(c)iStock.com/alexey_boldin

If you’ve got a smartphone and are looking to get fit, looking at the wearable devices on offer, then you might want to hold back on that purchase for now. A new research letter from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) argues smartphones apps are just as effective as wearable devices in tracking step counts.

JAMA’s paper, entitled ‘Accuracy of Smartphone Applications and Wearable...

(c)iStock.com/koo_mikko

“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...

Picture credit: HIRIS/YouTube

Meet HIRIS. HIRIS stands for Human Interactive Reliable Integrated System, and boldly claims to be the “first wearable computer for everyone.” It’s a big claim – but does it stack up?

The main reasoning behind this claim is because HIRIS can withstand any environment and be placed anywhere, from different body parts to on tennis rackets. This isn’t an entirely new idea; Misfit Wearables,

Picture credit: LeathermanMedia/YouTube

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...

(c)iStock.com/venimo

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said it will only monitor wearable devices that claim to help diagnose and treat major illnesses.

The majority of devices on the market, however, will be classified in the ‘general wellness’ category, which as the name suggests relates more to general wellbeing and can be associated with weight management, physical fitness, improving self-esteem, sleep management or sexual function.

The FDA notes it’s more the classification...

(c)iStock.com/stokkete

A report published by A&D Medical of more than 2000 US adults has found more than half (56%) of respondents want to monitor their health with connected health devices that automatically send information to their doctors.

The potential of wearable technology, connected devices all powered by the Internet of Things (IoT) is here to stay – and according to A&D, consumers are increasingly looking for buy-in. Blood pressure (37%) was the most popular test respondents wanted to...

(c)iStock.com/namiroz

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...

(c)iStock.com/ferrantraite

Google Glass is gone. Well, it has in its current form anyway, after the tech giant announced in an indirect way it was ceasing sales of Glass Explorer on January 19.

In a Google Plus post entitled “We’re graduating from Google[x] labs”, the company states it is closing its Explorer Program to “focus on what’s coming next.”

“Interest in wearables has exploded and today it’s one of the most exciting areas in technology,” the team...

(c)iStock.com/bekisha

We’ve got some bad news for you. That Fitbit, or Jawbone you got for Christmas isn’t going to magically make you a healthier person, or even really influence you to become healthier, just because of the technology involved.

That’s the key takeaway from a study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which argues that mobile health apps need to do better in utilising theories of health behaviour, rather than focus on the...

(c)iStock.com/krystiannawrocki

Apple has filed a patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a “digital camera system having remote control”, fuelling speculation that Cupertino is preparing a further push towards wearable tech in 2015.

The patent, viewable...

(c)iStock.com/aislan13

IC Tomorrow, a UK-based programme for growth in the digital sector, has announced the launch of a £210,000 innovation prize for startups and small businesses based around wearable devices and smart fashion.

The contest offers £35,000 in funding and the opportunity to trial a product with a big name in the industry. Sponsors include Disney, who heads up the ‘wearables for kids’ category; McLaren, who along with Loughborough University is marshalling the...

Picture credit: JINS MEME/YouTube

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is a hub for all types of technology, from smartphones to washing machines. Yet, alongside connected cars, there was a clear appetite for wearable technology at this year’s event.

Recent research from Accenture found that over the next 12 months 12% of consumers plan to buy a wearable fitness monitor, with the same number expected to buy a smartwatch in the same time frame. Within five years, 40% and 41% respectively expect to...

Picture credit: Swarovski/YouTube

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...

Picture credit: iStockPhoto

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...

Picture credit: iStockPhoto

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

Picture credit: iStockPhoto

Reports have surfaced that the next generation of Google Glass wearables will feature an Intel chipset, having moved on from Texas Instruments.

The move pushes Intel further into the wearable tech space, and represents the search giant going back to the drawing board in terms of its design for the product, which has recently come in for criticism for its target towards the consumer space.

Picture credit: iStockPhoto

A study from Reportlinker on the wearable electronics and semiconductor market has agreed the current state of wearables for enterprise is far stronger than the consumer equivalent.

The report analyses the different industry sectors, market drivers, demographic factors and emerging markets, and notes the difficulty of sizing up a market which is so nascent and contains so many potential offshoots.

For the purposes of the report, Reportlinker classifies a wearable computing device...

Picture credit: iStockPhoto

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...

Picture credit: Cuff/YouTube

Take a look at Cuff. The startup, which provides jewellery that serves as a fitness and activity tracker, has won an award for the most beautiful wearable of 2014 at the Decoded Fashion summit in New York.

The company’s collection, which includes necklaces and bracelets, are powered by interchangeable modules, called CuffLincs, which connect directly to iPhone and Android apps.

Cuff lasts seven days without charging, and comes with a single press, double press and triple...

Picture credit: iStockPhoto

A wearable technology panel at the Apps World Europe event last week concluded that wearables are currently missing the market by being sold in technology stores rather than in general retail.

It's an interesting argument. Technology is already pervasive in certain items of clothing, such as running shoes, and we'd buy them without a second glance. But is this going to be the future for wearables?

Krispin Lawrence is co-founder and CEO at wearable firm Ducere Technologies....