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In an interview with TIME magazine, Google's chief software engineer Amit Singhal revealed the company once built a prototype wearable similar to the Communicator pin worn by the Enterprise's crew in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Although the project did not live long, nor did it prosper.
The pin, which could be attached to a user's...
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Developers are now able to start optimising their apps for an upcoming Android Wear update to ’Marshmallow’ thanks to Google's release of the API 23 SDK. The latest SDK allows developers to improve the experience for users, as well as offer better privacy.
Android Wear, like its mobile counterpart, is available in various forms. When developing apps for...
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Apple can detect pressure on their latest iPhones and smartwatch due to 3D Touch and Force Touch, but that requires new hardware. A new algorithm developed by Qeexo called FingerAngle could revolutionise how we interact with our wearable devices, just through a software update.
FingerAngle detects at which angle the user is placing their finger, and respond in unique ways as the finger is turned. Whilst on current smartwatches you...
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Re-Timer is a pair of glasses designed in Australia which uses light therapy to alter your circadian rhythm, or "body clock" as it's often known. One season in particular causes havoc with our natural sleep cycle and can affect our mental state, winter.
Many people, including me, suffer from something called SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) whereby the short hours of daylight – combined with dark mornings and evenings –...
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Most people with a current smartwatch know battery life is a problem, especially coming from mechanical timepieces which last years without needing a replacement. Even in smartphones, which have a lot more space to pack-in a larger battery, manufacturers struggle to get devices to last even a couple of days.
The size constraints presented by most wearable devices – not just smartwatches –...
When it comes to fitness trackers, the most renowned players are Jawbone and Fitbit. Both of these companies push the boundaries when it comes to keeping us healthy, but of the two, only Fitbit has so far attempted to combine a powerful tracker with smartwatch functionality in their most-recent flagship, the Surge.
Has the company pulled off this ambitious feat? It's time for us to find out...
First and foremost the Fitbit Surge is a fitness device, and therefore...
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When it comes to wearable devices, reaching a harmonious balance of performance and power-efficiency is of vital importance. Most chips used in current wearables haven't been designed for these devices in particular, but ARM wants to change that with the debut of the Mali-470 GPU.
The Mali-470 is a highly-optimised chip which enables smartphone-quality visuals along with an enhanced user interface for power-constrained products. Along with the aforementioned...
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Watches should be stylish, but few smartwatch manufacturers know how to combine fashion with technology due to a lack of experience. Traditional watchmakers are looking to fill that void and deliver an iconic timepiece which pays homage to decades of history – and Fossil is next up to lend their expertise.
The watch manufacturer has announced four new smart wearables ahead of the holiday season – one of which is an interesting Android Wear...
You can look at the specs and features of a wearable device, but little gives you a sense of how it feels and performs day-to-day without using it. In this article, I'll go over my personal experience after spending a week using the Huawei Watch and exploring some of its unique features.
Earlier in the week I posted a review of the design of the Huawei Watch, which is superb. In this article...
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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 –...
For such a beloved item with a long history of tradition, smartwatch manufacturers have an uphill struggle to convince mechanical watch owners to make the switch. However, there's a strong argument to be made that Huawei's debut watch is the first to pay true homage to decades of classic timepieces and it could be enough to entice a few more wrists over to a new digital lifestyle.
Buyers of high-end watches like Rolex or Cartier will know the premium experience starts with the packaging. Most...
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Earlier in the week I posted my concern at the lack of Android Wear devices which could support mobile payments in the future – due to a lack of NFC – leaving an open goal for the Apple Watch and Samsung's upcoming Tizen-based Gear S2 smartwatch.
One manufacturer which has been completely absent from the smartwatch race thus far is HTC; despite being named as an OEM for...
NFC is a technology which Android users have bragged about having access to over iOS for years – but now some manufacturers of Google-based devices have abandoned it whilst Apple has embraced it with success for mobile payments.
Google Wallet launched in May 2011 as a disjointed service which had little support due to a shaky relationship with retailers and banks after Google wanted details of transactions stored for its advertising business. Apple, meanwhile, as a hardware business...
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When it comes to design - both hardware and software - there's little dispute that Samsung's Gear S2 has upped the game with its unique rotating bezel and UX. It's even attracted legendary Italian designer Alessandro Mendini. However, it's become clear the Korean giant has some hurdles to overcome when it comes to software and services.
The issue lies...
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Most current wearable devices use Bluetooth to communicate, but this can be wasteful due to a how difficult it is for the signal to pass through a user's body. This causes an effect called "path loss" whereby a signal is weakened on the way to its destination, as well as causing security worries due to the distance the signal travels around the user being susceptible to eavesdropping.
A team led by Professor...
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A new wearable device for infants created by a Cambridge-California social enterprise could be the key to preventing fatal or crippling ailments such as diarrhoea & malnutrition, malaria, HIV/AIDS, and others.
JustMilk is a device which attaches to a mother’s nipple when breastfeeding to deliver key antibiotics, antimalarials, antiretrovirals, vitamins, nutrients, and...
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The use of wearables in healthcare is still in an infant stage, but research from TrustMarque points towards 81% of respondents wanting more use of connected devices in patient care.
Benefits of wearables in healthcare are well-documented but include; remote monitoring to allow patients to go home earlier to improve their comfort, reduce the burden on manual hospital checks,...
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According to California-based Slice Intelligence, sales of the Apple Watch have plunged 90% since the opening week. Apple, who is also based in California, has been selling fewer than 20,000 watches a day in the U.S. since the initial surge in April, and on some days fewer than 10,000.
This is a sharp contrast to the approximately 200,000 watches...
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When it comes to wearables, it has always been clear that Samsung intends to be a pioneer. However, the Korean-giant received a lukewarm reception for its 'Gear' range of smartwatches and left the door open for Apple to dominate the market in two months since the launch of their...
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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...