Tag: wearables

Huami To Launch Two Smartwatches In India On 24th July

Ever since wearables became a trend, Xiaomi has been launching its own line of fitness bands and smartwatches. Huami is a partnered brand with Xiaomi, which made the Mi Fit, Mi Band, and the Amazfit smartwatches. The brand is now launching in India with two smartwatches. The Amazfit Bip and Amazfit Stratos are the two wearables launching on the 24th of July. Huami made an official announcement via Twitter regarding these smartwatches.

Huami Announcement

While the Amazfit Stratos follows a circular design, the Amazfit Bip has a more rectangular aesthetic. The Amazfit Bip has rounded corners, making it look similar to the Apple Watch. The strap found on both the smartwatches are rubberized.

Also Read: Asus ROG Gaming Smartphone Launch In India Confirmed

Amazfit Bip

The Amazfit Stratos is comparatively on the pricier side, as it costs about US $199.99 (Rs. 13,718.31 approx). Whereas the Amazfit Bip costs US $99 (Rs 6,785.96 approx). Naturally, the latter has a few corners cut in terms of specifications but the Bip still holds its ground with an IP68 rating and an array of sensors. Both smartwatches offer a lot of fitness tracking features and are compatible with both iOS and Android devices. The Huami Amazfit Bip and Stratos both use a proprietary OS.

Those who can’t wait for the devices to launch in India can directly order them from the US Amazon website. Considering the US price of these smartwatches are fairly competitive, we can expect the Indian prices to be relatively on the cheaper side as well. After their launch in India, we will give our final verdict on the price tags of the smartwatches. Given that the Indian market is already flooded with a plethora of fitness bands and smartwatches. On paper, both the Amazfit Bip and Amazfit Stratos look incredibly promising.

Are you going to buy a Huami smartwatch when they are available for sale? We are all ears in the comment section, do leave your feedback.

July 18, 2018
Unboxing The Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro And Gear Sport
Samsung has launched two new wearable devices in India, the Gear Fit2 Pro and the Gear Sport at a price of Rs 13590 and Rs 22990 respectively. The Gear Fit2Pro is a fitness tracking band while the Gear Sport is a smartwatch. Let’s unbox the two wearables and see what we get inside the box:

Samsung Gear Sport box:
- Samsung Gear Sport smartwatch
- Extra wrist straps
- Charging cradle
- Documentation
Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro
- Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro
- Charging base
- Documentation
Both the wearables are compact and have different straps depending on the size of the consumer’s wrist which makes it ideal for everyone. Both the wearables can be connected to an Android phone via bluetooth and can be customised through the Samsung Gear app. The Gear Sport has a rotating bezel to interact with the watch which is much more intuitive than tapping on the tiny display.

If you are a swimmer, then the Gear Fit2 Pro can be ideal fro you to keep a track of your swimming performance as the Gear Fit2 Pro has a lot of features for swimming. It can eventrack a user’s stroke type, stroke count, and lap count.

Samsung has launched two new wearable devices in India today. One of them is a smartwatch and the other one is a fitness tracker. The pre-bookings for both the devices will start from the 4th of December and will be available to public on the 11th of December.

The Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro is priced at Rs 13590 and will be available in Black, and Black/Red colour variants. The fitness tracker has a 1.5-inch curved display, a 5 atm water resistance rating and has features specifically made for swimmers, including ways for the wearable to track a user’s stroke type, stroke count, and lap count. It also has a continuous heart rate monitor.

The Gear Fit 2 Pro has built-in GPS, as well as an automatic workout detection feature.

Buy it here

The Samsung Gear Sport is priced at Rs 22990 and has a 1.2-inch circular screen with a 320 x 320 resolution and Gorilla Glass 3, a water resistance rating of five atmospheres, as well as a focus on nutrition, with the ability to monitor your calorie balance throughout the day. The Gear Sport has access to fitness programs, along with a way to help the user complete their weight loss goals.

The new smartwatch can also be connected to Samsung’s smart TVs via the Samsung Connect app, and will support the company’s Samsung Pay service with its NFC hardware. The Gear Sport will be available in Black and Blue and colour variants.

Buy it here
November 29, 2017
Nokia is Buying Withings for US $191 million

One would imagine that not a lot of strength is left in the once smartphone giant, Nokia. However, that clearly is not the case. The french health company Withings will become a part of Nokia technologies according to reports.

The acquisition will happen over the year for a total cost of US $191 million. The company looks at re-emrging as a consumer favorite brand after major demise and offloading of its smartphone division to Microsoft.

“Withings shares our vision for the future of digital health and their products are smart, well designed and already helping people live healthier lives,” said Ramzi Haidamus, president of Nokia Technologies. “Combining their award-winning products and talented people with the world-class expertise and innovation of Nokia Technologies uniquely positions us to lead the next wave of innovation in digital health.”

Source

April 26, 2016
Nokia Might Be Planning to Enter the Wearables Business

The whole world is moving towards wearables. So, it’s only right for Nokia to get into the game as well. The company recently amended its Articles of Association to include consumer wearables. This happens to come around the time when rumours are afloat that Nokia is planning on a smartwatch or bracelet that focuses on health and well being.

You may have heard that Nokia was planning to launch a smartwatch last year that was codenamed ‘Moonraker’ that had many of the aesthetics of the modern Windows phone. However, the project was scrapped after Microsoft took over presumably because Microsoft had its own Band in the work.

Nokia Moonraker

Two years ago, Nokia had filed a patent for a smart wearable that looked more like a bracelet than a watch, with multiple screen for different functions. We are not sure whether Nokia plans to begin working on its past projects again or if it’s looking to work on something entirely different. But the change in the corporation papers shows signs that Nokia is ready to bring out its smartwatch or bracelet soon.

Nokia has a tough challenge ahead if it really is working on consumer wearables. Today, smart wearable is what is getting the tech world pumped, and traditional watchmaking brands like Fossil are also getting into the game. The competition is stiff and Nokia will have to come out with something unique if they want to stand a chance.

October 24, 2015
HTC is Working on a Smartwatch Codenamed ‘Halfbeak’

Latest rumors suggest that HTC is working on an Android Wear smartwatch codenamed ‘Halfbeak’. The company has been associated with Android Wear from the very beginning. However, they have never entered into the smartwatch game, which has already been played by Apple, Samsung and LG, to name a few.

From what we’ve gathered so far, the smartwatch will come with a round display, with a 360×360 resolution. HTC has shown keen interest in wearable tech since it showed off the HTC Grip earlier this year. The Grip is a sports band and watch, but does not run Android Wear.

We have mentioned earlier on HTC’s big ‘dual-flagship’ launch scheduled to take place on the 29th of September. Chances are that the company may take some time out to introduce the watch on that day as well. Given that HTC delivers on beautiful smartphone designs, the watch could follow suit. We’ll just have to wait and see.

September 10, 2015
Tech Meets Sports : How Technology is Shaping the Future of Football

With the invention of television, tech changed the way we interacted with sports. Now, almost a century later, technology still strongly influences the way we watch, train for and play sports. These days, advanced fitness technology has been infiltrating professional sports, giving coaches and players detailed insights on how their bodies work and what they need to excel at, on the field. Taking it to a whole new level, with apps like Ubersense which provide real time video analysis and feedback on smartphones.

Soccer being the most beloved sport in the world surely gets the most advanced treatment when it comes to tech. Earlier this year the smartphone manufacturer HTC and the “futurologist” Dr Ian Pearson collaborated on a document titled The Future of Football. In the next few decades, robot football could become common, shirts might come with tiny cameras and fans could end up controlling players with smartphones. It all sounds a little strange, yes, and from a rather distant future but recently we have witnessed many changes in the football scenario that have been fuelled by tech.

Lets see how technology has taken soccer to a new level, promoting both player performance and comfort.

Real Time Performance Analysis

With the advancement in technology, many developers have come up with sophisticated apps and softwares which can analyze players performance in real time. Such apps including UberSense, V1sports and many more saves the coaches and players the tiresome task of collecting data on a number of laptops, charts and spreadsheets to keep videos and stats of the players. Wearable technology has also made training easy as players are now getting the help of fitness devices to get an edge on their competition. Devices like Adidas, miCoach, Speed_Cell and various heart rate monitors lets coaches analyse various parameters important in the game. For example, the Speed_Cell clips on to shoelaces or adidas shoes and measures maximum speed, distance, stride rate and game time. Coaches then take that data and analyse it to find ways to improve each player’s performance.

Wearable tech

Wearable tech in sports isn’t limited to fitness trackers anymore. Even the uniforms of soccer players have got a tech makeover. There are high-tech shirts with sensors that track information and promote player comfort during matches. In the 2014 world cup tournament, players wore shirts that were fit for the warm, humid conditions in Brazil, allowing players to keep cool and dry during the game, affecting overall stamina and performance.

Protective gears also make use of technology to ensure the safety of players. Most notably; cleats, shin guards, athletic taping and compression-fit fabric work to micro-massage players’ muscles to prevent excessive vibration and promote muscle health and energy supply. Sensors in shin guards allow players and coaches to collect data and analyse performance, too.

High Tech Soccer Balls

One of the most important highlights of this year’s world cup was the inclusion of the GoalControl technology in the soccer balls. Also called the Goal-line tech, it helps referees to determine whether the ball has completely crossed the goal line or not. Also, there are balls that measure impact and trajectory. Equipped with internal sensors, the ball sends feedback to its compatible app via Bluetooth technology. This data can help players improve their game.

Sideline viewing system

This is latest development in the field of NFL. Sideline viewing system hasn’t been used in Soccer as of now but the application of this system, which uses Microsoft’s Surface Pro, is much more practical for the soccer field. It allows NFL teams to review photos of plays instantly on the sidelines and up in the booths. For example, when the quarterback goes back to the bench, the Surface can then be used to see the opposing team’s defensive formation during the most recent drive and the same goes for the coaching staff that keeps an eye on the game from higher grounds. Even though the whole campaign was to promote Surface Pro, the application of this system is very beneficial on field for both players and coaches.

May 17, 2015
Pebble Time is the First Coloured e-Paper Smartwatch with 7-Day Battery Support

Smartwatches are the current hottest trend everyone wants to cash in on. The biggest problem with certain wearables is that they are only compatible with particular handsets. Meet the new smartwatch by Pebble Technologies that is smart in a real sense and can adjust with any smartphone, whether iOS or Android.

With Pebble Time, users don’t have compromise, and the watch itself adjusts meeting the needs of the user. The screen of Pebble Time is an e-paper display, just like new YotaPhone 2 and Kindle – a first for any smartwatch. The screen is covered with Gorilla Glass, and the coloured display enhances the overall appeal of the smartwatch. Pebble claims that the battery of the smartwatch can last up to 7 days. However, there’s a catch, and that is that the Pebble timepiece is not touchscreen.

So how do you operate the device? There is a microphone onboard making it convenient to have a phone-like conversation. Users can reply to the messages by pushing keys, and there’s also a gyroscope for motion sensing. The new user interface (UI) is focused on a timeline that highlights what’s important over the course of the day. There’s a new app menu, which loads and cache apps as required. You can connect these apps to the timeline, organising all relevant information.

There are three buttons on the right-hand side of the screen and one on the left. The buttons have been adjusted to easy grip, and one can push each of them effortlessly without any unintentional pressing of the other ones. The top button is for check past events, the middle for present and the third one refers to the future. The smartwatch offers hassle-free customization options, and one can affix any band to the core machinery having 22mm pin.

Pebble Time is a $179 smartwatch that is on Kickstarter as of now. It is the fastest project to raise $1 million on Kickstarter in approximately 30 minutes.

There are many good smartwatches out there, but the Time stands apart. It’s affordable, and the USP is its cross-platform functionality that would have attracted the numerous backers. Early investors can get the Time for $159, but the concession is for supporters only. The watch will retail at a price of $199 once the campaign completes.

February 25, 2015
CES 2015: Intel’s Button Sized Chipset lets Anyone Make Wearables

Future looks quite promising for wearables as prominent manufacturers have shown a renewed interest in the wearable segment. Intel being the latest to jump onto the wearable bandwagon, as the company’s CEO Brian Krzanic announced a new tiny chipset for wearable devices which is the size of a coat button. It’s a low power 32 bit micro controller called the Quark SE which has 384kb of flash memory and 80kb SRAM. In addition, the chipset also features a plethora of sensors including accelerometer, gyroscope and Bluetooth LE support.

CEO Brian Kraznic with the Intel Curie Prototype

Intel also announced a development module called Curie, that will allow companies to manufacture wearable devices out of anything. Krazinch claimed that with Curie and Quark, one could build a wearable device out of anything from rings to handbags, pendants and even glasses.

Intel seems all geared up to speed up the development of Curie based devices. It is providing complete software and technical support needed to work with its reference wearable applications called Intel IQ Software Kit. The company believes it will help customers across all demographics, including fashion, sports and lifestyle companies.

January 7, 2015
Winner | Best Smartwatch | iGyaan Tech Awards 2014

Wearables still aren’t quite mainstream products, but smartwatches have grown in popularity, not to mention quality. The best handy device delivers notifications on your wrist so you can see who’s calling or texting without constantly whipping out your phone. A good smartwatch also allows you to control your music and keep tabs on your workouts.

Voting is now Closed! The Winner for the Best Smartwatch in the iGyaan Tech Awards 2014 is Moto 360.

The winner of the giveaway is announced HERE.

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December 27, 2014
Samsung Gear S Smartwatch Launched in India for Rs. 29,500

Along with the launch of latest flagship Galaxy Note 4, Samsung has also launched Gear S, the company’s newest smartwatch. The new smartwatch will be available from October 17th at the price tag of Rs. 29,500. Along with that, the company announced the partnership with Vodafone to give 2GB Data free for the users 2 months.

The new Tizen based smartwatch is the first smartwatch from Samsung with built-in 3G connectivity, and have ability to connect to 3G and 2G networks on its own, meaning users won’t need to keep it wirelessly connected to a smartphone in order to get notifications or make calls.

The Samsung Gear S has a 2-inch curved AMOLED display. It is topped with dual-core 1GHz CPU inside along with GPS, heart rate and motion sensors. It is powered by a 300mAh battery which Samsung says can last up to two days. It runs Tizen instead of Android Wear, with pedestrian navigation available from from Nokia’s HERE and support for Facebook.

It also lets you reply to incoming messages using the onscreen keyboard, or S Voice functionality to complete your tasks. You can also make and receive calls directly from your wrist, or get calls forwarded from your smartphone.

The 2-inch curved AMOLED display is kept at a 360 x 480px resolution, which comes out to a fairly impressive 300 pixels per inch. The smartwatch does not sport a camera, and unlike Samsung’s other Tizen-based Gear watches, it has a standalone music player.

October 14, 2014
Top 4 Awesome Things Google Android Wear Can Do

If Google achieves its goal, Android will be not only on the phone in your pocket, but also wrapped around your wrist soon. As Google pointed out that we check our phones 125 time per day on an average, the new wearable gadget, aptly dubbed as Smartwatch, will take on much of that burden from the hand set.

During an I/O 2014 demo, it showed how smartwatches like LG’s G Watch paired with Android 4.3 or higher phones which will display the most important info to you at any given time. That includes flights, the weather, your commute, appointments, reminders, notes and messages. Here are the list of thing Android Wear can do:

1. Search

One feature that comes handy with Android wear is ‘Google Now’. If you’ve used Google voice search or Google Now on an Android smartphone you’ll know what to expect here. Google Now is built into Google’s search app on both Android and iOS and serves as an answer to Apple’s Siri. A virtual digital assistant, just without the sarcasm and personality that the iPhone’s disembodied voice is known for. Google Now is all about answers—it can answer a wide range of questions, make recommendations and predict what information users need based on what they are doing or where they are at.

You can ask Google Now, what song is playing, for nearby locations, for the latest sports score, and for the weather forecast. Even better Google Now shows search information before users even ask for it—such as flight information popping up when you have to catch the plane. All of this information is presented on white cards that slide up on the watch face and can be tapped or flicked for more info, or swiped away when no longer needed—this too is the familiar Google Now user interface and similar to what Google Glass does, which is also powered by Android.

2. Voice

Google Now is dependent on two types of input; speech and text while we use it on the phone. With Android Wear nobody seems to be typing. Rather, all the input seems to be dependent on voice commands for both search and messaging. Though, it seems that using Android wear in noisy places like concerts or stadiums will be a tough task. But on the other hand, Google does have a reputation for best-in-class voice recognition.

3. Location

Finding location is one of the key features of the Android Wear. Same as Google Now, Android Wear will aim on hands-free and voice navigation. Being a Google product will also send various notification based on the location like possibility of rain, good resturants around, warning about floods in the area etc.

4. Fitness

One more important function is its fitness tracking. Right now, such functions are being handled by devices like the Jawbone’s Up, the Fitbit and the Nike+ FuelBand. With Android Wear, Google clearly wants the only thing on your wrist to be an Android powered watch. One example high at Google I/O is showing the number of steps taken for the day and week. Android Wear devices made with heart rate monitors will also be able to tap into that data for compatible apps.

After showing-off Android Wear, Google announced a number of upcoming devices that will run its new platform. Chief among them was the new Samsung Gear Live, company’s first device to use Google’s wearable platform, along with LG G watch which are now available to preorder from the Google Play store. But those interested in the Moto 360 smartwatch will have to wait, as Google said it won’t be available to pre-order until later this summer.

June 26, 2014
LG Chem Unveils Batteries For Next Generation: Curved Batteries in Production

LG Display has confirmed production of a “bendable and unbreakable” smartphone display. Now, LG Chem unveiled what they have got for the future smartphones as the company unveiled the next generation of batteries.

Through the exclusiveness of our unique technology, LG Chem has succeeded in launching future batteries that have not existed before. This shall be the fundamental grounds for LG Chem to become a pioneer in the market. As a leader of battery manufacturer, we will continue to strive for Global No.1 by developing more of optimized, safe and long-lasting batteries to make it the business of future generation”, said YS Kwon, the President of Energy Solution Company, LG Chem.

The company announced that they have curved batteries in mass production, which will power the next generation smart phone from LG. The company calls it “Stack and Folding technology”, while the company claims that they can build batteries that will fit phones, or any wearable devices(watches, glass). The company has the patent of Stack & Folding technology and the mass production of Curved Battery has been started since this month and the products will power the next smart phone line up of LG Electronics.

[toggle title=”Press Release “]LG Chem to unveil batteries of next generation
SEOUL–(Korea Newswire) October 8, 2013 — LG Chem, a leading battery manufacturer, is ready to unveil batteries that have not existed before.

The company announced on the 8th that it has succeeded in breaking the tradition of rectangular shaped batteries to lead the effort to a more sustainable future by mass producing batteries of different shapes.

The types of LG Chem’s future batteries can be categorized as the following. ? Stepped Battery, ? Curved Battery and ? Cable Battery.

At the moment, the chemical company is already mass producing stepped and curved batteries. Stepped Battery from Nanjing plant of LG Chem has been manufactured since July to power LG G2. However, the actual production of Cable Battery shall begin in upcoming years.

First of all, Stepped Battery refers to an integral type of a battery in which two batteries are added on top of each other in the shape of “step design.” The battery takes greater advantage of available space within the device than other batteries as it perfectly suits the changing trend of modern IT gadgets of flexible designs.

For example, recent mobile devices have been adopting round shapes and designs with rear buttons creating unnecessary “dead space” inside the gadget. With Stepped Batteries, the dead space can be filled up to fully power the handset and also increase the battery capacity.

In fact, the battery density has increased the capacity by 16% and also the life span by more than 3 hours when applied to the newly launched LG G2, a premium smart phone by LG Electronics.

The competitors in the market may succeed in stacking two batteries to make it into the step design but due to the increased cost of such technology, rivals will not achieve to do so, unless they can make it to an integral single type just like LG Chem.

At the Nanjing plant, LG Chem plans to launch Stepped Battery that goes beyond 3 to 4 step designs, stacking up more batteries into one single type depending on customer needs.

In addition, LG Chem’s Curved Battery refers to packs that can power IT devices with curved screen or flexible designs such as smart phones, watches and glasses. The company has the exclusive patent of Stack & Folding technology which reduces physical stress when realizing the curved design of battery packs. The mass production of Curved Battery has been started since this month and the products will power the next smart phone line up of LG Electronics.

Lastly, Cable Battery is applied to IT devices that are bendable, wearable and even be tied into a knot. Because it has been designed to use low electricity, the battery does not heat up although the user may operate the device for a long time. Moreover, the waterproof features of the battery allow itself to be used in wearable gadgets regardless of flexible figures, from necklace types to smart watches.

“Through the exclusiveness of our unique technology, LG Chem has succeeded in launching future batteries that have not existed before. This shall be the fundamental grounds for LG Chem to become a pioneer in the market. As a leader of battery manufacturer, we will continue to strive for Global No.1 by developing more of optimized, safe and long-lasting batteries to make it the business of future generation”, said YS Kwon, the President of Energy Solution Company, LG Chem.

LG Chem will be participating at the InterBattery 2013, which will be held in COEX from Oct 16th to display and demonstrate related products in a private zone.

About LG Chem
LG Chem, Ltd. is a globally diversified chemical company which operates three main business units: Petrochemicals, IT & Electronic Materials, and Energy Solution. The chemical business manufactures a wide range of products, from petrochemical goods to high-value added plastics. It also extends its chemical expertise into high-tech areas such as electronic materials and rechargeable batteries. LG Chem is one of the world’s largest lithium-ion battery manufacturers. For more information, please visit the LG Chem website at www.lgchem.com[/toggle]

October 8, 2013
Intel’s New ‘Quark Core’ for Wearable Devices

Intel is working on a new line of ultra-small and ultra-low-power microchips for wearable devices like smart-watches and bracelets, it seems like an effort from the company to fit into the next generation technology, which is the wearable devices.

Intel CEO Bryan Krzanich just pulled out the tiny Quark X1000 chip at the 2013 Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in San Francisco. Intel will provide equally miniature reference boards and software to help developers put tiny communicating computers in just about everything, which includes smart-watches, if developers are interested.

“Our strategy is actually very simple,” Krzanich explained earlier in the keynote. “Our plan is to lead in every segment of computing.” That includes servers, laptops, tablets, and phones, but also other devices yet to be designed.

In other words, the actual CPU core inside a Quark chip is one-fifth the size and consumes one-tenth the power of an Atom CPU core. Quark is aimed at markets where power consumption and form factor take priority, according to an Intel representative.

After the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Gear and Qualcomm Toq, the wearable devices is supposedly the next technology to rule the world, keeping that in mind ‘Quark’ seems a smart move from Intel.

September 11, 2013