wearable computing – Page 4

May 5, 2015

Glucose Monitoring App Coming to Android Wear for Diabetics Using Dexcom Monitors

This is a perfect example of where we can start pushing the boundaries on consumer wearable technology.

Dexcom makes medical equipment to help manage diabetes. Patients were a small sensor, plugged into their skin, which continuously monitors their blood sugar. This is a far more convenient and accurate way to get a sense of trends and to manage health than solely relying on individual blood tests on strips.

Of course there’s always room for improvement. Dexcom’s CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) sends a Bluetooth signal to a little standalone unit, which is another little gadget to keep track of and charge. What if we could send that monitoring info to consumer devices like phones or watches to get near real-time data?

Dexcom has brought an official app to the Apple Watch which displays info and graphs, but using the same general connection protocols, a developer is working on the same connection for Android Wear watches. Unofficial Apps xDrip and NightWatch pull the info from the Dexcom unit and send it to an Android Wear watch.

Once connected, users can get updates every five minutes with their blood sugar and can see daily trends displayed as a graph.

You can check out the XDrip and NightWatch projects via Stephen Black’s page on GitHub for more info.

April 29, 2015

Tag Heuer Designed Android Wear Smartwatch to Sell for $1400

Moving technology out of “geek” and into “chic” is now critical to get consumers to part with their cash. Apple raised the bar on what you could charge for a wrist wearable, and now traditional watch manufacturers are taking this sector more seriously.

Google announced a partnership with LVMH and we’ll soon see the fruits of that partnership under the Tag Heuer brand. Details are slim, and we don’t know yet what the watch will look like (the above pic is what I personally hope it’ll look like), but head of “Watchmaking Activities” Jean-Claude Biver estimates the watch will run for around 40 hours on a charge.

Their first Android Wear watch will land by November, and will launch at $1400, making it a perfect competitor to Apple’s midrange watch offering.

I’ve made comparisons in the past to Apple becoming less a tech company, and more a fashion brand like Luis Vuitton, which makes this an interesting fit for Google as Tag Heuer is owned by Luis Vuitton. Will partners like this improve the visibility if smartwatches and other wearables? Drop us a comment below!

(via Bloomberg)

April 15, 2015

Long Term Review: Samsung Gear S on AT&T – The Smartwatch to Beat?

Apple would have you believe smartwatches are brand spanking new, but Samsung has already released three generations of Gear products. The Gear S represents the company’s most ambitious push in migrating data services to your wrist. Does it live up to the hype? Let’s take a look!

Shop the Gear S on Amazon.

April 14, 2015

Moto 360 Smartwatch Gets a Price Drop!

Was it my favorite Android Wear Watch? Nope. But it still represents one of the most stylish entries into the world of wearable tech, and now you can get it for a LOT less.

Originally launched at $249, you can now find it for $165 on Google Play before tax and shipping, or $179 on Amazon for you Prime folks. Not a bad piece of kit at around half the price of the Apple Watch. You can catch our full review below.

March 30, 2015March 30, 2015

The Better Smartwatch Commercial? Apple or Google? FIGHT!

The “Tech as Fashion” wars are heating up. Now that Apple has finally released all their details on the Apple Watch, and started advertising it on TV, now other companies are cutting TV ads to compete. Why Google would have waited for Apple to start broadcasting ads I’ll never understand, when Android Wear had a solid head start in the market, but I digress…

Anywho, now that the two companies are duking it out on TV, who do you think has the better ad? Apple went with their classic “Simple and show some functionality” approach, while Google played into the more recent feel good slate of ads, like their Animal Friends, with some colorful dance moves. One team’s ad is all about focus, the other all about diversity.

Which company did the better job introducing the world to their smartwatch? Drop us a comment below!

Google:

Apple:

March 12, 2015

Apple, Fashion, and Perceived Exclusivity – Keeping Desire High for iProducts

I recorded a video earlier this week in response to Apple’s MacBook and Apple Watch announcements, where I washed my hands of the tech angst many of us gadget geeks face when discussing Cupertino. Many of us who are now the most critical of the company, were at one time the most passionate advocates of the brand. I myself was an Apple product specialist for a company that sold systems and maintenance contracts to Department of Energy research facilities. The general thesis of my video focused on the realization and acceptance of the fact that Apple is not (and some would argue hasn’t been for some time) a tech company, but is now a full-fledged fashion and lifestyle brand.

Scanning through Apple’s site and ads, we see a company showcasing design in much the same way that a jewelry website would show off luxury, premium offerings. Sure, there’s a tab you can click on to get a full listing of hardware specs, but it’s neatly tucked to the side, while large banners talk about “Reinventing the Laptop”, or how Apple Watch is their “Most Personal Device” yet. Marketing intangibles, statements designed to make you feel good, appeal to you emotionally, but which aren’t quantifiable or verifiable.

While Apple has often been accused of recycling their designs, the tick-tock update schedule of the iPhone is a perfect example, the company has learned an incredibly important strategy from the retail arena. While iProducts rarely change much from year to year, the subtle design changes keep brand awareness high amongst the demographics of folks with money to burn.

When moving from the Black iPhone 5, to the “Space Grey” iPhone 5S for example, this was a clear visual signal that you had spent money recently to acquire the new phone, instead of slumming it with an old phone. A Silver MacBook likely wont stand out much in a coffee shop when surrounded by MacBook Airs, but a Gold MacBook gives up a ready signal that you are on the pulse. It just wouldn’t do to be seen with last season’s Apple gear. We can count on the next MacBook to be a modest iteration improvement to the internal technology, but we’ll likely focus more on a new design accent or a new color option. Continue reading “Apple, Fashion, and Perceived Exclusivity – Keeping Desire High for iProducts”

February 9, 2015

Smartwatch Review: Asus ZenWatch Running Android Wear 5.0 Lollipop

Continuing our run of reviews through the Android Wear ecosystem, Asus has delivered one of the more attractive offerings with the ZenWatch. As a fashion piece it looks like it could go toe to toe with the upcoming Apple Watch, but how does it perform? Let’s take a look…