Wearables

Cool Stuff Found

One Ring to Monitor It All (Well, Almost)

Jeff Butts · · Add Comment

Imagine having your heart rate, body temperature, blood oxygen, sleep health, and much more tracked by the ring on your finger. That is precisely what Ōura Ring can already do, and more features are coming. The lightweight titanium ring is lined on the inside with sensors. It monitors your heart rate 24/7, and will soon be able to provide you post-workout insights. The Ōura Ring also keeps tabs on your restorative time, like sleeping and taking mindfulness breaks. This smart piece of jewelry can also help predict menstrual cycles, and more features are in the pipeline. In 2022, the manufacturer plans to turn on advanced sleep analysis and blood oxygen monitoring. Preorders have begun, and the rings begin shipping November 15.

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US Army Funds Wearable That Could Treat Sleep Disorders in Real Time

Andrew Orr · · Add Comment

The U.S. Army is funding a special skullcap that aims to analyze how the brain disposes of waste during sleep. Eventually, the goal is for the device to treat sleep disorders for soldiers in real time.

The $2.8 million award issued through the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium is for the first year of what the research team anticipates will be a multiyear grant from the U.S. Army. The primary goal is to noninvasively measure and modulate the flow of cerebrospinal fluid as it circulates through the brain and clears waste.

I can’t resist linking to Galactic Cowboys.

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There’s Lots For Apple Watchers to be Excited About

Charlotte Henry · · 1 Comment

Following Apple’s latest blockbuster quarter, there’s lots for fans of the company to be excited about according to Dan Moren. He explained what he’s looking forward to in his latest MacWorld column – wearables, to name but one.

There’s nothing that Apple watchers want to know more than what the next big product coming out of Cupertino might be. They scrutinize supply chains, try to draw information out of company contacts, and, of course, closely pore over every public statement by Apple. When it comes to Apple’s financial calls, one key phrase that often signals what areas Apple might be interested in is “very excited.” If you were listening during last week’s financial call, you would hear that exact phrase uttered by Apple CFO Luca Maestri in relation to precisely one product category: Wearables.

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Apple Sold 10.4M Apple Watches in 4Q18

Andrew Orr · · Add Comment

Apple sold 10.4 million Apple Watches in quarter 4 of 2018 (4Q18). The Series 4 remains a strong seller and should remain the market leader as more healthcare organizations utilize the device.

The worldwide market for wearable devices grew 31.4% during the fourth quarter of 2018 (4Q18), reaching a new high of 59.3 million units according to data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker.

Apple has the number one spot in a list of five companies. Other companies include Xiaomi #2, Huawei #3, Fitbit #4, and Samsung #5.

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Nike Launches Line of Self-Adjusting Basketball Shoes

Andrew Orr · · 1 Comment

Nike launched a line of self-adjusting basketball shoes that you can control with your iPhone. They’re based on the company’s FitAdapt technology.

When a player steps into the Nike Adapt BB, a custom motor and gear train senses the tension needed by the foot and adjusts accordingly to keep the foot snug. The tensile strength of the underfoot lacing is able to pull 32 pounds of force (roughly equal to that of a standard parachute cord) to secure the foot throughout a range of movement.

These basketball shoes look slick.

This Smart Mask Can Alter Your Mind and Make You Horny
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This Smart Mask Can Alter Your Mind and Make You Horny

Andrew Orr · · Add Comment

MIT has developed a smart mask that can alter your mind. It can make you horny or anxious by listening to your own breathing via feedback mechanisms. The device, called Masque, was created by artist and recent graduate of MIT Media Lab Xin Liu. In Ms. Liu’s thesis, she describes how Masque “caused wearers to feel more stressed and more sexually aroused, despite no registered change in their physiology.” She worked with industrial designer Hongxin Zhang to create it. It hides the electronics inside of its curved frame, with a temperature sensor placed underneath the wearer’s nose. Who knows? Maybe some day in the future you’ll find the Masque in your local sex shop.

CES – Healbe GoBe 2, a Wearable That Tracks Caloric Intake, Calories Burned, Hydration Levels
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CES - Healbe GoBe 2, a Wearable That Tracks Caloric Intake, Calories Burned, Hydration Levels

Bryan Chaffin · · Add Comment

CES – Healbe demonstrated GoBe 2, the company’s wearable it claims can track caloric intake, calories burned, and hydration levels, all non-invasively. It uses five activity and stress sensors, with all data sent securely to the GoBe 2 app for iOS or Android. The company is also developing a portal that will allow users to send data to “trusted nutritionists/wellness coaches,” though Healbe didn’t elaborate. GoBe 2 is water resistant in fresh water, but not salt water, and it works up to 48 hours on a charge. GoBe 2 is priced at US$199, with additional strap color options available at $19 each. It’s available now.