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Wearable Technology

Pebble Time Kickstarter
Watches

Pebble Turns To Kickstarter To Launch Pebble Time

April 1, 2015

Pebble Time Kickstarter

Pebble has returned to its roots to launch the next version of the company’s smartwatch via Kickstarter. While it might seem like a bit of a cheat for a successful company to turn to Kickstarter to launch a product that they know will be a hit, that didn’t seem to put off interested buyers. In fact, Pebble Time broke its fundraising goal of $500K in 17 minutes and earned over $5M within 5 hours. The recently completed Kickstarter raised a total of $20.34M, shattering the previous Kickstarter record of $13.3M for The Coolest Cooler.

The Pebble Time utilizes a low resolution color e-ink screen (144 x 168) that is capable of displaying 64 colors. This screen affords the device an impressive 7 day battery life. It is important to note though that it is not a touch screen; you are restricted to the four buttons along the side and a microphone (that has limited use). Pebble Time will also bring the introduction of a new interface concept from Pebble.

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by Doug Parker
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Watches

TAG Heuer Announces Partnership With Google And Intel

March 19, 2015

TAG Heuer CarreraTAG Heuer has been very vocal about smartwatches over the past 12 months. In January the watch maker announced it would release a device later this year. It seems the Swiss watch maker is ready to divulge a few more details. Today, at the Baselword watch convention, TAG Heuer announced it has partnered with Intel and Google to produce the smartwatch. Intel will be providing the silicon and Google will provide the software, Android Wear.

According to Jean-Claude Biver, the company’s interim CEO and head of watches for TAG Heuer’s parent company, LVMH, TAG Heuer decided not to produce a watch that was compatible with iOS devices because Apple was producing their own watch. Those of us here at Circuits And Cable Knit are not terribly surprised by this news and speculated earlier this week that the Swiss company had very little choice besides turning to Android Wear. TAG Heuer’s smartwatch is rumored to be based off of the Carrera model (pictured at the top of this post), the mechanical version of which sells for several thousand dollars, depending on configuration. 

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by Doug Parker
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Switzerland's Future
Watches

Switzerland’s Road To A Smart Watch

March 18, 2015

Swiss vs Smartwatches

Despite the smartwatch’s moderate success in the marketplace up until now, it is undeniable that the watch industry is changing. Smartwatch manufactures are trying to figure out if they are selling gadgets or jewelry and traditional watch makers are trying to decide if they are in the business of tradition or technology. Depending on the success of the launch of the premium-priced Apple Watch next month, that will likely dictate the direction other companies follow. If smartwatches do prove viable, Switzerland, a country synonymous with traditional, mechanical watch making, has a particularly turbulent road in front of them.

TAG Heuer is a great example of what is likely occurring behind the scenes at most Swiss watch producers. The company has had a rough past year between conflicting corporate communications, major personnel shifts, and executives who were bit too vocal. All of these combine to create a public display of how TAG Heuer is fighting to develop a strategy which embraces the future while continuing to appeal to their target audience.

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by Doug Parker
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Watches

Apple Announces Details Of Apple Watch Launch

March 12, 2015

Apple Watch Versions

Apple held a press event at The Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco to make public the final details of the launch of Apple Watch. The device will launch on April 24th (challenging the meaning of “early 2015”) and will be available in 3 different collections. Functionally the 3 collections are identical, differing only in the material they are constructed from. The lowest end at $349 to $399 is the Sport version. It is made from aluminum and features Ion-X glass covering the display. Ranging from $549 to $1099, the Apple Watch (with no modifiers) is crafted from hardened stainless steel and features sapphire crystal protecting the display. The Apple Watch Edition, $10,000 to $17,000, improves on the Apple Watch by being crafted from solid 18k gold. Many of the bands will also be available for purchase separately. Beginning April 10th, you will be able make an appointment to try on different watches and bands in an Apple Store. Preorders also open up on April 10th.

Apple is entering new territory by pricing its wearable device so highly. The stainless steel and gold versions of the Apple Watch cost as much as a very nice watch, except Apple’s device will only be functional for a few years. Even at $349, the Sport is one of the most expensive smartwatches to be released. There is a lot of debate on how the marketplace will respond to these prices. At the end of the day, from a functionality standpoint, the Watch is nothing more than an accessory for your phone. It requires your phone to be present to be useful and, for the most part, mirrors the phone’s functionality. There are situations where having something on your wrist to alert you to phone calls and messages is very convenient, but not for all people all the time. As the pricing seems to indicate, maybe the best way to think about Apple Watch is as a fashion piece; something that can be personalized, made to look our own, and is always on display.

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by Doug Parker
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Wearable Technology

Android Wear Could Be Headed To iOS Soon

March 10, 2015

Android Wear Cross PlatformIf you have an interest in smartwatches, no platform has more compatible devices than Android. Over the past 12 months there has been a steady stream of Android Wear watches released, with some manufacturers even selling multiple models. Whether you are looking for round, square, almost-round, or curved, chances are you can find a design that makes you happy. Unfortunately you have to using an Android phone to utilize these Android Wear watches. That might be about to change! According to French technology website 01net, Google could be set to make Android Wear compatible with iOS as soon as May, at Google’s annual developer conference. Last October, Jeff Chang, an Android Wear senior project manager, suggested that cross platform compatibility was something Google was strongly interested in but the company was working through some technical hurdles. We will see what May brings.

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by Doug Parker
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Watches

LG Is Working With Audi On WebOS Smartwatch

January 20, 2015

LG Audi webOS Smartwatch

In October we reported that LG briefly posted reference to webOS making its way onto the company’s wearable devices. While nothing was announced at CES, several astute reporters spotted a special Audi smartwatch from LG. The watch was on the show floor to demo interconnectivity between the device and a car and was likely not intended to be outed quite yet. The most intriguing aspect of the device is not the Audi tie-in, but that the unannounced device was discovered to be running webOS. We are likely to find out more at Mobile World Congress in February.

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by Doug Parker
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Eyewear

JINS’s New Glasses Can Track Eye Movement

January 14, 2015

JINS Meme Smart Eyeglasses

While Japanese company JINS calls their new eyewear smart-glasses, they don’t have a screen or present you with information from your phone. Instead the brains behind the Meme eyewear are designed to utilize discrete sensors to track the movement of your eyes. In each nosepad there is a three-point electrooculography (EOG) sensor. Built into the frames are a gyroscope and accelerometer. Combined these sensors can estimate energy levels, gauge fatigue, estimate calories burnt, judge posture, and count blinks (?). While the overall utility of Meme probably still needs to be sorted out, JINS is working with health tech company Omron to develop applications. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of Meme is that the frames are almost indistinguishable from something you might pick up at Warby Parker.

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by Doug Parker
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