Wearable Technology

It’s a tricky market out there for fitness trackers.   The Nike+ FuelBand was met with much fanfare when it was released in November last year but the company has scaled back production. The Polar Loop has proven to be the go-to replacement for the FuelBand.   We compared the two products to see how they measure up.

Remember the Pebble smartwatch? The wearable with the innovative and power saving e-paper display, the CES 2013 star and Kickstarter record setter? The one that now has its own appstore and has become a market leader with over 300,000 sold? Well, the Pebble is still very cool, very cutting edge and very popular. But it’s being joined by a new edition, the Pebble Steel. If you wanted the original Pebble but thought it was maybe just a little too funky to fit in with your business look, you’ll love the Pebble Steel with its more refined stainless steel case and thin profile look. Watch for the all new Pebble Steel soon at Best Buy.  

If there was any doubt that this would be the year that smartwatches and other wearable technology hits the mainstream, look no further than Best Buy, where you’ll find best-sellers like the Pebble smartwatch alongside the latest generation of Samsung’s wearable tech –the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo. Soon some new entries will be joining these: the Cookoo and Cogito. Choice is good and these new models offer a new take on the traditional smartwatch form factor as well as a more affordable option for those who want to take the plunge into wearable technology without a large investment. I just spent a week with a Cookoo smartwatch and you can read my review here.  

Buying a fitness device is the easy part…sticking to your fitness goals is the hard part! Stay on track by linking your Polar Loop with the Polar Flow mobile app for Apple and Android. This allows you to break down your activity, analyze your results and track your progress throughout the day!  

The Jawbone UP24 proves that wearable fitness tracking devices can be lightweight, fashionable and comfortable.     Synching up information is simple since the UP24 is also Bluetooth compatible.   Combined with the cheery, user-friendly UP app, you have one of the best fitness devices on the market.

Apps are amazing on so many different levels. They keep you organized when you’re frantically sprinting through your day, they entertain you when you need some downtime, and they will even be your personal trainer when you want to get healthy or lose weight.   Personal fitness apps are where Garmin comes in, and although you may have only heard of Garmin for their GPS products, they’ve recently hit the sports market with a variety of fitness bands that track your exercise data via the Garmin Connect Mobile app.

Do you know anyone who’s a Google Glass Explorer? If you haven’t actually met someone wearing Google’s high tech, augmented reality glasses, chances are you’ve heard or read about the experience from one of the thousands of Google Explorers currently beta testing the cutting edge of wearable technology. With its latest expansion of that Explorer program —offering Google Glass in a one-day sale— and the partnership of eyeglass frame maker Luxottica, Google’s cutting edge AR glasses continue to move closer to an inevitable retail launch. Until that time arrives, here’s what you need to know about Google Glass.

In the past year the wearable tech market has really exploded. From Bluetooth rings to Smart Eyelashes we’ve seen them all, but there’s nowhere it’s been more dominant than in the fitness category. To improve your heath and keep yourself accountable, you just can’t go wrong with a fitness band, and the latest band out of Garmin will track to improve your sleep and monitor your heart during fitness activities too.   Garmin has entered the fitness ring with the Garmin vivofit, available now at Best Buy.

I have been using a Misfit Shine for the past three months. It uses a three-axis accelerometer to measure motion, and keep track of your daily physical activity. But key to the Shine is its mobile app. Shine only works with its own app for now, though the company is looking to open up its API. But that’s OK, because there’s a ton of coolness packed into the Shine app.

Smartwatches, augmented reality glasses, fitness trackers –any compact extension to your smartphone or tablet– is firmly in Google’s sights with the announcement of Android Wear. What is Android Wear? It’s a push to extend Android to those smartwatches and wearable devices, using a standard API and developer tools so Android apps for smartphones and tablets can be ported to, or seamlessly integrated with those wearables. Google is working with developers and hardware partners like Samsung, Fossil and LG on the Android Wear Initiative. And you’ll see two Android Wear-powered smartwatches at Best Buy Later this year: the Moto 360 and LG’s G Watch.