Apple Watch unveiled: Execs have their say on enterprise and branding use cases

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After one previous launch, endless hype, and media keyboards being pummelled into submission, the Apple Watch has finally been fully unveiled at a press event in California.

First, what we learned (or were reminded of):

  • The Watch comes in stainless steel, anodized aluminium for sports models, and 18 carat gold cases in yellow or rose
  • It's available immediately for download on iOS 8.2, supports Wi-Fi and has an approximately 18 hour battery life
  • Pricing starts at $549 with the gold watch maxing out at $10,000, and will start shipping on...

By James Bourne, 09 March 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, iOS, Smartwatches.

MWC15: Round-up of Wearable World Congress

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Everyone was either showing off hardware, or discussing the future of wearable devices at Mobile World Congress this year. Smartwatches took most of the attention, but was stalked by some impressive VR headsets from a range of manufacturers...

Huawei

Huawei somewhat stole the show with their smartwatch unveil. The manufacturer is often known for great smartphones which often undercut the...

By Ryan Daws, 06 March 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Android, Devices, Eyewear, Fitness, Health & Wellness, Samsung, Smartwatches.

Colour-display Pebble with new UI leaks ahead of event

(Image Credit: Pebble)

Earlier this month, we reported Kickstarter-success Pebble is due a new software platform which its founder describes as "unlike anything before" it. A look at this new platform is expected at an event hosted by the company tomorrow, but an early leak has given us a peek at some new hardware on which to show it off...

Found on Pebble's servers, 

By Ryan Daws, 23 February 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, Smartwatches, UI.

Why the Apple Watch is set to make or break the smartwatch market in 2015

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Analyst house CCS Insight has put out its latest global wearables forecast, and predicted that wearable shipments will jump to 75 million in 2015 – a 158% increase on last year.

Not surprisingly, a large amount of this number will be provided by the Apple Watch, due for release in April. CCS Insight expects Apple will account for 20 million of these, representing over a quarter of the market.

Yet the analyst firm sees this point as key – if the Apple Watch succeeds, then it...

By James Bourne, 17 February 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, Research, Smartwatches.

Accellion CMO Paula Skokowski on Apple Watch, Google Glass and wearables security

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“Thank goodness for Apple,” exclaims Paula Skokowski, chief marketing officer at Accellion. It’s an eyebrow-raising comment, but the context makes sense. Slated for April, Skokowski believes the long-awaited release of the Apple Watch will kickstart the wearables push, in much the same way the iPhone did for smartphones.

“[People are] going to get them for Christmas, they’re going to get them for their birthday, they’re going to waltz into work with...

By James Bourne, 10 February 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Interview, Security, Smartwatches.

Pebble promises new software "unlike anything before"

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Kickstarter success story, Pebble, has seen incredible growth since its release in 2013. Despite being one of the first to market, it is still one of the most capable and beloved devices. Even in the face of powerful new platforms - such as Android Wear - it manages to stand above the competition in important areas to users such as battery life and waterproof rating.

There is no denying that Pebble’s software and hardware will need to evolve with the times, or...

By Ryan Daws, 04 February 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Apps, Developers, Ecosystems, Smartwatches.

Leatherman offers multi-tool bracelet which turns the smartwatch on its head

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Here’s a novel approach to building a smartwatch. Leatherman is offering its well known multi-tool set as a bracelet which houses screwdrivers, cutting hooks and box wrenches with the Leatherman Tread.

The idea came to Leatherman president Ben Rivera on a family holiday trip, when he was unable to get past airport security. “I knew there had to be another way to carry my tools with me that would be accepted by security,” he explained. Rivera wore a...

By James Bourne, 26 January 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, Smartwatches, Workplace.

Roll up, roll up, for the latest smartwatch wars: HTC, Samsung, Sony all throw hats into the ring

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With the expected launch – and subsequent hype – of the Apple Watch, due out in the first quarter of this year, it’s not a huge surprise to see other tech giants chancing their arm in the space.

While wearable tech was a major factor at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) earlier this month, there seemed to be a communal lethargy towards another generation of fitness trackers and...

By James Bourne, 19 January 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, Smartwatches.

Misfit and Swarovski team up to push wearables further into fashion

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Misfit Wearables has launched two Swarovski Shine wearables at the Consumer Electronics Show in a partnership with the jewellery brand.

The wearables are available in a crystal and violet face, with the latter utilising a unique “energy crystal” technology which enables charging through exposure to light. Lest this innovation goes the way of the sundial, Misfit writes: “This is the world’s first wireless activity and sleep monitor that utilises an...

By James Bourne, 06 January 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, Fashion, Smartwatches.

Google's Wearable Wednesday - Cardboard SDK, Android Wear 5.0...

Cardboard is not an Oculus Rift, but Google’s 63p VR headset is accessible to just about anyone with a smartphone - in fact over 500,000 people are said to have adopted it. Developers have created over 24 apps which can be found in the newly-launched store to show-off the incredible feat the Google team has achieved with a piece of cardboard, two magnets, and a pair of...

By Ryan Daws, 11 December 2014, 0 comments. Categories: Android, Applications, Eyewear, Gaming, Smartwatches.

Wearable devices could put you behind bars

The wearable sector is seeing its growth fuelled by fitness devices which are able to track our location, heart rate, and even specific movements. This of course has led to security and privacy concerns, but what if your device could end up putting you away for some time in the slammer?

It’s not much of a surprise that law enforcement want access to the data from our devices and cloud services as we live increasingly digital lives.

A personal injury lawyer in Canada has used data from a Fitbit smartwatch to...

By Ryan Daws, 08 December 2014, 0 comments. Categories: Data & Analytics, Health Monitoring, IoT, Privacy, Security, Smartwatches, Trackers.

Apple Watch expected to be most popular workplace wearable in 2015

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41% of respondents in a new Accellion and Vanson Bourne survey expect to see the Apple Watch in its organisation in the coming year, ahead of Google Glass and the Sony Smartwatch.

Apple’s smartwatch, which is still at a tentative early 2015 release date, is certainly getting a lot of consumer and enterprise buy in compared to Glass, the second generation of which will be powered by Intel chips

By James Bourne, 02 December 2014, 1 comment. Categories: Devices, Research, Smartwatches.

Analyst: Moto 360 leads the way in Android Wear device rollout

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New figures released by analyst house Canalys has found that of the nearly five million wearable bands shipped globally in the third quarter of 2014, Motorola’s Moto 360 was the most popular Android Wear choice.

Android Wear is still dwarfed overall by Samsung, the market leader, which comprised 52% of overall market share. Motorola took 15% of share globally, Pebble 12%, with other offerings comprising the remaining 21%.

Interestingly, Nike fell out of the top five...

By James Bourne, 25 November 2014, 0 comments. Categories: Android, Devices, Health & Wellness, Smartwatches.

Jawbone’s $50 wearable and an intricate sleep tracker

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Wearable technology provider Jawbone has released two wristbands targeting different markets; UP MOVE, a $50 basic activity tracker, and UP3, a $180 wristband which captures detailed information on sleeping patterns and heart rate.

The UP3 offers a wide variety of goodies, including a multi-sensor platform which provides a user’s resting heart rate, and is designed to capture more health data as the platform updates. It also has a ‘smart coach’ mode, whereby the band...

By James Bourne, 06 November 2014, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, Fitness, Health & Wellness, Smartwatches.

BlackBerry awarded patents which suggest wearable device is on its way

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BlackBerry has been awarded a slew of patents, including a patent for technology which enables users to unlock their smartphone without a lock code when a wearable device is nearby.

According to a Bloomberg report, U.S. Patent 8,869,263 B2 details “how a small electronic device on a watch or lanyard could be used to grant access to a smartphone so users wouldn’t have to key...

By James Bourne, 27 October 2014, 0 comments. Categories: Developers, Enterprise, Smartwatches, Workplace.

GfK: 420k wearables were sold in the UK this year

Research firm GfK has revealed that over 420,000 wearables were sold in the UK from January through to September 2014. During this period, the total value of the smart devices sold is expected to be in excess of an eye-watering £51 million ($82 million.)

Despite this, the firm believes wearables are far from becoming mass market. Anne Giulianotti, GfK, says: “There’s no question wearable activity trackers have caught on – but with a small percentage of the population....

By Ryan Daws, 24 October 2014, 0 comments. Categories: Android, Devices, IoT, Research, Smartwatches.

Did Microsoft show its wearable in SHIELD?

Microsoft will announce their millenial entry into the wearables market in the coming weeks, as reported by Forbes and confirmed by sources close to the Redmond-based giant. It seems that the company isn't going to be late-to-the-party as it was with Windows Phone...

The upcoming wearable is said to be focused on fitness and is more of a smartband.

But it's possible that Microsoft has shown their device already. Marvel's Agents of SHIELD is a TV show laden with the company's products - whether...

By Ryan Daws, 20 October 2014, 0 comments. Categories: Fitness, Health & Wellness, Smartwatches.

Apple Watch will claw back Android’s market share in wearables, claims research

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ABI Research has gazed into its crystal ball, turned over portentous cards and sifted through the tea leaves, and predicted that Apple Watch will nab at least half of Android’s share in wearable devices in 2015.

The findings, which are part of ABI Research’s Wearables and Smart Accessories Market Research paper, found that iOS will gain a 35% share in the global smartwatch segment, just behind Android at 42%. For comparison, Android’s overall stake was at two...

By James Bourne, 20 October 2014, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, Research, Smartwatches.

Will.i.am fixes wearables with "fashionology"

Musician and entrepreneur, Will.i.am, has long spoke of his intention to enter the smartwatch market. For perhaps the first time, it’s not just us wearable-enthusiasts who have been following developments, but also fans of fashion and his own unique-style.

Alongside the Puls, Will.i.am debuted a range of clothing which can act as a battery.

At Salesforce's Dreamforce event yesterday, Will.i.am took the wraps off of his 'Puls' smartwatch (although he prefers the term...

By Ryan Daws, 16 October 2014, 0 comments. Categories: Android, Fashion, Smartwatches.

GoToMeeting now available on Android smartwatches for execs to feel like a “super-cool spy”

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Citrix has launched GoToMeeting as an app on Android smartwatches, showing both the malleability of wearables for business but also the technology’s fallibility.

The app, which has previously been available on Android smartphones and tablets, has been extended to Android Wear but naturally, the list of commands isn’t all that extensive. Through your smartwatch, you can now join or...

By James Bourne, 16 October 2014, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, Enterprise, Smartwatches, Workplace.