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Wearable Technology

Thync Vibes
Wearable Technology

Thync Launches Mood Changing Wearable

June 4, 2015

Thync Vibes

If you are a fan of negative-ion emitters and Power Balance bracelets, be prepared to be excited; Thync has finally launched their triangle shaped, mood changing wearable device. The headpiece, previously shown at CES, applies tiny pulses of electricity to your temple in order to induce either a calm or energized feeling. The gadget is controlled by an app on your phone via Bluetooth LE. Perhaps we are being a bit too harsh towards the $299 device, after all most of the publications which have had (extremely limited) hands-on time with Thync had positive experiences. That said, our skepticism radar starts going off when the neurological research paper to support the claims made by Thync states: “All authors are shareholding employees of Thync, Inc.” But maybe we are just jaded New Yorkers. Head past the break for the promo video:  

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by Doug Parker
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Asus ZenWatch 2
Watches

Asus ZenWatch2 Makes Questionable First Impression

June 3, 2015

Asus ZenWatch 2

This week at Computex, Asus showed off their new ZenWatch 2 smartwatch. The original ZenWatch was released last fall and was easily one of the best looking smartwatches that had been released at the point. It featured a beautiful, slightly curved, square screen and impressive detailing along the sides. The Android Wear device’s biggest issue, stylistically, was its large size and the giant ugly bezel surrounding the screen. Our hope at the time was the when version 2 hit, Asus would trim down the size and the bezel.

Well, we got one of our wishes; the ZenWatch 2 now comes in two sizes, 45mm and 49mm, both of which are smaller than the original’s 51mm size. Considering that a lot of people felt the 38mm Apple Watch was too large, these sizes will not work for everyone. Also, we are left wondering who the person is that feels like a 45mm watch is just not large enough for them. The bezel, on the other hand seems, to only have gotten bigger. And, man is it ugly. In fact, the whole watch seems to have got uglier. Gone are the beautiful recessed metal side, replaced by a disproportioned “digital-crown” knock off that makes the whole watch look cheap. With the ZenWatch 2, Asus seems to have only emphasized the things we disliked about the original. That combined with the knock off product video of watch bands connecting while floating in a white space and rumored near-identical tech-specs, we are left with a bad taste in our mouths. Head past the break to see the video: (UPDATE: someone must of agreed that the product launch video seemed a little too copycat; it has been removed from YouTube. Thankfully someone has reposted it. Video is now working again after the break)  

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by Doug Parker
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Baby

Smart Diaper Alerts You When Things Get Stinky

June 2, 2015

Acer's Smart Diaper DiaperPie

We have looked at other early-in-life wearable tech before, so we thought Acer’s exploration into smart diapers should be mentioned. The tech, on display at this week’s Computex, is a concept created by 4 Acer engineers (who clearly got a laugh out of putting Ted into a pair of diapers). The unfortunately named DiaperPie is a sensor that would be approximately the size of a coin. It can be used with any diaper and monitors sleeping posture, temperature, and moisture / methane levels. The sensor connects to your phone via Bluetooth LE and alerts you when your baby needs attending to. It can also store the information to the “cloud.” No word on when, or if, this ultimate accessory for overly-connected new parents will find its way to market.

These connected devices for infants are interesting. They provide a simple way to gather data when it cannot easily be communicated. Things like always on thermometers and sleeping monitors make sense, but I would be fretful of the long term effects of the Bluetooth transmission. While certainly not an expert on the strength of radio waves from Bluetooth LE devices, I am not sold that putting a transmitter that close to your baby for a prolonged amount of time is a good idea.

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by Doug Parker
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Disney Testing Other Wearable Devices As MagicBand
Watches

Disney Explores Using Guests’ Existing Wearables As Magic Bands

June 1, 2015

Disney Testing Other Wearable Devices As MagicBand

Disney has invested a tremendous amount of effort and money ($1 Billion) over the past 5 years to develop their Magic Band technology and ensure it is so compelling that the RFID bracelet would be the must have accessory when visiting a Disney theme park. In the two years that the band has been available to guests, more than 11 million of them have been used. The band is designed to make the process of visiting Disney as frictionless as possible, with the band serving as a FastPass entry, room key, park admission, and payment for food and merchandise. There are even restaurants where the tech allows the hostess to know who you are when you walk in and preordered food to automatically be brought to whichever table you seat yourself at.

But as wearable technology likely becomes more and more common place, why should guests have to wear two pieces of tech, especially when they have redundant internal circuitry? According to a report, this is a question that Disney hopes it can solve. The goal is to test whether a comparable all-inclusive experience could be provided through other wearable technology, such as our smartwatches. The concept would provide an even more seamless experience to park guests. Even though Disney is exploring feasibility, there is no timeline for the project – if it ever comes to fruition.

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by Doug Parker
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Project Jacquard and Levi's
Clothing, Fashion, Wearable Technology

Levi’s Partners With Google On Sensor Embedded Clothing

May 29, 2015

Project Jacquard and Levi's

At this weeks Google I/O conference, Google announced Project Jacquard, an effort to develop touch sensors that can be seamlessly integrated into textiles. The idea is intriguing and could play a very large role in wearable technology in the future! The word “Jacquard” is a term related to loom weaving, referring to the added control mechanism that makes possible the automatic production of unlimited varieties of pattern weaving. It is perhaps one of the most important technologies in the sphere of textile creation. Project Jacquard is an effort by Google to create a yarn that is comprised of both fabric and conductive threads. A traditional automated loom can then be used to integrate the yarn into textiles. The conductive threads allow the fabric to be touch sensitive and understand where you are touching the fabric. This special fabric could be imbedded into textiles used for clothing, home decor, or even the seats of your car. The technology that drives fabric is housed on a circuit board slightly larger than a button.

The idea of integrating touch sensors into clothing isn’t new, but being able to seamlessly integrate it with a yarn that can be used in a loom is. Creating a yarn that can easy be utilized by any designer is wise; Google recognizes that while they can develop technology they are not clothing designers. As such, they have announce a partnership with Levi’s. No word on when we might see a jean jacket the allows you to answer your phone by swiping your arm, but we will let you know when there is! Head past the break to learn more about the tech!  

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by Doug Parker
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Watches

Rumor That Pebble Is Having Financial Troubles

May 27, 2015

Pebble Financial Troubles

Despite the staggering $20M that Pebble recently raised through Kickstarter, word is the company is facing a financial hurdle. According to an article by TechCrunch, Pebble has been making the VC rounds looking for a $5M loan with a $5M line of credit and has been facing a lot of closed doors. The young company eventually settled on a bank loan “in order to stay afloat.” Failure to raise VC money paints an unfavorable view of how the company’s current direction and roadmap are being perceived. Apparently there is a feeling from both inside and outside of the company that Pebble is not doing enough to directly compete against the completion, including Apple and Android. Besides battery life, it is tough to pin point exactly what the competitive advantages of the Pebble Watch are. They are not the cheapest, the most advanced, or uniquely durable. One of the feathers in Pebble’s cap used to be the company’s “indie” status but now there are other “indie” companies offering better and more competitive watches, such as Olio.

Pebble was one of the first true smartwatches to market and helped define the market segment. Hopefully the company will continue to innovate and shape the market and not end up like other first movers (i.e. Rio Audio).

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by Doug Parker
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Olio Devices Model One Smartwatch
Watches

Olio Devices’ App-less Model One Smartwatch

May 27, 2015

Olio Devices Model One Smartwatch

Recently Olio Devices entered the smartwatch market with their first device, the Model One. The watch is extremely impressive, with a clever interface, strong battery life, and true water resistance. The concept behind the device is unique in that Olio Devices believes that 3rd party apps do not belong on a watch. The company wants the watch to be able to control your Hue bulbs, drive your Sonos, and display your boarding pass but they want to control that experience and have it directly integrated into the watch design. It is a pretty daring idea, especially in the very app driven world we are all living in, but makes some sense. The team behind Olio have impressive pedigrees; the CEO was a product designer at Apple and HP and the staff comes from places such as Movado and Pixar. The Model One falls into the premium end of the smartwatch spectrum (pricing starts at $595) and the first batch of 1,000 watches has already sold out. It will interesting to see more about the Model One. The concept is intriguing and the watch seems to be very well designed. Head past the break for the company’s launch video:  

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by Doug Parker
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