Category: Wearables

Categories
Fitness Wearables

Arki walking coach tracks steps, coaches posture

Having good posture gets more and more important as time wears on. The older we get, the harder it is to straighten up, resulting in pain and injury.

Arki is a wearable band that monitors your posture while you walk. It learns habits, like walking and texting, and tracks these movements into an accompanying smartphone app via Bluetooth LE. By measuring arm swing speed, rotation angle relative to gravity, vibrations from feet and other data, Arki can tell whether you need to having better walking habits like taking measured steps, standing up straight and bending the arms and will let you know when to do this with a vibration.

Arki has several other features like using your walk as a passcode and compatibility with smart thermostats. All in all, walking is an important activity that we engage in, but like any other activity it has the potential of being done wrong. It’s nice to see a product that gives feedback for something so common that it is often forgotten. One will cost backers $149 with estimated delivery in April 2015. Arki is looking to raise $100,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Running Wearables

Gaiteye tracks 15 measures to realtime running feedback

There’s nothing like going out and enjoying a good run in the morning in order to clear out the cobwebs and get the day started right. Of course, running at the end of the day can be a great stress reliever. Either way, Gaiteye helps those who enjoy running to learn the biomechanics of how their run can improve. The foot pad sensor measures key gait performance metrics such as the way the foot strikes the ground, stride length and cadence and several other factors. This way, they can learn what they’re doing right and continue optimizing their jog.

This product seems like a great way for runners to watch how they are improving and use that information for self-motivation, especially if they are able to use it in conjunction with a personal trainer. Similar to the runScribe, it takes information from feet instead of wrists to measure key running metrics. This campaign seeks to raise kr100,000 (~$13, 500) by December 19, 2014. Early bird backers can get one product for kr 940 DKK (~$127), with an expected delivery of March 2015.

Categories
Sensors/IoT Wearables

Breathe easy with the TZOA wearable environmental tracker

The more the world undergoes urbanization, the worse air pollution becomes. Unfortunately, the environment around us is largely invisible and therefore most people don’t pay attention to it even if our health is being adversely affected. The people who do pay attention to what’s going on feel generally powerless to do anything about it mainly because they don’t have the tools at their disposal to make their case, having to rely on spotty and infrequent monitoring by governments that don’t prove very much at all.

The team behind the TZOA wearable environmental tracker is looking to put some smarts in the hands of those concerned. The tracker is outfitted with a proprietary optical air quality sensor that’s able to detect particulate matter 2.5, or PM 2.5. These tiny floating particles are found in harmful pollutants, like car exhaust and the smoke that results from wood burning, and cause permanent damage to our lungs.

Keeping the levels of PM 2.5 in the environment manageable is key to fortifying air quality, so TZOA’s companion app alerts you to elevated levels of contaminants and suggests actions to clean up the air around you. The app also collects the data to create an air quality map so that others can easily see current levels, overtime composing an air quality timeline for reference. The TZOA environmental tracker is $150 CAD (~$130 USD), and backers will receive the device in August of 2015 should its campaign reach its $110,000 CAD (~$96,000 USD) goal.

The TZOA team has similar ambitions to those behind the AirBeam in that they aim to create a platform where people can stay informed using crowd-sourced data about pollution. The AirBeam includes a few more sensors at a premium, but it seems like it would be more worth it as people are already using the AirBeam versus the unreleased product in the TZOA. In any case, as much as the problem of air pollution is a problem of information, various disconnected platforms addressing the same issue in the same way will ultimately do no good in the long run.

 

Categories
Pets Wearables

Arden Collar combines LEDs, GPS and Bluetooth to help find and identify lost pets

Pets have the tendency to wander off, much like children. When they do, they have a much harder time finding their way home. Not only that, but they run the risk of getting hit by a car or snatched up by some Cruella de Vil type. Once pets are gone, pet owners must resort to flyers which usually produce no results.

The Arden Collar works to keep your pet safe at all times. This silicone collar features a GPS tracker which hooks up via Bluetooth LE or Wi-Fi to an app so that you can see where your pet is. In addition, with the help of NFC, those near the lost pet will be alerted to its missing status. The collar will display the pet’s information on their phones, including name and address as well as the vet’s name and address. This makes it possible for others to easily help Fido find home.

This collar isn’t only useful in times of emergency. With Hi-LED lights that can be activated at the push of a button, owners can walk their dogs at night with maximum visibility. Also, the collar tracks the dog’s activity, temperature and other vitals and stores the data in the cloud. This way, owner and vet can make sure the pet is healthy. For maximum convenience, Arden has a detachable battery to make charging possible without removing the whole collar.

The Arden Collar has lots of cool features that will make it useful to lots of dog owners. It takes GPS tracking a step further by giving strangers the opportunity to help. In addition, it monitors the dog’s health like a FitBit does for humans. The one major drawback of this product, however, is that it may cost up to $45 each month for the services it provides. For those who don’t mind the monthly bill, one will cost $149 for estimated delivery in October 2015. Arden is looking to raise a ridiculous $400,000 on Indiegogo.

Categories
Television Wearables

Google Glass-like Narwhal clips on to your glasses, works in the shower

High-tech wearables that can be worn over the eyes hold a special place in pop culture canon, and have largely stayed there over the years. Most attempts at a functional piece of technology that could be worn comfortably while still providing lots of compelling content easily have all pretty much crashed and burned. Why would merQ think they have solved these problems?

Their product is the Narwhal Clip-On, a wearable device that attaches to any pair of glasses and instantly upgrades them from merely pieces of glass to a capable digital accessory by adding a digital display and a compartment in which streaming sticks like the Chromecast or the Roku can be inserted. Listen to your favorite content with the retractable Bluetooth headphone, and control it with the trackpad mouse on the rear. The display is also waterproof so your showers can become the theater you always wanted it to be. The future’s cost of entry is $299 CAD (~$260 USD) and backers can start using it June 2015. MerQ’s campaign is aiming for a $85,000CAD (~$74,200) goal.

If the behemoth that is Google tried and spectacularly failed with Glass, I don’t see how the Narwhal really sets itself apart. It adds more computer elements to an interface that doesn’t need it and frankly shouldn’t have it, and it shows: the Narwhal is incredibly ungainly and bulky. Even if the company is looking to streamline it, their reliance on streaming sticks will limit it. High-tech glasses are ultimately limited by technology, and we just don’t have what we need yet to make a compelling, Star Trek-esque version quite yet. Let’s not jump the gun.

Categories
Kids/Babies Wearables

FTRAC promises cheap and easy tracking of kids, others

Tracking solutions come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing you can be sure of is a hefty price tag associated with keeping connected to the bells and whistles these devices give you. A lot of the time, though, the device supposed to help you worry less makes you worry more because it doesn’t work as properly as it should.

FTRAC is a versatile and thereby more functional tracking alternative. It takes advantage of its GPS, GSM, and Wi-Fi capabilities to ensure that whatever is being tracked, a child, an elderly family member, a pet is always detected. The device comes in three models: the Superior boasts all the bells and whistles such as a microSD slot, the EXP can be worn in a multitude of different ways, and the Pets version comes with a collar. The FTRAC iOS, Android, or Web companion app allows users to set geo-fences, facilitates alerts for wet pets, and provides a map UI for easy tracking.

That usually fearsome monthly fee? It’s $2.95 through FTRAC, or users can opt for their own data plan through another carrier. Their $18,000 Kickstarter campaign is offering a free six month subscription for an early bird backing of anywhere from $69 to $89, depending on the model. They could’ve done more, though, when compared to the subscription perk Pip is offering. Start tracking beginning February 2015.

Categories
Technology Wearables

Timer Smart Ring unlocks doors, phones and hearts

Fitness tends to be the main application featured in smart wearable devices. But the maker of the Timer Smart Ring is focusing on other uses for its device, including the ability to use the ring to open intelligent door locks, unlock mobile phone screens, or pass along digital business cards to other mobile phones using NFC technology.

The ring supports most intelligent door locks on the market that use 13.56 MHz, including locks made by Samsung. Users can set the ring to unlock the screen of select mobile phones, whether or not the phone already uses other unlocking systems, such as a gesture code or password. The ring is compatible with Android and Windows smartphones, but not iOS. As shown in the campaign’s somewhat corny video, the ring can also be used to make romantic connections in public places by taking advantage of the device’s NFC. The ring designed for male customers is made with titanium, while the female version is made of 18K rose gold. Its maker is looking to raise €39,000 (~$48,600). Backers who pledge €39 (~$49) will get a ring in a choice of black or white.

Unlike similar products such as the Arcus fitness ring, the Timer Smart Ring actually looks similar to a fairly standard metal ring.  That, and its reasonable price, will make it especially appealing to some male consumers who wouldn’t be caught dead wearing some of the other smart rings on the market that seem to be designed only for female users. But the device’s unmemorable, and even downright strange, name stands to make it a tough sell. An even bigger challenge, however, is its lack of iOS support.

 

 

 

Categories
Imaging Wearables

Get your GoPro extreme video on your wrist with the Removu P1

GoPro has established itself as the de-facto action camera brand on the market. As such, it is the first choice for many extreme sports enthusiasts. One of their most recent products, the GoPro LCD BacPac, gives users a touchscreen LCD that allows control and playback of photos and videos directly from the GoPro camera itself. The downside to this is that it isn’t happening on the fly, limiting how much control you have over the final product.

The Removu P1 addresses this problem by being a Wi-Fi mount for the GoPro BacPac, facilitating a live view from the GoPro to the device on your wrist. Since its display is also touch, it doubles as a remote control from the GoPro itself, giving you additional control over what your final video will look like. With a three hour video capacity, there’ll be a lot of decisions to make when it comes to editing, but luckily you can do so from the Removu P1 itself.

The product will no doubt be useful but those who would want something like this will probably be in the minority. The Removu P1 is currently $69 during their $30,000 campaign, with an estimated delivery date of January 2015.

Categories
Food and Beverage Wearables

BitBite tracks your chews to help you lose

It seems like for most, diets live in a perpetual revolving door. Most are started with the greatest of intentions, but it isn’t long before the rigors of daily life make it so that the easily accessible, unhealthy food is chosen every time. As such, maintaining a diet can be an extremely difficult test of willpower. A helpful companion, like the BitBite, can be a huge help in changing damaging habits.

Although other diet helpers like the HAPIfork or the Smart utensils have been introduced as ways to help you eat slower and better, the BitBite takes the technology and makes it a wearable that you place in your ear instead. The hybrid Bluetooth headset is compatible with iOS and Android, and is voice-activated so you can tell it what you’re about it to eat. When that’s done, the device tracks the number of bites you’ve taken along with the pace of your meals. By combining all of that information, your dietary habits are gleaned so as to improve it on the fly with real-time suggestions. Not getting enough calcium? It’ll suggest you eat a yogurt instead of that donut you’re craving.

Smart food suggestions are what make the BitBite a valuable ally in your overall goals. You won’t even have to carry an extra set of silverware everywhere you go. A BitBite can be had for $119 with an estimated delivery date of June 2015. The campaign is looking for a $60,000 infusion.

 

Categories
Tech Accessories Wearables

EveryKey looks like Jawbone UP, logs you in or out

We’re constantly faced with the reality that our personal or intellectual property can be stolen at any time. That’s why we walk around with tons of keys in our pockets and passwords in our heads to avoid just that. EveryKey works to consolidate all of that into one neat package that you can wear on your wrist. The silicon band uses Bluetooth LE technology to unlock both your physical and digital locks for you. Bikes, apartments, cars and other controlled access devices open up when in range of EveryKey. Similarly, passwords stored on the band allow you to login to your computer, phone or tablet. This smartband uses military-grade encryption so that you’re always protected from hackers. It’s water-resistant and charges via a micro USB port to USB cable. The battery lasts for up to 30 days.

Of course, with any all-encompassing device there’s convenience and risk that it’ll fall into the wrong hands. The folks at EveryKey have addressed this concern by allowing for deactivation of the device online if lost. All locks and passwords are still able to be open with regular keys and codes, adding more convenience if EveryKey is left behind at home or lost. The campaign says that the creators really focused on fashion when creating this product. While it comes in lots of different colors, it’s not the most vogue of devices, but not the clunkiest either. For those who are familiar with the FitBit, EveryKey bears a striking resemblance.

We’ve seen devices with some of these same capabilities like the Skylock which allows for wireless entry into your bike. While this product is limited in its range, only compatible with bikes, it comes with the added perk of letting the user know if their property is being tampered with. Perhaps such a feature would be a great addition to the EveryKey in later models. Still, this product is well thought out and a great addition to the smart security market. Backers can enjoy their own for $50 by March 2015, not a bad price at all. EveryKey is looking to raise $100,000 on Kickstarter.