Wearable Technology

In this edition of The Internet of Things series, we take a look at Wearables. A newer entry into the IoT series, this entry takes a look at what wearables contribute now and what they can contribute in the future.

While having a watchful eye on the kids while they’re swimming is an absolute must, the neat iSwimband can offer another layer of precaution. We took one out for a spin.

Wearable technology has blown up in the past few years, and this past week my husband and I got to see just how far fitness trackers have come when we tested out the Hexoskin Biometric shirt. From badminton to mountain biking, we wore Hexoskin for them all, so read on to see why this is the only fitness tracker we’ve tried that tracks every type of activity easily and accurately.

“What’s a smartwatch good for?” A lot of people have asked this question, and my answer is pretty simple: it make my life a little simpler and easier. Read on to find out why I love having a Pebble smartwatch on my wrist.

One of my favourite summer activities is grabbing my clubs and heading to the driving range (and then complaining about how sore I am the next day). I don’t golf on a full course much. I wasn’t blessed with the greatest short game, and to call my putting atrocious would be an understatement. However, I’m keen to get back out on a course just to try some of the new golf wearables out there. From swing coaching to a GPS watch that tells you how far you are from the green, there’s a helpful wearable waiting for you to take for a spin this golf season.

In the world of fitness and activity trackers, Fitbit dominates. With sales of these wearables taking off, Fitbit—which has been selling the devices since 2008—holds nearly 70 percent of the market. The new Fitbit Charge HR is a prime example of why the company has been so successful. Add in a vast ecosystem of app partners and supporting hardware like its Aria smart scale, and going with the Fitbit Charge HR is a good bet to help you to be successful in reaching your own fitness goals.

Hey Team! It’s Debra! Your Best Buy Canada Wearable Technology Minx! (Not my official title … YET!) Well, spring is in the air (we hope) and of course that means BASEBALL season starts soon! (My dad told me) So, this week it’s the BLAST Baseball Swing Precision Motion Sensor. The Blast is indeed “wearable technology,” except the person wearing it is a baseball bat. AND—one size fits all! (How often is that true?)  

When I asked the team what was up for this week, they said, “BEDDIT”. I responded, “Absolutely. Which guy is ‘IT’?” Beddit, I quickly found out, is a new sleep monitor. Ahem. I always thought a sleep monitor was a creepy roommate, but the good people at Best Buy Canada showed me the light!

I love how motivating my fitness tracker is, so I was excited to hear about the FitBark dog activity monitor. It’s a fitness tracker specifically for dogs, is available in a wide variety of colours, and can be pre-ordered right now for shipping beginning March 31st, 2015.

Debra here, strapping on some more wearable technology! This fitness train cannot be stopped!! This week, it’s the Garmin Forerunner 10 watch. This impressive device is for those who run without being chased, without an oncoming Indiana Jones boulder and/or avalanche—those who actually ENJOY running.  So what did I do with it?  Read on to find out: