Smartwatch from Asus, loaded with 'special features', to launch in second half of the year

According to Asus chairman Jonny Shih, the tech manufacturer is planning on adding its contribution to the smartwatch market, by releasing its own timepiece during the second half of this year. Shih hinted that the timepiece will be full of special features when he said that watches without such content are useless. "We'll try to replace your watch by all means," said the executive.

The Asus smartwatch will reach consumers this year, promised Shih. The company told investors last November that it would be presenting a wearable device at this June's Computex show in Taipei. More intriguing is the story recently leaked by an Asus insider. The anonymous source said that the company would be releasing a "distinctive" wearable device in the second half of 2014 that will be different than anything else produced by the competition, and could be worn as a necklace.


"There are actually many challenges in this area, and I don't think products that lack special features will be useful. We'll try to replace your watch by all means."-Jonny Shih, chairman, Asus
source: FocusTaiwan via Pocketlint

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Smartwatch from Asus, loaded with 'special features', to launch in second half of the year

According to Asus chairman Jonny Shih, the tech manufacturer is planning on adding its contribution to the smartwatch market, by releasing its own timepiece during the second half of this year. Shih hinted that the timepiece will be full of special features when he said that watches without such content are useless. "We'll try to replace your watch by all means," said the executive.

The Asus smartwatch will reach consumers this year, promised Shih. The company told investors last November that it would be presenting a wearable device at this June's Computex show in Taipei. More intriguing is the story recently leaked by an Asus insider. The anonymous source said that the company would be releasing a "distinctive" wearable device in the second half of 2014 that will be different than anything else produced by the competition, and could be worn as a necklace.


"There are actually many challenges in this area, and I don't think products that lack special features will be useful. We'll try to replace your watch by all means."-Jonny Shih, chairman, Asus
source: FocusTaiwan via Pocketlint

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New iWatch concept beautifully builds on the Nike FuelBand concept

A few months ago, we saw a concept for the Apple iWatch from designerThomas Bogner that modeled the device after the Nike FuelBand, and it was one of the better designs that we had seen (regardless of how realistic of a design it would be). Now, designer Todd Hamilton has expanded on that design and added in the iOS 7 UI, which looks very at home on a wearable.

As far as the design of the hardware itself, Hamilton has only made a couple tweaks, but seemingly important ones. First off, he has given more thought to the materials of the device, blending the screen with a glossy outside, and making the inner part of the band rubber. The other big change was in changing the orientation of the screen. Bogner's design had information displayed horizontally, which looks nice in a concept, but makes very little sense when placed on a human wrist. Hamilton has the data displayed vertically, which makes the whole system make more sense.

Additionally, the iOS 7 icons, clean design, and ambient color look far more dynamic and interesting on a smartwatch than you might expect. This looks like a device that we'd love to use. Of course, realistically it is fairly impossible right now for a device like this to be made, because we don't yet have quality curved batteries, flexible cables, and the other components to make it a reality. Still, we definitely prefer this idea to the silly iWatch S and C concepts we saw recently.


source: Todd Hamilton via Mashable

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Cool looking Nokia smartwatch concept is based on leaked prototype pictures

Phone Designer is a graphic artist who often produces mock ups of concept Nokia models. Based on pictures of a prototype Nokia smartwatch, the designer put together a concept of a Nokia intelligent timepiece. The watch comes with a glance screen style UI, which is supposed to save battery life. Nokia's deal with Microsoft means that the Finnish based OEM gets to keep the wearables business.

Last month, we passed along a rumor that Nokia would be coming to market in the second half of this year with a smartwatch that would be based on the Finnish company's Morph technology, based on nanoscale technology. The watch is also supposedly based on Nokia's kinetic technology that allows users to bend and squeeze a device.

Meanwhile, we still have this sleek looking concept to look at. Like most concepts, it probably will bare no resemblance to the actual version of the released device, assuming that Nokia does have a smartwatch coming later this year.

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Apple grabs biosensor specialists for wearables drive

Apple has added two medical wearables specialists to its team, reigniting speculation that the upcoming "iWatch" could track health issues as well as provide a wrist-worn window to your iPhone. Former medical device specialists from Vital Connect and Sano Intelligence each quietly joined Apple in December, 9 to 5 Mac spotted, bringing expertise in biosensors, minimally-invasive blood monitoring, and more.

For instance, Nancy Dougherty, formerly of Sano Intelligence and now a "hardware engineer" at Apple, was responsible for developing a system of micro-needles which can be worn as an adhesive patch. According to details shared with Fast Company, that patch has a texture like sandpaper and is battery powered and wireless, with Sano Intelligence predicting it will eventually be able to track glucose, potassium, and electrolyte levels, not to mention kidney functions.

Vital Connect, meanwhile, developed a disposable wireless health monitor we tried last year which tracks ECG, temperature, and movement for up to three days from its onboard battery. That data is squirted to a nearby smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth LE, delivering insights not only on ongoing wellbeing but being able to monitor things like trips and falls for elderly or disabled wearers, notifying a remote caregiver accordingly.

From the startup, which could begin selling its sensors in Verizon stores this year under the carrier's mHealth banner, Apple has snatched R&D VP Ravi Narasimhan. He was responsible for sensor processing, not to mention involved in operating Vital Connect's clinical trials, essential if products are to achieve regulatory approval as medical devices.

Neither new employee has detailed exactly what they're doing at Apple, nor the team on which they're working, though their individual backgrounds in medical devices and biosensors does make it seem likely that they'll be involved in the Cupertino firm's oft-discussed wearable plans.




Although those plans - and the many rumors around them - have centered for the most part on the "iWatch", a smartwatch-style companion device for the iPhone and iPad, it's entirely possible that Apple has more than one iron in the body-worn gadget fire. Fitness and health have long been associated with the iPhone and iPod lines - such as their inbuilt Nike+ functionality - and a range of new sensors that extend that could allow Apple to tap into what's predicted to be a growing and lucrative market in personal health.

It won't be the only firm aiming to do that, of course. Google made the surprise announcement yesterday that it was developing smart contact lenses that can track glucose levels for diabetics, while signs of a "fitness API"were spotted in Android code earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Apple is also said to be investigating iris scanning systems, 9 to 5 Mac's sources claim, with work taking place around whether other sensors already in smartphones could be used to improve the accuracy of face recognition. Earlier in the month, a Samsung executive suggested the Korean company was looking into its own iris scanning tech, with whispers that it could show up as soon as the Galaxy S5 expected later this year.

How soon Apple's wearable products will arrive is still a mystery. During CES, reports surfaced that the company was weighing a change in display technology for the iWatch so as to reduce power consumption and prolong battery life.

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Casio G-Shock STB-100 Sport Watch hands-on: classic looks get smart

When you’ve got a design for a watch as ubiquitous as the Casio G-Shock on the market, you’re allowed to be late to the new technology party. This year Casio’s entry in the STB-100 comes in the form of Bluetooth 4.0 and a sports-tracking collection of bits and pieces in their slightly modified G-Shock design. While we’re not about to suggest this watch is in any way more all-inclusive than its smartwatch competitors from Sony, Samsung, Pebble, and the many others shown off this week at CES 2014, Casio still retains that built-in fan base they’ve cultivated for years.

Attaching itself to the iPhone alone, this particular sports watch is aimed at two groups - those that already own a G-Shock and want to expand their collection into the Bluetooth/smartwatch realm, and those that are looking for a sports-tracking device and don’t want to appear to actually be wearing one of these new-fangled “Smartwatch” thingies, so to speak. Casio has molded this device to look as naturally un-smart as any past model.

The iPhone app for the STB-100 - as they were showing off this week - is just about as bare-bones as a connected app gets. You’ll be able to control your music and track your steps in a variety of ways. You'll be able to track your running pace, time elapsed while running, distance traveled, and data for biking with its built-in cadence sensor.

For an Apple user used to listening to music on the go, this device’s control setup allows you to be able to press a button on your watch to switch music tracks, and that’s about it. Something rather similar to what you’re doing already with the wire connecting you to your earbuds, more than likely. One way or another, you’ll be able to skip a track.

At the moment it does not appear that Casio is doing just one whole heck of a lot with the data you’re getting,* but it does seem that they’ll be expanding their software soon - we’ll have to wait and see. Wait for the actual release of this device this year, that is.

*UPDATE: This watch will be connecting to Abvio’s Runmeter, Walkmeter, and Cyclemeter, as well as the app known as Wahoo Fitness. Casio is also working with other developers to expand this collection in the near future.

Source:www.slashgear.com

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