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Toy manufacturing giant Mattel has completed the acquisition of Sproutling, a maker of smart technology products and smart monitors for parents and families.

Sproutling, with offices in San Francisco, will keep developing and launching products under the bespoke brand. Additionally, the company will collaborate on design and development of new products for the Mattel range of brands, based on Sproutling's technology platform.

Mattel global head of strategic development and M&A,...

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Frost & Sullivan has released a report that names wearable electronics among the leading microelectronics technologies in the future, with the segment expected to make headway in terms of adoption soon.

Wearable electronics is expected to play a major role in consumer and healthcare applications and this development along with the rise in the use of smart devices is boosting the development of microelectronics technologies.

The demand for cost-effective and robust devices that...

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Wearable software and hardware supplier Hillcrest Labs has introduced its MotionEngine Wear software to improve development of wearables.

The software’s always-active, sensor-enabled attributes are capable of catering to wearable manufacturers seeking cost-effective, turnkey solutions that facilitate quicker development, more functionality and improved performance along with optimisation for the supply chain. MotionEngine Wear is well-suited for use in smartwatches, activity and...

(Image Credit: Samsung Mobile)

When it comes to design - both hardware and software - there's little dispute that Samsung's Gear S2 has upped the game with its unique rotating bezel and UX. It's even attracted legendary Italian designer Alessandro Mendini. However, it's become clear the Korean giant has some hurdles to overcome when it comes to software and services. 

The issue lies...

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Move over Xiaomi, there’s a new kid on the block. According to latest IDC industry figures, Apple had the second highest number of shipments of wearable devices in the second quarter of 2015, narrowly behind Fitbit.

The numbers, taken from IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker, saw Apple ship a total of 3.6 million units in Q215 representing almost 20% of shipments, while Fitbit shipped 4.4m at 24.3%. Xiaomi, which similarly announced itself in the first quarter,...

Fitbit retains the number one position in the global wearable device market, but is under stiff competition from Chinese-based firm Xiaomi, according to the latest numbers from IDC.

The figures represent a stark closing in on Fitbit’s market dominance. The San Francisco-based company punts out 34.2% of the 11.4 million wearables shipped in the first quarter of 2015, compared with Xiaomi’s 2.8 million (24.6%).

Xiaomi’s first wearable device was announced in July 2014, which naturally...

Samsung was among the first to release an Android Wear smartwatch, but the Korean giant has been focusing its efforts on a Tizen-based watch called 'Project Orbis" which is due for release later this year.

Being based on Tizen, the firm would have more control over the experience than the limited changes which can be made to Google's smartwatch OS. The upcoming device has not yet been fully-revealed, but Samsung hasn't been shy about its existence with invites teasing "Get...

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Anyone with a vested interest in the wearable tech market will recognise that at present, products are still very much in their infant stages in terms of take-up and overall popularity. Here at Apadmi we recently conducted some research into consumer attitudes to wearables in the hope it would shed some light on uncertainty surrounding the technology at present. Our results found that, as it currently stands, 35 per cent of...

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The past 12 months has proved an important period for the wearable tech market. We’ve witnessed an explosion of devices onto the market, and wearables have begun to deliver on the hype surrounding them. From smartwatches to smart wristbands, to fitness-tracking earphones, wearables have evolved quickly, and there are plenty of elegant and niftily-designed devices tempting consumers to invest. Have a quick look at your wrist. It may be hosting a traditional watch now, but Gartner...

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Analyst house Juniper Research has released a new paper asserting ‘invisible’ wearables – hardware which is indistinguishable from non-smart technology – will provide a key market opportunity by 2020.

In a report entitled ‘The World in 2020: A Technology Vision’, made available for free download here, the analysts argue many wearables companies are...