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Motorola is back with another slap bracelet phone concept
Motorola showcased an “adaptive display” prototype that can be rolled into a phone, stand or smart bracelet. The company also highlighted several potential AI-powered features for the devices you can already buy.
Ultrasonic bracelet jams the microphones around you
Smart speakers and other microphone-equipped devices aren't supposed to listen all the time, but there might be a solution if you aren't willing to take any chances. University of Chicago researchers have built an experimental bracelet that uses ultrasonic broadcasts from 24 speakers to jam most microphones, no matter what direction they're in. The gadget takes advantage of non-linearities in its built-in amplifier to 'leak' ultrasonic noise into the audible range and render recordings useless.
Smart arm bracelet warns of nighttime epileptic seizures
Nighttime epileptic seizures can be genuinely dangerous. If you have therapy-resistant epilepsy or a mental condition, you may have a one-in-five chance of dying from them. Thankfully, researchers at TUe may have a viable way of detecting and responding to those seizures in time to save lives. They've developed a smart arm bracelet, Nightwatch, that both detects signs of severe seizures and contacts care staff. It combines both a heart rate sensor and a motion sensor to look for both an unusually high heart rate as well as the rhythmic jolting characteristic of a seizure.
The Invi security bracelet repels assailants with a viscous stink
It's a dangerous world out there but walking around armed with knives or firearms isn't always an option for many people. That's where the Invi self-defense bracelet comes in. Its silver clasp holds a smelly secret that can stop an attacker in their tracks, nonviolently.
Tago Arc is an e-ink bracelet that can change designs
A new smart bracelet called Tago Arc can't notify you of incoming messages or monitor your activities, but it has already raised more than its $40,000 goal on Indiegogo. Why? Because it has the potential to become a high-tech fashionista's best friend, provided it works flawlessly. See, you can easily swap the design on the Tago Arc's e-ink screen, and since that screen takes up most of the accessory, you're effectively changing the jewelry's whole look. If you're wondering, yes you can create your own designs to come up with a unique bracelet for each outfit, but you can also buy images from the accompanying app for around $1 a pop.
Smart bracelet doubles as a handset for your phone
More than a few smartwatches will let you make calls, but that doesn't mean they're elegant substitutes for your smartphone -- you're going to look at least a little dorky bringing your wrist up to your face. The team behind the .klatz smart bracelet thinks it has a more elegant approach. Their wearable flips open, turning into a makeshift handset for your phone; you can take a call with your wristwear while hopefully maintaining some shred of dignity. The device's crude 384-LED display won't come close to what you'll get on a Moto 360 or Pebble, but the developers are promising a giant battery (at least 600mAh) that lasts for 10 days.
Rebecca Minkoff's smart bracelets place emphasis on style and luxury
Some fashionistas wouldn't be caught dead wearing certain smartwatches, okay? That's why you see all these fancy wearables pop up these days, including a handful of new offerings from American designer Rebecca Minkoff. Her collection's comprised of two high-tech, high-fashion bracelets like Intel's MICA, as well as a golden phone charger, made in collaboration with luxury phone casing maker Case-Mate. Each bracelet has its own function, so it wouldn't be redundant to wear them both: the $120 gold chain-linked one connects to your phone via Bluetooth and alerts you of calls and texts from chosen contacts. The $60 studded leather bracelet, on the other hand, transforms into a lightning cable that connects to a USB cable for times when you badly need to charge.
Intel introduces a snakeskin smart cuff for fancy humans
We understand: you want to get into the whole wearable tech thing, but what's holding you back is how fugly most current offerings are. That shouldn't deter you for long, as Intel has made good on its promise to make a smart-bracelet that doesn't look like an overgrown phone strapped to your wrist. It's called the MICA (My Intelligent Communication Accessory) and the notification-bracelet be available at Opening Ceremony and high-end retailer Barney's for the holiday shopping season this year, according to USA Today. Pricing isn't quite set in stone yet, but an Intel rep tells CNET that the cuff-style gadget will run under $1,000. Slightly expensive for a a wearable, sure, but not so much when compared against, say, a piece of traditional jewelry. The MICA comes in black and white (as illustrated by the image above), and will feature either Chinese pearls and lapis stones or tiger's eye and obsidian depending on which color of watersnake skin you opt for. Snazzy!
Hicon Social Bangle is a wearable fashion bungle
If you waste too much time checking notifications on your phone, don't sweat it -- yet another wearable promises to help you save those countless minutes throughout the day. But if you're already leery of wrist-worn devices, the Hicon Social Bangle, which is undergoing an Indiegogo campaign, won't do anything to change your mind. On the contrary: The Hicon is a awkwardly large bracelet that's lined with enough square charms to remind you of fourth grade. Each charm is interchangeable and represents a different service (SMS, calls) or social network (Facebook, WhatsApp, etc), and they vibrate and light up whenever you get a notification from that particular service.
Smash's new wristband helps perfect your tennis swing
We've come a long, long way since the days when smart wristwear did little more than track your footsteps. Need proof? Smash has unveiled a wearable dedicated to tennis. The wristband uses motion sensors to track many aspects of your swing, ranging from spin to your favorite shot types. Once you're done attacking the ball, you can check your performance through a connected Android or iOS device -- it'll be clear if your volleys need more power, or your backhand is inconsistent.
This bracelet lets you flick your wrist to pay with Bitcoin
Sometimes, there's such a thing as being too forward-thinking. Take MEVU and its prototype payment bracelet as an example: the wrist-worn Bluetooth wallet lets you pay with Bitcoin using only air gestures. Sounds cool, right? In many ways, it is. As the company shows in its demo video, you can flick your wrist to cover parking or donate to charity without ever reaching for your wallet (or your phone, for that matter).
Intel partners with the fashion industry on a stylish smart bracelet
Intel knows that wearable technology will only take off if people look good wearing it, so it's taking the next logical step of working with the fashion industry. The company is collaborating with design house Opening Ceremony on a smart bracelet that Barneys New York will eventually sell. Intel isn't saying exactly what the bracelet will do, but you can expect it to be "beautifully" crafted, according to Barneys. The semiconductor firm isn't stopping there, as it's also teaming up with the Council of Fashion Designers of America to foster stronger overall ties between fashion and tech. Unlike the other wearable devices announced this evening, it's not clear just when this stylish device will be available -- we wouldn't count on it arriving very soon, though.
Google patent application could give Project Glass one true ring controller to rule them all
Let's face it: right now, the head nods and other rudimentary controls of Google's Project Glass are mostly useful for looking good, sharing photos and not much else. A US patent application submitted last September and just now published, however, raises the possibility of more sophisticated control coming from your hands. A ring, a bracelet or a even a fake fingernail with an infrared-reflective layer would serve as a gesture control marker for a receiver on heads-up display glasses. Having this extra control would give the glasses-mounted computing room to grow by learning gestures, and it could even depend on multiple ornaments for more sophisticated commands -- at least, if you don't mind looking like a very nerdy Liberace. We can imagine the headaches a hand-based method might cause for very enthusiastic talkers, among other possible hiccups, so don't be surprised if Project Glass goes without any kind of ring input. That said, we suspect that Sauron would approve.
Jawbone Up review
Back in July, Jawbone did something surprising. The company, best known for its Bluetooth headsets, announced it was cooking up a wristband called "Up" -- a wearable device that would track the wearer's sleeping, eating and exercise habits. At the time, we didn't know much more than that, but given the company's expertise in wearable tech, we assumed it would at least have a Bluetooth radio, tying it together with all the other products Jawbone sells. As it turns out, the wristband doesn't sync your vitals wirelessly and for better or worse, it doesn't work quite the way we thought it would. To use the wristband, you'll need an iOS device -- no other platform is supported, and there isn't even a mobile website to which you can upload all your data. Then again, it does things other fitness trackers don't: it monitors when you're in deep or light sleep, so that it can wake you when you're just dozing. And because it's waterproof up to one meter and promises up to 10 days of battery life, it's low-maintenance enough that you can wear it every day, which could be key to making some healthy lifestyle changes. So how did Jawbone do, stepping so far outside its comfort zone? And should you consider this over identically priced fitness trackers such as the new Fitbit Ultra? Let's see. %Gallery-141101%
Lens Ring Bracelets look great with your ironic tattoos
Imagine the fun you'll have hiding your Advanced RISC Machine up a sleeve while surprising friends with your telescoping "lens." That alone should be worth the $10 tithe or $15 for the 24-70mm and 50mm pair.
iPhone 4 gets a $1 alternative to pricey Bumpers
If you ask us, Apple should be giving away free bumpers, lollipops, and anything else it can think of to keep its otherwise loyal followers from revolting. But the Great Bitten One isn't doing any one of those things, and most of us are stuck either having to pony up $30 for the official salvation from self-inflicted signal harm or looking out to the grey markets. Entering this morose situation with a bit of ingenuity is Oliver Nelson, who alerts us to the fact that rubber wristbands of the sort your favorite cyclist wears are apparently an almost perfect fit when stretched around the 4's antennae. He advises that a 1.125-inch long by 0.125-inch wide incision (into the unstretched band) is necessary to keep the 30-pin port and speakers open, but otherwise it seems like a pretty effortless and dirt cheap way to avoid all this drama.
ROHM shows off flexible organic EL light tech in shiny bracelet form
ROHM, the Kyoto-based semiconductor company that has been promising us tiny, thin OLED lights of joy for years, has finally delivered what we've all been waiting for: a shiny, pulsating, light-up bracelet. During a construction-laden sneak peak of the CEATEC show floor, ROHM was nice enough to show us this organic EL bracelet that sports their new flexible Japanese paper-based lighting technology. This particular bracelet is powered by a wafer-thin lithium battery and is sure to go quite nicely with your little silver dress. No word on availability or pricing, but this thing is for real, and you can see as much for yourself in a fun little video after the break. %Gallery-74741%
Sony's CEATEC concept party includes Walkman bracelet and 0.2mm thin OLED (video)
We've yet to see a trade show where Sony left its Rhode Island-sized booth at home, and CEATEC is no exception. Aside from pushing its 1080p 3D installations with an epic amount of force, the company also had a smattering of swank new concepts on display that caught our eyes. A 0.2 millimeter-thin flexible OLED display was alive and displaying content, while an ultrathin Reader mock-up looked more like a MID and less like a Kindle. Without question, the two items that took our breath away were the all-panel laptop (which tossed the traditional keyboard in favor of a single, swooping display) and the Walkman bracelet, which did little more than talk dirty to us and get our imaginations working overtime. Unfortunately, all the good stuff was behind bulletproof glass with practically zero information to digest, but you can indulge your senses anyway in the gallery below and video after the break. %Gallery-74747%
Sony Ericsson bracelet phone concept unearthed in patent app
Yeah, we can probably safely leave this one in the file we found it in: you know, the one marked "never going to happen." Regardless, when we spied this little dude on Unwired View, we thought we'd pass along the weirdness. Unearthed in a Sony Ericsson patent application mysteriously dubbed "Mobile Terminal," what we have here is a bracelet mobile phone concept, sort of reminiscent of LG's infamous GD910 watch phone. This one's got some added fun in the form of keys on the side of the wristband for a fuller typing experience. Like we said, it's never going to happen, but that won't really stop us from hoping.
Sony shows off flexible OLED Walkman concepts on video
Looks like Sony Insider caught some footage of those flexible OLED Walkmans in action during a CES promo video hidden away in the booth. Looks like a pretty sweet riff on the Cover Flow-esque interface that's due to arrive on the NWZ-X1000, but there's not much else to go on -- let's hope Sony's spending more time getting the X1000 ready to leave that impenetrable glass housing than it is mocking up videos of fantasy tech. Video after the break!
