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Wearable Technology

Rio 2016 Summer Olympics Wearable Tech Track Field Phelps Jacket Cycling Rowing Crew Visa
Clothing, Olympics, Shoes, Sports, Wearable Technology

Wearable Tech Found At The Rio Summer Olympics

August 4, 2016

Rio 2016 Summer Olympics Wearable Tech Track Field Phelps Jacket Cycling Rowing Crew Visa

In less than 2 days the first medals will be handed out at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. In the 4 years since London’s 2012 Games, wearable technology has emerged as a vital aspect of sports. From training to game day, technology is helping athletes realize their peak potential and even provide a competitive edge. The wearable tech being used isn’t just smart watches and connected devices. It also includes cutting edge fabrics and 3D printed accessories. Head past the break to find some of the technologies being used at this summer’s Olympics.  

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by Doug Parker
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WatchOS3 User Interface behavior approach dock Apple Watch contacts ios10
Watches, Wearable Technology

Apple’s watchOS 3 Introduces Redesigned User Interface Behavior

August 3, 2016

WatchOS3 User Interface behavior approach dock Apple Watch contacts ios10

While the jury is still out on whether the Apple Watch is a hit, it remains one of the top selling wearable devices and the best selling smart watch. When the device launched last Spring, it felt as if it was not fully finished. Even compared to what was shown the previous Fall at the Apple Watch announcement, there were missing features. Clearly version 1 of watchOS was all about getting something out the door. Barely two months later watchOS 2 was announced and it was obvious the updated operating system was meant to add back the features which were stripped from the device just before launch. Thus, this Fall’s watchOS 3 will be the first real update to Apple’s wearable.

As expected the new update adds some spit and polish to the overall Apple Watch experience. WatchOS 3 improves how watch faces behave and addresses some obvious issues, such as the speed with which apps launch. But the update goes deeper, rethinking the user experience for how people are actually using their device.  

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by Doug Parker
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Business, Wearable Technology

Jawbone Selling Off Wearable Inventory, Speaker Business

May 31, 2016

Jawbone Selling Business UP Exiting Wearable Speakers Activity Tracker

Jawbone, one of the first companies to market a wearable, app-connected fitness tracker, looks to be exiting the consumer wearables market. Tech Insider reports that Jawbone has ceased all production of their fitness trackers and has sold the remaining inventory to a 3rd party. The move isn’t completely surprising as activity trackers appear to be waining in populating while simultaneously in a price race to the bottom. Last November Jawbone closed their NY office and laid off 15% of the company’s workforce. Originally introduced in 2011, the Jawbone UP was a first of its kind device. Heralded as introducing a revolutionary new way to lose weight and get fit, the UP synced with a dedicated app on your smartphone by connecting through the headphone port. It measured steps, distance, calories, overall activity, and sleep. The wearable was screen-less and designed to look like a small bracelet. The 2011 launch was a bit rough, with widespread claims that it didn’t track correctly, didn’t sync reliably, and had charging issues. Jawbone stopped production later that year, offering to buy back any of the devices, and completely redesigned the internals of the UP. It relaunched in late 2012 where it entered a much more competitive market, squaring off against the Nike Fuelband and Fitbit One (Fitbit’s first wrist-worn tracker launched in 2013), both of which offered superior wireless syncing.  

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by Doug Parker
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Pebble Kickstarter Repeat Ethics Fundraising Venture Financial Time Core
Business, Editorial, Watches, Wearable Technology

Why Pebble’s Reliance On Kickstarter Strikes Us As Odd

May 27, 2016

Pebble Kickstarter Repeat Ethics Fundraising Venture Financial Time Core

It is great to see one of the original smartwatch makers continue to progress and release new and updated products, but its reliance on Kickstarter is starting to become odd. We understand that Pebble found tremendous success with their original watch on Kickstarter and likes to return to the platform for the benefit of the company’s supporters and fans. But if Scrubs star Zach Braff got raked over the coals by major news outlets for funding a movie via Kickstarter, why is everyone ok with an established tech company turning to the platform for a 3rd consecutive product launch. At least with last year’s Pebble Time campaign, the products were fully developed and within weeks of shipping. This time around the devices are at least 4 to 8 months away from being in customers’ hands. The whole thing rubs us the wrong way. Yeah, yeah, yeah…you are giving customers the opportunity to show their loyalty and purchase the items at a significant discount from retail, but that could have been done other ways and closer to launch. The reality of the situation likely lands someplace a bit darker and murkier. We think there are two main reasons behind Pebble’s approach.  

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by Doug Parker
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Pebble 2 Time Smartwatch Core Fitness Wearable GPS 3G Kickstarter
Watches, Wearable Technology

Pebble Turns To Kickstarter For New Watches & Wearable

May 26, 2016

Pebble 2 Time Smartwatch Core Fitness Wearable GPS 3G Kickstarter

Pebble has announce a new Kickstarter campaign that includes refreshes to almost all of the company’s product lineup and a brand new wearable device. Both the 2012 Pebble smartwatch and 2015 Pebble Time are being updated to version “2.” The biggest headline feature for both: a heart rate monitor; both the Pebble and Pebble Time now include an integrated optical heart rate sensor. The inclusion of the sensor also means an improved Health App. Similar to Google Calendar’s new Goal feature, the Pebble app will look for available pockets of time in your schedule and encourage you to work out during those breaks. The watch will also monitor your activity and customize activity goals to fit you – not too challenging but not too easy. The heart rate data is also being integrated into activity tracking (which also is tracking steps, calories, distance, and sleep) and graphs (which shows heart rate zones, average wake up times, and more with daily, weekly, and monthly breakdowns). All of this health data, including heart rate, can also be fed to Apple HealthKit or Google Fit.  

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by Doug Parker
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Elizabeth Clarke Unstainable shirt workwear sweat-proof kickstarter
Clothing

Elizabeth & Clarke Add Workwear To “Unstainable” Collection

May 4, 2016

Elizabeth Clarke Unstainable shirt workwear sweat-proof kickstarter

Last May, online clothing retailer Elizabeth & Clarke hit Kickstarter with a clever new product. Available in a handful of different shirt styles, the company created what they called the “Unstainable” shirt. The tops were constructed from a textile featuring a special blend of hydrophobic coatings and cotton / silk that allowed the fabric to be soft, breathable, and water repellent. The shirts really did feel amazing, especially the tees; you would never have guessed that the fabric had been treated.

Twelve months after the success of the “Unstainable” shirt, Elizabeth & Clarke are back on the crowd funding site with a new line of products featuring the company’s signature hydrophobic fabric. Included in the collection are a dress, blazer, skirt, and trousers, all designed to be perfect to wear at the office. This time around, they have improved their “Unstainable” fabric by adding a Sweat-Proof lining. The inner layer of the fabric used for the workwear collection is designed to pull sweat away from your body to a middle layer of fabric. The moisture then is able to evaporate while the inner and outer layers remain dry. The nano-coating used for the lining also offers odor protection, killing 99.9% of odor-causing bacteria. The end result is workwear that is vegan and sustainable, stain resistant, sweat proof, machine washable, wrinkle resistant, and odor resistant!  The pants or skirt are currently being offered for $80 and the blazer or dress for $100. And, just as Henry Ford said, “You can have any colour as long as it’s black” (though more colors might be unlocked through stretch goals). The Kickstarter campaign ends on June 3rd.  

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by Doug Parker
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Claire Danes Zac Posen Gown Met Ball Gala 2016 Fashion Tech_1400x600
Editorial, Fashion, Wearable Technology

Met Ball 2016 Gowns Favor Manus Over Machina – Why?

May 3, 2016

Claire Danes Zac Posen Gown LED Met Ball Gala 2016 Fashion Tech Manus x Machina

Last night the place to be seen was on the red carpet for the annual Met Gala. The Costume Institute event was themed around the dichotomy between traditional handmade haute couture and technology’s growing involvement in fashion and its creation. With Apple sponsoring the accompanying the exhibit and Jony Ive serving as a co-chair of the Gala, the stage was set for last night to be the coming out party for wearable technology. But was it?

Over the past year we have seen amazing integration of technology into statement-worthy clothing. From Rebecca Street’s motion sensitive LED gown, to Chromat’s temperature reacting sports bra, to Zac Posen’s LED dress coded by high school students, we were expecting to see designers embrace this year’s Met Ball as a chance to explore what was possible with wearable tech. Unfortunately the theme seemed to confuse most of the evening’s guests; the majority seemed to opt-out, wearing gowns and tuxedos they would chosen if there had not been a theme. A select few of the attendees had fun with the theme, wearing clothing that was a vintage interpretation of what tomorrow would hold for fashion or looking for inspiration from clothing created from what were once cutting edge machines, such as looms. But wearing a gown that is silver or metallic doesn’t equate to “machine.”  With the theme being “Man versus Machine,” man clearly won the night.  

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by Doug Parker
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