Future Versions of Apple Watch to Include Additional Sensors, ‘Richer Health Features’
Future versions of the Apple Watch will include “richer health features and additional sensors,” according to a new report from Reuters. Though the Apple Watch was only unveiled on Tuesday, the site says that some healthcare professionals who were hoping for “groundbreaking health features” were left disappointed with the watch’s fitness capabilities.
Observers say there is little evidence for now that the device’s fitness capabilities surpass the competition. Others, hoping for groundbreaking health features from a company whose Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook spoke of how sensors are “set to explode,” were left wondering what’s in store for the product.
Two people familiar with Apple’s plans told Reuters the company is planning to unveil richer health features and additional sensors in later versions, the first iteration not hitting the market until early 2015.
Apple Watch rumors had initially suggested the device would come with more than 10 sensors to track various health and fitness metrics, with Apple aiming to go beyond the fitness tracking capabilities of smart watches currently on the market.
Early speculation about the device was linked to the Health app and Apple’s health-related hires, with rumors pointing towards features like sleep tracking, glucose monitoring, and hydration tracking, but those functions did not make it into the device.
Instead, Apple’s Watch measures fitness activity through the use of Wi-Fi and GPS (via the iPhone), an accelerometer, and a heart rate sensor, which is built into the back of the device. Data derived from the Watch is displayed in two separate fitness apps that will be included with the device, both of which aim to encourage users to increase their activity levels.
Apple Watch’s inability to measure metrics beyond movement and heart rate put it on par with many other fitness devices on the market, but the Watch also includes several other distinguishing features like deep connectivity with the iPhone, Apple Pay support, and unique input methods with the Digital Crown and Taptic Engine.
Apple has not yet announced a specific release date for the Apple Watch, but says the device will be available starting in early 2015. Pricing for the Watch is expected to start at $349.
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SanDisk’s 512GB SD card will hold all the 4K video you can handle
If you’ve been dabbling in 4K video recording, you probably know that most SD cards won’t cut it; you’ll be thankful if you have enough space for a wedding video, let alone a magnum opus. SanDisk may have a solution for that space problem in its new, extra-capacious 512GB Extreme Pro SDXC card. It’s fast enough (95MB/s) to shoot interruption-free 4K, but also has more than enough storage for a day’s worth of movies and high-speed photography. Capture 60Mbps video on Sony’s AX100, for example, and you could theoretically keep going for almost 19 hours. You’re going to pay dearly for all that headroom, though. The 512GB card sells for a whopping $800 — unless video production is your bread and butter, you’re probably better off “settling” for the Extreme Pro’s 128GB or 256GB variants.
Source: SanDisk (1), (2)
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Vest translates sound into vibration for the hearing impaired
When we think about gadgets to aid the hearing impaired, cochlear implants usually come to mind — but these devices are expensive and require invasive surgery. Neuroscientist Dr. David Eagleman and graduate student Scott Novich have another idea: sensory substation clothing. The two are developing a hearing device that you wear on your torso. It’s called the Vibrotactile Extra-Sensory Transducer (or simply “Vest” for short) and it translates sound into tactile feedback. Eaglman says that with training, the brain can actually learn to translate Vest’s vibrations into useful data — meaning that wearers could potentially “hear” through their skin.
It sounds insane, but Eagleman says it’s not all that different than from how hearing works naturally. The brain, he explains, can’t actually hear — it’s just interpreting electrical signals and presenting it to your consciousness as perception. Cochlear implants work in the same manner, but Eagleman’s research is trying to accomplish a similar effect without surgery. If your body can interpret electrical signals from the ear as sound or data, why can’t it do the same with sound-based electrical signals that originate from the surface of your skin?
Right now, the Vest is focusing on restoring hearing, but eventually Eagleman wants to use the same system to augment human perception in new ways. What if you could absorb weather or stock market data naturally through your skin? Eagleman believes it’s possible, and your brain would natively introduce the Vest’s data into human perception as if sensing the weather was a naturally evolved trait.
Well, that’s the hypothesis, at least. The team is trying to raise $40,000 on Kickstarter to refine and build a better prototype, initiate behavioral testing and study the brain mechanisms that make sensory substitution possible. Interested? Check out that Kickstarter link below to learn more.
[Image credit: Scott Novich and David Eagleman]
Source: Kickstarter
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Kia’s electric Soul will cost you a semi-reasonable $33,700
Kia’s reputation for low-cost cars is extending into the electric realm… well, sort of. The company has announced that the Soul EV will start at $33,700 when it reaches in the US this fall. That’s more expensive than the Nissan Leaf ($28,980) and well outside of budget car territory, so it’s not exactly a trivial purchase at first glance. However, that doesn’t include the $7,500 federal tax break — the $26,200 you’ll ultimately pay is pretty reasonable for a people-hauler with decent space, a smartphone-savvy infotainment system and (most importantly) very low running costs. The catch is availability. You’ll have to wait until the fall to drive a Soul EV off the lot, and it will only be available in a handful of California cities at first; it’s going to be a while before you can wander into any old dealership and pick one up.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Autoblog
Source: Kia
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Bring! Shopping List: A simple shopping list that you can share [‘Watch’ This App]
If you keep forgetting to buy something when you go to the grocery store, and want an app that provides you with a simple shopping list that you can share with your household then it may be time to check out Bring! Shopping List. The Bring! Shopping List app has a simple and easy to… Read more »
The post Bring! Shopping List: A simple shopping list that you can share [‘Watch’ This App] appeared first on SmarterWatching.
Read the rest at SmarterWatching.com!
The post Bring! Shopping List: A simple shopping list that you can share ['Watch' This App] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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Apple’s Ultra-Slim 12-Inch Notebook Coming in Mid-2015 With Silver, Gold, and Space Gray Options?
With Apple’s Mac notebooks continuing to prove popular with consumers, the company has been rumored for some time to be working on a 12-inch notebook that could feature an ultra-slim form factor, Retina display, a new buttonless trackpad, and a fanless design. Rumors of such a machine have surfaced from several sources over the course of the past year, suggesting Apple has indeed been working on the device.
While such a machine has yet to debut despite early rumors of a mid-2014 launch, perhaps due to continued delays with Intel’s next-generation Broadwell chips, a new report from Jack March of A Tech Website claims the machine remains in the works. According to the report, Apple appears to be targeting a mid-2015 launch for the machine and, most interestingly, the company is said be planning to offer it in the same silver, gold, and space gray colors used on its iPhone lineup.
The most fascinating part of this report is that Apple is also planning to change the colours for the first time with an Aluminium MacBook, the source says that Apple is planning to add Space Grey and Gold colours to their MacBook lineup, which would be consistent with the colours on the iPhone 6.
While the claim of multiple color options for this new notebook appears outlandish, MacRumors has reason to believe this information is correct and that Apple has at least considered launching the 12″ notebook with several different “special edition” color options.
The report notes that timing for release of the new notebook has shifted several times as Apple has continued development, with that uncertainty also reflected in a recent report from Digitimes pegging the timeframe at a wide open “end of 2014 or in 2015.”
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Square Enix brings the orginal Dragon Quest to Android
The original Dragon Quest that started the franchise has been delivered to the Android world today. You might have more fond memories of what it was originally titled in the states, Dragon Warrior. No matter which name you know it is as, it is a classic that devoured many hours back in the old days of the NES.
This isn’t the first Dragon Quest title to grace Android. Square Enix also has Dragon Quest VIII and Dragon Quest IV available. However, this one actually comes in at a more normal price tag of just $2.99. The title brings the classic 8-bit JRPG game to Android devices sporting 2.3 or above. Square does offer a warning about Android 4.4 though, seems if ART is enabled on your device, you might have some issues playing.
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The post Square Enix brings the orginal Dragon Quest to Android appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
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The 2015 Winnebago Brave’s retro flair makes for one stylish roadtripper
At some point, you’ve likely encountered the iconic stylings of a Winnebago from the 60s and 70s. For the 2015 fleet, the company is looking to pay homage to those motorhomes by bringing back the “eyebrow” on the Brave. In addition to the the classic look of the camper’s exterior, the inside is loaded with tech. There’s a pair HDTVs (28 and 32-inch displays), digital TV antenna system and LED lighting throughout. In the event you find yourself with extra house, er… RV guests, a StudioLoft bunk bed and its powered lift can accommodate, and the vehicle’s GPS/rear-view mirror display slides across the dash so the co-pilot can dial in destinations. If you’re looking to hit the road, you may need to empty that piggy bank as the base model starts at $95,199.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Uncrate
Source: Winnebago
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Netflix’s 3D printing documentary streams September 26th
The rise of 3D printing has graced headlines for quite some time, and now Netflix brings its documentary chronicling the last several years to its streaming lineup. Starting September 26th, Print the Legend will be available for viewing. The red-hued video service nabbed the film after it earned a SXSW award, and will host theater showings in Los Angeles and New York. Influential 3D-printing outfits like MakerBot, Formlabs, Stratasys and 3D Systems are all included, as is Cody Wilson, who released plans for printing guns last year. If you’re looking for a preview, there trailer awaits just past the break.
Source: Deadline Hollywood
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Bang & Olufsen’s 85-inch 4K TV is competitively priced (for millionaires)
Bang & Olufsen advertised the Avant 55, its first 4K TV, with the phrase “the one that moves.” By the same logic, the Avant 85 should be titled “the, er, bigger one that also moves.” Naturally, the colossal set comes with the usual Danish video trickery, including three-channel stereo, the BeoRemote One universal remote control and direct-type LED with 2D local backlight dimming (nope, us neither). The Avant 85 is priced at an, ahem, “competitive” £16,595 (around $27,000), but if you want the thing to move as well, you’ll pay upwards of £1,095 (around $1,780) for the various motorized mounting brackets or stands
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
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