Category: Wearables
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Apple patents more wearable sensors
Apple Insider reports: “A batch of Apple patent filings published on Thursday describe a system of interconnected sensors — some being wearable devices — that work with an iPhone hub to monitor activity levels, dynamically set or cancel alarms and manage push notification settings, among other automated tasks.” The patents include: Method and Apparatus For Personal…
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Apple patents weightlifting tracker
Apple’s U.S. Patent No. 8,749,380 is a “shoe wear-out sensor, body-bar sensing system, unitless activity assessment and associated methods.” The patent describes a system where a sensor-laden device attaches to a weightlifting bar and counts and displays repetitions. A watch for remote readings is included. It is widely thought to be a part of an iWatch weightlifting…
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Samsung announces Simband health tracker
Samsung’s forthcoming Simband, pitched as a common platform for wearable health sensor development, will record and analyze user vital signs in real time. Data will be uploaded directly to the cloud, with out the need for a smartphone. Simband has multiple sensors, a thin removable battery and a small motherboard. It is powered by a…
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Sensor “band-aid” assesses physical and cognitive performance
Airmen at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base are testing bandage-like sensors that analyze sweat to assess physical and cognitive performance. This is based on a study by Dr. Josh Hagen of the Air Force Research Lab. The sensors notify users when stress, dehydration, and other health issues are detected. “Our vision is that every Airman at the beginning…
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Smart glasses track fatigue
JINS MEME glasses track the correlation between eye strain and fatigue, and send mental and physical tiredness data to a user’s smartphone. The glasses monitor a user’s eye movements and gaze. They contain small metallic electrooculography sensors in the parts of the frame that touch the bridge of the nose and ears, determining the electrical potential of…
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Wearable data integration quantifies self and dog
As more wearable devices integrate data, Jawbone and Whistle have partnered to combine self fitness tracking with a dog’s activity. The results are presented together in one graph. Through the Jawbone UP app, users can see resting, walking, playing, running, or swimming time with their dogs on their activity stream. Whistle uses a three-axis accelerometer…
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Wearables become beautiful (just in time for Mother’s Day)
The Misfit Bloom is a stylish pendant with the same health sensing technology as a fitness band. A Shine sensor, originally crowdfunded on Indiegogo, is seamlessly integrated into the necklace, providing continuous monitoring of a user’s steps, calories and sleep. As health monitoring becomes ubiquitous, ApplySci believes that the number of fashion forward wearable devices will steadily…
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Gamified wearable activity monitor for kids
LeapFrog has embraced the wearables trend with a gamified fitness band for children aged 4-7. The Leapband screen displays a personalized virtual pet which guides a child through a series of activity challenges and games. The more active they are, the more points they win, and the more games they are able to unlock of…
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iPhone controlled hearing aids
ReSound LiNX, Beltone First and the Starkey Halo are hearing aids that work directly with iPhones. Audio is sent to the device as it would a Bluetooth earpiece. It can also act as a remote control. One’s phone can be a hearing aid’s microphone, record information about when and where it is adjusted, and track how…
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Electronic headband may prevent migraines
Cefaly The Cefaly headband is a battery powered device that may prevent migraine headaches. It works by pressing a self adhesive electrode, positioned at the center of person’s forehead, which sends an electrical signal through the skin to the trigeminal nerve. By stimulating the nerve, the device was shown to help prevent the migraine headaches in…
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Wearables track, manage, predict epileptic seizures
Artefact Dialog | SmartMonitor Artefact Dialog allows epilepsy patients to track, manage, and predict seizures. The patch-like wearable connects via Bluetooth to a smartphone app. It can help wearers remember to take their medications, warn them about seizures, and alert friends, family, or caregivers when a seizure happens. Connected apps help users analyze where they…
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Crowdfunded, gesture controlled, bluetooth ring
Kickstarter campaign Logbar‘s sensor ring recognizes finger gestures and controls devices. “Ring” allows the wearer to write text messages by drawing in the air, make mobile payments, or control lights or a television. It is being tested for use with the Pebble watch, quadcopter drones and Google Glass. It can be programmed to respond to original shape gesture…