PocketBands Put a Pocket on Your Wrist

Posted on 31/03/2013 by Hazel Chua

Need more space than what your pocket currently provides you with? Need a discrete compartment to stash stuff that you really want to keep secure? Need a place to store your essentials when you’re out running, biking, or surfing?

Then no worries, because PocketBands are coming. These colorful rubber bands look just like your typical baller bands, except they’re not.

pocketbands 1

Each PocketBand has a teeny, tiny covert pocket on the inside which can hold a single flat key, a little cash, a USB drive or an SD card. The space is really limited, but hey, what do you expect from a wristband? I’d have to say that it’s definitely better than nothing, though.

PocketBands1

Each band is made from a “stretchy, surgical-grade silicone” and is sweatproof and waterproof. The PocketBand is currently up for funding on Kickstarter, where a minimum pledge of $10(USD) by April 21, 2013 will get you one of your very own. $20 will get you a set of 3.

[via Gadget Review]

Universal Gadget Wrist Charger: Portable Power at Its Handiest

Posted on 31/01/2013 by Hazel Chua

Picture this: you’ve reached a level that you’ve never reached before and your handheld console is slowly running out of juice. You can’t save your game in the middle, since you can only do so when you reach the end of that level. Just as you’re about to hit save, your console dies and you scream out in agony…

Yeah, that totally happened to me. If you can relate, then you’ll agree what a good idea the Universal Gadget Wrist Charger is.

Wrist Charger To the rational majority, it’s a silly device at best, geared to a silly audience – but for those who recognize the need for portable power, then it’s a godsend.

The Wrist Charger AKA Bracer of Battery Life +2 is a universal gadget charger that can provide some last-minute, emergency power to all sorts of mobile devices and gadgets -via a mini USB port (a variety of adapters are included for popular gadget makes and models.) The battery band itself can be recharged using your computer’s USB port, and has a 1500 mAh, 5.5V battery built in.

Wrist Charger1

The Universal Gadget Wrist Charger is currently on sale at ThinkGeek for $39.99(USD). It normally sells for $45.

[via Bit Rebels]

LG Smart Activity Tracker Wristband Takes Aim at Nike+ FuelBand

Posted on 16/01/2013 by Range

It seems like this is the year that many manufacturers are trying to get into the fitness tracking wristband market, which has been largely dominated by the Nike+ FuelBand since it came out. Now LG has outed a gadget which seems like a mashup of many different devices, all put onto your wrist.

The LG Smart Activity Tracker actually looks a lot like the Nike+ FuelBand, and has many of the same features. It has an accelerometer and altimeter to measure activity. It will know whether you’re walking, running, or sitting, and its data can synced to an app on Android smartphones. It will also work with LG Smart TVs to sync up with on-screen exercise programs. LG also plans on adding a heart-rate monitor, which would be a pretty cool addition.

Image Credit: Pocket-Lint

Unlike Nike’s device, LG’s wrist gadget can connect with your phone and tell you whether you receive notifications. Also, it has a touchscreen, which beats the FuelBand’s single button interface.

LG expects to release the Smart Activity Tracker this summer, but there’s no word yet on cost.

[via Pocket-Lint]

Fitbit announces the Flex wristband, a $100 fitness tracker to take on the Jawbone Up

Posted on 07/01/2013 by Dana Wollman

You know what they say, right? You can never have too many fitness trackers. After coming out with two health monitors back in September, Fitbit is back with a third product, the Flex -- a waterproof wristband seemingly designed to compete with the Jawbone Up. (In PR speak: "Fitbit understands that one tracker does not fit all.") Like other Fitbit devices, it counts calories, steps taken and distance covered (but not flights climbed). It then automatically sends that data to a personalized website over Bluetooth. You can record your food intake, too, but you'll have to do it manually using either the website or one of the company's mobile apps.

The Flex tracks your sleep quality as well, but the approach here differs from other Fitbit products: whereas the Fitbit One and Fitbit Zip have a key you can press to enter sleep mode, the Flex has no buttons at all, so your only recourse for logging sleep is to use the app or website. We have to say, that sounds like a bit like a case of form over function: the Up can detect when you're sleeping, as can the pricey new Basis band. The good news is that the battery life seems decent: Fitbit says the Flex can last between five and seven days on a charge, and that's despite having a Bluetooth 4.0 radio inside. For comparison's sake, the Jawbone up is rated for up to 10 days but then again, you have to plug it in every time you want to sync, and the cap covering the charging piece is easy to lose. So, that's something to keep in mind. In any case, if you prefer the wristband form factor and want something less expensive than the Up, the Flex costs $100 and is up for pre-order today, with shipments expected to begin sometime in the Spring.

Filed under: Wearables

Comments

Functional Fashion

Posted on 12/12/2012 by Troy Turner

NOTEX is a thoughtful wristband design that’s more than a funky fashion statement- it’s also a helpful tool that allows visually impaired individuals identify paper money. Designed exclusively for the people of India, the steel slap band features four kinks arranged according to the difference in the lengths of Indian rupee bills, which lack Braille or any other tactile identification. Simply snap it off and line the bills up with the end to make out the money and then snap it back on – genius!
Designer: Charandeep Singh Kapoor

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(Functional Fashion was originally posted on Yanko Design)

Amiigo Activity Monitor Tracks Movements and Vital Signs While You Work Out

Posted on 18/10/2012 by Technabob

There are a number of wearable devices on the market these days which can monitor your activity when you exercise, but they’re all pretty much glorified motion sensors, which extrapolate your activity level based on movement. Now, a team of engineers from MIT is working on a new kind of wearable sensor which could not only monitor motion, but vital health statistics.

amiigo monitor 1

The Amiigo wearable sensor is not only capable of detecting movements and gestures, but also your heart rate, blood oxygen levels and skin temperature. All of these data points can help you monitor the effectiveness and safety of your workout routine. In addition, the Amiigo monitor is waterproof, so it can even go in the swimming pool, making it a great gadget idea for triatheletes and winter sports buffs.

amiigo monitor 2

The device will come with two sensor components – one worn on the wrist, the other clipped onto the shoe. A companion smartphone app will track all of your workouts and physical activities in detail, as well as enable competition and sharing with friends. A set of proprietary discrimination and machine learning algorithms can even discern exactly what sort of activities you’re partaking in and record these automatically. For instance, it could identify the difference between a bicep curl and a pull-up.

amiigo monitor 3

The guys behind the Amiigo also plan on offering an SDK for the device, which would allow for the creation of custom software which could leverage the data from the sensors – whether for other fitness or health applications, or even for gaming.

The Amiigo will be launching a crowdfunding campaign at the end of October, and you can sign up to be notified about it over on their website.

Nike+ FuelBand, SportWatch GPS add some new colors for the holidays

Posted on 10/10/2012 by Richard Lawler

The good news is that Nike is adding some new colors to its Nike+ connected FuelBand and SportWatch GPS lines so your wristwear can more closely match your kicks all winter. While the original translucent limited edition Nike+ FuelBand Ice won't be returning, at the end of October it will be available in new White Ice and Black Ice colors, with distribution expanded to more Nike stores in the US, Canada and UK. If you prefer GPS, precise timing and a multiplatform Nike+ Running app to LEDs, the TomTom-powered Nike+ SportWatch GPS is rolling out a new white/silver colorway. The bad news? If you were waiting for other updates, like a FuelBand with GPS, SportWatch that can pump out some MP3s while you run, FuelBand app for Android or really anything other than cosmetic changes, you're out of luck. We wouldn't let that get in the way of a workout however, check below for more details on each or return to customizing some NikeiD Lebron Xs -- your choice.

Continue reading Nike+ FuelBand, SportWatch GPS add some new colors for the holidays

Filed under: GPS, Wearables

Nike+ FuelBand, SportWatch GPS add some new colors for the holidays originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 07:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Larklife Wristband Helps You Keep Track of Your Life

Posted on 09/10/2012 by Hazel Chua

Larklife

Most people nowadays are too busy to keep a journal or monitor what they’re eating or how much exercise they’re getting. Keeping track of all this stuff isn’t really necessary to having a healthy life, although it can help because you can make lifestyle changes based on your daily records. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of work to jot down all that stuff. But fortunately, there’s something called the Larklife Wristband that can do all that for you.

It’s a splash-resistant (and, by association, sweat-resistant) band that works with an app to monitor your food consumption, sleep habits, and daily activity patterns. It’s also got a neat ‘Refresh’ feature that times productivity breaks for you and gives you productivity coaching to help you make the most of your day.

Hit the break to check out a video of the Larklife Wristband in action.

It’s available for pre-order and is priced at $149.99.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Softpedia ]

Intellego UV-Sensing Wristband: Never Get Fried by the Sun Again

Posted on 13/08/2012 by Range

Tanning can be dangerous, especially if you fall asleep on the beach while soaking in some rays. These UV-sensing wristbands will let you know when you’ve had too much sun. Once you’ve had your fill, they change colors to let you know when to cover up.

uv sensing wristband intellego sweden

The bands work through an acid-releasing agent that picks up UV light. A dye responds to pH levels in the indicator. Once you’ve reached a predetermined UV level, the bands change from yellow to pink. The Swedish company Intellego Technologies plans on releasing different sensitivity levels, because people react differently to UV exposure: some people can tolerate more while others can tolerate less. Of course, you’ll still want to use sunblock and not just rely on the wristband to protect your skin.

uv sensing wristband intellego sweden leg

The wristbands are supposed to be pretty cheap when they are released, so there’s no excuse anymore for getting all red from your last excursion to the beach. They will be available starting spring 2013.

[via DVice]

Nike+ FuelBand iOS app updated to run along your Path, sync in the background

Posted on 29/06/2012 by Billy Steele

If you decided to snag the latest Nike+ wristband earlier this year, you're about to get some added functionality thanks to an iOS application update. First, the outfit has added Path integration to the mobile software. Users can now keep track of the sights they've visited while out for a jog or bike ride and share said moments / achievements with their mates. When the day comes to a close, those points-of-interest along the trail will appear on the app's progress graph. You'll also encounter background syncing by holding down the FuelBand's button alongside the ability to check battery status, offline data access and setting the time with your iPhone or iPod touch. For a quick look at what you can expect to see with the refresh, sprint to the gallery below.

Gallery: Nike+ Fuelband app update

Nike+ FuelBand iOS app updated to run along your Path, sync in the background originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.