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A study from researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the University of St. Andrews argues how utilising different pressures and inputs could change the design of smartwatch and fitness band interfaces.

The study introduces technology called WatchMI, which features software analysing data from a built-in inertial measurement unit (IMU), and argues how utilising various common aspects...

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Fossil has announced the launch of the Q Wander and Q Marshal smartwatches with pre-orders beginning August 12 and availability in stores from August 29.

Q Marshal and Q Wander are compatible with both Android smartphones and iPhones and start at $295, with integration including Google Fit, UA Record by Under Armour, UP by Jawbone, and MyFitnessPal.

“Q Wander and Q Marshal beautifully marry form and function for a stunning addition to your everyday style,” said Jill...

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A new smartwatch app being developed at Binghamton University in New York aims to improve communication and prevent falls at nursing homes.

The new app is being developed by two researchers – assistant professor of systems science and industrial engineering Huiyang Li and PhD candidate Haneen Ali – at the Binghamton University in New York.

The app aims to help certified nursing assistants (CNAs) respond to alerts more quickly and help prevent...

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Wearables like those offered by Fitbit can amass tons of valuable data on a scale not previously achievable. Researchers have conducted over 200 health studies based on more than two billion minutes of Fitbit data alone – which is pretty incredible. 

The data was collected over four years and has been revealed during a time when Fitbit's CEO has...

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Garmin has announced its results for the second quarter ended June 25, 2016, with revenue growing 5% year-on-year to $812 million.

Gross margin expanded to 57.0% compared to 54.2% in the prior year quarter, and operating margin expanded to 24.7% compared to 21.5% in the prior year quarter. GAAP EPS grew 18% year-on-year to $0.85 while pro forma EPS grew 21% year-on-year to $0.87.

Cliff Pemble, president and chief executive officer of Garmin, said: “We achieved strong results in...

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Preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker revealed that global smartwatch shipments declined for the first time ever in the second quarter of 2016, falling 32% year-on-year to 3.5 million units.

Apple topped the market with its shipments totalling 1.6 million watches though it was the only vendor in the top 5 to witness an annual decrease in shipments. However, to put things into perspective, the year-on-year comparison is...

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Shipments of smart watches with cellular connectivity are set to see a compound annual growth rate of 63% in the period from 2016 to 2020, rising from 7.5 million units in 2016 to 53.6 million in 2020, as projected by Canalys. Over the near term, a new Apple Watch with cellular connectivity will be a primary driver of shipments.

Samsung and LG have been forcefully rolling out new cellular technologies in the market, with smart watches such as the Gear S2 classic 3G/4G and the Watch...

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A new report released by the US Department of Health and Human Services argues that the ubiquitous nature of health apps and wearable technologies has led to gaps in consumer privacy, which are regulated by the watershed Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

The report said: “New types of entities that collect, share, and use health information are not regulated by HIPAA. Health information is increasingly collected, shared, or used by new types of...

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J.D. Power has released two reports on satisfaction in wearable tech; one focusing on smartwatches and the other on fitness bands. Apple topped the satisfaction survey for smartwatches while Samsung stood first in the fitness band category.

The reports ascertain overall satisfaction among customers who purchased the devices within the past 12 months. The reports also provided a breakdown on satisfaction across 11 factors.

For smartwatches, the foremost factors – in order of...

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Researchers from Binghamton University and the Stevens Institute of Technology have revealed that wearable devices have the ability to leak passwords.

In the paper, titled “Friend or Foe?: Your Wearable Devices Reveal Your Personal PIN”, the researchers collated data from embedded sensors in wearable technologies, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, along with a computer algorithm to ascertain PINs and passwords. The team managed to crack the pin on the first attempt...

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The wearables market in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) geographical segment witnessed growth of 65.3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2016, according to IDC, which monitors seven major countries across MEA, even as shipments into these countries totalled 419,925 units during the quarter. IDC projects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.1% for the 2016–2020 period for the MEA wearables market.

Nakul Dogra, a senior research analyst for personal computing, systems,...

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The NPD Group Connected Intelligence Activity Trackers and Sports Report argues that as activity tracker sales continue to see robust growth, the smartwatch is catching up in terms of popularity with consumers as an alternative to track more advanced activities. The report has found that though the activity tracker exhibits leadership in the majority of exercise categories, smartwatches are narrowing the gap.

Eddie Hold, president of Connected Intelligence, said: “Activity tracker...

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Ericsson surveyed 5,000 smartphone users in Brazil, China, South Korea, the UK and the US for a ConsumerLab report on the views of the 280 million smartphone users around the globe about wearable devices. 

According to Ericsson's 

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During last year's I/O developer conference Google unveiled a couple of early innovations to improve how we interact with our wearable devices in the form of Project Soli and Project Jacquard. At this year's event, Google has demonstrated how the projects have developed since.

Project Soli employs a radar-based system to detect small movements around the device – such as finger gestures – and uses the motion...

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According to the latest report from CCS Insight, approximately 10 million wearable devices will be operational in the UK by the end of 2016, with five million sales and the overall figure tripling to almost 33 million units in the next four years.

Fitness trackers will lead the way in terms of volume with sales of 1.7 million expected in 2017, according to the researchers. However, in terms of value, smartphone companions such as the Apple Watch will be the leading category, worth...

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Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have established a way to make skin the next user interface for technology – solving the issue of small displays on most wearables. 

Current smartwatches are more powerful than their interfaces allow them to be. When you cover most of the display with a single finger, it limits what interactions you can perform with a device. A team at the Future Interfaces...

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8% of American adults say they own an Apple Watch, according to research by ad tech provider Fluent.

The results of the survey, which polled 2,500 respondents, exceeded the expectations set after its first Apple Watch study in April 2015. In the 2015 survey, Fluent found that 5% of Americans planned to buy the first version of the Apple Watch, amounting to around 12.5 million people.

A year later, the figures show that 8% of Americans now own an Apple Watch. With the 2% margin of...

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Many of us are expected to utilise our wearables for payments by 2018, if projections by Juniper Research are correct. The research firm expects contactless payments through wearable devices to reach $95 billion annually by 2018, up from less than $35 billion last year.  

Apple’s entry into NFC gave the industry a much needed boost, and could well be seen as...

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IDC estimates that the global wearable device market is anticipated to see 44% year on year increase in shipments to 111.1 million units in 2016. Additionally, the segment is expected to witness a five year CAGR of 28%, resulting in 214.6 million units by 2019. As a result, EQM Indexes is launching an index, named WEARXT, to monitor the wearables segment.

WEARXT monitors the combined performance of around 45 to 55 global stocks that generate revenue from wearable technology...

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The global wearable technology market is estimated to total $196.5 million by 2022 mainly on account of research and development undertaken by a large number of industry players, according to Grand View Research.

Increasing disposable income across the globe, technological advancement, price, quality, battery life, 3D printing and crowd funding are other factors that are expected to make a positive impact. Players in this industry include Apple, Adidas, Garmin, Fitbit, Nike, Google,...