Wearable Computing & Fashion - Page 20

Freescale Semiconductor introduces the smallest ever ARM based microcontroller unit (MCU) for Internet of Things Market and embedding applications: Kinetsis KL03. The MCU is as smaller than a golf ball dimple, which allows many types of applications.

Rajeev Kumar, director of worldwide marketing and business development for Freescale's Microcontrollers business said,"When size is no longer a barrier to incorporating microcontrollers into edge node devices, we can start to redefine what's possible for the Internet of Things. We see the miniaturization of MCUs as a key driver of IoT evolution. With the groundbreaking form factors of the new Kinetis KL03, systems designers for edge node products now have the technology they need to develop entirely new product categories capable, quite literally, of changing the world."

Freescale SemiConductors will start giving samples to its partners in sometime along with FEDM-KL03Z development board with many developer tools. This units would be priced at $0.75 per unit with minimum order of 100,000. The production will start in June. The KL03 is a 32bit controller with ARM Cortex-M0+ measuring 1.6 x 2.0mm. The tiny MCU also uses 32KB flash memory, 2KB RAM, 8K ROM, 12-bit ADC and a high-speed analog comparator.

Last year we heard lots of rumors and saw several leaks surrounding a Google Nexus-branded smartwatch, but nothing ever came to fruition and the Nexus smartwatch never appeared. Today website, Android Police, has posted leaked photos which are said to be of the ill-fated Nexus wearable, but I remain skeptical. If true this had to have been a very early prototype or proof-of-concept type thing and nothing near a finished Nexus product.

The images depict a smartwatch that appears to be very bulky in design with a band that better fits a $10 Timex watch from the 90's rather than a ultra-modern intelligent wearable that one would expect from Google's Nexus division. The band does have one cool feature though in the form of a built-in USB data and charging port. Little clues are available to say for certain that these leaked images are the Nexus GEM though, and even the single image of the device powered on shows little useful information. Even the menu item "3 Bit Mode Apps" is useless as a deep Google search turns up nothing.

We do know that Google and LG are working together to bring a Nexus smartwatch to the market, but this device is most certainly not it. It does somewhat resemble Motorola's ACTV sports watch though, and could be an early prototype of that device, or even a fresh prototype of the smartwatch it has confirmed its working on right now. Whatever the case, lets hope that the end result of both Google and Motorola's upcoming wearables are more refined this this as they have some stiff competition from LG and Samsung to contend with.

MWC 2014 - Sony unveiled two great looking devices today at MWC 2014, the Xperia Z2 smartphone and Xperia Z2 Tablet, but the fitness tracking market just saw an entry from the Japanese giant. Introducing the Sony SmartBand.

Sony's SmartBand is powered by the company's new Core fitness tracker, which will come with a Lifelog app. Sony's new wearable will track your physical activity and movements throughout the day, but the Lifelog app is where things change. Sony's Lifelog app will save the places you visit, songs you've listened to, games you've played, books you've read, and much more.

This is referred to by Sony as the SmartWear Experience, with the SmartBand being the start of this new wearable journey for the company. The SmartBand is waterproof, is capable of measuring your sleep cycle, waking you up at the ideal time each morning, and will notify you of incoming calls, and activity coming in from social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

Mobile World Congress 2014 - Mobile World Congress 2014 kicks off in just a matter of hours, but Samsung has jumped the gun announcing two new smartwatches. The two new smartwatches don't feature the word "Galaxy" in their name, they're just known as Gear 2, and Gear 2 Neo.

Samsung has opted to drop Google's mobile OS Android, in favor of Tizen, something we thought would happen. The new smartwatches don't only feature Samsung's open-source OS, but they will feature revamped hardware, too.

The front-facing camera has been moved from the face of the smartwatch into the strap on the body itself, an IR port is provided so that it turns the Gear 2 smartwatches into a full living room remote. As for hardware, we have a 1.63-inch 320x320 Super AMOLED display, single-core processor at 1GHz, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of on-board flash.

We reported about Google working on its own smartwatch all the way back in August of last year, but it looks like the Mountain View-based search giant is reaching the launching point of its new smartwatch.

TechCrunch is reporting that Google will "officially" begin shipping its smartwatch sometime in the second half of next month, but members from within Google's smartwatch team say that the date will be pushed back until June. Alternatively, Google could launch the smartwatch early, without its full feature set, which would be unfortunate.

According to people familiar with the matter, an early version of Google's smartwatch featured a metal band, square face, colorful digital display with a gradient background where colors gently fade from one to the other. Google will reportedly ship its smartwatch with a plastic band versus a metal band, like the Pebble Steel, but it is just one of the many prototypes the company is working on.

Wearables have tremendous potential for the enterprise and consumer markets, but the industry still has multiple challenges to overcome. Companies are focusing more on the enterprise wearable market at the moment, but technology breakthroughs should trickle into consumer markets as familiarity and stability increase.

(From right to left: Bruce Hawver, SteelSeries CEO; Paul Travers, Vuzix CEO; Fred Ishii, Iron CIty Micro Display founder; Mark Spitzer, Google X Director of Operations; and Jessica Lessin, moderator)

During the recent Kopin Wearable Technology Launch Event in Santa Clara, California, panelists spoke during a round table discussion and shared their views on what needs to change for the future of wearables to accelerate even faster.

With the 2014 Mobile World Congress just around the corner, some of the major players behind the scenes in the mobile device world are beginning to release info on what can be found under the hood of the next-generation devices we will see showcased next week. Broadcom has just unveiled its newest System on Chip (SoC), that is designed for the smartwatch segment of the market.

The new BCM4771 GNSS System on Chip is designed to fix some of the power-hungry issues with GPS on current SoCs on the market. Built on a 40nm process, the chip features a new GPS sensor hub that us designed to not only shrink the component size, but greatly reduce the power draw of the device when used in applications where a small battery may be the only option. This comes in quite handy for devices like smartwatches and smart glasses, where batteries are typically in the 300-500mAh range. Broadcom says the device will launch in late March and will arrive in retail devices by the end of the summer.

Google is trying to stop people from making Glassholes of themselves in public with its wearable Glass device, so the Mountain View-based giant is now offering a list of "Do's" and "Dont's" of wearing Glass.

Google specifically asks Glass users: "Don't be creepy or rude (aka, a 'Glasshole')". Yes - Google even refers to "Glasshole", something I was quite shocked - but amused - to see. In the list of "Do's", Google wants you to take in the world around you, use Glass' voice commands, and Google wants you to "Ask for permission" while using Glass.

How so? Well, Google explains: "Standing alone in the corner of a room staring at people while recording them through Glass is not going to win you any friends (see Don'ts #4). The Glass camera function is no different from a cell phone so behave as you would with your phone and ask permission before taking photos or videos of others".

Back in 2013, we saw wearable tech really take the center stage and bloom into an entire new industry, with smart watches, exercise bands, and even smart glasses launching. 2014 is poised to take wearable technology to the next level, and if a new product being developed in Japan is any indication, wearables are going to get much more personal in the very near future.

Pictured above is the "True Love Tester" bra, a piece of smart lingerie that is designed to thwart off sneaky companions who might try to unhook its clasps covertly while its wearer is distracted. Unfortunately, that task is much harder with a smart-bra than it is with traditional underwear. The True Love Tester bra features sensors that feed back information on its wearers heart rate to a smartphone which analyzes the data and will only release the clasps if the heart rate signature indicate "true love."

The accompanying app is able to discern from other strenuous, heart rate elevating activities such as running, shopping, eating spicy food, or even getting frightened while watching a scary movie. While this all sounds cool, the app does not simply release a locking mechanism on the bra, it apparently flings the cups open with much gusto, which means that technology like this could provide for some interesting scenarios when worn in public with ones significant other near by.

Digital media experts who met in Hollywood late last week talked about the future of the porn industry, where movies and clips could be shot on wearable devices, such as Google Glass.

Thousands of people from multiple industries met at the W Hollywood Hotel for the XBIZ 360 conference, an event focused on the behind the scenes of the adult film industry. Owners from production companies were able to meet from people all across the world, where many of them agreed that the adult film industry has evolved into a corporate culture.

Miles Long, a director and cinematographer, was at XBIZ 360 on a panel to talk about the adult film industry, and whether it should embrace Ultra HD technology. He said: "It was great to have an intellectual conversation about this. I like this more than the tradition-style conventions".

Everyone reading this knows that both the MPAA and Hollywood studios are quite nuts when it comes to piracy, and today we are finding out just how crazy they are. While attending a showing of Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit at an AMC movie theater in Columbus, Ohio, a man wearing Google Glass was removed from the theater and detained by the FBI for allegedly recording the movie.

The pair of Google Glasses were fitted with prescription lenses and the electronic side was completely switched off during the movie, but that did not stop a badge wielding official from removing the pair of glasses from the mans face followed by escorting him out of the theater. Once outside the man was met by several mall cops and the FBI who detained him and his wife in separate rooms and began demanding answers as to why he was recording the movie.

The only problem was that the suspect was doing nothing more than enjoying a movie with his wife, and his Google Glass device was turned off. The man said that the feds asked him questions about everything from how much money he made, to how many computers he owned. The questioning got weirder when they began asking questions about Google it self. They wanted to know what information Google ask for in exchange for Glass, how much the company was paying him, and who his boss is that is making him record movies in theaters. The feds went as far as to tell the man that even though he was detained, the interview was voluntary and that if he refused to cooperate, bad things may happen to him.

Video eye company Vuzix will beef up its M100 smart glasses by including the company's proprietary Nuance Communications voice recognition software. The M100 Google Android-powered wearable display glasses won't need a data connection or software update for the new embedded voice software. Simple voice commands can be used to control and navigate the M100 menu system, opening the door to better user interaction. The software will be available with the Vuzix M100 2.0 OS release set for later this year.

"Vuzix is focused on delivering powerful wearable technologies to the industrial, medical and prosumer markets," said Paul Travers, Vuzix CEO, in a statement. "By integrating Nuance's voice technology into our M100 platform, we've given our customers even greater flexibility in the way they can use our smart glasses to solve issues that challenge their business."

The consumer market is seeing tremendous interest in wearable electronics, such as smart glasses, but it's the enterprise that could lead to wider adoption. Companies now realize the importance of staying on the technology forefront, so don't be surprised to see wearable electronics everywhere.

CES 2014 - Not to be confused with the guy who created Minecraft, but Notch is a new motion tracker that takes motion tracking to an entire new level.

Every single sensor in Notch collects accelerometer data, with 10 sensors pushing back the data to a user's smartphone at all times. The data collected is enough to allow skeletal tracking, as well as a much more detailed analysis on how your body is moving. Walking isn't a problem, but for physical movements like swinging a tennis racket, or a fly-kick, it will offer much more data into how the mechanics of the body are at that particular time.

Stepan Boltalin, CEO and co-founder calls it "symbolic muscle memory", which is a way of quantifying the motion of the body in a way that most professional athletes only know by physical feel. Boltalin explains: "Martial artists want to know the height of the kick, the amplitude, all of that."

After the truly ridiculous train wreck of an ad for the Galaxy Gear, which you can watch below, it looks like Samsung could change its tune and release a fitness tracking band known as the Galaxy Band.

The South Korean-based giant released its Galaxy Gear smartwatch earlier this year to lackluster reviews from critics and consumers, announcing a successor to it very shortly after it hit wrists across the world. It was a preemptive move from the company, something that has hurt its image to consumers in the smartwatch space.

Korean language site Digital News Daily has said that Samsung is going to strike the fitness tracking band market next with the Galaxy Band. Samsung's Galaxy Band would be similar to that of the Jawbone UP and Nike's FuelBand, but would be compatible with its S Health application that is available on the Galaxy S4.

Just before the holidays, Google has pushed out a new upgrade to its Glass platform, the December update, or XE12. The new update is available for Glass Explorers, just in time to take pictures from their point of view, of their Christmas dinners. The best updates seem to be the improved iOS support, Hangouts support, and the winking, which is going to have ladies across the world swooning. The full list of updates is below:

iOS app - as we noted earlier, XE12 brings along better support for iOS. Expect an update in iTunes later in the week.

Google Play Music support has been enhanced, and the new Listen menu will let you browse playlists and open radio stations if your an All Access subscriber.

Rumors about a Smartwatch from Apple have been circling for months now, and today information was released from a Chinese technology site that says we could finally see the iWatch next October when the iPhone 6 releases. At the moment the hold-up is said to be that Apple has yet to decide on what size screen the iWatch should have.

The report also states that the iWatch will feature a 100mAh battery, which is 1/20 the power of a standard rechargeable AA battery. In comparison, Samsung's Galaxy Gear features a 315mAh battery and has been heavily criticized over its short battery life. Today's report seems to somewhat confirm a report last month from Digitimes who said the iWatch would be released in Q4 of 2014.

Nick Starr, a network engineer based in Seattle, was enjoying a nice meal in a 24-hour diner in Seattle's Capital Hill neighborhood, when he was asked to remove his Google Glass headset.

Starr demanded to see a written policy that Glass was banned in the diner, but the server held her ground and demanded he remove it. Starr took to Facebook, saying "I would love an explanation, apology, clarification, and if the staff member was in the wrong and lost the owner money last night and also future income as well, that this income be deducted from her pay or her termination."

Starr had stumbled into Lost Lake Cafe, with the owner of the diner being very anti-Glass. Lost Lake's owner, David Meinert, has been in the news before with his anti-Glass stance, banning the wearable device from another place he owns: Seattle's 5 Point Cafe. Meinert said that he had recently told his staff at Lost Lake to ask anyone wearing Glass to remove it.

Google is sending out more invites, which will see more users walking around with Google Glass Explorer Edition devices, making me more and more jealous as the days go by. Google has invited many more people, with the following message being sent around:

It's still at that $1500 price, but that is not too bad at all for a wearable device - I'd be happy to slap down $1500 if Google would send me an e-mail. I'll just cry here in the corner waiting for the consumer edition.

2013 has undoubtedly been the year for wearable technology as many of the major players in the industry have released smart devices including fitness tracking bands and smartwatches. While many of these products feature a Qualcomm processor or other technology, it appears that the mobile processing giant will be releasing its own smartwatch in just a few weeks.

Dubbed the Toq, the new device from Qualcomm features an ultra-low power Mirasol display that is designed to give the device a exceptionally long battery life despite the fact that its display is always-on. Qualcomm says that the inclusion of this display will enable the device to have "multiple days of battery life" and will be brightly visible in even the brightest of sunlight.

The Qualcomm Toq will connect to smartphones via Bluetooth 4.0 and will display call information as well as text messages and calendar alerts. Additional apps for weather, stock tickers, and music playback will be featured for download as well. Qualcomm will bundle a pair of wireless earphones with the device as well that will showcase the companys WiPower LE wireless charging technology. The watch will also be charged using this technology as well. The Toq will release on December 2nd and will retail for $350.

It's not often that find a watch that I would consider wearing on my wrist every day, but the Oscilloscope Watch project on Kickstarter is something I would wear every day! The Oscilloscope Watch has all the features of a modern watch combined with all the features of the popular Xprotolab (Oscilloscope, Waveform Generator, Logic Analyzer, Protocol Sniffer, Frequency Counter).

The Oscilloscope Watch is powered by an 8-bit XMEGA microcontroller that is programmed in C or Assembly and can be hacked by anyone with basic embedded electronics programming knowledge. The device is said to have a battery life of 12 hours when in Oscilloscope mode, but could last more than 30 days when in watch mode.

The current prototype features a high-contrast OLED screen, but depending on battery life in the production model, this could change to a 1.28-inch e-paper display that features a very high refresh rate. The projects founder, Gabriel Anzziani has set the funding goal to $60,000 and with 11 days left, he needs to raise another $9,000 to meet that goal. I feel that this is an awesome project and a pledge of just $99 will land you an Oscilloscope Watch, so what are you waiting for?