Wearables
No more ‘lost in translation’ with wireless earphones
Following on from Apple’s removal of the 3.5mm headphone socket in its latest iPhone, the market for wireless earphones looks set to grow in 2017. Many models were exhibited at CES 2017 and among the nearly 4,000 exhibitors vying for attention was Manchester-based start-up Mymanu.
Emerging tech aims to improve life for handicapped
Emerging technology is giving hope for the handicapped, and harnessing brainwaves for the physically disabled and helping the visually impaired with "artificial vision" are just the start. Many systems showcased at the CES in Las Vegas are aimed at improving quality of life for people with disabilities. BrainRobotics, a Massachusetts-based startup, showed its prosthesis that can be controlled by residual muscle strength of an amputee wi...
Partners create turnkey solution for wearable devices
Mobile payments may go mainstream on wearable devices like smartwatches by taking advantage of a ready-to-use payment solution containing technology from STMicroelectronics. ST, G&D, and FitPay have used ST's security chip to jointly create the first secure hardware and software solution that is pre-approved for use by device manufacturers with the aim to develop integrated tokenised payments from Mastercard or Visa.
Welcome to the e-sticker revolution!
The healthcare industry forecasts that future wellbeing will be monitored by wearable, wirelessly networked sensors. Manufacturing such devices could become much easier using decal electronics. A KAUST-developed process prints these high-performance, silicon-based computers on soft, sticker-like surfaces that can be attached anywhere. Fitting electronics on to the asymmetric contours of human bodies demands a re-think of traditional computer...
Tattoos mark the spot for surgery and then disappear
Tattoos aren't just for body art. They can have medical applications, too. Doctors are using them on patients to mark an area for future treatment - particularly for non-melanoma skin cancer such as basal cell carcinoma - but the inks can cause problems. Now scientists have developed a better solution. In the journal ACS Nano, they report an ink that glows only under certain light conditions and can disappear altogether after a period of time.
Wearable health monitoring devices used aboard the ISS
BodyCap announces that two of its wearable health monitoring devices are currently being used by European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet aboard the International Space Station (ISS), as part of ESA’s EveryWear program, an ambulatory data collection system.
ON Semiconductor gains CES recognition for both IoT & wireless medical tech
ON Semiconductor has been chosen by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) as a CES 2017 Innovation Awards honoree in two different categories. The announcement was made at the CTA’s annual CES Unveiled New York event - with the company’s Ezairo 7150 SL audio processing hybrid module being cited in the Tech for a Better World category, plus its Smart Passive Sensor (SPS) solution doing the same in the Embedded Technology category.
Golf rangefinder wearables use GNSS technology
u-blox announced its components are at the core of two new cutting-edge GNSS products. The golf rangefinder wearables were launched by Voice Caddie, a leading international brand of rangefinders and trackers based in South Korea. The first product, the T3 Hybrid Golf GPS Watch, uses the compact u-blox UBX-G7020-KT professional-grade GNSS chip, which links with GPS/QZSS or GLONASS satellite systems.
The first wearable sunlight and vitamin D coach in the world
Dutch start-up e-Senses, in collaboration with Holst Centre, has developed the world's first personal sunlight, daylight and vitamin D coach. The Helios smart ring gives wearers feedback on the amount of sunlight they receive and how much vitamin D they create, personalised to their skin type and behavior. It lets people find the perfect balance between sun safety and getting enough vitamin D.
Skin patch with microneedles could replace injections
It’s only a matter of time before drugs are administered via patches with painless microneedles instead of unpleasant injections. But designers need to balance the need for flexible, comfortable-to-wear material with effective microneedle penetration of the skin. Researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm say they may have cracked the problem.