Wearable.ai

Smart Jewelry Aim To Make Women Safer On The Streets

MEDCITY NEWS - Feb 16 - Sense6, a new SF startup, is unveiling jewelry pieces that sync to a user’s cellphone to alert authorities when the wearer encounters danger. The device, which syncs via Bluetooth, sends geolocation alerts to the phones of family members and loved ones at the touch of a button. It also contains voice recorders that activate automatically and send the data in real time to the cloud. Sense6 isn’t the only startup jumping in. FirstSign is in the advanced stages of unveiling a hairpin, that contains Bluetooth audio, video, and geolocation apps that sync to the smartphone. FirstSign’s smartpin also alerts authorities when the wearer encounters trouble. Teh company is looking to raise $2M.

by Jeff Axup
See full article at Medcity News

Wearables Will Move Away From The Wrist

TRUSTED REVIEWS - Feb 17 - Manufacturer MisFit has claimed that as the industry progresses, wearables will move away from the wrist. MisFit co-founder Sonny Vu has suggested hip and chest as possible future locations. Google Glass need to be more design focussed than feature focussed. “When I see a picture of a woman’s hand wearing the Samsung watch, I think it just looks ridiculous."

by Luke Johnson
See full article at Trusted Reviews

Smart Diet Scale Calculates Calories

TECH.CO - Feb 15 - Portion control can be frustrating but is the key to weight loss. Many people don’t know what two thousand calories look like. The Smart Diet Scale helps them stay on track. The scale weighs the meal, calculates its entire nutritional content, and automatically syncs with wearables and nutrition-tracking apps.

See full article at Tech.co

M2M To Fly With 27 Million Connections By 2018

CIO.COM - Feb 17 - 27M machine-to-machine (M2M) devices will be connected to mobile networks across Australia by 2018, driven largely by wearable computers, intelligent transportation systems, and smart city apps, according to Cisco’s Visual Networking Index Mobile Data Forecast. Costs are coming down and standards are now in place.

by Byron Connolly
See full article at CIO.com

Android Smartwatches Leading The Market, Apple Is Coming Soon

INFORMATION WEEK - Feb 17 - Smartwatches based on Google Android comprised 61% of devices in this category last year. Smartwatch shipments reached 1.9M units. Android was responsible for 1.2M smartwatches. The Samsung Galaxy Gear accounted for the bulk of Android's smartwatch shipments. The Gear is generally regarded as a flop. It is expensive, bulky, and compatible only with select Samsung smartphones. The biggest threat comes from Apple and Microsoft. Apple is widely expected to bring a smartwatch to the market before the end of the year.

by Eric Zeman
See full article at InformationWeek

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Fitness Band Maker Basis Is For Sale

TECHHIVE - Feb 17 - Basis is in acquisition talks with “everyone,” and if it can’t find a buyer, it will have to resort to another round of funding to support R&D. According to reports, Basis has spoken with Google and Apple, and “possibly” even Samsung and Microsoft. Basis is unique for recording more than just steps and sleep data. It uses sensors that measure heart rate, skin temperature and perspiration to more accurately calculate calorie burn and sleep patterns.

by John Phillips
See full article at TechHive

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Jawbone Is The Startup Apple Should Fear Most

WIRED - Feb 16 - Jawbone is reportedly about to close $250M investment. This funding would set the company up for a high profile IPO. The market for personal electronics is quickly moving beyond the world of smartphones and tablets to wearables, home automation, and robotics. Hardware is becoming less about screens and more about objects people interact with directly in the physical world. This is Jawbone’s expertise, which puts it squarely in Apple’s rear view. Jawbone’s devices are a lot like Apple’s. The company admires minimalism. Apple’s stock price has fallen in recent months amid concerns that the company isn’t moving fast enough into entirely new areas beyond phones and tablets.

by Marcus Wolhsen
See full article at Wired

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Mighty Cast Developed Fashionable Smart Band

POCKET-LINT - Feb 16 - Mighty Cast has just introduced a new band called the Nex Band. It's a modular bracelet with smart features. It looks like any other wrist gadget but without a display. It features five indents, where you snap in these little pieces called mods. Four mods are just for looks, while the last one has built-in sensors and multicolor LED lights. Each mod will cost $9.99, while the Nex Band costs $49.99. That price is expected to double when it hits retail shelves.

by Elysse Betters
See full article at Pocket-Lint

50% Of Users Lose Interest In Wearables

TECH REPUBLIC - Feb 13 - Tech wearables, particularly those for health and fitness, fail to keep the interest of users for more than a few months. A survey by Endeavour Partners revealed that one in ten consumers age 18+ owns Jawbone, Fitbit, Nike+ Fuelband or Misfit Wearables. Yet, more than half of the survey’s respondents said that they no longer use their activity tracker, and a third of those stopped using the device within six months of receiving it.

The flaws are:

• They are easy to lose
• They break
• They’re not waterproof
• They’re a pain to sync with your smartphone
• The battery doesn’t last long enough
• They’re ugly
• They’re uncomfortable to wear
• They provide no material benefit

by Teena Hammond
See full article at Tech Republic

Apple iWatch To Focus On Health And Wellness

IBTIMES.CO.UK - Feb 14 - Apple's recent hiring patterns indicate that its iWatch will have a strong focus on health. Apple has hired a slew of sensor experts such as:

• Marcelo Lamego, former CTO of non-invasive patient monitoring company Cercacor
• Nima Ferdosi and VP of R&D Ravi Narasimhan from Vital Connect
• Dr. Roy J.E.M. Raymann, a scientist who has contributed a great deal of literature and research to the field of sleep studies.
• Nancy Dougherty, whose research was based around the development of a patch which allows the wearer to read their blood glucose levels without the need for a blood sample.

by Akash KJ
See full article at IBTimes.co.uk

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Cisco Offers $100M For Internet Of Things Startups

SILLICON VALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL - Feb 13 - Cisco Systems hopes the Internet of Things will help stop its continuing revenue decline and announced a new $100M fund to invest in startups working on that technology. Cisco projects that it expects its service revenue to grow from 20% of sales to 30% in the future as cars, appliances and devices communicate more and more through the cloud. Internet of Things could generate $4.6 trillion in value for public sector organizations over the next decade, Cisco projects.

by Cromwell Schubarth
See full article at Sillicon Valley Business Journal

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Lemoptix Raising New Funds For Its Micro-Projection Tech

TECH CRUNCH - Feb 13 - Switzerland-based Lemoptix has raised an undisclosed new round of funding from existing investors and new strategic investor, Swisscom Ventures. Lemoptix produces MEMS-based micro-projection technology to enable tiny, low powered projection displays to be embedded in mobile phones, HUDs and other wearables so that content can be displayed on a nearby surface, bypassing the typical limitations of physical displays.

by Steve O'Hear
See full article at Tech Crunch

LG Plans Increase In Flexible OLED’s

ANDROID HEADLINES - Feb 12 - LG Display is thinking about increasing production on the panels this year. The company is getting many requests for plastic OLED from their smartphone clients, and there’s a significant amount of interest in wearable devices. LG wants to be ready to compete.

by Eric Abent
See full article at Android Headlines

Flyfit Is A Fitness Tracker Users Strap To Their Ankle

TECH CRUNCH - Feb 13 - Most wearable tech products currently focus on fitness, and the most popular cardio exercises–biking, running, swimming–are powered by the lower body. Husband-and-wife team Jimmy Leu and Beatrice Chu created Flyfit, a fitness monitor that is worn on the ankle, after Chu, an avid cyclist, got annoyed that other fitness trackers weren’t accurately recording her workouts. Flyfit wants to raise $90K by March.

by Catherine Shu
See full article at Tech Crunch

Jawbone Looks To Secure $250M

TECH CRUNCH - Feb 13 - Jawbone, the maker of the Up wristband, a fitness tracker that pairs to a user’s smartphone, is looking to secure $250M at a $3.3B valuation from Rizvi Traverse Management. General partner Suhail Rizvi may join the Jawbone board as a part of the deal. Jawbone’s board members include Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, Ben Horowitz, and superstar designer Yves Behar. Thus far, Jawbone has raised ~$275M.

by Jordan Crook
See full article at Tech Crunch

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Google Glass Enthusiast: It's Not Worth The Headaches

CNET NEWS - Feb 13 - Chris Barrett, who once prided himself on being a Google Glass Explorer, now worries that it has affected his health. Barrett became convinced that prolonged Glass-wearing was causing him headaches. He found some other Explorers on Twitter who admit to discomfort. Google is confident Glass doesn't carry with it potential health hazards.

by Chris Matysczyk
See full article at CNet News

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The Dash Builds Wearable Fitness Sensors Into The Headphones

TECH CRUNCH - Feb 13 - The Dash is a pair of Bluetooth in-ear headphones that also offer up performance tracking via in-built health and body sensors. The Dash gets rid of wires entirely, offering instead a pair of completely discrete earbuds that can work with a connected smartphone, or completely on their own via an internal 4GB of storage for loading up songs directly. It has an ear bone mic that eliminates background interference. The Dash has raised ~$250K.

by Darrell Etherington
See full article at Tech Crunch

New Smart Glasses Help Doctors See Cancer Cells

SLASHGEAR - Feb 12 - A group of researchers from Washington University have announced the development of smart glasses that let doctors to see cancerous cells. Doctors could get all of the cancerous tissue out of the body at one time because the cancer cells glow blue with the glasses. The glasses were used for the first time during a surgery this week.

by Shane McGlaun
See full article at SlashGear

Android Could Be OS For Internet Of Things

USA TODAY - Feb 12 - Google's Android is in the early stages of becoming an operating system for many more things than just smart phones and tablets. Many more elements of the home will be connected in the future, which will enable remote management and smarter answers. Google recently acquired smart thermostat designer Nest Labs for $3.2B, giving Google an early foothold in the emerging connected home market.

by Alistair Barr
See full article at USA Today

FitBark Is A Fitbit For Dogs

TECHNABOB - Feb 12 - FitBark is a bone-shaped activity tracker. It is attached to collars and keeps track of your dog’s activity and energy levels throughout the day. The units are now available for pre-order for $69.

by Hazel Chua
See full article at TechNabob