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REPUBBLICA - Dec 25 - Despite the delays in the launch and perplexities, the SmartGlass Big G may change many human activities. Robert Hernandez, web pioneer journalist and associate professor at the University of Southern California has launched courses to study new languages of communication with intelligent glasses.
by Pierluigi Grimaldi
See full article at Rebubblica
BBC - Dec 25 - A group of volunteers were encouraged to implant chips to take advantage of advances in mobile devices and improve quality of life, beyond the concerns generated by these technologies. 50 volunteers already been implanted with a small RFID chip under the skin of the hand. The implant works as a simple security program that allows users to unlock house doors and Android phones.
TECH CRUNCH - Dec 25 - The Osterhout Design Group, which made headlines with the sale of roughly $200M worth of patents to Microsoft in September, is still targeting consumer markets. The tech will weigh 4.5oz, and display information at a frame rate of 60 frames per second. The Osterhout wearable will also be fully internet enabled with 4G, Glonav and GPS capabilities.
TECH CRUNCH - Dec 25 - Mobiquity found that while 70% of people use mobile apps on a daily basis to track and monitor calorie intake and physical activities, only 40% share that valuable data with their physician. In addition to improving the user experience, app compliance may require gamification techniques or external influences such as discounts on insurance premiums.
E27 - Dec 24 - The gadget kills the 10-12 second window period to alert people by mobile phone when users are in an emergency situation. The band is due to go on sale in early January for US$69.99, SMS and social network notifications are also available, with the caller ID feature allowing users to see incoming call on smartphone — though calls cannot be handled from the band as such.
UPSTART BUSINESS JOURNAL - Dec 24 - Formerly focused on a sleep-monitoring wearable, 4yr-old Lark has shifted its focus to the mobile health app market, creating something of a meta-app that pulls fitness, sleep and nutrition data from 54 third-party apps and the Apple Health app. It tracks running, walking and biking using the iPhone 5S and 6's low-power sensors.
by Angela Swartz
See full article at Upstart Business Journal
MADAMENOIRE - Dec 24 - Used as a bracelet or necklace, Stiletto is a pendant that can be double clicked when a woman is harmed or feels unsafe. It will notify her emergency contacts along with a text that can include a selfie, other emergency contacts to call, medical conditions and her insurance information. The pendant will also share the woman’s location and call 911 for her.
COMPUTERWORLD - Dec 24 - The collar is placed on a cow and the accelerometer records up and down movement as well as acceleration. The information generated by the sensor in the collar, developed by Silent Herdsman, a U.K.-based startup in Scotland, provides data for analysis. Farming, along with the oil and gas industries, are among the fastest-growing areas for IoT applications that use microelectromechanical system sensors to gather data.
INDIAN EXPRESS - Dec 24 - Chinese startup Xiaomi has big plans for the strategic Indian market in 2015, including bringing in more value-for-money products, boosting after-sales service and investing in local startups. Despite setbacks like the recent IAF privacy scare and Ericsson lawsuit, Xiaomi is betting big on India.
SWZONE - Dec 24 - Thanks to the use of an LCD screen Sharp Memory and Bluetooth 4.0 , with Chronos Eco users can control incoming calls, read text messages or e -mail leaving their phone in their pocket or purse. Lightweight (36g) , small in size (45 x 35 x 11mm) and is water resistant (up to 5ATM) . The integrated battery of 110 mAh lasts about 4 weeks on standby.
TAIPEI TIMES - Dec 25 - The company is planning to launch the second-generation ZenWatch - which has a voice call function and a smart wristband - in Q3 of next year. (NT$5,990)
by Lauly Li
See full article at Taipei Times
WAREABLE - Dec 23 - CB Insights reported in July that the industry gathered 4x the investment in 2013 than it did in 2011, resulting in annual growth of between 82-124% over the past few years.
DECCAN CHRONICLE - Dec 22 - HTC had previously decided against launching the smartwatch citing a crowded market. The other reason was that the smartwatch was not yet finalised for the market and HTC was looking to refine the product further and deliver a more definitive product. A source close to Mobileburn stated that though the smartwatch was ready for launch in September 2014, the company decided to take a few extra months to refine it.
BOSTINNO - Dec 22 - A new survey asked 968 iPhone owners whether they were interested in purchasing an Apple Watch, and a mere 7% said they planned to buy it, Business Insider reported. That figure is down from 8% in September, when Apple first unveiled the product at its annual iPhone event. Apple analyst have speculated that buyers are adhering to a "wait and see" approach to the first Apple wearable.
VENTURE BEAT - Dec 22 - Forrester analysts found that 68% of global companies surveyed said wearables are a "priority" for their companies compared to 45% of adults who expressed . Among those employees ripe for wearables are field workers, technical inspectors, customer service agents.
MOBIHEALTH NEWS - Dec 22 - The company aims to help developers as well as the growing number of fitness wearable makers to find brands. At launch, FitAd's interest isn't in aggregating massive amounts of health data, but sees an opportunity to boost the number of health startups that rely on ads.Convincing app developers that these kinds of ads won't ruin the user experience will be key to FitAd's success, as will its ability to work with brands to craft ads that work while not driving app users away.
FAST COMPANY - Dec 22 - Community tools such as CloudPebble, Watchface Generator and HTTPebble have been essential to Pebble's growth. "We've done everything we could to help [developers] continue hacking and customizing and building and extending the firmware for Pebble," Migicovsky says. "So, we're putting our money where our mouth is and saying, 'It's not just about us. It's not just about what we think Pebble is. It's much more about the community.'"
CNET NEWS - Dec 22 - It's the size of a tiny eraser, alowing those who truly need a hearing aid to never have to be hindered by the idea that someone will see it. With this design, it is so small that, once it's inside the ear, it's not visible.
SCOOP - Dec 22 - Sony Mobile New Zealand announces local pricing and availability for ithe SmartBand Talk (RRP $299.95) and SmartWatch 3 (RRP $399.95). SmartWear Experience is Sony’s vision for smart, wearable technology founded on three principles: lifelogging, flexible style and intelligent notifications, available just in time for Christmas.
TECH IN ASIA - Dec 22 - Stethee lets the user see, hear, and feel a patient’s heartbeat. He or she can see whether the patient’s heartbeat is within the “everything is okay” range if the device lights up green. An orange light indicates that attention is required. The actual heartbeat – or any other body sounds – can be streamed via bluetooth in high quality audio if Stethee is paired with the user’s phone or bluetooth headset. Finally, a vibration mechanism within the device allows the user to feel the heartbeat too.
