You can’t accuse Jawbone of taking shortcuts with its fitness wearables. The company prematurely pulled the plug on the original 2011 UP and took it back to the lab to work on battery and stability for a year before the 2012 version was released, and it’s taken another twelve months for Jawbone to settle on […]
Google has thrown open the waiting list for Glass, inviting would-be wearables users to stake a place in line for when the next batch of headsets are available. “We’re expanding the Explorer Program little by little,” Google said of the new queue, “and experimenting with different ways of bringing new Explorers into the program.” However, […]
According to a report by the New York Times, Google will today announce a rich new set of musical features for Glass which will provide a better audio experience for those who choose to wear the devices.
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Wearable technology is mostly limited to smartwatches and smart glasses, though other types have been — and actively are — being developed. A particularly unique type is clothing, of which we’ve seen samples in the past. The latest to surface is the “M” from Motiif, a so-called smart trench coat that features an integrated 4G […]
The current crop of sensor-driven wearables are mostly aimed at quantified selfers who want to geek out over activity or fitness data. Not (generally) because they have a pressing need to, more because they like playing with data. But of course wearable sensors have bags of potential to be very practical. And here’s one utilitarian use of wearable sensor tech that’s aiming to fix a real-world problem.
Barcelona-based startup SiempreSecos (aka AlwaysDry in English) has created a range of silicone urine sensors for use in babies’ nappies, or for older people suffering incontinence disorders. The basic problem is that it’s inconvenient and/or invasive to have to keep checking whether a diaper needs changing.
The reusable silicone moisture sensor, which sits against the skin inside the diaper, is paired with a wearable bracelet or other type of warning device/system such as an alarm clock to alert the carer that a diaper needs changing, or that a child is about to wet the bed.
How does the tech work? “We are using radio frequency (868 MHz) with our own communication protocol which allows bidirectional operation with very low energy,” says the startup. ”We use a non-replaceable battery in the sensor that lasts a year and a li-pol battery rechargeable through microUSB on the bracelet. The alarm-clock plugs into a socket.”
Care homes are one big target market for SiempreSecos, with the system providing professional caregivers with a more discreet way of ascertaining when a dementia patient, for instance, who is also incontinent needs their adult diaper changing. This version of the system sends alerts to a PC allowing for multiple patients to be monitored from one terminal.
The startup has also devised versions for parents wanting to use the device to monitor when a baby needs changing, or for bed wetting children, or for a carer of an elderly relative – that version uses a wearable bracelet that includes a moisture level indicator and vibrates when the diaper requires changing.
Prices start at €35 for a basic model designed to be worn by kids at risk of bed wetting, rising to €520 for 10 of SiempreSecos’ Ignis Professional models, designed for use in care homes.
The startup has taken to crowdfunding site Indiegogo to raise funds to get its wearables to market, having invested some €40,000 developing their idea over the past year, as well as raising a €25,000 loan. They’re looking for another €20,000 in crowdfunding for manufacturing and distribution, although it’s a flexible funding campaign so they’ll get any funding they’re able to raise, even if they don’t hit the target.
Google’s XE11 update for Glass may have added calendar and custom location support, but that’s not the only personalized search that the wearable now offers. Glass can now search through Google photos with a custom speech search command, so for instance it’s now possible to ask “OK Glass, Google my pictures for cats” and see […]
In the original FAQ for the Google Glass Explorers program, it was made clear that the company did not, under and circumstances, want users to go around selling their headsets to strangers. One of the ways Google chose to prevent the selling of Glass units on the secondhand market was to assure users that their […]
The USPTO has published an Apple patent application today (via AppleInsider) that could offer a glimpse at how any potential iWatch may work, in terms of gathering data from the web. The patent describes a method for sharing a network connection over Bluetooth 4.0, the low energy specification used in modern iOS devices that can provide intelligent, intermittent context-based pairing.
Apple’s invention would not create a persistent hotspot in the same way that sharing via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi from your iPhone does currently; instead, it would check in periodically, seek out updates from iCloud, grab push notifications, messages, news, weather and other data and then shut down again, returning to a power conserving state.
The low-power aspect is the key ingredient in this mix. Smartwatches that currently exist, including the Galaxy Gear, handle data connections via Bluetooth, too, but Apple’s patent seems designed to introduce as much power savings as is possible, while also taking any management of connection out of the user’s hands, so they don’t need to worry about when it is and isn’t active. It’s worth noting that Apple also acquired low-energy chipmaker Passif back in August, which provides it with more expertise regarding Bluetooth LE communications.
Apple mentions devices that don’t themselves contain any kind of network radio in the patent, which infers, without directly calling out, wearables such as the rumored iWatch we’ve been hearing so much about. Other analyst reports and industry information suggest that an iWatch could also come with its own Wi-Fi or cellular radios on board, however, so this Bluetooth LE hotspot feature is likely just one of many possibilities Apple has worked on in its testing facilities.
Of course, an iWatch is still mostly just a myth at this point, with no solid signs we’ll see one hit production any time soon. But this patent indicates that Apple is at least working on the thorniest problems associated with wearables. Battery life is a primary concern – so far, even the best-in-class smartwatches offer only a theoretical maximum of 7 days without the need for a charge, which is good but not great. The point at which wearable tech becomes generally palatable is the point at which it becomes nearly invisible to a user. Adding one more things people have to remember to plug in nightly isn’t going to set the category aflame.
Venture Glass has announced new plans by Rochester Optical on Google+ today, revealing that the company will be producing custom-made prescription lenses designed for Google Glass. The work won’t be limited to just prescription lenses, it seems, with both fashion and sport lenses also being pegged as additional options. If all goes as planned, the […]
There have been a few Google barges discovered thus far. The sightings only began about a month earlier, however that doesn’t seem to have stopped the rumors and speculation from going into a bit of an overdrive state. The talk has included everything from floating data centers to high-end showrooms with a party deck on […]
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