photos and videos per day, my timeline is constantly cluttered - news to my wearable ears!

The wearable game just got very hot, with Google announcing it will sell its Glass headset starting April 15, but what about Apple's place in the wearable market? New rumors of its iWatch suggest that we could see two versions of Apple's smartwatch released, including a high-end version that would cost thousands of dollars.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is usually on the ball with most Apple rumors, said in a research note to clients on Thursday morning that Apple was preparing two iWatch models for this year. The first of which would be a smaller 1.3-inch device for people with smaller wrists, and another model that would feature a 1.5-inch screen.

Both models would feature a flexible AMOLED display with sapphire crystal display covers. Kuo said that Apple's iWatch would have a host of sensors that would monitor multiple things like motion, heart rate and more. The analyst noted the iWatch would have deep integration with iPhone and iPad, and would include an NFC chip, wireless charging capabilities, and a "fashionable appearance".

The United States Patent and Trademark office has raised two objections over Google's request to allow the trademark of the word 'Glass'. Google's application to trademark 'Google Glass' was already accepted and registered. But in the case of registering a common word 'glass', the one year old application raised objections by the application examiner.

The first objection was that the word 'glass' is too similar to other trademarks containing the same word, which would create confusion with the consumers. One of the companies with such trademark name 'Write on Glass' has filed a notice of opposition against Google in December.

But the main objection was that the US federal law does not allow the trademark of generic terms.

If you are excited at the thought of getting a new smartwatch onto your wrist and use a Samsung smartphone, you may have an eye on one of the new offerings unveiled this year. The Samsung Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo, and Gear Fit are smartwatches that we have talked about before. One of the most notable things about those devices is that they have stepped away from Android.

All of those devices run the Tizen operating system. All of the watches are compatible only with select Samsung smartphones. This is one of the biggest drawbacks to the Gear line, limited compatibility. If they would work with any device, sales would be better.

All three of the devices are up for pre-order on Amazon right now. The Gear 2 sells for $299.99, the Gear 2 Neo sells for $199.99, and the Gear Fit sells for $199.99. All of them are set to launch on April 11. If you order form Amazon you may get the watch by launch date.

TomTom has launched its latest GPS watch aimed at the athlete and fitness buff. The new watch is called the Runner Cardio GPS watch and it has a built-in heart rate monitor. There are plenty of watches out there that can show you your heart rate, but those have to be paired with a chest strap.

TomTom's watch needs no chest strap for the monitor to work. Runners can look at the watch to be sure that their heart rate is in the ideal zone. Five different intensity zones can be chosen to match training goals with alerts to speed up or slow down given to keep the runner in the zone.

The Runner Cardio watch uses a Mio optical sensor to monitor the pulse rate by shining a light through the skin. The watch is available to order right now for $269. A multi-sport version of the watch is offered for $299.

When Motorola and Google first announced the Moto 360 smartwatch, I was quick to point out that it was the new standard to beat in wearable technology. It appears that most of the tech world agrees with me on this as well, but the one thing I failed to hit on was the availability of high-end watch bands for the device.

Every watch aficionado knows that no matter how beautiful a watch may be, its beauty can be diminished by an unflattering watch band. It appears that Motorola knows this as well, and the company has just released a new video that shows off some of the stylish, and elegant bands that will be available for the new Moto 360. Gone is the bulky rubber watch band that is reminiscent of cheap department store watches, and in come leather and metal bands that are designed to go well with any outfit, setting, or event the wearer may attend.

When Fitbit's recall of its Force fitness tracking bands was taken over by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, things got serious. Over 1 million of the company's "Force" wearable fitness tracking bands were recalled in the US and Canada because they caused a rash after prolonged use to about 1.7-percent of customers. Despite this low number, Fitbit agreed to a voluntary recall, and began collecting the defective units.

It appears that a recall is not enough for one customer though who has now filled a class-action lawsuit against the company over allegations that it did not do enough to inform consumers about the recall. The class-action lawsuit is hoping to force Fitbit to contact every Force owner in California and offer a $130+ refund that would include shipping and tax fees. Fitbit already offers a full refund and a free shipping kit to all those who wish to go that route, so I doubt the lawsuit will have much ground to stand on once court proceedings commence.

"Based on our initial review of the lawsuit, the complaint asks for a recall of Force and a refund to consumers. Fitbit took initiative long before this complaint was filed, publicly offered refunds, and worked closely with the CPSC on its voluntary recall program. We strongly disagree with the statements about the product and the Company," Fitbit said in a statement on the matter.

Just hours after Google announced its new operating system for smartwatches called Android Wear, Motorola had an announcement of its own to make. The Lenovo-owned smartphone giant has just announced that it is the first manufacturer to release a smartwatch design based around Android Wear.

Motorola's new Moto 360 is the first smartwatch to utilize the new Android Wear OS from Google, but that is no surprise as Motorola was owned by Google up until about 2 months ago. The Moto 360 utilizes the new round form factor design which is one of two supported shapes (the other is square) in Android Wear. The smartwatch features OK Google voice control, alerts and notifications, and can display information such as weather, and fitness metrics.

"Moto 360 keeps you on time and up to date without taking you out of the moment or distracting you, telling you what you need to know before you know you need it through subtle alerts and notifications. With just a twist of the wrist you can see who's emailing or calling, what time your next meeting is or a friend's latest social post," said Motorola in a blog post. "Most importantly, Moto 360's iconic design, featuring a round face and premium materials, feels comfortable and familiar on your wrist. It's everything you need, with a look that you want.Moto 360 will be available in a variety of styles globally in Summer 2014, starting in the US."

Reports of an LG-designed Google Nexus smartwatch were not that far off. Today Google announced that it has been working on a new Android-based operating system that has been designed exclusively for smartwatches. The new Android Wear operating system is a forked version of Android that is specifically for smartwatches of all shapes and sizes, and features built-in amenities for fitness, navigation, Google Now, OK Google voice commands, and full integration with Android smartphones.

Google says that it is working with major Android partners like Motorola, LG, ASUS, HTC, and Samsung on different wearable designs. One of the most exciting features is that it appears that round smartwatches are a reality and are coming soon. A few days ago I reported on a smartwatch concept that utilized a round face design that I said was the key to a successful smartwatch industry, and with today's announcement, I actually feel like the smartwatch craze may survive its trend period. Google says that boutique watch brands such as fossil will also offer smartwatches with the new Android Wear OS later this year as well.

Google will release a preview API later this week, and will unveil the full API later this year, most likely at its I/O conference. As of this writing, no 3rd party companies have came forward with information on wearables they might be offering that feature the new Android Wear OS, but we are sure that the rumor mill will be buzzing with leaks, rumors, and info very soon.

When Fitbit first announced the recall of its Force fitness tracker, the company was doing so on a voluntary basis, but the recall became official today now that the US Consumer Product Safety Commission is handling things. Being an officially sanctioned recall means that it is now illegal to sell affected devices from this point forward, making transactions of the devices on Craig's List and Ebay illegal as well.

The recall started when dozens of users began reporting skin irritation after prolonged use. Official word seems to be that some of the chemicals used in the manufacturing of the wrist bands are allergens to many people who are in prolonged contact with the bands. About 1 million of the devices have been recalled in the US with another 28,000 being recalled in Canada. Fitbit has released an official statement on the recall which we have posted below.

The Jawbone UP24 launched way back in November, and ever since then only iOS users got to partake in the the fitness trackers full mobile experience. Today Jawbone announced that it has officially updated its UP app for Android and now allows Bluetooth syncing with Android phones. Previously the app was only compatible with the UP fitness tracker which has less features than the popular UP 24.

"We believe that helping people understand the context and meaning of their data is key in helping to make sustained behavior changes," said Travis Bogard, Jawbone's vice president of product management and strategy. "Through our investment in data science we have been able to provide personalized insights to help nudge people to meet their sleep or activity goals. Now, our entire community can enjoy the benefits of these insights in real-time."

The update also adds other features to the Android app such as better alerts, push notifications, and milestone tracking. I wrote off fitness trackers for a long time, but with a recent purchase of another fitness tracker that is on the market, I am almost completely sold on he concept and look forward to recording and tracking data every time I head out for a workout, hike, or bike ride.

In the normal civilian world people worry about things like being a glasshole while wearing their Google Glass headset. On the battlefield all most soldiers care about is getting their job done and keeping themselves and their friends safe. BAE Systems has a headset that is sort of like Google Glass that could help soldiers stay safe on the battlefield.

The system is called Q-Warrior and it fits on a helmet that helps protect the soldier. The eyepiece can give the wearer a 3D view of things that are going on outside their field of view. The idea is that the soldier could get video from a drone feed or other types of data showing what the baddies are doing as an operation unfolds.

The coolest part about the Q-Warrior headset is that the system is capable of being used as promised right now. It's not something that is a decade away from feasibility. One of the things holding deployment now is work to secure the wireless video feeds that make the headset useful. It wouldn't do to field something like this if the drone feeds could be hacked or blocked.

It was confirmed by Sundar Pichar, the SVP of Android, Chrome and Apps for Google that the company will be releasing a software development kit specifically to be used with wearable devices within the next two weeks. The company requires a common set of protocols to make it easier for sensors to connect with the Android OS.

By doing so, it will enable developers to create multiple types of wearable devices. The SDK should enable the developers to make wearable devices even for games and fitness trackers.

It was rumoured that LG collaborated with Google on its new Smart watch, but Pichai didn't confirm it. It is speculated that this smart watch will have an always-on access to Google and allows the users to use vocal commands at anytime. LG's smartphone is expected to be announced at the Google I/O developer event in June.

It's no secret that I am not a big fan of smartwatches, and that I often refer to them as nothing more than a passing fad. One concept artist has all but changed my mind though. The the concept smartwatch he recently designed is both beautiful and brilliant in both form and function.

Gabor Balogh posted his design up on Adobe's Behance social network for designers, and it caught the eye of the entire tech world. The design is based off of the Havanna Timepiece from Triwa, and replaces its face-plate with a concept circular display. While new concept smartwatch designs pop up every day, Balogh's ditches the common square and bulky wrist-piece for a sleek and classical, low-profile design with a modern UI that I would be proud to wear every day.

"I like products with discreet technology," Balogh explained in an interview with The Verge. "When they serve me, my real needs, and make my life easier rather than simply changing my days." He calls out the Nest thermostat and Apple's Airport Express as prime examples of technology being applied discretely without obscuring functionality. They're just ticking away in the background, making your life easier."

The way it works with most wearable devices today is that you simply buy one of a few available models and go on about your day. If down the road you decide you need more features, you need to buy a new smartwatch. A group from the UK is working on a slick modular smartwatch that was inspired by Google's Project Ara.

I think this is a very cool idea. The way the product works is that the user can choose from a number of blocks that contain sensors inside. These blocks let you start with a basic configuration and then add new sensors as your needs change.

The sensors appear to be part of the links in the bracelet of the watch. They connect simply using something akin to headphone ports you would see on your PC or smartphone. This would allow you to customize the smartwatch to whatever you will be doing that day.

A woman in San Francisco made a complaint that she was assaulted by some Google Glass haters at Molotov bar. The situation escalated to a point where she was verbally and physically assaulted, then robbed.

Sarah Slocum was flaunting her Google Glass to her friends while she was around the bar, when a few people didn't like seeing the wearable tech in their face. Slocum, who is a tech blogger said, "OMG so you'll never believe this but... I got verbally and physically assaulted and robbed last night in the city, had things thrown at me because some *** Google Glass haters."

It was assumed that they hated the device as it was a privacy hazard. "I think everybody was just upset that she would be recording outside of a bar this late with obvious embarrassing behavior going on," said Brian Lester who was one of the patrons of at the bar who told the local CBS News. "And just rather insulted that someone thinks it's okay to record them the entire time they're in public."

Researchers in Japan have made an 'Earclip-type Wearable PC' which can be controlled by blinking or the 'click' of a tongue. Currently the prototype is being tested.

The wireless device weighs 17 grams and is equipped with Bluetooth, GPS, Compass, Gyro-sensor, barometer, speaker and a microphone. What's being said by many commentators is that this device could be the 'next big thing' in wearable technology. The device uses a microchip and has data storage. The design of the Earclip PC was inspired from a traditional 'ikebana' flower setup. Kazuhiro Taniguchi of Hiroshima City University said,"We have made this with the basic idea that people will wear it in the same way they wear earrings."

This works by using tiny movements in a person's ear, which can differentiated by the way a user moves his/her eyes and mouth. The developers are hoping that they will have an end product by Christmas 2015, and have the ability to wireless connect with an iPod or any other gadget which would allow the user to navigate through software programs using facial expressions such as sticking your tongue out or clenching your teeth.