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Wearable Technology

Manus x Machina Met Ball Gala 2016 Apple Wearable Technology Fashion Tech
Designer, Exhibits, Fashion, Wearable Technology

Met Ball Kicks Off With Jony Ive Opening Of Manus x Machina

May 2, 2016

Manus x Machina Met Ball Gala 2016 Apple Wearable Technology Fashion Tech

It is the first Monday of May which means tonight is one of the biggest fashion events of the year: the Met Gala. But tonight’s formal event is not the only notable happening at the Metropolitan Museum, the Ball also marks the grand opening of the Costume Institute’s annual fashion exhibit. As part of the official opening of “Manus x Machina” Apple’s Chief of Design, Jony Ive, spoke about the relationship between technology and craftsmanship. The exhibit focuses on the dichotomy between handmade haute couture fashion and machine made fashion, exploring some of the newest technology in fashion including thermo-shaping, laser cutting, and 3D printing. During Jon Ive’s speech, he encouraged an open mind as technology becomes a larger and larger part of fashion, pointing out that all crafts depend on tools or methods that were at one point new:  

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by Doug Parker
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Skin Tattoo Wearable Technology LED Display University Tokyo
Wearable Technology

Super Thin LEDs Could Lead To Wearable Displays On Your Skin

April 18, 2016

Skin Tattoo Wearable Technology LED Display University Tokyo

Researchers at the University Of Tokyo have developed a new type of LEDs that they hope will lead to wearable displays that can go directly onto your skin. Takao Someya and his team have developed the thinnest LEDs ever created. Measuring in at 3 micrometers (µm) thick, they are 1/20 the thickness of a sheet of paper and 1/3 the width of a single fiber of cotton! Perhaps even more important than size, the diodes are also flexible and stretchable. This means that they can be worn on your skin without risk of breaking from normal movement. The polymer based LEDs, which have a lifespan of several days, are attached to your skin via a thin skin, similar in appearance to cling wrap. From there it connects to other sensors and equipment. The current technology is fairly simple, using 7 segments to display information similar to how a calculator or alarm clock does, but the team has been able to use it to display a person’s pulse or blood oxygen concentration directly on their arm. They envision a day where runners will wear a similar skin on their hand to display important stats or medical staff to display a patient’s records and vitals. Eventually the technology behind this could help power a new generation of smart “watches” or even replace cell phones as we know them.  

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by Doug Parker
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Ohio State Functional Textile e-textile fabric circuit wearable project jacquard
Clothing, Fashion, Manufacturing, Wearable Technology

Ohio State’s Woven Circuitry Could Lead To New Kinds Of Wearables

April 15, 2016

Ohio State Functional Textile e-textile fabric circuit wearable project jacquard

One of the biggest obstacles wearable technology faces is integration. Clothes are soft, stretchy, malleable, and (for the most part) washable, while the circuity required for wearables is none of those things. The circuitry needed to make a wearable device work is rigid, bulky, and definitely not washable. Announced last year, Google’s Project Jacquard is a step towards solving this dilemma with loom-friendly fabric touch-surfaces, but you still would need traditional circuity to make it all work. It looks like Ohio State University might have a solution for that though. They have been hard at work for the past several years developing a fabric that can be sewn into custom circuits.  Dubbed a functional textile (or e-textile), the thread they have created is .1mm thick and contains 7 twisted filaments made of copper and pure silver. Because it has superb conductive qualities and can be sewn into practically any shape, researchers view the material as a viable replacement for traditional circuitry. The material’s fine width means incredibly complex designs can be created.  

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by Doug Parker
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Adidas Interactive Health Technologies IHT Zone Heart Rate Monitor School PE Spirit Challenge
Sports, Wearable Technology

Adidas ZONE Fitness Tracker Designed For Your Kid’s PE Class

April 11, 2016

Adidas Interactive Health Technologies IHT Zone Heart Rate Monitor School PE Spirit Challenge

With childhood obesity becoming a major issue, Adidas has been working to ensure that kids are motivated to be healthy and fit. Last year the company launched The Spirit Challenge in partnership with Interactive Health Technologies (IHT) to encourage K-12 students to be more active. The challenge was designed to provide motivation, with schools competing against each other for prizes, and to foster awareness. The Spirit Heart Rate Monitor used for the challenge was a simple, screen-less device that provided auditory feedback as students moved between 3 different heart rate zones. The 5 year old device provided no visual feedback to help kids discern with a glance how they were doing. Recognizing that 5 years in wearable technology represents an incredible technological shift, Adidas has announced a new wearable compatible with the IHT system and software.  

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by Doug Parker
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Hermès Apple Watch Bands April Spring 2016 Stand Alone
Watches

Hermès Introduces New Apple Watch Bands To Be Sold Separately

April 8, 2016

Hermès Apple Watch Bands April Spring 2016 Stand Alone

Apple has announced that for the first time Hermès Apple Watch bands will be available as a separate purchase. Previously if you wanted the leather bands from the French design house, you had to purchase the Hermès Edition Watch, the cheapest version of which was $1,100. All three styles of band are available as a stand-alone purchase. The least expensive option is the Single Tour band (think – regular watch band) which retails for $340 and is available in 38mm and 42mm sizing. The next step up is the Double Tour, designed to wrap around your wrist twice, for $490 (38mm only). Finally, the most expensive option is the cuff band for the 42mm Apple Watch; it lists for $690! To mark the occasion, Hermès has also updated the colors offered. Besides the signature Fauve color (tan), they have added Feu (fire), Bleu Saphir (dark blue), Bleu Paon (peacock blue – 38mm only), and blanc (white – 38mm only). The new bands go on sale April 19th and will continue to only be available online, at select Apple Stores, and at Hermès boutiques.  

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by Doug Parker
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michael kors access android wear smartwatch
Fashion, Watches

Michael Kors To Release Android Wear Smartwatch In Fall

April 8, 2016

Michael Kors Access Android Wear Smartwatch Fall 2015

Michael Kors has joined the growing list of brands releasing an Android Wear smartwatch. The prebuilt architecture is proving to be a quick path for new entrants to enter the wearable device market. By using Google’s software and fairly standardized hardware, the primary hurdle for a company to overcome is to simply design a watch case and band. Called MICHAEL KORS ACCESS, the smartwatch is expected to be released in Fall 2016. It will be compatible with both iOS and Android devices and available in both a men’s and women’s version. Predictably, the men’s variety features a black metal face while the women’s is gold with a crystal laden band. They are expected to be priced starting at $395 and will be available most places where you already find Michael Kors products (website, company owned stores, department stores, and specialty retail).  

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by Doug Parker
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Hublot smartwatch smart watch TAG Heuer Connected LVMH Android Wear Intel
Watches, Wearable Technology

LVMH Eyeing Hublot As Next Brand To Introduce Smartwatch

March 18, 2016

LVMH Hublot Smartwatch TAG Heuer Carrera Connected Android Wear smart watch Intel

By a lot of accounts TAG Heuer didn’t exactly knock it out of the park with their Carrera Connected smartwatch. While a decent device with a well made casing, the Connected was essentially a $250 Android Wear watch in a very fancy package. The $1500 device is less well equipped than most smartwatches, lacking a heart rate monitor and using a surprisingly low resolution screen, especially for its size. One review compared the 240 ppi display to “the pixelated experience of 1980s Tetris.” For all intents and purposes, the Connected is a Franken-watch; it is a not-fully-gelled mashup between the high-end Swiss made TAG Heuer, mass produced Chinese made electronics, and the one-size-fits-all Android Wear OS. To be truly on brand, TAG Heuer should have created their own smartwatch instead of simply repackaging existing technology and software. Thus, to us the Connected reads as more of an experiment than a true smartwatch entry. Unsurprisingly, other Swiss timepiece makers, such as Patek Philippe’s Chairman Thierry Stern, have been quick to criticize TAG Heuer for going after the quick buck and eroding the “Swiss Made” reputation. Despite all of this, TAG Heuer’ Jean-Claude Biver contends that the Connected is selling so well that the company cannot keep up with demand. Not being die hard watch people, maybe there is a special sauce that we don’t understand about TAG Heuer or maybe the feel of the Swiss made watch case makes that much of difference or perhaps buyers are blindly purchasing due to the name or simply not comparison shopping.  

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by Doug Parker
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