All articles tagged with #wearable
Garmin unveils the Fenix 9 and 9 Pro, featuring a 3,000‑nit OLED display, faster map panning, and increased RAM/storage, plus Garmin Epic workouts. The Pro adds a titanium case, InReach satellite or LTE connectivity, a larger 1.5‑inch OLED on the biggest sizes, and solar charging options that extend battery life.
After the Pixel 11 series and Pixel Watch 5 launch, a mysterious wearable appears in promotional images, resembling a Fitbit Charge-like device; fans wonder if it's an unreleased Fitbit Charge 7 or a new Google wearable, but details remain unclear.
UT Austin researchers developed a soft wearable patch called NEUSLeeP that combines gentle ultrasound stimulation with real-time brain monitoring to noninvasively reach deep brain regions involved in REM sleep. In a 28-person study, users entered REM sleep 43 minutes earlier and remained in REM about 16 minutes longer. The patch also increased heart rate variability and showed brain circuit changes linked to emotion, suggesting potential for treating sleep disorders and reducing stress. The device could enable at-home sleep monitoring and research, with larger trials planned and a patent filed as UT’s commercialization office moves toward market.
Google released a Pixel Watch 5 teaser ahead of its August 12 event, playfully taking aim at the Apple Watch’s design while hinting at Gemini Intelligence features; rumors also suggest the watch may keep the same display and chipset as prior models with a storage bump to 64GB and a modest battery upgrade.
Casio has unveiled the CRW-H001M-8, a compact Ring Watch that doubles as a smart ring, delivering heart-rate, SpO2, sleep tracking, and body-temperature sensing, along with steps, calories, and sports modes. It also includes menstrual-cycle tracking, Bluetooth connectivity, vibration alerts, and up to six days of battery life, with data accessible via the AIZO Ring app on Android, iPhone, and HarmonyOS. It charges via a pogo-pin magnetic connector.
Garmin’s CIRQA smart band has resurfaced on Garmin’s own site (Romanian support article) within the Health Status compatibility list, confirming CIRQA will feed Health Status metrics—heart rate, HRV, respiration, skin temperature, and Pulse Ox—to Garmin Connect. The device appears in the Garmin Connect–only group, aligning with expectations for a screenless band. This marks the first time Garmin content has explicitly tied CIRQA to Health Status, following earlier leaks; though Garmin has not officially announced CIRQA, trademark activity and updated content suggest launch prep and ongoing regional page updates that may change.
A prototype uses an under-the-chin ultrasound probe to read tongue movements and translate them into decoded speech, enabling private, sound-free communication. With about 50 hours of training data, it achieves roughly 15.6% error and can generalize across speakers with similar accents, though the current probe is bulky; future versions could resemble a wearable patch.
Leaked press renders from Evan Blass reveal the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 with a cleaner 47mm Titanium Gray case, squircle display, and a bezel marked 1–12 hours; it shows a simpler silicone strap with dual buckles, back sensors, and dual speakers, plus GPS and LTE. Specs rumored include Sapphire Crystal, 10ATM water resistance, Snapdragon Wear Elite, 2GB RAM, and an 800mAh battery, with potential Wi‑Fi 6, Bluetooth 6.0, UWB, and NB‑NTN, and a July 2026 launch alongside other Galaxy devices.
Apple unveiled WatchOS 27 at WWDC, highlighting an on-wrist Siri, a new Dynamic Home Grid, and Workout Buddy that no longer requires a connected iPhone. The update emphasizes battery efficiency and faster app launches, with health features like irregular cycle tracking and perimenopause/menopause logging (plus related Fitness+ workouts), new health APIs (Menopause API, Workout Zones API), and minor enhancements across Siri and stability. Public beta arrives in July, with a final release anticipated in September alongside new Apple Watch models.
MIT researchers have created a chest-worn hydrogel patch that noninvasively paces the heart by enabling engineered heart cells to respond to ultrasound via a gene-therapy primer—a technique called sonogenetics. In tests on rats and pig hearts, the patch restored steady rhythms during daily activity, pointing toward a potential noninvasive alternative to implanted pacemakers and, with future closed‑loop sensing, a fully automated pacing system.
Google's Fitbit Air is a compact, screenless wearable that relies on the redesigned Google Health app and Gemini-powered AI Coach to deliver coaching, auto-logging, and concise health summaries. It competes with Whoop on concepts and price (hardware around $100) and shines with fast charging and flexible bands, but the AI can misinterpret data at times and the app has a few quirks, leaving room for improvement before it becomes a clear winner in the health-tech wearables space.
A first look at Hypershell's X Ultra S, a $2,000 motorized exoskeleton for hikers that uses dual hip motors (up to 1,000W) and the HyperIntuition AI to adjust assistance in real time, helping on climbs and soft terrain while requiring manual mode changes for descents and uneven ground; controlled via a mobile app with Boost mode, it delivers about 18 miles of typical-range battery life, carries safety risks if not disengaged, and signals AI moving from analysis to physical output—still early and not perfectly seamless.
A hobbyist built a Cyberpunk-inspired jacket with four flexible OLED panels mounted in the collar, driven by two Raspberry Pi 4s (two screens per Pi) using a GPIO-based sync, all housed in a 3D-printed frame to protect the displays; the result recreates the game’s jacket look and demonstrates wearable multi-display tech, though it remains a prototype rather than practical mass-market gear.
Sony has upgraded its wearable neck cooler, the Reon Pocket Pro Plus, delivering a 2°C (about 3.6°F) stronger cooling (20% boost) with a refined cooling algorithm and new stabilizing fins. It still runs on USB-C, offers up to 10 hours on a medium setting, and includes a second-gen Pocket Tag sensor and a companion app, while remaining usable without a smartphone. The Pro Plus will launch in the UK and Europe through Sony's store and retailers like Amazon, priced at £199 in the UK and €220 elsewhere; US availability is not announced.
The Fitbit Air is Google's screen-free wearable that tracks health metrics through the revamped Google Health app. Pre-orders cost $99 for the regular model and $129 for the Steph Curry edition, with each retailer offering a free band as a bonus. Google Store orders come with a $35 credit toward accessories and three months of Google Health Premium; the device works with Android and iOS and emphasizes a minimal, band-based design alongside the Google Health app and its Health Coach features.