wearables
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Yes, this is dog: No More Woof aims to translate canine thoughts into human speech
Head over to Indiegogo today and you'll find a particularly wacky (and risky) project bidding for your investment. It's a device that goes by the name of No More Woof, which admittedly sounds like it does horrible things to dogs' vocal cords, but which actually promises something very different. It's a canine-sized headset that consists of EEG recorders connected to a small Raspberry Pi computer and a loudspeaker, supposedly allowing "ionic current flows" in a dog's brain to be translated into human speech. A $65 model is said to distinguish between three different thoughts, including tiredness and curiosity, while more expensive options will have more sensors and more powerful software. The only hold-up (and it's a big one) is that this project is being offered for crowdfunding while still at the concept stage, and all investment will be kept even if the funding target isn't met. According to a disclaimer on the Indiegogo page: "Yes, we HAVE achieved some results, but we are very far from a mass-producable product. That said, we believe that within a few years the technologies we are working with will revolutionize our relation to pets and animals." Indeed, there's no evidence that ST, the Scandinavian research lab behind No More Woof and last year's equally strange iRock rocking chair, has managed to come up with anything like a working prototype -- or at least there's no sign of one in the long-but-vacant video embedded below. Nevertheless, if dog barks are eventually mistranslated by this sort of "novelty science" (a word ST actually uses to describe its own research), who'll be any the wiser?
Let's all take a moment to remember Apple's utterly amazing 1980s foray into fashion
When it comes to Apple apparel, nobody can stop talking about the rumored iWatch that may or may not make its debut in 2014, but it certainly wouldn't be the first time the company got into the wearable business. If we rewind time a few decades, we find a fabulous clothing line launched by Apple that is covered in obnoxious neon and lots of blank stares. So brace yourself and pop your collar; we're about to take a trip to the 1980s. [Product photos via So Bad So Good]
Weekly Roundup: Instagram Direct, Jawbone Up24 review, Samsung's EMC lab and more!
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Time Machines: NASA goes virtual at CES
Welcome to Time Machines, where we offer up a selection of mechanical oddities, milestone gadgets and unique inventions to test out your tech-history skills. In the weeks leading up to the biggest gadget show on Earth, we'll be offering a special look at relics from CES' past. Our willingness to trade biomass for bits has flourished lately, and nascent virtual reality devices like the Oculus Rift owe at least some of the credit to NASA reasearch and its desire to delve into digital representations of reality. Head past the break for more of the story.
If you're an early adopter, a Pebble makes a nice gift
Chris Velazco wrote a great TechCrunch piece on wrist-based wearable tech and where it is right now; I recommend you go read it. Then come right back. We're in the walking fish stage of wearable computers The landscape he describes reminds me of the early home PC market, awash with weirdo designs that flopped (remember when Atari made computers?) and stalwart manufacturers sometimes introduced sideshow products (the IBM PC Jr, which was admittedly pretty cool). Except we've had wearables for a while -- Casio calculator watches, Palm OS and the Seiko UC-2000 plus a variety of headgear and other oddball input/output devices. What we're seeing now is the supply chain catching up to the vision of wearable computing. We're finally getting to the good part. Fitbit (my One is pictured above, cheekily attached to my Pebble) is one of those good parts. Nike's Fuel products are definitely a bright spot of hardware and software, even beyond "wearables." But Pebble intrigues me more, as I feel it is the future of wearable computing for a while. Watches, in particular, are a product we know, one that feels familiar. Watches make a lot of sense as another screen for even the most die-hard smartphone aficionado. And no, I'm not talking about doing everything from your wrist -- because that's ridiculous. Why Pebble? In light of the primitive nature of the market, I've been trying a Pebble for a few weeks. I must say that if you have a friend or family member on your gift-giving list who is "into" gadgets, it's a really cool watch. You can shower with the Pebble on your wrist and never miss a message (well, until for reasons unknown the watch-to-phone link is severed, but reliability is a moving target). There are dozens of watch faces to download using apps like this. Plus, there are a handful of fun apps like an old Game and Watch style game or two. Pebble is not perfect, as crashes and oddities persist, but in the short time I've had mine it has gotten more stable. A caveat for iOS users is that due to differences between the way iOS and Android provide security around messaging and other functions, some Pebble-connected iOS apps are more limited than the equivalent Android apps -- but I love the Pebble so far. The hardware Much has been written about the hardware, so let me just add that while the connection to your iPhone can be finicky at times (and that's a bummer when you come to rely on playing music to find your iPhone!), it's still reliable more often than not. I don't fault the Bluetooth on Pebble. The watch itself won't stand up to heavy shocks, but it is perfectly OK in the shower. The exposed metal contacts stick to the included USB charger by way of a magnet. My only complaint is a lack of information while charging. But isn't this completely unnecessary? Watches connected to your smartphone sound ridiculous until you're carrying something to your house and get a message about when company will arrive. This happened to me and all I had to do was glance at my wrist. The Future! With push notifications you can customize what you get sent to your wrist, too. I found the ability to start and stop music on my iPhone handy when I lost the darn thing one night -- in my house. Oh, and you can decline calls even when iOS doesn't provide the option on the phone's screen. I found dozens of everyday scenarios for the Pebble that warrant me wearing a watch after about 4 years of not wearing watches. No, a smartwatch isn't necessary for life. But it sure is nice. In light of "Apple picking" stories it might also save you some heartache. But yes, it is for early adopters I can't stress two things enough here: One, that Pebble is really cool and has a ton of potential. Two, that Pebble isn't living up to its potential yet. A lot of stuff has a beta feel. The store is woefully small, and watch faces are often a bit silly. There's a clunky app (for now) that allows me to see calendar events, and promises more -- but none of the features work. And calendar is spelled wrong. For more on how wonky it can get (but still work enough), be sure to read this tag-team review of the Pebble at TechCrunch. While I do suggest getting Pebble for the gadget geek on your list, please keep in mind we're in the early days of these devices. I think the Pebble will some day be seen as the Apple II of the wearable shift in personal computing for the masses. After all, aren't wearables the most personal of mobile computers? I can't wait to see the Pebble line advance, and the company grow along with the industry. It also keeps me dreaming of a watch designed by Apple.
The Smarty Ring is the laziest piece of wearable tech ever, and it may never even exist
There are crazy crowdfunding campaigns, and then there are crazy crowdfunding campaigns. The Smarty Ring falls into the latter category, and since its Indiegogo project has raised less than half of its goal with just a couple of days to go, it seems like most would-be funders agree. The idea behind the Smarty Ring -- a project out of India -- is that smartphone owners check their phones too much, so maybe they'd rather get their notifications on their finger instead. The Smarty Ring allegedly has 24-hour battery life, features Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity to your iOS or Android phone and can also control your music playback and answer calls on your phone. It features a digital clock with up to five time zones, a stopwatch and a countdown timer. In short, it's a smartwatch on your finger. Aside from being one of the laziest gadgets in the history of wearables -- is checking your finger really more convenient than checking your wrist or phone? -- there's a good chance it may never actually exist. Looking at the Indiegogo page, which is covered with digital renders of the ring, there doesn't seem to be an actual image of the device anywhere to be seen. It's also been Photoshopped onto some bad stock photos, where it happens to look completely different than the rest of the images. Then there's the brutally ugly "screenshot" of the companion app, which has been stretched and crammed onto a stock iPhone image. Once you make it to the end of the project page the reality is spelled out for you: The company has only just finalized the design of a theoretical prototype model. I'm not sure how you promise things like 24-hour battery life without having built a physical version of the gadget... but there you go. [via Mashable]
Lumus reveals classy two-tone Glass competitor with in-lens display
Lumus is a heads up display (HUD) manufacturer better known for its military-grade products, some of which have been deployed in US Air Force F-16 and A-10 helmets. Its latest effort, the DK-40 dev kit, is an attempt to steer its tech toward the consumer market. And yes, it looks a lot like Google Glass. But instead of projecting notifications on the outskirts of your peripheral vision, the entire right lens of Lumus' Android-powered eyewear is a 640 x 480 see-through display. The DK-40 also includes a motion sensor and 5-megapixel camera necessary for a true AR experience. Though its sleek design is more socially acceptable than its fighter pilot headgear, Lumus doesn't intend to mass-produce anything just yet. The glasses are still deep in development stages, harboring only 1-2 hours worth of battery life. Instead, the company simply wants to promote the adoption of its lens technology. The entire monocular kit and SDK will debut at CES 2014, but won't ship to OEMs and "select developers" until the end of Q1 2014.
These Ray-Ban solar shades can charge your iPhone 5
If you're outside on a sunny day, there's a good chance that you're both wearing sunglasses and you're nowhere near your iPhone charger. Design student Sayalee Kaluskar has combined these two common occurrences into a product capable of shielding your eyes from the sun and charging your iPhone as well. She calls them Shama Shades, but in truth they're a pair of modified Ray-Ban sunglasses that have been fitted with a solar panel, a built-in battery and an iPhone 5 charging plug. The glasses perform their traditional duty while you're catching some rays, and the solar panel fills the small battery hidden within. When the sun sets, you can remove one of the arms of the shades and plug it into your iPhone for an extra shot of energy. As the glasses were made for a school project, there's little chance you'll get the opportunity to buy them any time soon, but an idea this good seems like it deserves to find its way to retail sooner or later.
Nissan to join the wearable HUD wave, teases its entrance with trippy trailer (video)
With its next venture into the gadget world, Nissan wants to get on your face. Ahead of the Tokyo auto show, the automaker has released a David Fincher-esque teaser video for its head-mounted HUD, the 3E. Given how its smartwatch is specifically tailored for race car drivers -- displaying vehicle performance analysis, the driver's vital signs and social media presence -- we don't expect much different from this wearable. In theory, this could be a cheaper way to implement heads up displays that are better at keeping you in tune with your ride than traditional dashboard systems. Worried you won't find this gizmo on the the auto show's floor? We're betting it won't be too far away from the equally futuristic Batmobile knock-off.
The wearable dilemma: forming habits first, then building ecosystems
"Getting people to want to wear things all the time -- whether it's on or off" is a huge stumbling block, said Becky Stern, director of Wearable Electronics at Adafruit. Sure, smartwatches and activity trackers are becoming increasingly more visible in the tech space, but mainstream adoption is still key for the long-term success of the diminutive gadgets. Here at Expand NY, a trio of wearable-tech experts from across the spectrum of devices discussed the tech and the roadblocks to widespread use from consumers. Currently, there's still a challenge with getting the public to want to wear anything, let alone a smartwatch or activity tracker. Not only does the device need to look amazing, but it also has to provide a function that we can't live without. If you think about a diabetes tracker, that wearable serves a vital purpose for a niche of consumers. For Co-founder of Narrative Oskar Kalmaru (the outfit that makes the Clip life-logging camera) the usefulness of wearables is a software issue. "[It's] making it smart enough to do something for you." With a large number of Americans using either activity-tracking gadgets or services, the interest is clearly there -- even now in infancy -- and Kalmaru is convinced the sector will continue to grow with more improved software.
Google expands Glass sales but still wants a one-to-one chat with every buyer
Gone are the days when you needed to visit a Google office in person to pick up a pair of Explorer Edition spectacles. Following the recent expansion of the wearable project, which allowed existing owners to invite up to three friends or relatives to take that $1,500 step into the future, it's been possible for new customers to have their glasses shipped to them, just like any commercial product. What hasn't changed, however, is Google's desire to influence these users' first impressions of the device by giving them a highly personalized introduction. Soon after Phil Nickinson of Android Central received his invite-only Google Glass, he got a phone call asking him to join a personal 45-minute Hangout to take him through the "entire setup process" and tell him "about the history of Glass along the way." These calls are a sensible move on Google's part, no doubt, and likely very helpful to new owners, but they also suggest that Glass may still be a little too complicated to ship with nothing but a Getting Started PDF and a legal disclaimer.
Google could start mass production of its smartwatch within months, says WSJ
We've already had an inkling of a Google smartwatch, courtesy of some timely patents, company acquisitions and Wall Street Journal's unnamed sources. The latest gossip points to a launch next year, if the WSJ's contacts are correct, because development on the wearable has apparently reached the point where it "could be ready for mass production within months," and Google is said to have already started talks with Asian manufacturers. Further details are scarce, but the same source suggests the watch's interface and "personal assistant" functions will be based on Google Now, potentially offering sophisticated voice recognition as well as predicting what sort of information the user will find useful at any given moment, based on the content of their emails and other personal data. None of this makes it clear if we'll see another companion device, like the Galaxy Gear or Pebble, or whether Google will push things forward somehow -- perhaps by incorporating a SIM and running Google Now locally on its own processor. For the sake of the whole wearables trend and our own selfish desires, we kinda hope it's the latter.
WSJ: Microsoft prototyping Google Glass-like device
It's pretty clear that wearables, whether they be made for the face or the wrist, are going to be the next big thing in hardware. According to The Wall Street Journal's sources "familiar with the matter," Microsoft doesn't want to be late to the party, and is currently playing with prototypes of "web-connected eyewear similar to Google Glass." This isn't the first time we've heard whispers of such a device, of course: we knew Microsoft's been keen on some form of AR glasses since Project Fortaleza leaked back in June last year. Apparently, Redmond is currently tapping Asian manufacturers for components, such as cameras, for its wearable, but that it "may never reach mass production," suggesting Microsoft hasn't committed to any formal development process yet. That's as far as the rumors go at this point, but it's further evidence Microsoft isn't content with a presence in just our bags and pockets.
Apple has been hiring former fashion executives, but why?
Yesterday's hiring of former Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts by Apple is just latest example of what is becoming a trend for new Apple hires: A lot of them have a background in fashion. As The Mac Observer points out, Ahrendts' appointment to senior VP of Retail and Online Stores was preceded by a pair of former Nike designers and an executive from French fashion house Yves Saint Laurent. In short, Apple is looking downright fabulous. But why would former fashion industry insiders be useful to Apple? It's simple: wearable tech. We've been hearing rumblings of an iWatch for some time -- though at the moment the competition seems to be doing more harm to the would-be smartwatch market than good -- and if Apple plans to release one in the future, it's going to have to be mighty sexy. Of course, there are other areas you could wear a gadget besides your wrist -- Google Glass being a fine example of this -- though if the new fashion-forward hiring trend is indeed intended to help influence new Apple products as they take shape, it's likely that we're nowhere near actually seeing them in the flesh... or on the flesh. [Image credit: Miss Karen] [via The Mac Observer]
Fitbug Orb fitness tracker priced at $50, can go up to six months between charges
The Fitbug Orb seems like a veritable shot across Fitbit's bow. This latest fitness wearable is priced at $50 and can go six months between charges, matching the Fitbit Zip's longevity and undercutting its price by $10. You aren't tied to wearing it on your wrist either, as you can place the Orb just about anywhere on your person if the white, pink or black color options don't gel with your wardrobe. What's more, it uses a personal training app called KiK (not to be confused with Kickr) to monitor your activity, and give you a push notification if you're not living up to your potential. It can even connect to MyFitnessPal if you'd rather store all your metrics be in one place. The Orb's price-point could make it the impulse buy that actually improves your well-being, unlike that cheap tablet you bought.
Time Machines: Artificial beats
Welcome to Time Machines, where we offer up a selection of mechanical oddities, milestone gadgets, and unique inventions to test out your tech-history skills. Over three decades ago, this device helped blur the lines between man and machine when it was successfully implanted into a patient to replace a failing organ. Head on past the break to get to the heart of the matter.
Polar Loop wristband tracks activity, exercise and sleep alongside an iPhone app for $109
We've tested our fair share of activity trackers and Polar is now adding one more to the fray. That's not a Nike+ FuelBand you see, it's the Polar Loop: a wearable for your wrist that keep tabs on activity, exercise and sleep patterns. Touting the "first waterproof" gadget of this sort, the company says the device can discern between activity levels, with alerts and motivational feedback along the way. The Loop syncs to Apple smartphones via Bluetooth with its companion app, Polar Flow. Similar to Nike's wearable, Polar's offering displays goal info, calories burned, steps taken and the time on an LED display. If you're also after a heart rate monitor, the Loop can be combined with Polar's H6 or H7 heart rate sensors for that purpose when it arrives next month in black with a pink version set for release in 2014.
Gaming the system: Edward Thorp and the wearable computer that beat Vegas
"My name is Edward Thorp." "My name is Edward Thorp." "My name is Edward Thorp." It's 1964 and Edward Thorp is on the television game show To Tell The Truth, sitting alongside two other well-dressed men also claiming to be Edward Thorp, a man so adept at card counting that he'd been barred from Las Vegas casinos. Thorp, the quiet man on the right, every bit the mathematics professor with black-rimmed glasses and close-cropped hair, is the real deal. Two years earlier, Thorp's book, Beat the Dealer, was published, explaining the system for winning at blackjack he developed based on the mathematical theory of probability. The system worked so well that Las Vegas casinos actually changed the rules of blackjack to give the dealer an added advantage. Those changes would prove to be short-lived, but Thorp's book would go on to become a massive bestseller, and remains a key guide to the game of blackjack to this day. That all this happened as the computer age was flourishing in the 1960s isn't coincidental. While working to beat the house, Thorp was also working at one of the hotbeds of that revolution: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There, he had access to two things that would prove invaluable to his research. One was the room-filling IBM 704 computer, without which, he writes in Beat the Dealer, "the analysis on which this book is based would have been impossible."
Distro Issue 107: How Edward Thorp gambled his way into wearable-tech history
Edward Thorp was banned from casinos in Vegas for counting cards. He even published a book on his system for winning at the blackjack table using the mathematical theory of probability. While working at MIT, he built what many consider the first wearable device for -- you guessed it -- beating roulette. In a fresh issue of our weekly, Donald Melanson profiles Thorp's gaming of the system and how he ended up the unlikely father of wearable computing. Eyes-On has a look at Sennheiser's cans, Hands-on grabs up both of the new iPhones and IRL takes a gaming focus. Jump down to your digital library of choice to snag your copy and settle in for a gadget-centric history lesson. Distro Issue 107 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro in the Windows Store Distro APK (for sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Reality Absorption Field: Apple Shrugged
Like other public companies, Apple is judged by financial analysts on its ability to maintain and improve unit volumes and revenues, market share and margins. But since it would be difficult for Apple to substantially increase its share and profitability in many of its categories, what Apple is really judged on at a macro level is its ability to disrupt, launch and capture the value in product categories. In this, the company isn't quite alone; Amazon and Google, for example, are also expected to be disruptive, but each flanks Apple. Since it has to run on the tight margins of an Internet retailer, the expectations of Amazon are not as broad as they are for Apple. Its current obsession, for example, seems to be trying to kill Netflix. On the other hand, much has been made of Google's moonshots such as the self-driving car (and surely many more behind lab doors). These represent amazing, even inspiring, research efforts that may demonstrate Google's commitment to innovation to investors. However, it's impossible to tell when they may have an impact on Google's short-term financial performance. Apple, on the other hand, is expected to not only invent or reinvent new categories, but ones that represent the next great successive growth curve for the company. At the risk of comical understatement, this is not so easy. Take, for example, the alleged Apple watch. Wearables appear to be the only way to do to the smartphone what the smartphone did to the PC; this explains Google's interest in the market. The manifest engineering challenges include design, input methods and a long battery life. But Apple must go beyond that to satisfy the Street. It must show that this is a market the size of the next iPod, iPhone or iPad and that it can enter it with a product that carries comparable margins. Furthermore, it must show that it can reinvent the rules of wrist wear to the point where it can defend an opportunity that will attract a host of competitors from out of the woodwork. It would not be in Apple's nature to shy from such a challenge with a product, but it also would not be in Apple's nature to ship that product before it's right. This is not to say that Apple doesn't substantially revise products after their release, e.g., AppleTV, but it's rare that the company is expected to get something right on the third try as in Microsoft lore. Unfortunately, the Street hates that as well. You know how Apple keeps missing shipping dates for its watch and TV? And how those are the only two game-changing products it could possibly be working on? Of course you don't. But some of financial analysts seem to believe both of those scenarios to be true. Management teams should be scrutinized, but there will certainly be no letting up on fundamental skepticism regarding Tim Cook's team until it can create the next sea change opportunity for Apple. To stay focused on the products that have meant success for the past 15 years, Apple must show the apathy of the honey badger when it comes to stock price changes driven by such skepticism while its financial results are sound. Until then, the most reassurance one can derive is in the imminent Mac Pro. While it is in a category that will make a seismic difference to Apple's revenue, the scope and ambition of its redesign is a signal that Apple intends to keep capturing imaginations as it captures revenue. Ross Rubin is principal analyst at Reticle Research, a research and advisory firm focusing on consumer technology adoption. He shares commentary at Techspressive and on Twitter at @rossrubin.
