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Wearable Technology

Emotia Belty Smart Belt
Fashion, Wearable Technology

Belty, the Auto Adjusting Smart-Belt

January 14, 2015

Emotia Belty Smart Belt

We didn’t know we needed a smart-belt until we saw it but now it is on our list. Sure Emiota’s Belty is able to track your daily activity, vibrate when it is time to move, and monitor changes in your waist line. It also connects to your phone via Bluetooth 4.0. These are all great things to have built into a belt, which you would need to be wearing anyways. But the attention grabbing feature is straight out of Back To The Future 2; the belt will auto adjust when you sit, stand up, or eat too much, maintaining a consistent tightness. Simply put Belty on, tighten it so that it is a comfortable tightness, and double tap the buckle to let it know that is how tight you like it. Belty will then work all day to maintain the same tightness in the belt. The device on display at CES was an early prototype but Emiota is hopeful is can bring a more polished (and miniaturized) version of Belty to market by the end of the year.

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by Doug Parker
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Clothing

Fitness Tracking Socks Help You Run Better

January 14, 2015

Sensoria Smart Socks

We have smart-shirts, smart-glasses, smart-earbuds, and smartwatches, so why not smart-socks. Originally an Indiegogo campaign, Sensoria’s smart-socks are designed to not only track pace, distance, and calories when you run but also your cadence, how your foot strikes the ground, and how long it is in contact with the ground. According to Sensoria, this type of monitoring helps protect runners shins, knees, and feet. The companion app uses your phone’s GPS to follow your run while tracking the information from the socks. A “virtual coach” provides audio feedback about your running style as you push through the miles to help keep your body safe from injury. The socks have an odd looking interface near the cuff that allows a small, flexible bluetooth transmitter with integrated accelerometer to be magnetically attached. This >1oz device pairs with the companion app (iOS, Android, Windows Phone) to provide realtime information. The starter pack, which includes one pair of socks and one pair of transmitters, costs $199. Each sock is rated for 60 washes and can be purchased as a set of 2 for $49. Head past the break for a video: 

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by Doug Parker
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Watches

Alcatel OneTouch Targets Mass Market Smartwatch

January 13, 2015

Alcatel OneTouch Watch Wave

Alcatel OneTouch has a daring business proposition, to be the first company to produce a truly mass market smartwatch. With their reasonably priced, round-screen device, Alcatel might just be on to something. The company’s Watch (previous called Wave) has been in the works for a while and has seen a sizable update since it was shown off in September. The homegrown OS has been vastly refined and polished. Alcatel decided that Android Wear was too immature and that they were better served developing their own operating system. This has allowed Watch to be compatible with both iOS and Android devices. More significantly though, it has afforded the Watch a staggering 2 to 5 days of battery life. Feature wise, the Watch is a nearly full-fledged smartwatch with notifications, activity tracking, music control, heart rate monitor, and phone locator. The only lacking features seem to be GPS, voice recognition, text response, and apps. Those might seem like large trade offs, but with a $150 price tag those will likely be features worth shedding for a large number of people.

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by Doug Parker
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Watches

Dull Sony Smartwatch 3 Gets New Look

January 13, 2015

Sony Smartwatch 3 Stainless Steel Android

Sony’s Smartwatch 3 was released in late 2014 to excellent reviews. The largest criticism though was the aesthetic design of the device, which was universally considered as boring as its name. Well the Smartwatch 3 has received a new stainless steel coat of paint. The metal version of the Android Wear watch is expect to launch at an unspecified time in 2015 for an unspecified price. The rubberized version of device is currently on the market for $250 so hopefully it won’t deviate significantly. Beyond the revamped exterior, the metal version of the Sony Smartwatch 3 is unchanged. It still features a 1.6″ 320×320 display, is fully dust and waterproof (IP68), and has GPS. If all this sounds like a winning combination, remember that unlike Sony’s earlier efforts, the Smartwatch 3 runs on Android Wear and thus requires an Android phone.

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by Doug Parker
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Wearable Technology

Headphones That Double As A Wearable Display

January 13, 2015

Avegant Gylph Headphones Wearable Display

While headphones certainly aren’t high fashion, these days they are viewed by many to be a fashion accessory. With prices reaching past $500, it is easy to see why people take the design of their headphones seriously. Avegant is trying to help you get a bit more out of your headphones by integrating a wearable display into the band. Simply swing your the Avegant’s Glyph from the top of your head to in-front of your eyes and you are presented with a video headset. Probably not the best for walking down the street, but it could be just the thing if you commute via bus or train or fly a lot. The Kickstarter originated Glyph is expected to ship in Fall 2015. If you missed the Kickstarter, the device is available for preorder until Jan 15th for $499, after which it will jump to $599. Head past the break for the promotional video. No word on how the display will cope with stray hair gel.

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by Doug Parker
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Garmin Vivofit 2 Signature Series Bands
Wearable Technology

Garmin Unveils Updated Vivofit With Designer Bands

January 8, 2015

Garmin Vivofit 2 Signature Series Bands

Garmin has unveiled a (slightly) updated version of its Vivofit band, the Vivofit 2. While visually identical, the new unit offers audible “move” alerts and a stopwatch feature. What hasn’t changed is that it still offers a reasonably priced, waterproof fitness tracker with an excellent battery life. With such a limited feature upgrade, if you have ever been interested in the Vivofit, now is a great time to pick up the original at a discounted price. Perhaps the more interesting new associated with the Vivofit 2 is the launch of designer wristbands, including stainless steel, leather, and Jonathan Adler designed ones. These new bands will happily be compatible with the original Vivofit. Prices will vary on the new bands, but they should start at $50 when they launch.

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by Doug Parker
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Wearable Technology

Misfit Partners With Swarovski For Fashionable Tracker

January 8, 2015

Misfit Swarovski Shine TrackerOne of the almost universal complaints about wearable devices, especially devices for the wrist, is that they are not appealing to female customers. Misfit, who already makes some of the best looking fitness trackers on the market, has partnered with Swarovski to release a line of crystal ladened trackers. The partnership, which began over 17 months ago, has led to a crystal version of Misfit’s Shine tracker and 9 accessories. The accessories include a strappy bracelet in 3 colors, 3 different pendants, and 3 different wristbands. If you received a shiny new Misfit Shine for Christmas, don’t worry, you can attach your tracker to any of the new accessories. In case you are not familiar with Mifit’s trackers, they are small disc-shaped devices with 12 LEDs encompassing them. They are able to track overall activity, steps, calories, and sleep quality. By forgoing a display, the Misfit Shine is able to achieve a 6 month battery life.

The Swarovski partnership has also produced in a new solar powered model of the Shine. This version features a violet crystal and should result in a battery that never needs to be replaced.

Starter sets of the Swarovski / Misfit Shine range from $169.99 to $249.99, while the accessories range from $69.99 to $149.99. They are currently available for preorder from Misfit for March delivery. They will be available from Swarovski in the Spring. Head past the break for the launch video.  

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by Doug Parker
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