Wearable Technology

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.

 2016 is going to be the most exciting year for the wearable yet. We’ve already seen brands like Fitbit improving their brand by putting all of their new features forward. We’re going to have wearables that help us de-stress by encouraging better breathing and then there’s Microsoft Band 2. The Microsoft Band 2 looks to go above and beyond its competition by offering features that nobody else does. In addition to the usual run of notifications and trackers, Band 2 is the first wearable that flexes to offer help with your sleep, on the golf course and in the gym in the same package. Find out more about my experiences with Band by reading onward.

At first, when my pals at Best Buy Canada gave me the Fitbit Charge HR to try out, I was kind of shocked. I mean, I’ve previously discussed my obsession with my Fitbit—I use it everyday. Am I not exercising enough for you, Best Buy? But then I realized that, as usual, my tech savvy friends are opening my eyes to another life-enhancer! And, although I love my Fitbit, I think I’m IN LOVE with the Charge HR.

A big round of applause goes to the Best Buy team for pulling off another successful Life and Tech event in Dundas Square, Toronto. Albeit, the rain did show up, but that didn’t stop the team from delivering a day filled with fun, fashion, and tech. While there, I had the pleasure of witnessing the latest and coolest technology trends. Here are some of the gadgets I’m excited about. Let’s talk about Virtual Reality (VR). It’s nothing new, but it’s...

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.

Garmin didn’t reveal anything big at CES, choosing instead to focus on renewing and refreshing products to help those wanting to stay active.

Last night, the Best Buy event closed with a fashion show that focused on wearable tech. For those of you who don’t want to admit it, this phenomenon is here to stay! The beauty of these devices is that they help you monitor your health, fitness goals, calorie intake, etc. But while they may provide useful information, let’s be honest: you’ll attach a gadget to your body only if it’s fashionable. This year’s fashion show was even better than...

I’ve been fortunate enough to test out a bunch of fitness trackers and I’ve become the go-to person my friends go to for advice when they want to buy the latest and greatest fitness devices. That’s why yesterday, when Fitbit announced their newest wrist-based activity trackers, my phone was buzzing. And for good reason, because there’s a lot to be excited about. Here’s a quick look at the three new fitness trackers from Fitbit.

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!

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.