Category: Gadgets

Analysts are predicting that this will be one of the top tech trends of 2014 and that it won’t stop there.

According to Canaly, the market analyst, the sales of wearable technology might be breaking the 17 million mark by the end of 2014, and that this trend will be greatly driven by strong sales in smartwatches.

These pricy tiny mobile devices worn on the wrist have become surprisingly popular.

While the wearable technology market may still currently be small, the predictions form Canalys are that this will have dramatically changed as soon as the end of the year. The range of these mobile devices and the competition that is starting to build is making it easier for consumers to find just the right gadget that will appeal to them enough to drop the money for them.

Smartwatch sales forecasts will dominate the wearable technology market with a predicted 8 million sales.

According to the report that was released by Canalys, at the moment the market for these wearable mobile devices is pretty small and that it is focused primarily at fitness enthusiasts, such as in the form of bands that are worn to track heart rate or steps taken. However, the fact that even this specific market has taken off as quickly as it has shows that they “represent a massive opportunity in the medical and wellness segment”.

The report also stated that this year will be the one in which these devices “become a key consumer technology, as the smart band segment is estimated to reach 8 million annual shipments.”

The report pointed out that in the second half of 2013, there had already been 1.6 million smartwatches and fitness bands sold. This was made pushed along considerably by the release of the Sony SmartWatch 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Gear.

The marketing that Samsung has put forward for its Galaxy Gear wearable technology has generated a considerable amount of exposure and interest from consumers. The shipments of those specific devices spiked the brand to the top of this category, although additional promotional activity will be needed over the next few months in order to overcome the sell-through that has been somewhat less than expected, so far. This, according to Canalys principal analyst and vice president, Chris Jones.

Smart headphones called “Dash” have called themselves the first wireless ear buds in the world.

The Dash is currently billing itself as the first wireless ear buds to be available anywhere in the globe and these mobile devices depended on meeting their $260,000 Kickstarter funding goal to get there.

This new smart gadget will offer wearers fitness tracking, music, and even communication.

The Dash smart mobile devices have been created by BRAGI, a company based in Munich. They are ear bud style headphones that will provide a range of different wearable technology features and will communicate with smartphones. This, despite the fact that they consist only of two little buds that sit inside the ear. They will not require any wires to connect them to a handset in order to function.

The Dash mobile devices are capable of holding and playing back more than 1,000 music tracks.

The ear buds are fitted with several sensors that allow them to monitor the wearer’s movements as well as some of their biorhythms, so that it is possible for the user to be able to gauge how far he or she has traveled, oxygen saturation, heart rate, and even the amount of energy that has been spent through an activity.

Through Bluetooth technology, they can also be wirelessly connected to a smartphone so that the wearer will be able to receive and make cell phone calls without any need for an additional mic. Instead, they use a bone conduction microphone to allow this to be possible. The added benefit of this method is that it will isolate background noise for a higher quality audio communication.

A five-field capacitive sensor makes it possible for the Dash ear buds to be operated by way of touch. This means that everything from accepting and declining a call to changing the volume or accessing additional features can all be accomplished without any fumbling around. This will be especially appealing to athletes and others who are undergoing serious training. It allows them to leave their handsets behind while still taking advantage of many of the features that those mobile devices provide.