All articles tagged with #wearable technology
Orthosomnia—a fixation on perfect sleep—can be worsened by wearables, as data from trackers is not always accurate and can spur anxiety about each night's sleep. Experts advise stepping back from the numbers, practicing solid sleep hygiene, and listening to body cues rather than chasing the app score.
Tech leaders are pursuing a screen-free paradigm using wearables like camera-equipped AirPods and smart glasses, which could let people interact with devices without looking at a screen; while this could make computing more seamless, it also raises privacy and surveillance concerns as cameras and always-on sensors become more common.
The90 unveils The Gem, a pendant necklace with UVA/UVB sensors that feeds real-time sun exposure data to a companion app, building a personalized skin profile and delivering actionable guidance—from UV thresholds to sunscreen reminders and optimal exposure windows. Created by former Fitbit executive Stacy Salvi, the device is available now for $300, with a limited-time $200 early-bird price.
The Oura Ring 5 tightens its footprint with a 40% smaller frame and lighter weight, adds a refreshed sensor setup (12 light pathways vs 18) with brighter LEDs, and improves durability with a new coating. It touts 6–9 days of battery life (versus Gen 4’s near 4–8) and introduces a new charging case; pricing starts at $399 (premium finishes at $499). Many software features (live activity, Health Radar, blood pressure signals, GLP-1 tracking, lab results import, data erasure) are also available to Gen 4 rings, so upgrading is less about software and more about hardware: new to Oura or using Gen 3+ should consider Ring 5, while Gen 4 owners may opt to stay if the current model already meets their needs.
Smart-home devices and safety tech are helping older adults live independently at home, as shown by a 78-year-old wheelchair user who used Alexa to call his children after his wife’s stroke. The piece outlines four tech categories—smart-home/ambient devices, medical alert and safety systems, AI-enabled products, and wearables/virtual companions—that can support daily tasks, safety, and social connection, while noting that in-person help remains essential for core activities; the aging tech market is expanding.
Xreal is launching a new sub-brand, X by Xreal (XBX), with its first product, the a01 AR display glasses. The camera-free, 62 g device debuts in China and will arrive in the US in July priced at $299. It boasts 1,600 nits brightness with HDR10, a new spatial anti-shake algorithm for smoother video in motion, and an interchangeable front-frame design with transparent or immersive modes, aimed at travelers, movie watchers and portable gamers as a lighter, cheaper alternative to its higher-end models.
Researchers have developed UPatch, a wearable ultrasound patch that can continuously image a fetus and track blood flow and heart rate, addressing the limitations of intermittent hospital scans. The device is currently a tethered, proof-of-concept and was tested against conventional ultrasound in 62 pregnant participants, with 52 pregnant women undergoing continuous monitoring. In one case of pre-eclampsia, UPatch helped reveal intrauterine growth restriction, prompting a cesarean delivery. The team envisions a wireless version for home use, with potential benefits for low-resource settings and earlier detection of complications.
New York Post reviews Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 smart glasses, praising Meta AI for hands-free questions, translation and reminders, and noting an Amazon deal that cuts the price by $70 (from $459 to $390.15). The glasses boast a 12MP ultra-wide camera, 3K video, five-mic audio, up to 8 hours of battery (48 hours with the charging case), and come in a variety of frames and lens options.
Wearable continuous glucose monitors are now widely available to non-diabetics, offering minute-by-minute data on how food and activity affect blood sugar. But experts warn that constant tracking can confuse people, provoke unnecessary anxiety, and lacks clear guidelines for non-diabetics; while such data may help identify early signals of chronic disease, the overall public health benefit remains uncertain.
ED is moving beyond pills toward a personalized, data-driven care model that uses at-home wearable devices to monitor erections, VR to study arousal and tailor therapy, regenerative approaches to address tissue health, and renewed options like vacuum devices and sex therapy to improve access and outcomes.
A Mass General Brigham and Rush University study followed 1,338 older adults for up to 19 years using wrist activity monitors to quantify nap length, frequency, and time of day. They found longer, more frequent, and morning naps associated with higher all-cause mortality: about 13% higher risk per extra nap hour, 7% per additional nap, and 30% higher risk for morning versus afternoon naps; irregular patterns showed no increased risk. The authors emphasize correlation, not causation, and suggest wearable nap tracking could help detect underlying health issues early.
Rumors say the Apple Watch Ultra 4 will be thinner and lighter with improved battery life, potentially via a larger battery and smarter power management using a new T8320 processor. It may also add Touch ID and up to eight health sensors (including blood pressure and hydration) with features like stress detection, aiming for a September 2026 release to sharpen Apple’s edge in the sports-watch market.
UK startup CrossSense’s Wispy AI glasses project labels objects and projects visual prompts onto the lenses to guide daily tasks for people with early-stage dementia, with trials showing significant quality-of-life improvements and a planned UK release in 2027.
An NBC News tester strapped four AI wearables—Amazon’s Bee bracelet, Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 glasses, Oura Ring, and Omi necklace—for several days to gauge whether wearing multiple devices makes life easier; the verdict: AI can boost efficiency, but overlapping features, privacy tradeoffs from always-on microphones and cameras, occasional misidentifications, and constant charging mean you don’t need all four at once—select a couple that fit your routine and weigh consent and data handling.
University of Maryland researchers developed sensors in wearable underwear to measure intestinal hydrogen gas and establish baselines for gut microbial fermentation; early findings show healthy adults fart about 32 times per day (range 4–59), with volunteers being categorized as Zen Digesters, Hydrogen Hyperproducers, or Normal People for further study.