The wearable era is already here
June has been a great month for the Wearable Technologies industry. Here‘s some of the most interesting news from the last weeks. A recent article on Venture Beat claimed that the era of wearable computing is not at the horizon – it‘s already here. According to the article people have become tied to their Smartphones so much that you could call these mobile devices, wearables. And despite playing a huge role for the everyday life, smartphones are also setting the ground for further wearable computing devices and applications. Venture Beat‘s article presented findings from a study about how people use their Apple iOS devices that are interesting for the wearable tech industry – young adults from 25-34 spent 100% more time on apps for health, sports and fitness than other age groups and women spent double the time on those kind of apps than men.
Apple‘s iOS 7 becomes the connected hub for the internet of things
Another great update from the mobile area came from TechVibe and relates to some of the less known news about Apples iOS 7. According to the article Apple opens up two Bluetooth driven features in their mobile operating system which will enables much better integration of Bluetooth smart devices in the future. The Apple Notification Center Service (ANCS) allows devices such as smart watches to directly connect to iOS7 in order to receive notifications and other information. With the Preservation and Restoration Service on the other hand, data collection can be triggered directly from external devices like wearable sensors which allows a much better integration and user experience. Tech Vibe‘s Tomm Emmrich sees this as one of the most important developments towards the internet’s of things and says Apple will position itself as connected hub for wearable devices and other smart gadgets.
Wearable Technologies companies have raised more than 570 Million Dollars venture capital
Wearable Technologies is booming in 2013 not only in the media but also in the investment industry. New York venture capital research firm CB Insights reported that companies from the Wearable Technologies area have raised 570 Million Dollars from Venture Capitalists. 2/3 of that investment went to Jawbone and GoPro but many smaller companies like Fitbit, Pebble or Thalmic Labs have also been able to attract investors. CB Insights describes the market as developing, but admits that the hype around Google Glass and Apple‘s iWatch brings more and more attention to the market.
Fighter-jet technology for motorcyclists
A great example for the innovations in the wearable technologies area is LiveMap‘s motorbike helmet with integrated navigation. Inspired by the kind of gear Iron Man wears, the helmet has a built-in Android-based projection that delivers augmented reality navigation information right on the helmet‘s visor. With their crowd funding campaign on indiegogo, LiveMap bring technology currently only available for jet fighters only to the streets.The high-tech russian helmet can be funded on Indiegogo.
5th Wearable Technologies Innovation Worldcup started
For the fifth time, since June 1. 2013, the WT Innovation World Cup is looking for the best and most innovative new wearable solutions. Contestants can submit their product or solution until November 30, 2013 in the categories: Sports & Fitness, Healthcare & Wellness, Security & Prevention, and Gaming & Lifestyle. Participants can get up to 100% discount on Software Development Kits from STMicroelectronics and other Innovation World Cup partners. For further information and application please have a look at the WT Innovation World Cup website.
