Before the summer is over we wanted to say goodbye to it with our worldwide WT | Picnic! On Sept. 2. WT hosted a simultaneous event in different parts of the world. The WT Picnic is where tech enthusiasts gathered to talk about wearables, tech, have fun and why not do some networking as well. Keep an eye on the event to see some pictures!
What’s next?
Because we know it’s not enough with only one event in September, be ready for our upcoming WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2015 CANADA! For the first time WT is organizing an event in vibrant tech city of Toronto! Enthralled by the great spirit of our event partners MaRS centre and WeAreWearables we decided to organize a conference in Toronto on September 10 under the official WT brand. Get a 20% discount by entering the answer to the question that follows at the registration page in the promotion code box. Which company won the Innovation World Cup award (Overall winner) in 2012 at the Munich Conference? (Hint: No capital letters and no spaces between words!)
If Toronto is too far away for you, Hong Kong is our next destination! Partnering with TÜV SÜD the day will be filled with inspirational, educational talks, demos, and interactive activities. Now you really don’t have any excuses to miss one of our next upcoming events.
And who went shopping last month? Some big news took place in August when Adidas acquired Runtastic a European maker of fitness apps and wearable activity trackers, in a deal that valued Runtastic at 220 million euros, or about $239 million. Runtastic counts 70 million registered users and with Adidas can better compete with rivals like Under Armour and Nike. Runtastic will remain its own entity (within the Adidas Group) and will take business to the next level in even better and smarter ways. Both companies believe that together they can build a unique product portfolio and unparalleled customer journey for their existing community members and future users.
Nokia sold it’s HERE digital mapping and location services business to a consortium of leading automotive companies, comprising AUDI AG, BMW Group and Daimler AG (the “Consortium”). The transaction values HERE at an enterprise value of EUR 2.8 billion with a normalized level of working capital and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2016. HERE is developing a location cloud that harnesses the power of data generated by vehicles, devices and infrastructure to deliver real-time, predictive and personalized location services. In the automotive industry, where it serves most of the world’s leading automakers, its focus is on developing precise and accurate mapping as well as services that will enable an entirely new class of driver experiences, including highly automated driving.
Product update alert
Good news for swimmers! Speedo is collaborating with Misfit to launch the Speedo Shine, a device that tracks walking, running, cycling, and more, and automatically tracks light and deep sleep. The device can be worn on the wrist or as a clip almost anywhere on the body. Speedo Shine tracks a swimmer’s lap count and swim distance with industry-leading accuracy and works for all stroke types.
Sony upgraded it’s smart band family with the second generation of the SmartBand. The biggest upgrade is a heart rate monitor, which will augment the device’s ability to track users’ fitness. Like the original SmartBand, it also functions as a sort of triage system for notifications, connecting to users’ Android and iOS smartphones and vibrating to let them know about incoming calls, texts, and emails. The SmartBand 2 has no screen; instead it relies on vibrations and LEDs to get its messages across. It also functions as a music remote and has a smart alarm clock feature that monitors users’ sleep and wakes them with vibrations at the best point in their sleep cycle. Sony says the device is also waterproof and offers two days of battery life from an hour of charging.
After a lot of rumors and speculations, we got to see the new smartwatch from Samsung, the Samsung Gear S2. There are 3 different models from the Samsung Gear S2, the S2, the S2 Classic and the S2 with 3G. The Gear S2 has a round screen, relatively small profile, and a few sleek band options. It comes in three different options, all of which have slightly different dimensions. Samsung’s Gear S2 does have a rotating bezel, though, a home button, and a back button to make navigation easier. The buttons also add an element of style to the watch and make it look more like a standard wristwatch. The Gear S2 connects to your phone via Bluetooth, but it also has built-in Wi-Fi and NFC. In theory, you could use this device to make mobile payments and control other NFC-enabled devices. The 3G model has built-in connectivity and can work on its own without your phone, thanks to the “first-ever e-SIM with voice capability.”
