background preloader

Wearable Technology

Wearable Technology

iwatchad wearabletech The History of Wearable Tech, From the Casino to the Consumer Wearable technology is perhaps the most prolific trend in the tech industry today. From activity-tracking fitness bands to Google Glass and Oculus Rift, big names are getting involved in the once-niche technology — and they're getting involved in big ways. You probably wouldn't have guessed that the tech behind wearable computing devices finds much of its history in attempting to cheat casinos. Inventors built some of the first wearables in the 1960s and '70s to count cards and improve a gambler's odds at the roulette table. From there, working with wearables remained a small-scale field. Below, we've compiled a timeline of wearable technology's history, from the casino to the consumer. Have something to add to this story?

Microsoft Launches New Wrist-Worn Band (And Health Service) The path toward the unveiling of Microsoft’s new $199 fitness tracker the Microsoft Band, details of which the company formally announced today, actually began back in 2010, with a few Microsoft executives who’d become intensely motivated to take control of their fitness – and to change their lifestyles. The result of that desire: the development of the Microsoft Band, a black, rubber band worn on the wrist that comes packed with features like sensors that continuously track heart rate plus a display that can show text messages and Facebook alerts. A Starbucks app also displays a bar code on the band that could be scanned to pay for drinks. Microsoft is selling the Microsoft Band through its stores (this link takes you straight to it) and website now. How the new band stacks up to the competition: Microsoft’s Band includes GPS tracking and costs $199. Among the band’s other features are guided workouts, sleep tracking, GPS run mapping and 24-hour heart rate tracking.

How Apple Watch is killing wearable tech as a gift this Christmas With two words, Apple may have chilled the holiday market for wearables. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) This time last year, we all thought that 2014 would be the year of the wearable. But for the most part, the wearable trend still seems to be on the runway. The truth is that anyone who buys a wearable device this Christmas will be jumping onto the bandwagon before the most highly anticipated wearable of all hits the market. Love or hate the tech giant, it's hard to deny that it makes a splash when it steps into a market. The report also notes how important the Apple Watch is to the wider market, calling it a "sleek device that rivals project will help mainstream the entire wearable category." In other words, until Apple joins the fray, everyone else is just holding their breath. That means wearables aren't the hot tech gift this year. But in Pegler's view, the devices currently on the market can do cool things, but haven't proven themselves as indispensable.

Screen Shot 2013 07 09 at 12 15 52 PM

Related: