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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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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...

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Students with autism and anxiety in the US and Canada will be able to pursue a proper education and therapy with the help of the Snug Vest – a specially designed inflatable garment by Wearable Therapeutics – which employs the ‘Deep Pressure Therapy’ technique that helps children and adults who are in need of constant pressure to achieve daily tasks with ease.

Wearable Therapeutics founder and CEO, Lisa...

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Consumers consider accuracy as the most important feature of wearable devices, with more than half of those who do not own a wearable considering buying one if they trusted its accuracy.

The survey, of 706 US consumers, aged between 18 to 65, titled “The State of Wearables Today” conducted by Valencell and MEMS & Sensor Industry Group, looked to gain insight on consumers’ knowledge and preferences around wearables such as a device, clothing or accessories...

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Apple has looked to reinvigorate the Apple Watch with watchOS 3 with improvements to performance and navigation along with new features related to fitness and health.

New physical features include new watch faces including Minnie Mouse, Activity and Numerals. Apps – such as, Workout, Music or Messages – will now be able to launch from the watch face. Customers can add complications to the Photo, Motion or Timelapse watch faces.

As regards performance, users can press...

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Researchers at the National Science Foundation’s Center for Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST) at North Carolina State University have developed a low-power wearable system that will help predict and prevent asthma attacks.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that over 24 million people are impacted by asthma in the US and patients currently make use of inhalers to counter the systems that can include...

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Royal Philips and Pegasystems have partnered to aid managed care service providers and accountable care organisations to make use of connected devices and health data to boost patient care.

The collaboration will see the integration of the Pega Care Management Application to the Philips HealthSuite Cloud platform. The development will also lower costs at support care managers and insurers, with general availability slated for later in 2016.

Philips and Pegasystems will put on display...

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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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Researchers at the University of California San Diego claim to have put together the first flexible wearable device capable of monitoring both biochemical and electric signals.

The Chem-Phys patch represents a breakthrough in the healthcare wearables space and provides real time recording of electrocardiogram (EKG) heart signals and levels of lactate, a biochemical marker of physical effort.

Nanoengineers and electrical engineers at the UC San Diego Center for Wearable Sensors...

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BACtrack, a company that designs and sells portable breath alcohol testers for consumer and professional use, took the first prize at the Wearable Alcohol Biosensor Challenge organised by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

BACtrack won $200,000 at the competition that assessed a discreet device capable of measuring blood alcohol levels in near real-time. BACtrack’s entry, the BACtrack Skyn, is a wrist-worn device and offers continuous and non-invasive...

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Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison claim to have developed the fastest stretchable, wearable integrated circuits, which could disrupt the healthcare wearables space.

The details were published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials and the team was led by Zhenqiang “Jack” Ma, Lynn H. Matthias Professor in Engineering and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor in electrical and computer...

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NuEyes has developed head-mounted, hands-free wearable technology that provides CCTV and text-to-speech capabilities in an easy-to-use headset about the size of a pair of sunglasses. The device, carrying the name of the company, comprises ODG smartglasses that offer magnification up to 12x. The company has now announced an exclusive partnership with New England Low Vision and Blindness (NELV&B) to bring the device to the visually-impaired across New England.

Prior to the launch...

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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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On-stage during TechCrunch Disrupt NY, a startup known as Halo Neuroscience has demonstrated an impressive wearable device which utilises pulses of energy to improve athletic performance. 

Halo Sport uses a technique called 'neuropriming' whereby a small amount of electrical current is applied to a wearer's brain via electrodes in contact with the scalp. When focused correctly, this stimulation helps to...

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Tractica has released a new report forecasting a massive rise in global healthcare wearables shipments by 2021.

The report has suggested that worldwide healthcare wearable device shipments will rise from 2.5 million in 2016 to 97.6 million annually by 2021. The global healthcare wearables market will make up $17.8 billion of yearly revenue.

Smart watches, wearable patches and fitness trackers will all play key roles in the rise of wearables for wellness and health. Healthcare wearables...

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Nautilus Lab has launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for its PEM Wave CARE wearable device for chronic pain relief.

The device claims to also help improve immunity and blood circulation. It can be worn as a necklace to improve blood circulation or attached to a body part to provide relief from chronic pain or inflammation. It can be operated by a smartphone app via Bluetooth.

It is the latest development from...

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Defibrillators utilising wearable technology could be a good option for some patients with heart rhythm abnormalities but not all, according to an advisory note from the American Heart Association.

The advisory, published in the association’s Circulation journal, says that the wearable automatic defibrillator may not be suitable for all those diagnosed with life-threatening heart arrhythmia but not deemed suitable for implantable cardiac defibrillators...

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Research and Markets has forecast that the global wearable medical device market will reach $27.8 billion (£19.8bn) by 2022.

According to the report, the market growth will be driven by rising prevalence of medical conditions such as hypertension and obesity. A sedentary lifestyle will also boost the demand for such devices, as well growing health awareness.

The demand for wearable technology will also grow, driven by rising incidences of diabetes and other chronic conditions that...

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Sleep has long been and – to a great extent – still is the most commonly overlooked necessity of life.  Like the air we breathe, the water that sustains us and the food that nourishes us, sleep is critical to our health and well-being. Yet, it is the one commodity that few of us have enough of and, too often, is the first thing sacrificed in our hectic lives.

This Friday,...

Wearable technology is finding a range of innovative ways to improve our wellbeing, and the UPRIGHT Pose is the second device we've tested just this year so far which aspires to fix our posture. 

For a reminder, in January we put the Lumo Lift through its paces and found it to be a capable although sometimes finicky device. Whereas the Lumo Lift is designed to be worn near your...