Fitbit: Major events like the US election are making us lose sleep

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Wearable devices can offer some unique insights about our health and the environmental impacts which affect it. Data from 10 million Fitbit devices has revealed that on average users slept 30 minutes less than on the previous two Tuesday nights. 

During the presidential debates, users slept 4.2 minutes less...

By Ryan Daws, 11 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Contextual Data, Health & Wellness, Trackers.

TomTom research finds Brits desire more fitness guidance

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Not all of us have diet fitness-related degrees, and so unless we invest significant amounts for those which do, we simply move from machine-to-machine hoping for a beach-ready body at some point before we meet our fate. 

Research from TomTom Sports has revealed that most Brits struggle when it comes to maintaining a healthy body; with 83 percent admitting they...

By Ryan Daws, 03 October 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Contextual Data, Devices, Fitness, Health & Wellness, Performance Monitoring, Trackers.

Microsoft Band finds employment in helping epilepsy sufferers

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Despite rumours of the demise of the Microsoft Band, the original wearable is being employed to aid epilepsy sufferers in predicting upcoming seizures and help to ensure their safety.

A new program called MyCareCentric is being used for the pioneering epilepsy research developed by a range of partners including Microsoft, the Epilepsy Care Alliance, the University of Kent in the U.K., Shearwater...

Sports wearables require a greater focus on improvement advice

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When most people think of wearables, fitness trackers such as Fitbit come to mind. Whilst these devices are great for tracking your current performance to compare it to your past, they often don't offer advice on how to improve your ability in a chosen sport. 

New research from Lux has signaled the need for sports wearables that go beyond...

KAIST develops ultra-thin transparent transistors for wearable displays

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A research group from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has developed ultra-thin transistors aimed at improving the performance of electronic and wearable displays.

As the IoT era gains ground, there has been robust demand for wearable and transparent displays suited to the requirements of various fields such as augmented reality (AR) and skin-like thin flexible devices. However, the researchers argue that previous technology for flexible transparent displays...

By Wearable Tech, 02 August 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Connectivity, Contextual Data, Data & Analytics.

YONO is an in-ear wearable to predict fertility windows

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A wearable called YONO is now shipping after successful Kickstarter crowdfunding which aims to help women understand their ovulation cycles and predict their optimum fertility window. 

YONO is a silicone earpiece worn during the night which measures and records Basal Body Temperature (BBT) data every five minutes. Since BBT typically increases during ovulation, this data can be analysed to predict when a...

By Ryan Daws, 14 July 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Contextual Data, Devices, Health Monitoring, Health & Wellness, Trackers.

Garmin's Approach X40 should be a hole-in-one for golfers

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Garmin is no stranger to wearables and has a solution for most people no matter what sport they partake in. The company's Approach range is specifically-targeted at golfers, and the latest X40 is packed with all the features you need to improve your game whether a professional or an amateur. 

Previous generations of the Approach have featured a smartwatch-like...

By Ryan Daws, 25 April 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Contextual Data, Devices, Fitness, Performance Monitoring, Trackers.

Opinion: Healthcare could benefit more from wearables

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The recent focus around wearables at CES pricked my attention yet again. There can be no doubt that wearables are more than just a passing fad, they have engaged consumers in new ways by providing the ability to capture and track health information. But what are we doing with all the data captured by wearables, and how can this benefit the healthcare system?

More often than not, the...

By Nik Stanbridge, 01 February 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Contextual Data, Health Monitoring, Health & Wellness, Opinion, Trackers.

Wearable tattoos are here (kind of)

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Although sensors which reside inside of the body are the next big thing, a new generation of wearable technology is arriving due to MC10 which hopes to secure a spot on your skin - like a "tattoo" of sorts. 

This new era for wearables is starting with researchers looking into people who have problems with movement, motor skills, and other neurodegenerative disorders. Although not quite a tattoo like you would have inked onto your skin, the adhesive patch...

By Ryan Daws, 06 January 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Contextual Data, Health Monitoring, Implants, Trackers.

Wearable sensors market to hit $5.5bn by 2025, claims research

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The market for wearable sensors will reach $5.5 billion (£3.6bn) by 2025, according to the latest report from MarketResearchReports.Biz.

Market Research Reports' new research covers growth trends, dominating sensor types and a forecast of the wearable sensors market worldwide. Several wearable product types have been launched in the last five years, but a common feature among them is the presence of sensor options as a key enabler for the products' most useful...

By Wearable Tech, 24 November 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Contextual Data, Research, Trackers.

How wearables can improve safety and efficiency in surgery

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Though wearables have gained a lot of attention in the consumer segment, such devices have the potential for adoption in the enterprise and even in the medical arena, as evidenced by researchers in the UK.

According to News Medical, Nottingham Trent University has collaborated with the Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust on the design on a...

By Wearable Tech, 12 November 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Contextual Data, Health Monitoring, Health & Wellness.

Opinion: Wearables are creating useful data streams

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A recent article in Bioscience Technology acknowledged how new technologies are generating significant amounts of data in the healthcare and life sciences sectors, and how this is viewed as a positive development for these markets. Data is no longer just being produced from lab...

Google has solar-powered contact lenses in sight

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A patent has been awarded to Google for solar-powered contact lenses which sit on an individual's eyeball to monitor a variety of conditions and offer a range of detailed insights about the user's current health status. 

Google is known for some crazy ideas, which is what makes them one of the most exciting companies to watch. Some of these ideas reach spectacular heights –...

By Ryan Daws, 15 October 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Contextual Data, Devices, Google, Health Monitoring, Health & Wellness.

Wear your health on your sleeve: The next phase of wearable technology

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If you want to appreciate the promise and the challenge of applying new technology to healthcare, look no further than the UK National Health Service.

In 2013, the Secretary of State for Health Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt challenged the NHS to “go paperless by 2018." The goal of this challenge was “to save billions, improve services and help meet the challenges of an ageing population.”

A paperless healthcare facility would have many benefits. It would enable...

By Paula Skokowski, 25 September 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Contextual Data, Data & Analytics, Devices, Health Monitoring, Health & Wellness.

Dallas Cowboys find VR is more than just a punt

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One of the most-popular NFL franchises, the Dallas Cowboys, have dedicated a room at their training facility to virtual reality which will allow their quarterbacks, linebackers, and safeties to assess and hone their skills in brand-new ways thanks to technology from Stanford-based StriVR Labs.

When you're just watching film; you don't get the sound, you don't...

By Ryan Daws, 08 June 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Contextual Data, Performance Monitoring, Virtual Reality.

Three key ways that wearables can change lives

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Unless you spent the past month underneath a rock, you have probably heard enough buzz surrounding the Apple Watch’s unveiling to last a lifetime. Apple’s foray into the smart watch space is just the latest indication that the wearables market is forcing its way into the mainstream.

Recent research from Business Insider projects that the number of...

Addapp creates actionable insights from your health data

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Wearables are creating an exciting new era for the health industry, with more data about its users available to ensure our bodies remain in peak condition. The problem is that - aside from telling us to get off our rears or letting us know how far we've run - current devices are creating a whole bunch of data but without much context. 

Addapp wants to change this...

Ready or not, adverts on smartwatches will be coming to a wearable soon

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Juniper Research forecasts that wearable advertising spend will reach $68.7 million (£46.5m) in 2018, a huge leap from $1.5m (£1.02m) by the end of this year – and the growth of the Apple Watch will fuel this step up.

It’s a concept which has had marketers licking their lips in anticipation for months – another screen on which to display ads and sell dollars. Many have laid out their ideas for how this shift will take place; Jeff Lawson, CEO of cloud communications provider Twilio,

By James Bourne, 14 April 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Brands, Contextual Data, Data & Analytics, Smartwatches.

Wearable tech platform Strap locks in to $1.25m of seed investment

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Strap, the Cincinnati-based wearable technology software and analytics platform, has announced it has raised $1.25 million in seed investment.

The round of funding was led by CincyTech, with Mercury Fund, Vine Street Ventures, Danmar Capital, Hyde Park Venture Partners and New Coast Ventures among others contributing.

With various hype around wearable technology focusing primarily on the devices, Strap focuses on a platform which developers can build upon. The main product is...

By James Bourne, 03 December 2014, 0 comments. Categories: Contextual Data, Data & Analytics, Developers.