Category: Gadgets

Wearable technology advances from Samsung continue with a health tracker

The electronics giant now has a prototype for yet another device in the wearables category.

Ram Fish, the vice president of digital health at Samsung, was spotted at a San Francisco event, showing of a prototype of the Simband, which is a conceptual model for a new form of health tracking wearable technology wristband that is currently in the works at Samsung.

There have already been a large number of players within the health and fitness tracker market due to popularity.

Among all of the categories in wearable technology, it is in health and fitness that it has managed to take off at the greatest rate. There have been many different guesses as to why this is the case. Among them, one of the primary explanations is that these devices are practical and are affordable for the average consumer, particularly when compared to smartwatches which are easily two to three times more expensive…or more.

While pedometers have been around for ages, Samsung and other wearable technology companies aim for more.

Wearable Technology - Health TrackingAlthough the technology for pedometers has changed over the years, the basic concept has been around for a while. However, in the latest wearables, these trackers are meant to bring much more value to consumers, such as the intensity of a workout, the number of calories burned, and even more complex information such as biofeedback. Many consumers would also like to measure things such as vital signs – heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, hydration, and others, for example.

The Simband is designed to provide biometrics just like that, such as temperature and heart rate. Ram Fish didn’t hesitate to show curious event attendees the device, which features a square face and black body. He was reported to have appeared highly enthusiastic about this new mobile tech as he spoke before the San Francisco crowd.

The device on the health and fitness tracker revealed real time vital signs such as the fact that his heart had been beating at a rate of 87 beats per minute (which is about healthy considering the situation and environment) and his temperature. That said, he also switched screens on this open sensor platform based wearable technology device to be able to show trends, such as the variability of his heart rate and other forms of data that were being tracked and recorded.

Mobile devices can be used more easily on Canadian flights

The country is relaxing the regulations regarding the use of smartphones and tablets while in the air.

It won’t be long before travelers in Canada will be able to use their electronic and mobile devices at any time they want during a flight, including everything from smartphones to tablets and laptops.

That said, they will still be restricted from using WiFi and making cellular phone calls.

Lisa Raitt, the Minister of Transportation in Canada recently made the announcement that travelers will be able to use their mobile devices and other forms of electronic technology such as portable games, cameras, laptops, e-readers, tablets, and even smartphones, from the time that the flight takes off to its touchdown. That said, it will be possible only as long as the transmission capabilities of the gadget have been disabled.

The rules for mobile devices during flights have been an issue of great debate over the last few months.

Mobile Devices - Canadian FlightsA few months ago, federal officials in Canada began working with the airline industry and its various carriers in order to help to make this change. Air Canada, the largest airline in the country has already announced that it is ready to implement the change to the regulations “very shortly” and that it could start to fly under these less restrictive regulations within the next few days.

Raitt explained that this decision is “good news for air passengers and it’s good news for the Canadian aviation industry,” as she spoke to the media at Ottawa International Airport in the country’s capital. She added that she understands some of the challenges faced by travelers, today, who are required to shut off devices, saying that “as a mom of a 12- and a 9-year-old, I’m pretty happy that we don’t have to go through the whole, I would say, drama of turning off your Nintendo DS in the middle of a really important game.”

This recent change in the rules for the use of mobile devices aligns the regulations in Canada with those that are currently in place in the United States as well as in the European Union, which had each announced their own intentions for this gadget use in 2013.