Tag: wearables

Categories
Fitness Wearables

Stryd makes strides in measuring workout intensity

Most wearable fitness devices do a good job of measuring heart rate, pace and several other metrics. But they typically fail to gauge an extremely important metric for runners: workout intensity.

patent-claimedStryd was designed to accurately measure running power and efficiency while also offering most of the typical features that other fitness wearables and smartwatches provide. Stryd is a small clip-on device that users can attach to a piece of clothing during a workout. The device tracks data and uses Bluetooth Smart technology to subsequently connect with a wide variety of devices, including sports watches, smartphones (Android and iOS), tablets, and even computers. Notably, the device uses patent-pending sensing technologies developed by Princeton engineers. Each unit costs $149 and will ship in September. Its maker set a Kickstarter goal of reaching $50,000 by April 12.

Stryd holds a lot of promise for fitness enthusiasts, but there are far too many players in the fitness wearables market, including Tracky, to declare Stryd a sure thing.

Categories
Podcasts

The Backerjack Podcast, Episode 5, with Ross Rubin and Steve Sande

As Steve has been busy launching something for today that launched yesterday, we’ve been remiss in posting about what he and Ross, your two favorite crowdfunding connoisseurs, did a while back — focus on three fresh products in Episode 5 of The Backerjack Podcast. We discussed a lot in 26 minutes before entering the time warp:

  • For those who want to ensure that they never miss a word in a phone call, there’s the useful and multifaceted Bluewire call-recording headset.
  • Those who wish to explore the Internet of sleepy things while keeping their cool in bed will want to check out the sleek Luna smart bed cover.
  • And those who want to plug, play and print photos on the spot will want to see how things develop with the Zink-based Prynt .

Steve and Ross also shared experiences trying out the original Narrative Clip (good times) and chatted up the changes coming with its imminent but not crowdfunded sequel, the unsurprisingly named Clip 2.

All the campaigns and preorder pages are still active so check out our thoughts before signing up to back them. Subscribe via iTunes or RSS, download the podcast by saving this link, or listen to it with the player below:

Categories
Wearables

IRring is the one ring to rule them all, your devices that is

It would be great to just point a finger at the TV to turn it on or off. Especially if the TV remote can’t be tracked down.

IRring enables users to do just that. The wearable remote control ring can be used to control a TV, DVD player, Blu-ray player, cable box, lamp or almost any other appliance. The IR-enabled ring works with most models and infrared receivers, according to the New Mexico-based company E-Innovations’s Kickstarter campaign. The initial run of the ring will be made using a 3D printer. Backers who pledge $20 will get one ring when it ships in March. Regular pricing isn’t given at the Web site. The new company is hoping to raise $15,000 to finish the ring’s design, order minimum quantities of chips and other components, and start developing other wearable devices as part of a home automation line.

Even if the company’s universal compatibility claim proves true, IRring pales in comparison to several other rival smart rings, including the Nod. For one thing, its functionality is rather limited. It obviously lacks the functionality of most universal remotes. At this stage, IRing looks much cheaper than comparable products. This product will need to up its game in function and style in order to compete in the market.

Categories
Wearables

Tool2Find uses GPS to locate children, pets; more reliable than Bluetooth

The universal fear of not being able to find a child or pet has created a huge market for tracking devices like the new Tool2Find from the Netherlands.

Unlike many rival products, the small Tool2Find doesn’t depend on a Bluetooth connection, but rather much more accurate GPS technology. The device, which can be clipped onto one’s belt or other object, works in conjunction with an App2Find app for Android and iOS mobile devices. Backers who pay €165 (~$198) will get an App2Find with accessories including a clip and UBS charger and update cable. That’s 34% cheaper than the device’s regular price. Its maker is looking to raise €30,000 (~$36,000) on Indiegogo.

GPS is clearly a superior technology solution for such devices than Bluetooth. But the market is just too crowded with similar devices to project any great success for Tool2Find. It doesn’t help that the device is also relatively expensive. The similar Iota, for example, costs somewhat less.

Categories
Chargers/Batteries Smartwatches/Bands

SolarHug gives mobile phones an energy lift with the sun

Everybody with an energy-sucking smartphone knows how frustrating it is when the device goes dead mid-way through the day when they’re nowhere near a power source to charge it. That’s why wearable charging solutions are so appealing.

SolarHug can be used just like a USB flash drive. Just connect a smartphone, or other electronic device, to the bracelet and the phone will immediately start charging. In 50 minutes, the phone will be fully charged. One hour in the sun recharges about 5 percent of the bracelet’s battery. SolarHug is covered with a flexible solar panel that charges the battery inside, even if there is minimal light.

The device can also be used for 128 GB of data storage. Backers who pay £50 (~$78) as part of an early bird special (a 50% savings off its regular price) will get a SolarHug when it ships in April. London-based Grandpa Technology is trying to raise £70,000 (~$109,000) by mid January.

Similar wearable devices perform the same basic function, including the Carbon analog watch. The mostly aluminum SolarHug is not the nicest smart bracelet on the market, and its design could be a turnoff to some consumers. It also remains questionable how many consumers will spend more than $100 to wear a bracelet to charge their mobile device when much cheaper accessories can be bought that do the same thing.

Categories
Technology Wearables

SmoothEye goggles combat DWI; tell you when to call a cab

Driving while intoxicated remains one of the largest safety issues facing the United States today. Thousands of people die in DWI-related car accidents each year.

The new SmoothEye, from a New Jersey company of the same name, resembles typical safety goggles. But attached is an infrared diode and small black camera that tracks the user’s eye movements to accurately measure alertness and focus level. The device is programmed to conduct the same sort of field sobriety test that’s used by police to estimate alcohol intoxication. Consumers can also use the device to discover what distracts them and what helps them focus. Backers who make a pledge at the early bird price of $149 or more are expected to get the device in March. Its maker is looking to raise $30,000 in crowdfunding.

SmoothEye lacks the fashion sensibility of a wearable device like the Vive Smart Bracelet, which was developed by students at the University of Washington and featured at Microsoft’s Design Expo, that can also measure a user’s intoxication level. SmoothEye is just too bulky for the average consumer to travel with it to a bar or other location outside of the home where it would most come in handy. The fact that it, at least initially, must be attached to a Mac or Windows PC to be used only makes matters worse. It is not yet compatible with any mobile devices. Still, the notion of a device that may prevent DWI’s is certainly welcome on the market, however awkward it may be.

Categories
Connected Objects Technology Wearables

Multifunction dog tag boosts luck of finding lost pooch

Dog owners dread the idea of losing their pooch. So, the idea of a smart, wearable device is a no-brainer for many pet owners.

The new Lucky Tag, developed by Los Angeles-based Beaconpliance, is a dog wearable device that combines three main features into one. The on-collar tag can be used as a tracking device to find a missing dog, but also offers location-based service social functionality among nearby dog owners, along with pet healthcare functions. The tag uses beacon technology to help users find their dogs. Each device has a unique ID configured for each dog and constantly sends out a Bluetooth signal as far as 250 feet for Android and iOS smartphones nearby to detect and locate the ID.

The “Find My Dog’ feature helps users locate their missing pooches with the collaborative efforts of Lucky Tag devices nearby. Lucky Tag owners can also exchange contact info with each other, enhancing the device’s social functionality. The device, meanwhile, tracks and logs each dog’s activity level and ambient temperature, and syncs the data with the user’s smartphone. Early bird backers can get a Lucky Tag by pledging as little as $29 and are expected to get the device in February. Beaconpliance is looking to raise $40,000.

Lucky Tag supposedly consumes less power than similar devices like Pawda and Tagg that use GPS technology. But GPS devices cover a much larger area. As Beaconpliance concedes on its Kickstarter campaign, the biggest challenge with beacon technology is that it relies on the collaborative support and power of a mass community. That means unless many consumers buy the device for their dogs, a key part of its functionality will not work well. That is a major downside of the device. But the relatively low pricing may be enough of an incentive for some consumers to buy one.

Categories
Connected Objects Technology Wearables

Smarter strides made possible by Stridalyzer

Knee problems make up a significant percentage of all injuries to runners, hence the common affliction known as runner’s knee. That’s why ReTiSense, the Bangalore, India-based maker of Stridalyzer smart insoles, made the prevention of knee injuries its top priority when developing the product.

Stridalyzer analyzes the user’s stride and gait and can predict if that person is headed for an injury. The insoles have integrated multiple sensors that detect how the user’s foot lands, rolls and pushes off the ground. All the user has to do is put the insoles in their running shoes, turn on the accompanying iOS (and, by the time of launch, Android) app, and start running. Stridalyzer automatically understands the user is moving and will start collecting data about the run from each of the two included insoles. The insoles come with a USB charging cord and each insole battery charges in about 15 minutes.

The insoles are similar in size and use similar materials as the insoles that are used in typical high-end running shoes. The company will design the insoles in just a few common sizes initially, but it will be possible to trim the insoles by one size, using scissors, so they can fit more snugly. The company plans to launch an ExpertConnect premium service to be used with the insoles a few months after the product ships in the spring. The service will enable runners to get more individualized and directed advice from running experts, coaches or trainers. Backers who pledge at least $90 will get the insoles in April or May. ReTiSense is looking to raise $25,000 by Jan. 7.

Certainly the product seems like a steal at the early bird pricing levels, especially when you consider that the similar—but apparently less advanced—UniverSole was priced at $200 a pair. Even at its regular price of $129-$139, many consumers may see Stridalyzer as a good deal.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands Technology Wearables

Uno Noteband touts Spritz technology for fitness tracking

The Uno Noteband—no relation to the restaurant chain or the card game—features fitness tracking technology like several other wearable bracelets on the market. But what separates the Uno Noteband from the crowded field of competing devices is its use of a new technology called Spritz.

Spritz is a reading compression technology that enables one-touch reading of notifications on the device’s OLED display. Reading via the Noteband can be done up to 80% faster than on typical mobile devices because it eliminates the scrolling function that typically requires two hands. As a result, the user can get through a long email message after just one click. The device notifies users of any alert that a smartphone would receive, such as Facebook, Instagram, Google Calendar, Twitter or Uber. Uno vibrates when it receives an alert and the user just has to touch the Noteband to display the message. The device, compatible with the Android and iOS operating systems, also features an accelerometer that enables fitness goals and syncs with the Apple Health and Google Fit platforms. Shipping will occur in April for a donation of $129. The team of technology veterans that developed the Uno Noteband are pushing to meet a goal of $50,000.

The Uno Noteband’s Spritz functionality is a clear advantage over what several rival fitness tracking wearables offer. The device is also considerably cheaper than the equally promising Atlas.  The only drawback for now seems to be the Uno branding.

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.