Articles about Wearable

Wearable devices have brought us numerous benefits in recent years, allowing us to understand our health and fitness level better and encouraging a more active lifestyle. But are they also putting our privacy at risk?

A new report from vpnMentor takes a look into what information wearable devices are collecting. It also investigates how that data is being used, shared and, in some cases, monetized.

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Technology has had an impact on most areas of our lives. In the healthcare sector the pandemic has seen a rise in the use of remote consultations and more.

In the next year experts expect this to continue along with trends towards AI, wearables and more.

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It blows my mind that seven years after Xiaomi introduced the first Mi Band it is still the king of affordable fitness trackers. Think about it. Year after year, it faces stiff competition, yet when all is said and done it blows it out of the water. And it is not like there is any magic involved. The recipe has always been the same.

It has basic fitness tracking functionality, some smart features for extra usability, a classic form factor, and, most important of all, a price tag that makes your jaw stay right where it's supposed to. Unsurprisingly, the new Mi Band 6 follows that recipe to a T, hitting it out of the park for Xiaomi once again. If this were a chess game, it would be checkmate for the 2021 season.

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It is a while since Microsoft discontinued its Band fitness tracker, but for the last two years owners have still be able to synchronize data collected through the wearable. But now the company has announced that it plans to close down the Microsoft Band apps and Microsoft Health Dashboard website.

The shutdown date has been set for May 31. On this date, Android, iOS and Windows Phone apps will vanish from their respective stores, and the services will be terminated. Users have a limited time to export their data, and to soften the blow, some Band owners will be eligible for a refund of up to $175.

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While the success of Apple Watch has attracted the most attention when it comes to enterprise wearables in the workplace, the market is beginning to split into battles for the wrist (and borrowing from Neil Cybart), the eyes (e.g. Google Glass) and the ears (e.g. AirPods). Not to mention wearables for the body -- smart garments and (God forbid) implantables (Now, apparently, a word. Though if someone in my company tells me I need to implant something for my job, they will have my resignation before they finish the request).

But the adoption of such technology comes with a practical limitation -- we each have only so many wrists and assorted body parts. And let’s not discount the fact people will naturally resist adorning themselves with devices throughout the workday. Nobody wants to walk around the office looking like they’ve just been assimilated by the borg.

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Wearables haven’t exactly lit the world on fire. Quite frankly, devices such as Apple Watch and Android Wear watches have been disapointments for some. Yeah, Apple’s offering has seen respectable sales — for the “watch” category at least — but it’s hardly on the same level as the iPhone or iPad from a disruption standpoint. Not to mention, having to charge it daily is a definite pain-point.

Where wearables seem to shine, however, is for fitness. Fitness-focused devices have more of a purpose — they aren’t just glorified wrist-worn alert annoyances like Apple Watch. Today, Garmin unveils it’s latest fitness wearable and it looks quite nice. Called “vívofit 4,” it has an always-on color display and get this — the battery lasts more than a year. Wait, what?!

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For many consumers, buying a wearable is all about fitness. In that case, a health-focused device, such as a Fitbit, makes a lot of sense. The problem, of course, is that no one only exercises -- they live their lives and do other things like shopping and listening to music. That is why it was frustrating that Fitbit did not produce a more robust wearable -- an actual smartwatch.

Today this changes, as Fitbit officially unveils the Ionic smartwatch, which is compatible with both iOS and Android. Rather than run Android Wear, it leverages a new operating system called Fitbit OS. It features what you would expect from a Fitbit, such as counting steps and monitoring heart rate, but it also has enhanced modes for running and swimming too. It will also work with some popular services, such as Starbucks and Pandora. The smartwatch even features a new mobile payments system called Fitbit Pay. Best of all, the Ionic features up to four days of battery life -- much longer than its competitors' offerings.

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Despite previously being one of the most vocal champions of the wearable technology market space, semiconductor giant Intel has virtually (and quietly) shut down the business unit that was responsible for its once emerging line of smartwatch and fitness tracker components.

The dedicated unit was created after Intel acquired a little-known smartwatch company called Basis in 2014. The writing may have been on the wall after the company had to recall all Basis products late last year after multiple incidents of them overheating, causing users' wrists to become burned.

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Today at Build 2017, Microsoft unveiled many cool new technologies, but there was one particular announcement that truly touched the hearts of many in attendance. Called "Emma," it is a wrist wearable that can help people suffering with Parkinson's disease.

The device is named after the Parkinson's sufferer that helped Haiyan Zhang, Innovation Director at Microsoft Research, create the device. What exactly does it do? Well, the incurable disease causes body tremors in those inflicted, and as a result, Emma has very shaky hands. This disease makes it impossible for her to draw straight lines or write legibly. With the wearable on her wrist, however, normal writing and drawing is possible. Remarkably, how it works isn't 100 percent known.

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Apple Watch is probably the best smartwatch on the market, because, well, it doesn't have much competition. Microsoft's Band is dead, and Android Wear devices are largely ho-hum. With that said, it only works with iPhone, making it a non-starter for most consumers. After all, the majority of smartphone users have Android devices.

If you are an iPhone user, and you still haven't bought an Apple Watch, now might be the time. You see, Nike and Apple have collaborated on a new model of the wearable. Before you get too excited, the Apple Watch NikeLab -- as it is called -- is pretty much just the existing Space Gray Apple Watch Nike+ with a special black and white band.

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Last year, Nokia decided to splash a bit of cash and bought Withings. Today at MWC 2017 in Barcelona, it was revealed that existing Withings health and fitness products will be rebranded as Nokia devices this year.

Starting "early summer 2017", Withings' range of smartwatches, digital scales, and other smart devices will come under the Nokia brand. Withings also announced changes to its Health Mate app, and its plans to share user data with "caregivers" through its Patient Care solution -- moves that sees the company take Apple square on.

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Consumers in US and Europe haven't quite warmed up to wearables, according to a new report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. Smartwatch adoption in both markets remains below the five percent mark, despite multiple models being available for a few years now.

This isn't exactly a surprising finding, because smartwatch sales are pretty bad. Depending on who you choose to believe, they were between 2.7 and 6.1 million units in the third quarter of last year (we're still waiting on the numbers for 2016 from the likes of IDC and Canalys). Apple Watch rules this space, but it is hardly a major market as you can see.

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As the evenings get darker and the countdown to the New Year starts, the abundance of 2017 technology predictions begins. But what was predicted to take off in 2016?

Let's take a look at the trends and services that didn't take off quite go mainstream last year and whether this year could see them come to fruition.

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Here's the deal. Apple doesn't want to publish smartwatch sales data in its quarterly financial reports. So, to tell us where Apple Watch stands in relation to the competition in the wearables market, analysts come up with estimates, which may or may not be close to the truth. IDC did the same thing this week, claiming that Apple Watch sales nosedived in Q3 2016.

Apple typically does not comment on such claims, as it prefers to keep quiet and not add any fuel to the fire. It's a strategy that works, because, first of all, the Apple Watch was never in any real kind of trouble to begin with. So far, it's been considered the market leader in its segment. But now that IDC announces a major decline, Tim Cook decides it is time to tell us that Apple Watch is actually "doing great".

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Having a small display strapped to a pair of glasses may seem like a bad idea in a post-Google Glass wearables market, but Vufine is not afraid to take chances. The company successfully launched the original Vufine on Kickstarter in 2015, and now it is at it again with an updated model. And this one is proving to be a hit as well.

It is called Vufine+ and what it does is give you a viewfinder or external display for an action camera, laptop or smartphone. There are no fancy smart features here. Instead, you can mirror what's on your device's screen or watch what you are recording with your camera. It sounds simple, and that is because it is. So, what's it like to use?

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