Synchronise your iWatches. The next big thing in computing will be wearable tech - and the accompanying drivable, flyable, and scan-able gadgets that come along with it - according to Internet trend guru Mary Meeker.
Meeker, a partner at Kleiner Perkins, was at the D11 conference recently with her trusty slide deck, filling us in what's big on the Internet.
While "people oftentimes laugh at new stuff" - like SNL poking fun at Google Glass - wearable tech will likely pick up where the smartphone leaves off, Meeker said.
The average smartphone user checks their device 150 times a day. "What if you didn't have to do that?" Meeker asked. A wearable device with sensors could be the answer....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Wearable tech VC guru Mary Meeker looks at trends.
Over the Christmas holiday period I got to spend a lot of time with Google Glass, which hit the market with a bang last year and got a lot of techies excited about this particular concept in wearables.
Like most who've read about the Google Glass project, I was intrigued with the concept but had serious questions about its actual purpose and potential impact on the market. From a researcher's standpoint, Glass is in a wearables category that includes smartwatches, smart health monitoring systems, and any other digital technology that can be worn. I have seen some huge forecasts from various market research firms about the size of the wearable market, and while I think most projections are way too optimistic, I do believe wearables and sensor-related products will be a very lucrative market someday. However, the first generation of wearables will need a lot of tweaking before being accepted by a mass consumer market....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
How far, how fast the wearable market can grow remains unlear.
For a country whose idea of "distinguished" is a black hat shaped like an upturned cereal bowl, it's perhaps no surprise that two thirds of Brits would spurn wearable technology, according to a recent survey.
Whilst smartwatches and Internet-connected glasses dominated chatter at CES 2014, across the pond only one in three UK consumers are interested in buying a smart watch and just a quarter are au fait with the idea of Internet-connected glasses.
It's a fact that puts Britain behind its global peers. The survey found that India, for example, isn't so much jumping on the wearable technology bandwagon as stripping it of every bit of gadgetry in a proverbial roadside stick-em-up. In contrast to their British counterparts, 76 per cent of Indian respondents announced plans to buy a smartwatch, and three quarters cited interest in Internet-connected glasses....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Interesting to compare markets for wearable tech and challenges ahead for the industry.
Even without tech giants such as Apple and Microsoft present, the show remains a vital throwback cog in the marketing machinery of the high-tech industry. It remains relevant by emphasizing the global nature of the exhibition and by constantly reinventing itself, as Don Clark reveals in the Wall Street Journal.
“The show, which has been running since 1967, grew up around devices like television sets and stereos sold by distributors and retailers,” Clark writes. “But it has continually morphed to add new classes of products and companies that don't fit the classic consumer-electronics description.”
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Thom Forbes previews CES as it kicks off with biometrics, smart TVs and car stuff. His comments on wearable tech issues are worth noting.
Your next bed might be able to tell you how well you slept the night before and whether you should lay off the caffeine.Your next bed may be able to track how well you slept the night before and if you should lay off the caffeine.
Manufacturer Sleep Number introduced the x12 bed at CES this year, a voice-activated bed that monitors your sleep and aims to improve the quality of your snoozing. With a few commands, it can adjust firmness, elevation or give you a massage."Consumers are taking more of an active role in managing their total well being," Chief Product Officer Annie Bloomquist told Mashable.
"While diet and exercise have long been the focus, sleep is emerging as an integral part of living a healthy life. You spend a third of your life in bed, and until now, you haven’t had real insight into how you sleep and what to do to improve it."...
Pebble is back at CES, and this time it has a brand new, redesigned metal smartwatch and tons of new apps.Pebble debuted at CES 2013 and started shipping to its Kickstarter backers soon after. In the last year, the smartwatch has sold more than 300,000 units and is available at Amazon, Best Buy and AT&T.For CES 2014, Pebble is showing off its new Pebble 2.0 software, the Pebble app store and Pebble Steel, its premium smartwatch....
When the principals behind InteraXon headed to the Consumer Electronics Show for the first time in 2011, all they really had was an idea. It was an offbeat one to be sure, since it took the form of a headband that allowed wearers to control things with just the power of their thoughts. Now, three years later, the Toronto-based startup has millions of dollars in funding and 20 staff members supporting a sizeable booth at the annual Las Vegas techno-circus in the build-up to their first-ever product launch.
They’re all sporting a Muse, the company’s new brainwave-controlled relaxation-aid headband, which is launching this spring for $299. The booth itself is notable since it hosts a big, inflated plastic igloo. That’s not so much a symbol of the company’s Canadian-ness, but rather a necessary respite from the noisy show floor, where attendees can use Muse to calm their minds....
The most warning your average beach-goer gets that a shark is approaching is an ominous fin gliding above the surface, striking terror into the hearts of anyone who's seen Jaws. That is, unless you're surfing the waves of Western Australia, where sharks can now use Twitter to announce their impending arrival.
Jeff Domansky's insight:
True story! Now that's wearable technology! Talk about jumping the shark.
At the 2013 Wearable Technology Conference in San Francisco, Google Glass is already old news. That may seem surprising since most people have never tried one on yet. However, to the hundreds of engineers and executives that crowded Fort Mason’s conference center this week, the question on everyone’s mind was: What’s really new?
The answers are exciting: Jackets that talk to each other and let you know if your date is too cold or too hot. Waistbands that notify you of poor posture. Solar powered wetsuits that keep you warm while surfing. Swimming goggles that monitor your workout performance. These and many other technologies are all in the works or being put to production....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Great look at wearable tech trends by Zoltan Istvan.
In the fast-paced world of consumer technology, every year brings new innovation, themes and trends. The industry is currently buzzing about wearable technology...
If you want to marvel at the future of wearable technology as well as augmented reality, take a look at this video from Atheer Labs which shows just how fast things can evolve before our eyes. Just a few years back Corning wowed many with their Day Made of Glass video series which envisioned a world where every surface was intelligent thanks to their smart-glass solutions. Now however we see that augmented reality in many ways alleviates the need to add glass to every surface we come in contact with.
Almost overnight the concept of wearable technology has wiped out potentially tens of billions of dollars of extra spending to touch-and-display-enable our world… Wow. Talk about a disruptive technology – smart glass getting disrupted by smart glasses. The video below shows what is possible – in fact it reminds us we may not need TVs in the future… Or smartphones or tablets or dedicated computers, etc.
Jeff Domansky's insight:
How wearable glass disrupted Corning and what's ahead.
As the electronics market continues to shift away from standard desktops and notebooks, other devices are primed to take their place. Tablets have the upper hand for the time being, but a recent report from Juniper Research claims that wearable device shipments could reach 130 million by 2018, 10 times the amount of wearables that shipped this year
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“It is worth observing that this change in adoption levels can also be attributable to heightened consumer awareness on wearable technology and a better visibility of product adoption, especially in the smart watch segment”, said Juniper’s Nitin Bhas.
In order for the wearable field to reach its potential, Bhas believes that vendors will need to focus on creating a viable platform for app developers. Google is already making strides in this realm with the upcoming release of the Glass Development Kit, but it will be up to the developers to stake their claim in a relatively untested market.
As the electronics market continues to shift away from standard desktops and notebooks, other devices are primed to take their place. Tablets have the upper hand for the time being, but a recent re...
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Research predicts product shipments of 130 million by 2018.
A new feature has been introduced to Google Glass that allows users to take photos using the wearable tech simply by winking.
Google has called the latest version of its smartglasses XE12, which is also now able to upload videos to Youtube and lock the screen to prevent unwanted people from using the device.
"Just like with your laptop or phone, no one can use your locked Glass until you enter your secret Glass handshake using taps and swipes," Google said in a blogpost....
If you didn’t join the horde of gadget-hungry would-be cyborgs in 2013, it was probably because the nascent wearables market is cluttered with incomplete thoughts and unfinished projects.
2014 promises to be a year of polish, with products that offer real benefits to their users, so if you’ve been casually interested now might be the time to sit up and pay closer attention
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In 2013 we witnessed an explosion of smartwatches, fitness trackers, face-mounted computers, and smart rings. We’ve seen this technology show up in just about every colour, shape, size, and price tag, and very few of them have actually been worth owning.
There are lots of companies shooting wildly into the dark in the hopes of hitting something, but in each of these wearable categories there hasn’t really been a single all-encompassing idea that is meant for everyone in that niche. 2013 was filled with guesses and re-calibrations based on those guesses, and as a result 2014 is going to be an amazing year for wearables....
Ever wonder what it would be like to bartend at a huge event like CES? Google Glass has your answer. Plus a variety of other wearable technology highlights for your reading pleasure.
Sony Wants to Compete with Oculus Rift
Sony may move into the territory market dominated by the Oculus Rift and other virtual-reality headsets with an upgrade to its head-mounted display. The company's HMZ-T3W headgear has been around since September of last year, although it was designed to be primarily a video device. With a prototype head tracker attached, the visor-like entertainment device becomes an immersive game environment.
Reebok CHECKLIGHT
Put simply the Reebok Checklight is a wearable for your head that measures how hard it got hit. It uses multiple motion sensors to provide actionable impact data to help assess an athlete before continuing to play and is designed for all helmeted and non-helmeted contact sports and activities.
Mio Heart Monitor
Mio Global unveiled Mio LINK, a sleek band worn on the wrist designed to monitor continuous heart rate data. Now runners and cyclists can get all the benefits of heart training without needing to use an uncomfortable chest strap. Available beginning in March for only $99.
FINALLY, a Grill-Cleaning Robot
Think of the $120 Grillbot as a Roomba for your grill. It’s got three motors, replaceable wire brushes and the ability to change directions as it bumps into the sides of your grill.
GUNNAR Optiks Color Update
Five new colors were introduced in the GUNNAR Optiks collection. The colors are Cobalt, Fire, Kryptonite, Ghost and Ink. As with the other Optiks glasses, the lenses offer a slight magnification and help filter out harsh light.
Pebble Steel Debut
For CES 2014, Pebble is showing off its new Pebble 2.0 software, the Pebble app store and Pebble Steel, its premium smart watch. Like the original Pebble, the Pebble Steel is waterproof and has a battery life of 5 to 7 days. The e-paper display is the same, too — only now it's covered with Corning Gorilla Glass.
SOL Republic Relays
The SOL Republic Relays are designed to fill two niches: everyday wear and fitness wear. Mashable reporter Pete Pachal says they're some of the most comfortable he's worn.
June bracelet
This smart bracelet, from Neatatmo, measures sun exposure and connects to iOS devices to let users know if they've had too much (or too little) sun.
Lumo BodyTech announced during the 2014 International CES show a small gadget that nudges you to stand up straight.The Lumo Lift, which comes in a variety of colors, detects your body's positioning and when you start to slouch, the device vibrates and reminds you to adjust your stance.
The Lift can be clasped to an undershirt, collar or bra strap."Lumo Lift tracks your body positions and movements, and when you close off your body, the sensor provides a gentle vibration to remind you to keep your shoulders back and head lifted," a company spokesperson told Mashable. "It also provides feedback and rewards through a mobile app."...
Marking its foray into the crowded wristband fitness tracker space, Garmin launched at CES 2014 the vivofit, a waterproof device that learns a user's fitness habits and sets different daily goals. Unlike most competing wristband trackers that require a recharge after seven to 10 days, the company promises a full year's worth of battery on one charge, thanks to two user-replaceable coin cell batteries.The vivofit aims to go head to head with other fitness wristband trackers such as the Nike+ Fuelband SE, the Fitbit Force and the Jawbone Up. It will come in five flavors — black, purple, teal, blue and slate — and in two sizes: small and large. The vivofit ships in the first quarter of 2014 and costs $129.99. A bundle with a heart-rate monitor will also be available for $169.99, allowing users to get more accurate calorie-burn information while working out....
Who is the audience for the Samsung Gear smartwatch, Google Glass, and the plethora of personal trackers saturating the market? Harris Interactive conducted a survey of 2,250 US adults to find out. It turns out that these consumers are confused and worried about this new technology, and that may be limiting its growth.
“We believe that the category’s essentially limitless possibilities are actually working against it, making it harder for consumers to wrap their collective heads around the segment. People need to understand what wearable tech is and how it can benefit them,” says Aaron Kane, senior research director at Harris Interactive....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Valuable market insights on the wearable technology market.
http://cnet.co/YIVxm0 Google's smart glasses sound like a cool idea, but how are you really going to use them? Donald bell counts down his list of the top 5 ...
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Hmmm my smartphone does most of this so innovation and new apps will be critical. Good look at issues though.
At CES in Las Vegas, Sony's Kunimasa Suzuki announces the Core, a small device that will act as a fitness tracker, offering recommendations based on how users interact with the device.
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Comments on this new Sony wearable device are mostly skeptical about the need.
...The hype around Google Glass has inspired a division of opinion. The people who want Google Glass and smart glasses are probably in the minority, with most people saying: "No way!"
They say this because Google Glass looks weird or dorky, they're too expensive or they're thought of as creepy invasions of privacy.But the wide range of smart glass products coming next year may change a lot of minds. Some of them don't look, function or empty wallets like Google Glass does...
One of the biggest issues surrounding wearable tech is not the casing, but the power and performance of the computing parts that go into it. Usually the main issue is actually the size of the chip, as tiny computing devices essentially need very small computing chips. The Quark processor is Intel’s answer to this dilemma that will hopefully enable new lines of slimmer, more powerful wearable clothing. The line was announced shortly after Intel announced the release of their new Broadwell microprocessor which was manufactured using a 14-nanometer process. The Quark si even smaller, and will most likely be produced using the same method.
LG Electronics is reportedly working on some new wearable offerings, with a rumored G-Arch smartwatch and G-Health fitness wristband in the works. The new gadgets would sync with the upcoming LG G3 smartphone and could be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress conference in February 2014.
Industry sources also mentioned that LG was developing fingerprint recognition technology on the G3, which would allow users to interact with their phone with a swipe — the iPhone 5s’ Touch ID sensor relies on capacitive touch to scan fingers that rest on the home button. The phone will also pack a quad HD display and 2.2 GHz 8-core processor, reports the Korea Herald. We mustn’t put too much stock in rumors, but LG has confirmed to Engadget that it is working on a wearable product
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Wearable tech VC guru Mary Meeker looks at trends.