Wearable Technology

In 2015, the number one New Years resolution in Canada, as tracked by Twitter, was “get in shape,” and based on the massive increase in patrons at my gym over the past two weeks, I’m pretty confident that it’s at the top of the list again for 2016. If you too have resolved to get in shape this year and want to make sure you stick to that resolution, a wearable fitness tracker might just give you the edge you need.

  Did you make a New Years Resolution for 2016? If not, you might consider setting the goal of better time management for the remainder of the year. After all, we all have those days where we’re running late sometimes, messing up our appointments and wreaking havoc on our schedules. It’s not that we want to be late, but sometimes stuff just happens, and other times it’s because we’ve failed to be organized. If this is an issue for you, then you might want to read today’s blog. Inside you’ll find a number of extremely useful time management tools that will help to keep you on track—and on time, in 2016. Read on to get your new year off to a timely start!

VR, or virtual reality, is a big deal, not just at CES 2016, but in its sheer potential to wow users with the expansive content it’s capable of producing. The HTC Vive is getting closer to reach for consumers, and is among the most intriguing devices at the show this year. I got some extended hands-on time with it, coming away with a good impression.

Fitbit is among the top companies for wearables today, and at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, they announced a brand new device; the Fitbit Blaze. Check out the new device, as seen at the Fitbit booth at CES.

My favourite part of CES every year is the coverage of the latest wild and crazy gadgets. Here’s a round up of a few the most interesting new devices to catch my eye at CES 2016.

The 2016 Consumer Electronics Show—or CES as it’s more commonly known—is upon us, and poised to show off more cool technology to wow attendees. The show is largely an opportunity for vendors to introduce what’s possible, like proof of concepts, prototypes and ideas that may never be available to you, the consumers. Still, much of what is there does make it to retail, like Best Buy, and in 2015, that was certainly the case.

Virtual reality is a real thing now. Yes, it has existed for some time, but the concept of immersing yourself in it in a portable way at home and on the go is one major difference. As is the quality of content. Samsung’s Gear VR is a headset with the imprint of Oculus, arguably the most popular company in the VR space today. It’s not the Oculus Rift, of course, but the Gear VR can open up some new worlds with the right smartphone inside.

Looking for a stylish way to tell time and stay connected to your digital world? Guess offers you their new Guess Connect as the solution. Does it manage to be the best of both worlds, merging technology and fashion into a seamless amalgam?  

I’ve had a number of fitness trackers in my life over the past few years. My favourite was the FitBit Flex; simply, light, and did its job fairly well. The problem is that our demands on our fitness trackers have increased: Samsung fired the first shots in the smartphone war, with Microsoft and FitBit coming out swinging. Apple dropped their Apple Watch bomb earlier this year, outselling every other smartwatch before it…put together.   Garmin has been making some smart moves with their Vivosport line over the past year or so, and like many other tracker makers, they’ve stepped up their game with heart rate monitoring, releasing the aptly named Vivosmart HR. It’s a watch-like band with a heart rate tracker, a connected app and website, and it comes in at a reasonable price. Is it your next fitness tracker? Let’s find out.

Samsung has tried and tried again to get it right with its smartwatches, having come to market with no less than six different iterations in about two years. All failed to really capitalize on what was then a wide open market looking for a trendsetter. The Gear S2 marks a turning point in both design philosophy and performance, making it the most complete wearable the company has made to this point.