Kickstarter project by Kuai puts biometric devices in headphones form factor

A new project on Kickstarter takes a unique approach to measuring biometric data for users engaged in a variety of sporting activities. Most of the efforts we have seen in recent years involve activity trackers worn on the wrist and many companies are incorporating those features into their smartwatch solutions. A few other companies, like FitBit, also produce hardware that can be clipped on the body somewhere to measure things like steps taken. Kuai is currently raising funds to take all of this and put it in the form of headphones.

The Kuai multisport biometric headphones will be waterproof up to 3 meters deep, meaning they can be worn while swimming along with other activities like cycling and running. Kuai packs sensors into the headphones including a heart rate sensor and an accelerometer so the device can measure heart rate, VO2max, distance, cadence, speed/pace and calories.

Along with the sensors, Kuai included 8GB of integrated memory so that users can load up some music to listen to while exercising. The memory can also be used to record performance data for later analysis and review or to load training plans with voice alerts. The headphones will come with Bluetooth Smart support for connection to smartphones so all of the data can be shared with a variety of apps and services.

The Kuai Headphones will be available in black, white or a special limited edition Kickstarter Green. The Kickstarter project is close to meeting its goal already. According to Kuai’s development schedule, units should start shipping in November 2015 with a full retail price of approximately $167. There are several pledge options still available to obtain a set at significant discounts from the projected retail price.

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source: Kickstarter

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Emoji passcodes promise more security than numbers

There’s little doubt that PIN codes are lousy security measures. They’re not only easy to crack (there are just 7,290 non-repeating four-digit combos), but hard to remember at first. Intelligent Environments thinks there’s a better way: replace them with emoji. Its Android banking app asks you to pick from 44 familiar messaging icons for your passcode, which both expands the potential combinations (to nearly 3.5 million) and should be easier to recall than either numbers or words. The emoji should also eliminate the temptation to use readily available info — “penguin police pumpkin lipstick” isn’t as easy to deduce as your birthday.

An emoji-only system isn’t as secure as either a good conventional password or, better yet, unique-to-you authentication methods like fingerprints. The special characters could add to the complexity of existing passwords, however, and they’d raise the baseline for security in those situations where alphanumeric codes aren’t very practical. They’re not foolproof, but they beat the status quo.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/130728753?portrait=0

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile

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Source: Intelligent Environments

Phone-controlled Range Rover helps you get out of a jam

Never mind those dreams of using a handheld device to steer your car from the back seat, James Bond-style — the real purpose of remote control may be to get your vehicle past a muddy trench. Jaguar Land Rover is developing smartphone control technology that lets you pilot a car (in this case, a Range Rover Sport) at very low speeds while you’re outside, helping you get past difficult terrain or tricky parking spots. You have to operate everything manually at the moment, but the hope is that this will eventually bring a level of push-button autonomy where you simply tap a button to get around some rocks or back out of your garage.

That may be closer than you think. The company has a Range Rover Sport test model that can autonomously perform a 180-degree turn by using sensors to detect available space, and there’s plans for a “solo” model that could handle any situation by itself. Jaguar Land Rover isn’t fond of vehicles that are solely autonomous (that would “take away the fun of driving”), but the hope is that your future ride will let you engage a self-driving mode whenever a hands-on approach would be too much of a hassle. In that sense, phone-based commands are an important early step — you aren’t obliged to keep your hands on the steering wheel the entire time.

Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation, Mobile

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Source: Jaguar Land Rover