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Gift Guide

2016 Gift Guide Wearables
Gift Guide, Sports, Watches, Wearable Technology

Holiday Gift Guide – Wearables

2016 Gift Guide Wearables

Wearables seem to be going through a sophomore slump right now. They are at that awkward stage of the market where they are starting to find an audience, but that audience is beginning to gather underneath a few tentpoles. As a result, the periphery marketplace is collapsing. The bowing out of 4 major wearable makers (with others likely on the way) should not be read as a failure of the segment though. The tentpole companies are putting out really exciting products that people are clamoring for. The list below is sure to please anyone!  

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2016 2017 Gift Guide Best Fashion Tech
Fashion, Gift Guide, Shoes

Holiday Gift Guide – Fashion Tech

2016 2017 Gift Guide Best Fashion Tech

Like flying cars and space hotels, we haven’t quite reached the “not so distant” future promised by fashion tech. LED laden dresses are far from the norm and we don’t yet have self fitting clothes. But that doesn’t mean fashion tech isn’t producing some incredible new ideas that have the potential to shift their industry. Even better, you can own some of these spectacular products today! Check out our list of the most exciting new fashion tech products that you can actually buy!  

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2015 Gift Guide Best Wearables For Kids
Gift Guide

2015 Gift Guide: Wearables For Kids

2015 Gift Guide Best Wearables For Kids

Wearable tech is not incredibly kid friendly. The devices tend to be expensive, not very durable, and, frankly, not appropriate for most 8 year olds. As much as they might want an Apple Watch or Fossil Q Founder, these are way overkill for their needs – and let’s not forget the untimely end a quick jump in a pool could cause the device. But wearables are new and exciting, so it is not surprising that a kid you know might want one. The good news is that there are wearables on the market designed especially for children. Whether you are looking to get them a wearable that can communicate with friends, one to make sure they stay active throughout the day, or simply something to trigger an interest in STEM, there are a variety of devices for you to gift the kid in your life!  

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2015 Gift Guide Best Fashion Tech
Gift Guide

2015 Gift Guide: Fashion Tech

2015 Gift Guide Best Fashion Tech

Fashion tech promises to seamlessly integrate technology into clothing. It has the potential to allow garments to respond to the surrounding environment, to better express one’s style, and to be simpler and more ecological to manufacture; fashion technology feels like the exciting next frontier of clothing. But it is an uphill battle, both from a technology and perception standpoint. After years of hiding our phones away in our pockets, smartwatches are slowing introducing the public to the idea of wearing a piece of technology. The idea is still fairly foreign though and it is an uphill battle to overcome the ‘nerdy’ image people associate with any kind of wearable technology. Additionally, batteries and electronics need to reach milestones of miniaturization, durability, and longevity for the true potential of fashion and technology to be realized. That said, we have seen a lot of exciting ideas in fashion tech this year. Whether it is Rebecca Street’s LED dress or Chromat’s breathing sports bra, most of the current fashion tech concepts are still relegated to the runway…but not all of them. In this gift guide we take a look at some of our favorite fashion tech that you can own!  

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2015 Gift Guide Fitness Wearables Sports Best featured
Gift Guide

2015 Gift Guide: Fitness Wearables

2015 Gift Guide Fitness Wearables Sports Best

While activity trackers are great to make sure you removing around enough, they don’t do a very good job when it comes to sports. Over the past few years we have seen a sharp jump in devices specifically made for athletic endeavors. These devices are incredible because of the depth of metrics they provide. Users are able to gain an understanding of what they are doing right and what could be improved. But most of these devices are less a wearable and more of an accessory – the Zepp sensor attaches to your baseball bat, the Qlipp sensor attaches to your tennis racket, the Arccos system attaches to your golf clubs, and the Adidas Micoach Smart Ball is a sensor laden soccer ball. This year though, we finally started seeing wearable devices cover new ground in fitness and sports. Below we take a look at a few of our favorite fitness wearables from the past year.  

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2015 Gift Guide Activity Trackers Featured
Gift Guide

2015 Gift Guide: Activity Trackers

2015 Gift Guide Activity Trackers

Activity trackers are easily the most popular and most mature category of wearable technology. People love to quantify their daily movement. Fitbit, for example, is the number one wearable device maker, selling 11 million devices in 2014; They went public this summer and have a market cap of over $6 billion. Fitbit’s numbers don’t mean it’s the best fitness tracker though. 2015 saw a lot of new players entering the market while a lot of existing players pushed expectations of what your dollar could get you. As these trackers begin to include more and more connected functionality, such as notifications and payment abilities, at lower and lower prices, the segment is likely only to grow.

Whether you or a loved one are looking for a wearable to help you monitor your general fitness or need a connected device but aren’t ready for a smartwatch, we have assembled a list of the fitness wearables that most deserve your attention!  

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2015 Gift Guide Smartwatch best featured
Gift Guide

2015 Gift Guide: Smartwatches

2015 Gift Guide Smartwatch_v2

Last year we really witnessed the launch of the smartwatch. This year the market became much more mature, crowded, and competitive. We saw everyone from the Chinese to the Swiss, from traditional watchmakers to startup companies, releasing devices. We are also closing out the year with smartwatches having a higher average price than at the beginning of 2015. Existing players increased their prices and new entries averaged around $350 – there are even some device priced well over a $1,000 and you can buy a gold Apple Watch for $17,000! Smartwatches are probably still not mature enough for everyone, but they might provide a set of compelling features that you (or a loved one) have been longing for.

Around Circuits And Cable Knit, we love them for looking at our calendar or the temperature outside with a glance. Also the ability to quickly and easily read and reply to text messages without digging out our phones is amazing. But perhaps the most amazing thing about smartwatches is how everyone uses the device in a different way. Almost daily I use my watch to easily check in on Swarm, receive breaking news alerts, check the wait for an MTA bus, and to pay for things.

If a smartwatch sounds right for someone you know, here are some of the most notable from the past year:  

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