Liquid That Makes Gloves Touchscreen-Compatible

Gloves are the part of winter chill season but it causes really disturbance when you have to use your smartphone, as your smartphones' touchscreen does not recognize your command. There are some companies that provides touchscreen-compatible gloves but Nanotips is future of touchscreen compatible gloves. 

Nanotips, Kickstarter funded project, proposes an other solution: Using a conductive, polyamide liquid to add touchscreen capabilities to your any pair of gloves. The project has received an enthusiastic Kickstarter backing, racking up more than five times its funding goal of $10,000 CAD, or roughly $9,070.

The solution uses conductive nanoparticles to mimic the electrical conductivity of human skin, just like a normal touchscreen glove. Creator Tony Yu claims the solution will work on any material, from pricey leather to canvas gloves, for construction, golfing, cycling, skiing and snowboarding or any else.

Yu hit upon the idea after purchasing an expensive pair of motorcycle gloves without touchscreen capabilities. Rather than buy a new pair — "touchscreen leathers are expensive and they wear down really quickly," Yu says — he searched for a solution that would integrate with his current gear.

The resulting conductive liquid is applied to the gloves' thumbs and forefingers by swiping an applicator, not unlike applying nail polish. As it dries it soaks into the fabric or forms a conductive film on each fingertip, depending on the material.

"It wasn't so hard to get a product that would interact with a touchscreen device," Yu says. "The hardest part was making it last long enough."

The Kickstarter campaign offers two separate touchscreen solutions, Nanotips Blue and Nanotips Black. The Blue solution covers standard fabrics, such as knits, while the more durable Black treats leathers, rubbers and other thick materials. 

Each solution leaves behind a slight color residue, however. Blue dries to a translucent blue, while the more versatile Black is, well, black. Yu is still experimenting with creating a fully transparent solution. He also warns the Black solution may alter the texture of certain fabrics.

At $22 CAD (or $20) for a single bottle, the solution is fairly inexpensive, although consumers can purchase actual touchscreen gloves for roughly the same price. The solution lasts for a few weeks (Blue) or months (Black), depending on wear, and can be re-applied. Blue treats an average of 15 fingers, while Black treats up to 30.

The Nanotips Kickstarter campaign ends Feb. 25.
Video & Images: kickstarter

Nissan Smart Watch

Nissan is also in the era of wearable tech, with the smartwatch to connect the car and driver. It's first entry of Nissan into the wearable technologies world. Nissan will be showing off the device — dubbed the Nissan Nismo Watch — at the Frankfurt Motor Show. 

Target of the Nismo Watch are drivers of Nissan Nismo cars. Nismo is Nissan's sports car and responsible for supercars, race cars and ridiculously tricked-out performance kits.

Right now, the Nismo Watch is focusing on really specific audience and its key features are quite different from normal smartwatches, so I think its about to connecting to your car instead of connecting to your smartphone. But still its really good that Nisan is also participating in the era of such technologies. 

Here are some features of Nismo Watch:

• Connects to the car using a smartphone app as a Bluetooth Smart device. 
• Access vehicle telematics and performance data while on the track. 
• Nismo Watch will capture biometric data via a heart-rate monitor in the watch.
• Monitor the performance of car with average speed and fuel-consumption readings
• Get tailored car messages from Nissan

Nissan says that the Nismo Watch can also track and rate the user's social media performance across Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram using its Social Speed software. Klout for cars? Who knew!

The Nismo Watch is an extension of Nissan's Nismo Lab, which launched earlier this year. The Nismo Lab is a mobile laboratory that captures live biometric and telematics data from Nismo athletes during races. With the Nismo Watch, Nissan hopes to make this sort of data available to the the drivers. With any luck, this sort of technology can also be used in other areas.

In the future, the Nismo Lab wants to focus on ECG, EEG and skin temperature sensors — so that that sort of data can get passed back to athletes via the smartwatch.

The Nismo Watch comes in black, white and black and red and it was designed to look like the Nismo ring. The watch is controlled with two buttons and should get over seven days of battery life with normal usage.

Even though this might be the most niche smartwatch of all time, we also think that the idea is pretty cool. The potential here — at least in a racing scenario — is to truly connect the car with the driver, letting the driver know what's happening with the car, but also by potentially providing team members with information about factors such as heart rate and temperature.

Historically, car companies use motor-sports as a way to test the most advanced and cutting-edge technologies, some of which eventually make their way to regular automobiles. So what do you think: Could you ever imagine getting information about your car from your watch? Or what about your car getting information about you? How cool would it be if the temperature could adjust itself based on body temperature? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Via: Mashable

5 in 1 Action Camera by Sony

The Sony HDR-AS100V is really 5 action cams in one, or a minimum of it may be. whereas the camera works simply fine mounted to a helmet or shoulder, it extremely levels-up the expertise after you have a bunch of all networked via an optional wrist controller.

Up to 5 cameras may be "meshed" during this means, letting the user alter the footage captured by every cam. The cameras themselves ar splash-proof, and may capture video at up to 1080p at 24 frames per second. At 720p, they'll record in film at a hundred and twenty Federal Protective Service or perhaps super-slow at 240 Federal Protective Service.

With multiple cameras and also the RM-LVR1 wrist controller, extreme videographers might mount cameras everywhere the body, or many bodies, to create some seriously artistic footage. The provided Play Memories software system has tools for merging material from multiple cams, creating split-screens straightforward. The footage even has time codes, though you will need a professional suite (such as Sony Vegas) to use them. The cameras' aboard GPS will integrate map views, too.

Built into the camera is Sony's Steady Shot image stabilization, which can adjust to the different kinds of vibration that goes hand in hand with action videography, whether it's gentle bumps on a ski run or the constant rumble of a motorcycle.

I got a little hands-on time with Sony's tiny but powerful action cam, as well as the wrist mount, and they're pretty fun. The camera itself is remarkably lightweight, and the white finish is pretty. Since the footage is relayed wirelessly, there's a slight but perceptible delay in the camera view on the wrist monitor, but it worked well with no dropouts.

The AS100V will be available in March. Each action cam costs $299.99, and a bundle with the wrist controller is $399.99, so a full five-camera system will set you back about $1,600. Steep, but if you get some friends in on the action, you can split the cost.

Lifeband Touch: LG Fitness Wristband Tracker

Here is a wearable gadget "Fitness Wristband Tracker" that LG announced at the 2014 International CES show, a version of its own with with some little changing in design with a touchscreen interface.

Here is a wearable gadget "Fitness Wristband Tracker" that LG announced at the 2014 International CES show, a version of its own with with some little changing in design with a touchscreen interface.

Called the LG Lifeband Touch, the device tracks distance walked, speed, calories and other typical data collected by activity trackers, but it also comes with an OLED display, manages incoming calls and can be used to control your music. 

This data can be accessed by swiping a finger over the display, similar to how you would use a

touchscreen; tablet or smartphone.

With the help of a motion-sensing algorithm, the device automatically turns on the display when the user rotates their wrist.

But one of the most compelling parts of the Lifeband Touch is how it connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth to receive data from third party devices, including the company's new heart rate earphones.
Images: LG

Lie Detector Tattoo by Google

Lie Detector Tattoo by Google

Tattoos could be about to get a tech makeover. As well as being an outlet for artistic flair, Google wants to explore the idea of an electronic skin tattoo that could embed a microphone and lie detector into a users neck.

Google owned Motorola Mobility has filed an application with the US Patent Office for a design that pairs tattoos with mobile devices titled,  “Coupling an Electronic Skin Tattoo to a Mobile Communication Device.”

The electronic tattoo would be located on a user’s neck and would act as a supplemental phone microphone. It is thought that by being near to the user’s mouth, it would reduce background noise during calls and result in clearer audio.

Included in the device would be a transceiver allowing for wireless communication when paired with a mobile device. This would improve how voice commands work on a phone.

According to the patent the tattoo could also be used as a lie-detector. The device would have a “galvanic skin response detector to detect skin resistance of a user”, so someone who is nervous or telling a lie may have a different skin-related response.

The patent also explains how the device will be powered. The tattoo could “employ solar panel technology, capacitive technology, nanotechnology or electro-mechanical technology,” or use a rechargeable battery.

There is no mention of how the tattoo will be applied but if an electronic tattoo doesn’t appeal then the patent does mention the option of using a  “collar or band that would be worn around the throat”.

source: TechBeat

Microsoft Testing Eyewear To Rival Google Glass

According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft is apparently jumping on the bandwagon and they are testing prototypes for optical wear similar to Google Glass. This could potentially push the company into that market. A source familiar with the project said the company has asked several component makers in Asia to supply cameras and other key components for prototypes. The person has cautioned, however, the device may not reach mass production.

Tests show Microsoft is keeping close tabs on the emerging market for wearable technology, which includes wristwatches that replicate some features of smartphones and more bizarre ideas, such as tattoos to log people onto their computers. Market-research firm ABI Research is expecting annual sales of wearable devices will reach 485 million units by the year 2018. Microsoft is “determined to take the lead in hardware manufacturing to make sure the company won’t miss out on the opportunities in the wearable gadget market,” the source said.

These tests show that Microsoft’s efforts to transform itself from mainly a software company into one that produces the gadgets on which their software will run. Smartphones and other hardware devices have helped transform consumer technology and have established the likes of rival Apple as a tech giant. By contrast, Microsoft has largely been sidelined in the consumer hardware market. 

Microsoft’s determination to become a bigger player in consumer tech gear was underscored by its $7 billion acquisition of Nokia’s mobile phone business. The company last year also started making its own tablet device; Surface and apparently the company is currently testing its own Web-connected watch.

In wearable computing, Google has been the prototype leader in the wearable tech field with the company’s Google Glass device. It has a postage-stamp-sized computer screen just above the right eye which coupled with internal components and software, allows the user to take photos with voice commands and get digital directions without looking at a smartphone. Some say companies making gadgets that duplicate features of mobile phones could undercut smartphone sales. 

As competition drives down prices of most technology, wearable tech also could provide an opening for higher-cost gear. “The wearable trend has the potential to boost the currently thin margins of consumer technology products by allowing tech brands to price their products at the kind of premiums normally reserved for fashion accessories,” said HSBC analyst Jenny Lai.

Samsung recently introduced a web-connected watch and back in May. Interestingly, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said wearable computers will be a “key branch” in technology, though he said he didn't believe eye-wear like gear would have mainstream appeal.

As of Oct. 10, Microsoft has 78 U.S. patents related to head-mounted displays and other wearable technologies and 94 published pending applications, according to intellectual property firm Envision IP. Google had 59 such U.S. patents, Envision said.

The Sticky Situation That Delayed the Pebble Smart Watch

While about 69,000 people waited for his company to ship the smart watches they had ordered through the crowd-funding site Kickstarter  the CEO of Pebble was informed by his manufacturer in China that there was a problem: The adhesive designed to securely attach the screen protector to the electronic body wasn't sticking.

The glue problem was one of many unforeseen manufacturing and assembly issues that forced Pebble to miss its shipment deadline by several months. Such hurdles are common with any hardware product but can be particularly troublesome for small businesses on tight budgets, like those that use Kickstarter to raise money.

Pebble wasn't exactly strapped for funds last year (even though venture capitalists didn't like the idea). It took in more than $10 million on Kickstarter through pre-orders and donations in April 2012. But each production problem could mean another delay, another missed order, another unhappy customer and another week Migicovsky must spend personally overseeing the process at his contractor's factory just outside the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

"We had the assembly line go down for days," Migicovsky said in an interview last week. "I learned what Christmas is like in China."

Manufacturing problems plague even the largest and most experienced operations. For the last couple of years, the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing has struggled to print a new type of $100 bill due to applying too much ink or none in some spots, as well as issues with wrinkling. Drug shortages resulting from quality control and other manufacturing issues have plagued the pharmaceutical industry, including Johnson & Johnson, the world's biggest seller of health-care products.

Before introducing the Pebble smart watch last year, Migicovsky and his team had no experience working with manufacturers overseas. The Pebble's predecessor, called inPulse, sold just 1,500 units. Of those, 700 were assembled by the startup inside a garage in Waterloo, Ontario — not far from BlackBerry's headquarters — and the rest were put together in a small factory in San Jose, Calif.

When the Kickstarter campaign for Pebble took off, Migicovsky sought advice from a friend at Sifteo, another hardware startup. Migicovsky was directed to a consulting firm called Dragon Innovation, which helped him connect with suppliers in Asia.

We "were actually planning to do it in San Jose," Migicovsky said. "But everything is built in China, and it's a big advantage to have the supplier just down the road."

Over the next eight months, Migicovsky spent about one-third of his time traveling back and forth between San Francisco and Asia. He invested in polo shirts to wear to business meetings, which often ended up dripping in sweat by the end of a sweltering summer day. "Price negotiations are hard," Migicovsky said. "And it's hot over there."

Migicovsky signed an agreement with Taiwan-based Foxlink Group to assemble the Pebble watches in a plant near Shenzhen. A team there attempted to recreate the formula Pebble had used to build its prototypes in Silicon Valley. At one point, things started to fall apart. "The glue was failing," Migicovsky recalls.

The adhesive was crucial to Pebble's design because it helped to keep water from seeping in and shorting the electrical components, according to researcher iFixit. "Pebble employs tons of adhesive," iFixit wrote in a report.

Migicovsky flew to China and spent two to three weeks at the factory helping to figure out what went wrong.

"Experimentation follows a different course" in China, he said, where there are a lot of random trials without proper documentation, making any successful outcome difficult to reproduce. "They're not using the scientific method," he said.

It turns out that the glue itself wasn't bad. "The moisture in the air in Shenzhen is different," he said.

The conditions in Chinese plants aren't necessarily what you see in staged photographs. There aren't people wearing bunny suits meticulously working on pristine, white factory floors.

"The window was open," Migicovsky said. If it rained, he urged the workers to move to a different room. Foxlink didn't respond to requests for comment.

Even in less-than-ideal conditions, they eventually perfected the gluing process. Migicovsky said he enjoys the trial-and-error nature of assembly, but he recently hired a director of manufacturing to manage it all. While based in Pebble's headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif., Jake Lin spends about half his time in Asia.

Last-minute travel to Asia is still a fairly common occurrence for Migicovsky. He was in Taiwan last month. He's started keeping a small gym bag or backpack at home ready to be packed with a toothbrush, phone charger and laptop. He buys new clothes, including Polo shirts, once he arrives in Asia. "It's much cheaper over there," he said.

source: mashable

Wearable Baby Monitoring Gadget for Parents

Wearable gadgets are not only for adults anymore. There’s a new crop of startups hoping to give parents peace of mind and deliver more insights about young children and their sleeping patterns through wearable devices for babies. Sproutling, a new startup coming out of stealth today, is hoping to raise parenting IQs through a new wearable baby monitor that not only answers the question: ”Is my baby okay?” but also leverages the multitude of sensor data to deliver insights about babies’ sleep patterns and more.

The startup, which is a graduate of hardware incubator Lemnos Labs, is also announcing $2.6 million in funding from First Round Capital, Forerunner Ventures, FirstMark Capital, Accelerator Ventures, Lemnos Labs, BoxGroup (David Tisch) and Shawn Fanning.

Sproutling says that many of the current baby monitors sold are poorly designed with no alerts if the baby is in distress, no real data, and more. Sproutling’s offering comes with a small kidney-shaped wearable, Bluetooth-enabled device, that slips onto a baby’s ankle, a base station, a small camera and a companion app for your mobile phone. The device will not only alert you if your child stops breathing, but will track the child’s heart rate, ambient light level, temperature of the room and of the baby, and more. You access all the information on your phone — and the app will send you an alert in case there are any warning signs with the baby.

Part of tracking the other data besides breathing, such as sleep, is designed to help parents optimize sleep for their children and detect patterns to help children sleep more soundly (i.e. ideal temperature, timing and more). There are features of the app that are parent friendly such as the ability to see the video feed clearly even if you aren’t wearing your contacts.

In terms of design, the actual wearable and camera were designed by the same designers who created the infamous Rolls Royce of strollers, the Bugaboo.

The startup is still in its early days, however, and will likely not ship the system until Q2 of next year. Co-founder Chris Bruce tells us that the vision for Sproutling is to create a variety of devices and services that help use data to raise parenting IQ. This baby monitor is just the first of  a number of smart devices that will be developed.

As a relatively new parent myself, I would have loved to be able to use some of the data from a wearable to help determine optimal sleep patterns for my child. I’m not sure if it would have helped my daughter sleep through the night earlier in her development, but to me as a fledgling parent, knowledge is power.
[via: techcrunch]

Sony’s SmartWatch 2 Versus Samsung’s Galaxy Gear

Two Very Different Smartwatches Face Off

Sony’s new smartwatch, which is actually named the SmartWatch 2, has been a known quantity since its official announcement in June at the Mobile Asia Expo in Shanghai, and now the Samsung Galaxy Gear has been itemized by its creators in Berlin at IFA. Meaning it’s time for the two to square off in our blogger arena of champions for a spec and feature showdown.

Sony Smartwatch Specs

• 1.6-inch, 220×176 display

• Aluminum body

• Micro USB charging

• Compatible with most Android phones

• NFC and Bluetooth 3.0 for connectivity

• 3 to 4 days battery under normal use

• €199 ($262 U.S), Ships in late September

• No camera, mic or speakers

Samsung's Galaxy Gear Specs

• 1.63-inch, 320×320 display

• Stainless steel body

• Snap-on, proprietary USB 3.0 charger

• 800MHz Exynos single-core processor

• Bluetooth 4.0 LE

• Compatible with new Galaxy devices, previous gen Galaxy support coming soon

• Around 1 day of use

• 4GB of onboard storage

• $299 

• Ships in September (October for U.S.)

• 1.9 megapixel camera, 720p video recording, speaker + 2 mics

• Gyroscope and accelerometer for workout tracking

The SmartWatch 2 isn’t cheap at €199; in fact, it’s the same price as the newly-reduced 8GB Nexus 4 model. Samsung’s is $299 and much more full-featured, with Samsung managing to pack a whole host of A/V equipment in its device. It also runs a number of Android apps out of the box, which have been redesigned specifically for the watch.

SmartWatch 2 does have NFC for easy pairing with Android devices that support it, as well as more battery life, a better, higher resolution screen, and water/environment resistance that should keep your device protected from general grit and submersion at 3 feet for up to 30 minutes. Sony’s also doing a big push for bringing third-party apps to the SmartWatch software platform, which could help narrow the gap there.

Overall though, as you can see from the list of specs above, there’s not really much of a competition between the two devices in terms of features; but Sony’s SmartWatch 2 has an edge in battery life owing to its much more narrow feature set, and it offers wider support for other Android devices out of the box.

These are two very different definitions of the term “smartwatch,” with the more ambitious vision coming from Samsung. Aside from the steep requirement of apparent (temporary?) platform lock-in, I’m definitely much more intrigued by the Gear, but I also suspect both devices will find a mostly limited receptive audience among consumers.

[Via: techcrunch]

Future iWatch Concept Sports Sleek Design

A team of designers and IT engineers are showing off their concept design for an iWatch amid much speculation about Apple's plans for a smart watch. Italian design team Ciccarese Design envisioned a modern look for the smart watch in its mockup renderings.

Apple has reportedly been hiring for work on its iWatch team, but it never explicitly confirmed that such a watch is in development. Recently, however, we learned that Apple hired fitness consultant Jay Blahnik, who worked on Nike's FuelBand.

The Italian iWatch design concept incorporates iOS 7 on the screen. The design teams says it has started prototyping the concept in both white and black versions. 

Apple is not the only company expected to reveal a smart watch or gadgets for your wrist. Samsung's Galaxy Gear smart watch will reportedly come in five colors, while Pebble has been shipping out its pre-orders this summer.

What do you think about the above concept design? Are you planning on buying a smart watch? Let us know in the comments. 

via: mashable

Smart Watch by Sony Introducing in September 2013

Sony is updating its smart watch, introducing the Sony SmartWatch 2 at Shanghai's Mobile Asia Expo. Designed to be used as a extra screen for your Android smartphone, Sony SmartWatch 2 is water-resistant smart watch having near field communication connectivity and can be personalized with apps based on how you want to use it.

“Competitors are only now launching first-generation devices, while we are already launching a third-generation device with all the insight gained from over half a million customers combined with Sony’s wealth of technology expertise to create the best ever smart-watch experience,” Stefan K Persson, Sony Mobile Communications' head of companion products, said in a press release announcing the watch.

“We have over 200 unique apps dedicated for Sony SmartWatch, with over one million downloads to date, and we are continuing to work with our strong developer network to deliver ever more compelling smart-watch experiences."

These experiences include the ability to answer calls by touching your wrist, take photos with your phone remotely via the SmartWatch and control presentations remotely using Sony’s “Presentation Pal.”

For fitness buffs, mapping apps for the SmartWatch can help track your biking excursions, while apps such as Runtastic can make it easier to monitor progress towards your fitness goals.

The watch also includes basic features, such as displaying caller ID information, calendar entries, as well as Twitter and Facebook notifications. It means now you can be smart as a spy, wow its gonna be cool now. 

The Sony SmartWatch 2 will be available worldwide in September 2013.

Combination of Fashion And Mobility Into An Interesting Concept

Dial (Phone) is a mobile device that can be worn on the wrist, like a bracelet. The concept mixes cutting-edge technology with reference to the products of time gone by. It invokes memories of old-fashioned dial phones.

Due to the ongoing development of technology, the mobile phone’s design becomes smaller and smaller, so the Dial(Phone) has been designed as a fashion accessory.

The circular shape and the name “Dial(Phone)” are derived from the dial phones of times past, mixing these nostalgic feelings was the intention of Jung Dae Hoon, the designer. The Dial(Phone) comes in various finishing materials, being a fashion accessory it has to represent the user’s taste. The looks of the phone vary from luxurious, sporty or elegant. 

The phone is operated by turning the dial. Once started, projected light beams are your guide indicating different characters. These light projected characters can be read if the phone is removed from the wrist and placed on the palm of the hand or on a flat surface. 

The upper part of the dial responds to the user’s touch and by pressing it, in the corresponding number, it facilitates dialing.

NFC Ring To Unlock Cell Phone and Door Lock

The tech world may be hoping for Apple to unbox some wearable technology in the near future but who cares about the iWatch when an NFC ring is a thing? NFC fans — you know, these sort of folk — hankering for the convenience of having the wireless transfer tech always on their person should point their eyes at this U.K.-based Kickstarter project.

The NFC ring is designed to be used in conjunction with NFC-enabled gadgets — such as smartphones and tablets, NFC door locks and so on — so the wearer can perform tasks such as unlocking their phone, unlocking their front door or sending their contact info, personal website or Bitcoin address to another smartphone user by either fist-bumping or using an open-palm gesture.

Provided you’re happy to wear a bit of bling, the relatively slimline ring gets around some of the awkwardness associated with bumping and grinding NFC phones together to do data transfers (aka ‘phone sex‘). Being passive NFC, it also doesn't need any battery power to work. And all the programming is done via apps, including third party apps if you want to use it to unlock your phone.  The NFC ring creators have also made their own open source software for writing actions to the ring.

The ring actually has two NFC inlays, with a larger ‘public’ area designed to worn at the top for sending things like contact data via a fist bump gesture, and a smaller ‘private’ area designed to be worn so it can be concealed in the palm and only activated via an open palm gesture. This area is intended to store more sensitive data such as front door and phone unlocking info, says creator John McLear.

The dual NFC design is intended to help keep a ring owner’s most sensitive data from being slurped by nearby NFC readers. But it’s worth pointing out that jewellery rarely stays put so NFC ring bearers are likely to end up spending a lot of time checking their precious is correctly aligned. Or drunkenly failing to send contact info to the person they are trying to chat up in the bar, and trying to unlock a non-existent front door instead. That’s a whole new level of geek faux pas.

The NFC ring is basically a more convenient (i.e. wearable) version of the NFC tags that are sometimes shipped with NFC smartphones. But since awkwardness is a barrier to more widespread NFC use, anything that helps reduces friction is a welcome development for the contact-less fraternity.

The NFC ring is fast approaching its Kickstarter funding goal of £30,000 — with close to 1,100 backers pledging almost £29,500 so far with 27 days left on the campaign. The creators say rings are due to ship in late October, if all goes to plan. Cost per ring is around £25/$38 but the creators have also released a CAD design so the basic ring form can be hacked, customised and 3D printed. They are then offering cheaper pledges to just ship the NFC inlay for fixing inside these 3D printed rings.

It’s worth flagging that the “normal size ring” (which is ~7mm wide) doesn’t work with all NFC phones — notably the Samsung Galaxy S4 and BlackBerry Z10 won’t play nice. For those devices the creators warn “you will need an alpha size ring”, which they add is “really only for chaps with big fingers”.

[via: techcrunch]

MindWave Mobile: The Headset that Reads Your Brainwaves

Neuroscience meets technology in the MindWave Mobile, an EEG device for Android and iOS platforms that reads the user’s brainwaves in order to interact with a number of mobile applications. The MindWave connects to the mobile handset via Bluetooth, and is available in two different packages: the Mind Play bundle and the Brainwave Starter Kit.



This headset is similar to the MindWave which is a standard EEG, but uses BCI to communicate with a computer or mobile phone.

What Exactly is the MindWave?

The MindWave is a device that utilizes a BCI (Brain Computer Interface), which translates electrophysiological activity (brain waves) in signals that can be used by mechanical devices. While the technology itself is fairly new, humans have dreams of the possibility for decades. In fact, BCI devices were the staple of many older science fiction television series, like the Six Million Dollar Man, which features a man that had been fitted with a neural prosthesis after being injured.

What Does the MindWave Do?

In essence, the MindWave allows the wearer to interact with a simulated environment by using nothing more than their thoughts. Granted, the device does not actually read the thoughts, but rather the electrical impulses being produced by the brain, usually catching them as they run along the scalp. Think of it as a new type of game controller that interprets brainwave patterns to control a game or application rather than requiring the user to press buttons on a hand-held controller. Regular use of the MindWave device may, according to the manufacturer, allow the wearer to reach higher mental states, much the same way that those who frequently read books get better at reading.

What the MindWave Doesn't Do

Neuro Sky, the company that makes the MindWave Mobile, is quick to point out that the device does not control the thoughts of the wearer. The device is unidirectional, meaning that the information only flows from the brain to the device, not the other way around. Unfortunately for the evil masterminds of the world, this process makes it impossible to interfere with, or control, the thoughts of others.

Brainwave Starter Kit vs. MyndPlay Bundle

The MindWave comes in two basic packages, each with varying features. The Brainwave Starter Kit, for instance, consists of only the headset, and is considered to be a basic introduction to brainwave technology and neuroscience. The Mynd Play bundle, on the other hand, is touted as the world’s first mind-controlled video application, and is similar to the “choose your own adventure” books. The Mynd Play lets users adjust outcomes and scenes within movies by simply relaxing and focusing as needed.

Availability of Apps

Neuro Sky operates an app store specifically for the MindWave device. This store consists of more than 100 games, puzzles and other applications that work with the device. Prices for Neuro Sky’s apps vary greatly, similar to most other app stores. Applications range from simple games like fishing, golf and sports, to apps that help the user exercise their mental capacity, such as a math trainer, visualization applications and meditation journals. Neuro Sky apps are available for Windows and Mac as well as both iOS and Android devices, and are created by a number of well-known developers such as Alchemy, Cu Soft and Itallis.

[via: crunchwear]

The Projector Bracelet A Future Gadget

Snowcorn is a bracelet like concept device with sixth sense which includes a built-in projector, a camera and Wi-Fi connectivity. Moreover, this device can be placed anywhere on around your neck or chest. The transparent part of this device is a screen that can show basic functions or time and more complicated controls are done by the projected UL. 

You will be able to customize it with your desired color and style. This device will allow you to scan a business card to include the person’s particulars to your address book via Wi-Fi. Another key benefit of Snowcorn is you can translate a word or phrase that is unfamiliar with you in a book.

[source: it-tech]

The Memoto Lifelogging Camera - World’s Smallest Wearable Camera

Never miss another of life’s special moments with the Memoto Lifelogging Camera that you wear as it creates a continuous life log that you can go back to and relive the memories. Said to be the world’s smallest wearable camera, the Memoto Camera does everything a regular camera does, such as taking pictures and registering GPS position, yet it has no controls. 

Instead, it automatically takes photos as  you go, then the Memoto app seamlessly and effortlessly organizes them for you. As long as you wear it, it’ll constantly take pictures. The camera takes two, geotagged photos a minute with recorded orientation so that the app can show them upright no matter how you are wearing the camera. 

And don’t worry about it getting damaged in weather since it’s weather protected. The app itself provides you pictures of every single moment of your life while wearing it and provides info on when you took it and where you were.

Batteries can last up to two day of  use and to recharge them, you connect the camera to your computer; at the same time the photos are automatically uploaded to Memoto’s servers. It comes in three different colors: Arctic White, Graphite Grey and Memoto Orange and retails for $279.

Google Glass Workplace Policy Details

Most of us know about Google Glass. It’s a wearable computer with a head-mounted display that kind of looks like a pair of eyeglasses. You can take pictures, record video, get directions, send messages, share what you’re looking at and much more. It comes in multiple colors, and let’s face it — it’s neater than Jell-O. We all want to test drive a pair.

But from a business perspective, we have to view Google Glass (and similar kinds of wearable tech) a little differently. Despite the fact that Google Glass is not yet available to the public, several types of businesses — including restaurants, bars, night clubs, casinos and theaters — have already banned it from their premises.

Eric B. Meyer, a partner in the labor and employment group at the law firm of Dilworth Paxson LLP and author of the blog The Employer Handbook, sees other industries that might be impacted by Glass. “In industries and businesses where confidentiality or privacy is paramount, such as healthcare, financial services, legal, government — I can envision workplace rules specifically banning Google Glass.”

Part of the reason businesses will view Google Glass differently is the recording feature, says Heather Bussing, an employment attorney and contributor at the HR Examiner. “When everything someone sees can be recorded without other people knowing, it makes people uncomfortable. At worst, it is illegal since many states require consent before you record someone. At best, it’s bad manners.”

Google Glass Might Benefit Your Business

Before deciding to completely ban Google Glass, companies might want to evaluate if their business can benefit from using it. Meyer suggests some companies might embrace Google Glass for marketing purposes. “Real-time sharing could entice others to use the same products or service. An amusement park or ski resort, for example, may want to broadcast the customer experience.”

It’s also possible that Google Glass could benefit employees. For example, Google Glass could enhance department meetings because there would be a live recording of the discussion and decision-making process. It might create new opportunities for employee training and professional development. “It’s another way to communicate that we haven’t even begun to figure out,” Bussing says.

Wearable Tech Policy

Regardless of whether it benefits or challenges your company, Google Glass, like all new technologies, will test us. Companies will have to define what Google Glass means for their business and their employees. They will have to establish some decorum when it comes to wearable tech. Bussing reminds us, “Most companies don’t have a ‘do not record people in the bathroom’ policy. So it will be a good idea to establish some etiquette — at the very least, on what spaces are private and what are public.”

Meyer also mentions one area that companies will definitely want to address — employee safety. For example, West Virginia proposed an amendment to ban drivers from wearing Google Glass on the road. If companies have employees who drive as part of their regular duties, it will be important to specifically address driving, distractions and safety.

Another topic of focus will be confidentiality and trade secrets. Bussing believes, “Google Glass will get us focused on privacy and considering others across all technologies because there’s something about recording others so easily without their knowledge that crosses a line. Companies want to consider defamation, posting video of others without their permission, and protecting trade secrets and confidential information.”

Check Current Policies

Bussing says the good news is many of the workplace laws we currently have in place may already address the matter. “Laws like HIPAA, FMLA and ADA protect against ‘disclosures’ and require confidentiality of health information. It doesn’t matter how the information is collected, stored, or disclosed — it’s covered by the laws already.”

As more individuals start trying out the cool new Google Glass, businesses must become aware of the ways in which Google Glass could be used intentionally, or perceived by others, to violate employment laws. Then Meyer recommends “educating and training employees as well as managers in these areas.”

source: mashable