Wearables responsible for consumer privacy gaps, says HHS report

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A new report released by the US Department of Health and Human Services argues that the ubiquitous nature of health apps and wearable technologies has led to gaps in consumer privacy, which are regulated by the watershed Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

The report said: “New types of entities that collect, share, and use health information are not regulated by HIPAA. Health information is increasingly collected, shared, or used by new types of...

By Wearable Tech, 21 July 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Applications, Privacy, Security, Smartwatches.

IDTechEx projects hype "shift" in $30bn wearables market

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Though the hype surrounding some of the core wearable technology sectors is declining, an IDTechEx report argues that the market will be worth over $30 billion in 2016, with over $11 billion of the total generated by newly popular products including smartwatches and fitness trackers.

The value of the market is expected to rise to over $150 billion by 2026 and IDTechEx anticipates disruption, commoditisation and rapid evolution of product form factors.

Companies are now beginning to look...

By Wearable Tech, 12 July 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Applications, Research, Virtual Reality.

Narrative brings about “company reorganisation”, aims to quell financial worries

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The Swedish wearable camera manufacturer Hardware has announced the initiation of a ‘company reorganisation’ in order to restructure its business amid financial difficulties.

The move, under the Business Reorganisation Act in Swedish law, enables companies to ‘restructure [with] a viable business but…facing a risk of temporary financial difficulties’, in the words of a press release.

The company manufactures the Narrative Clip 2, which as the name...

By James Bourne, 07 July 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Applications, Clothing & Textiles, Ecosystems, Trackers.

How the wearable computing market could disrupt a plethora of industries

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Technological advances in the growing wearable computing market are bolstering growth rates in both consumer and non-consumer markets. This is in sharp contrast to how the scenario was before the present, when wearables were a fringe market of curious devices that were bulky, unaesthetic and impractical for consumer applications.

BCC Research projects that the global market for wearable computing products will exceed $171.2 billion in 2021, on a five-year compound annual growth rate of...

By Wearable Tech, 01 July 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Applications, Data & Analytics, Enterprise.

Omate’s third birthday: Why three years in wearable tech is a lifetime – and what’s next

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It’s been an amazing journey so far, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it. This milestone allows me to reset our SWOT analysis and share the overall strategy for the year to come with the team and I am glad to give you a glimpse at it here.

Three years ago, wearable tech was in its infancy. The whole industry has evolved a lot in just a few years – and I shared that evolution

By Laurent Le Pen, 01 July 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Analysis, Applications, Case Studies, Ecosystems, Fashion.

A guide to meeting key functional requirements for successful wearable designs

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By Ariel Lasry, member of the MIPI Alliance Board of Directors and chief engineer, Toshiba Electronics Europe, with contributions from Peter Lefkin, managing director of the MIPI Alliance

Wearables are opening up imaginative opportunities for product innovation. The market is new, different and exciting, but it will be extremely competitive and pose new challenges for product designers who must integrate very specific functionalities and performance capabilities into...

By Ariel Lasry, 07 March 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Applications, Developers.

Can wearable technology unlock the marketing personalisation puzzle?

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With the innovation of wearable technology facilitating the collection of in-depth personal data such as calorie intake, heart rate, exercise levels and location, now is the time for businesses to analyse how this data can be utilised in the creation of more sophisticated and personalised marketing strategies.

First and foremost, marketers should focus on the potential of wearable technology in creating ‘hyper-convenience’ for the consumer. Streamlining the customer journey...

By Andy Eaton, 12 February 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Applications, Payments, Smartwatches.

Enterprise applications to drive growth for augmented reality and wearable devices

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Though augmented reality (AR) and wearable devices have caused a stir in consumer technology, a new report from Beecham Research argues that enterprise applications will be the major driver of growth in these segments.

Manufacturing, logistics, healthcare and retail have been identified as some of the most dynamic markets, where AR offers novel, hands-free interaction along with more control and access to information.

The report details market activity and consolidation and lists recent...

By Wearable Tech, 21 January 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Applications, Virtual Reality, Workplace.

Voice control your Volvo using the Microsoft Band 2

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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...

By Ryan Daws, 05 January 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Applications, Apps, Devices, Home Automation, IoT, Smartwatches.

Creative problem solving in the wearable application development process

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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

By Sarah Patrick, 04 December 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Analysis, Applications, Developers.

Xero rolls out Apple Watch app, aims for easier accounting on the move

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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...

By Wearable Tech, 27 November 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Applications, iOS, Smartwatches.

Review: Hands-on with the Huawei Watch

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...

By Ryan Daws, 16 October 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Android, Applications, Apps, Devices, Fitness, Health Monitoring, iOS, Smartwatches.

Hillcrest Labs software aims to boost time to market for wearable manufacturers

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Wearable software and hardware supplier Hillcrest Labs has introduced its MotionEngine Wear software to improve development of wearables.

The software’s always-active, sensor-enabled attributes are capable of catering to wearable manufacturers seeking cost-effective, turnkey solutions that facilitate quicker development, more functionality and improved performance along with optimisation for the supply chain. MotionEngine Wear is well-suited for use in smartwatches, activity and...

By Wearable Tech, 01 October 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Applications, Developers, Ecosystems.

Wearables: It’s the text on the screen, as much as the device, which needs to be beautiful

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Wearable device manufacturers are proliferating at almost the same rate as wearable devices themselves. One look at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, or Mobile World Congress (MWC) in March, with their dedicated wearables rooms, made that plain to see.

With so much competition in the market, on platforms with limited memory, runtime and computing power, gaining an edge is key for OEMs. Increasingly, wearable devices have...

By James Bourne, 02 June 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Applications, Fashion, Smartwatches, Standards.

Three key ways that wearables can change lives

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Unless you spent the past month underneath a rock, you have probably heard enough buzz surrounding the Apple Watch’s unveiling to last a lifetime. Apple’s foray into the smart watch space is just the latest indication that the wearables market is forcing its way into the mainstream.

Recent research from Business Insider projects that the number of...

Addapp creates actionable insights from your health data

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Wearables are creating an exciting new era for the health industry, with more data about its users available to ensure our bodies remain in peak condition. The problem is that - aside from telling us to get off our rears or letting us know how far we've run - current devices are creating a whole bunch of data but without much context. 

Addapp wants to change this...

Android Wear lands Wi-Fi support, "Always-On" apps, and hands-free gestures

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Fans of the Apple Watch are just starting to get the company's debut into the wearable market, whilst Google has decided to treat customers who own one of the six available Android Wear devices to a tasty new update which brings some major new features to the platform.

Most of the smartwatches available on Android Wear ship with an "Always-On" display to ensure that the...

By Ryan Daws, 20 April 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Android, Applications, Apps, Google, Smartwatches.

This wearable tech could help you with your public speaking

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Here’s an interesting example of wearable technology: Researchers from the Human-Computer Interaction Group at the University of Rochester have developed a user interface for Google Glass which gives real-time feedback to public speakers on volume modulation and speaking rate.

The premise is straightforward. Given public speaking is often cited as a primary fear of many people – respondents in a 2013 poll said they feared public speaking more than they feared being buried...

By James Bourne, 02 April 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Applications, Eyewear, Research.

Apps are just as good as wearables at tracking physical activity, study claims

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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...

By James Bourne, 11 February 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Applications, Devices, Fitness, Health Monitoring, Health & Wellness.

Google's Wearable Wednesday - Cardboard SDK, Android Wear 5.0...

Cardboard is not an Oculus Rift, but Google’s 63p VR headset is accessible to just about anyone with a smartphone - in fact over 500,000 people are said to have adopted it. Developers have created over 24 apps which can be found in the newly-launched store to show-off the incredible feat the Google team has achieved with a piece of cardboard, two magnets, and a pair of...

By Ryan Daws, 11 December 2014, 0 comments. Categories: Android, Applications, Eyewear, Gaming, Smartwatches.