CES 2014: High-Tech Tracking Devices You Could Soon Be Wearing
Pebble Steel is the new smartwatch from Pebble, the startup that began selling its first smartwatch last year. Pebble Steel is being billed as an upgrade over their first smartwatch, with stainless steel or leather bands, and faces that can mimic traditional, luxury analog watches.
Pebble
Garmin is probably best known for making GPS devices, but at this year's CES the company stepped into the fitness tracker market with the Vivofit. The high-tech wristband not only counts distance covered, steps taken and calories burned, it also sets daily goals based on a record of your activity.
Garmin
People already spend a lot of their fitness time with earbuds in, so why not make the earbuds the actual fitness tracker? Intel's Smart Earbuds draw power right from the headphone jack, and track heart rate and pulse while delivering stereo audio. And if the software suspects your performance is flagging, it will select the appropriate music to pump you back up.
REUTERS/Robert Galbraith
If looking fashionable while staying connected is a concern, this Bluetooth enabled pendant from CSR might appeal. Users can customize the color and brightness to suit their moods, while updates from their smartphones are transmitted to the pendant. CSR is a software maker, and teamed up with boutique jewelry maker Cellini to create this unique piece of wearable tech.
CSR
Google Glass may be getting all the attention — both good and bad — over the last few years, but it isn't the only smart glasses game in town. Epson is already on its second generation set of smart glasses. The Moverio BT-200 boasts two projectors, which are touted to offer a more "immersive viewing experience" than Google's one. The BT-200 is also smaller and lighter than Epson's first model, the BT-100.
AV Watch
Just in case run-of-the-mill dual projector smart glasses don't cut it for you, start-up Vergence Labs takes its Epiphany smart glasses and combines them with an app its developing that will allow users to control drones with their hand movements. Another app in development will allow Vergence smart glass users to shoot and stream video in real time to Facebook — interesting, but hardly as exciting as being able to control your own drone.
Vergence
Start-up Qardio manufactures an electrocardiogram device called QardioCore and a blood pressure monitoring device called QardioArm that are sleek, wireless and communicate with your smartphone via the company's QardioApp —pushing all pertinent information into the cloud, which your doctor would be able to access at any time.
Qardio
And just so man's best friend doesn't feel left out of the 2014 wearable-tech blitz, i4C Innovations will soon release Voyce: a canine-health monitoring system dogs will wear like a high-tech collar, recording key vital signs like activity and rest levels, heart rate and calories burned. Said information will be transmitted to your smartphone, where health trends can be monitored over time. Lassie approved, for sure.
Voyce