This Week in Wearables: Connected Clothing is Coming
Adam Selman, Rihanna’s Favorite Designer, Enters the Wearables War
via New York Times by Vanessa Friedman
Adam Selman, the man who made Rihanna’s see-through dress at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards in 2014, may not be the name that pops into mind when you think “wearables” (more like “less wearables”). But his was the name that MasterCard chose when it decided to introduce its latest Big New Idea: clothes that are also mobile payment devices. Translation: a dress and gloves and earrings and sunglasses and a clutch that come equipped with minichips hidden in the seams, and that don’t look remotely sci-fi or futuristic or techie at all.
Why The Wearables Developer Market Population Is Taking A Plunge
via readwire, by Matt Asay
Few things are as hyped as the Internet of Things (IoT), so why is the wearables developer population shrinking? According to a new VisionMobile report, 21% of IoT developers have near-term plans to develop for the wearables market, down sharply from 28% just six months earlier. While long-term interest in wearables remains high, in the short term, developers seem content to wait for the market to mature.
Apple nabs ‘coolest wearables’ honors
via CNET , by Lance Whitney
Apple is considered the coolest brand for wearables, according to a poll of just over 2,000 smartphone users. The maker of the Apple Watch earned its status pitted against 20 other brands in the results of a survey released Monday by Juniper Research. The smartwatch market is moving toward a two-company race between Apple and Samsung, with more than 75 percent of those polled giving a thumbs-up to one of those two tech titans, Juniper said.
MasterCard wants to bring the technology behind Apple Pay to more wearables
via VentureBeat, by Ruth Reader
MasterCard wants you to be able to make purchases with everything from wearables to key fobs, so it’s bringing the technology behind Apple Pay to more devices. Today, the company announced at Money2020 it’s partnering with a variety of appliance makers to make Internet-connected devices capable of payments. This new service is the next phase of a program it launched a year ago called MasterCard Digital Enablement Services (MDES). Initially MDES was what powered Apple Pay on the iPhone 6 and the Apple Watch. Now it’s partnering with General Motors and wearables startups to allow their devices to make payments.
Samsung’s latest batteries make unusual wearables possible
via engadget, by Mariella Moon
Samsung’s latest battery prototypes could lead not only to more powerful wearables, but also to unusual ones. The first model called Band is meant to be attached to smartwatch straps, as its name implies, to add as much as 50 percent of the device’s original battery life. Stripe, on the other hand, is the thin, bendy strip the model above is holding in her hands — and the more versatile between the two. Since it’s extremely thin (it has a depth measuring 0.3mm), it could be used to create all kinds of wearables, such as smart necklaces and headbands, or even interactive clothing designs. According to Samsung, it has higher energy density than current comparable batteries, though it didn’t name any particular brand and model.
HTC promises first fitness wearables in early 2016
via Techno Buffalo, by Jacob Kleinman
HTC’s fitness tracker plans may not have worked out as planned, but it still has something in the works. The company recently promised to launch a full family of wearable devices early next year, though there’s still no mention of the original HTC GRIP.
How Wearables Will Revolutionize The Workplace
via readwire, by Lindsey Irvine
We’ve been hearing a lot of buzz around how wearables will continue to enhance our everyday lives. From steps and calories, to sleep and diet, wearables are starting to show their influence on our personal lives. But what about the business opportunity and benefits to our professional lives? This year alone, we’ve seen the introduction of everything from smart rings,watches and connected headbands. As exciting as they may seem for individuals, it’s actually the business implications of wearable devices that have many of us in the enterprise taking note.