wearables
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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.
Tokyoflash's Kisai Blade looks to the air for inspiration, tells time with tube LEDs (video)
TokyoFlash's watches aren't known for their subtlety, but, despite taking cues from the aviation world, its latest design looks a bit more grounded than previous offerings. The Kisai Blade sports a custom-made turbine-style lens, and uses tube LEDs that rotate, like an airplane propeller, to tell time. The LEDs operate in three different modes, "Turning" uses a constant cycle to light up hours and minutes, while "Animation" turns your wrist into a rave with a constantly spinning diodes. In case you're wondering how it displays the finer minutes, "Flashing" mode slowly flashes the minute hand at the standard five minute intervals, and four dots indicate minutes one through four. The timepiece uses a USB-rechargeable battery that can go a month between charges and is available with red, blue and green LEDs, and gold, silver and black bands; there's a leather band option, too. If the Blade strikes your fancy, you have the next 48 hours to snatch one up for the launch price of $139, or if you miss the sale window, $159.
Don't miss LeVar Burton, Ben Heck, Adafruit and Planetary Resources at Expand NY!
We're getting more and more excited watching the Expand NY agenda come together. We've already announced our first set of speakers (by which we mean people on stage, not those kind of speakers) including legendary game designer Peter Molyneux, Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky, io9 editor-in-chief Annalee Newitz and the man responsible for clogging the Internet's tubes with funny cats: Ben Huh. But wait, there's more! Joining us at Javits Center this November will be: LeVar Burton, Actor, Director, Educator, co-founder of RRKidz Chris Lewicki, President and Chief Engineer, Planetary Resources, Inc. Becky Stern, Director of Wearable Electronics, Adafruit Industries Ben Heck, Master Modder on element14's The Ben Heck Show
Shine fitness accessory lands at Apple Stores
The Misfit Shine -- a crowdfunded fitness tracker that became a hit on Indiegogo -- almost looks like a Cupertino product already. As Mashable reports, the sleek little gadget is about to hit the shelves of your local Apple Store, where it will undoubtedly fit right in. The device itself is a competitor to products like Nike's FuelBand, the Jawbone Up and FitBit, and works hand in hand with a companion app for iOS that displays your activity level and other statistics. What's more, the tiny aluminum accessory also works as a rather stylish watch. Interestingly, Misfit Wearables was co-founded by former Apple CEO John Sculley, so the familiar design philosophy at work on the Shine may not be a coincidence at all. The Shine is priced at US$99.
Telescopic contact lenses magnify sight 2.8 times, turn wearer into cyborg
Interested in upgrading your eyeballs? Well, a team of DARPA-funded researchers led by Joseph Ford of UC San Diego recently published a proposal for a new type of telescopic contact lens in Optics Express. Designed for people with age-related macular degeneration, the lenses are only 1.17mm thick and can magnify images up to 2.8 times. Their layered construction admits light near the outer edge of the lens, bouncing it across a series of tiny aluminum mirrors before transmitting it to the back of the retina, kind of like the origami-optics lens. Telescopic sight can be toggled on and off by using a pair of 3D glasses to switch the polarization of the central part of the lens. It sounds promising, but the lenses -- pictured after the break -- currently have some obstacles, like gas-impermeable materials unsuitable for long-term wear and sub-par image quality. Want to read more? Pop on your glasses and check out the full paper at the source link below.
Tim Cook thinks Google Glass lacks broad appeal, but wearables are 'incredibly interesting'
Today on stage at the D11 conference, Tim Cook indicated that Apple's interested in wearable tech, including Google Glass, even though he thinks it's "tough to see it [Glass] having a broad-range appeal." When asked about the current state of wearables, he mentioned that fitness devices like the Nike FuelBand (he owns one) perform well, but devices that attempt to do more than one thing haven't impressed him thus far. Generally, he sees wearables as "an area that's ripe for exploration" and that "there will be tons of companies involved" in making such devices. He also mentioned that biometric sensors, in particular, are an area of growth that Apple will be watching with interest, and Cook sees the potential of the wearables space to accelerate the industry further into a Post-PC era as smartphones and tablets did. When asked about Apple's plans to make a wearable, Cook wouldn't comment on the existence (or non existence) of an iWatch. So, while this is far from a confirmation of a forthcoming Apple wearable, it seems certain that the crew in Cupertino is considering them carefully. Update: Check out the video of Cook's comments embedded after the break. Follow along with our D11 liveblog right here.
