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Fitness wearables – like Fitbit and the Apple Watch – were among the "must have" items over this past holiday period, and I would bet you know at least one person that wears one regularly. In fact, new research by consumer analysts Mintel would back that claim up. 

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Security providers Kaspersky Lab and WISeKey have announced a partnership developing technology to protect wearable devices.

The market for connected wearables is estimated to be growing by 35% on an annual basis, while smartwatches, fitness trackers and payment wristbands are expected to account for one in five mobile payment transactions by 2020, with a predicted worth of $500 billion (£x) per year, according to Tractica.

Kaspersky and WISeKey argue that wearables are...

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Fossil Group has announced it is set to roll out over 100 wearables in 2016.

The range will include activity trackers and smart watches for many brands. Misfit, which was acquired by Fossil Group in November 2015, will also launch new types of connected devices. The Misfit and Fossil brands will offer new wearables throughout the year. All 100 styles at Fossil will be available by the end of the year.

Greg McKelvey, chief strategy and digital officer, Fossil Group, said, “We...

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MasterCard and Coin have announced a partnership to add MasterCard payments to a number of smartwatches, fitness bands and wearable devices.

The collaboration adds on to an announcement by MasterCard in October 2015 that introduced the Commerce for Every Device programme. This programme aims at enabling payments via any consumer gadget, wearable or accessory.

Under the partnership, Coin will provide the software and hardware to be integrated with the MasterCard Digital Enablement Service...

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Even though the Apple Watch only launched at the end of April, it has still accounted for more than half of smartwatch sales in 2015.

That’s the finding from Juniper Research’s latest study, entitled “Smartwatches: Trends, Vendor Strategies & Forecasts 2016-2020”. Overall, the absence of a robust use case for smartwatches has seen the segment gain traction from lower priced devices with more basic functionality – the Apple Watch, naturally, being an...

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Smartwatches are the most likely product to be purchased in the health and fitness technology sector, according to a report from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).

More than one third (35%) of US respondents who said they were likely to purchase health and fitness technology in the coming 12 months said they would buy a smartwatch, ahead of fitness related apps (30%), dedicated wearable fitness activity trackers (27%), smart apparel (27%) and devices which track sleep patterns...

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Connected health technology provider GreatCall has launched a wearable product which combines the health functions of an activity tracker with the safety benefits of a mobile emergency response service.

The offering, launched at the CES show, aims to develop a wearable health hub for the active ageing market, eases concerns of caregivers and empowers older adults. The Lively Wearable, which pairs with a smartphone via Bluetooth, can be worn either as a wristband or around the neck...

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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...

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Microsoft and Volvo have been keeping busy in the connected car space, and have announced their work together on a system which allows for the control of your Volvo car using the Microsoft Band 2 wearable. In fact, going by CES this year, the whole technology industry has been looking for however they can get their name in this rapidly-growing space. 

Klas Bendrik, Senior Vice President and Group Chief Information Officer at Volvo Car Group, says: “When...

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According to Ericsson ConsumerLab's '10 Hot Consumer Trends for 2016' report from its global research programme, internal sensors within the body may become the new generation of wearables.

Eight out of 10 consumers surveyed said that they would like technology that enhances their cognitive abilities and sensory perception, such as hearing, memory and vision. More than half would also want to improve their communication capabilities. One in three consumers expressed...

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A report from analyst house Berg Insight has found that connected wearables shipments is expected to hit 228.3 million by 2020, up from 25.3m in 2014 and 72.5m this year.

Shipments will therefore grow at a CAGR of 25.8% between 2015 and 2020, with Bluetooth expected to remain the primary connectivity option over the forecast period.

Of the total wearables sold in 2020, 17.8 million will feature embedded cellular connectivity, mostly in the categories of smartwatches and safety and...

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As countries around the globe take steps to keep global warming less than 2 degrees Celsius this century, scientists are exploring unique – perhaps unmentionable – ways to provide power. Researchers at the University of the West of England (UWE, Bristol) have developed a novel method to power portable and wearable electronics. The apparatus in question is a pair of socks...

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Some people aren't even aware the Vive exists amongst headlines dominated by the likes of Oculus – which is the case with a lot of recent products by HTC. But the Vive, for those unaware, is an impressive VR headset from HTC built in collaboration with one of the most renowned names in gaming, Valve. 

Yesterday, HTC announced the Vive would be delayed until April 2016. We caught-up with Dan Page, a VR consultant and organiser behind the...

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Dialog Semiconductor's latest SmartBond development kit now includes profile support for WeChat's communication protocol.

The support for WeChat's protocol was announced with the launch of the company's WeChat SDK, which enables developers to add Bluetooth connectivity between wearables and WeChat apps or other IoT devices.

“Dialog is committed to supporting our customers’ continued growth and innovation into exciting...

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Health insurers are starting to factor in data from fitness devices when looking at policy premiums.

For example, VitalityHealth has started to accept data from Garmin, Polar, and other major fitness monitoring devices. It even offers discounts to policyholders to purchase some of the units. Some major insurers will help create a health plan based on the data from these devices.

On the...

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As the hub surrounding wearable technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) reaches a high point before the holiday season, reviews of the devices, including Apple Watch, Android Wear, Fitbit, Samsung Gear, and Google Glass, proliferate. But what do we know about the process of developing software for these wearable devices?

Our analysis spoke with 15 business leaders with experience designing and developing for wearables as first movers. The conversations revealed insights into the

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Teleplan International will now service wearables as part of its aftermarket offering, as the adoption of wearable devices gains ground in the marketplace. The development falls in line with the company’s strategy to focus on markets around communications, and computer and consumer electronics.

The expertise of Teleplan with regard to associated technologies and components in other consumer electronics devices justifies the move, the company argues. Teleplan can also benefit from...

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Remote Medical Technologies (RMT) will introduce wearable telemedicine solution iMedHD2 EyeCandy at the Radiological Society of North America’s (RSNA) Annual Meeting at McCormick Place in Chicago, US, from November 29 to December 4. iMedHD2 EyeCandy is a wearable eyeglass device that facilitates real-time transmission of live images.

The wearable solution will provide a radiologist with remote monitoring, allowing them to instruct technicians from a distance. The solution...

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Cloud accounting software provider Xero has rolled out its app for Apple Watch, aiming for it to be the fastest way for entrepreneurs to stay on top of their cash flow.

Using Xero’s Apple Watch app, which is catered mainly for small businesses, will allow customers to benefit from notifications on transactions. The app will also display an updated balance and provide insight on all accounts across multiple banks.

The company is already running apps for iPhone and iPad and is...

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Sensoria has been awarded the 'Best New Wearable Technology Device' award for its smart socks at the 2015 IDTechEX Printed Electronics USA show.

The textile sensor-infused socks was selected by a panel of judges that included Sandisk Corporation senior vice president Henri Richard, head of fashion innovation agency at the London College of Fashion Matthew Drinkwater, and US Olympic Committee senior sports technologist Mounir Zok.

Each smart sock has three soft, thin textile...