Tag: smartwatches

Microsoft may release its Surface Smartwatch before the close of October

| October 31, 2014

There has been neither official confirmation of the device or its launch date, but many in the industry expect it.

The latest rumors about the Surface Smartwatch are suggesting that Microsoft could actually be released within the next week or so, making certain that it will have hit the market shelves in time for shoppers to snatch it up during the holiday season.

Speculations have been made about this wearable technology, suggesting that it will have a health focus.

That said, it is important to note that while there are many reports that read as though they are providing factual information about the Microsoft Surface Smartwatch, there have yet to be any official confirmations about the existence of the device itself, let alone its features or release date. Many in the industry that have made very accurate speculations in the past have been discussing various types of health sensors that could have been incorporated into the device, if it does indeed exist.

Some very reputable media sources have stated that the Surface Smartwatch will have certain impressive features.

Microsoft - Surface SmartwatchFor example, Forbes discussed a possible wearable technology device from Microsoft, saying that with regular use, it could continue to function for two days on a full charge, and that it should have a sensor that will allow the user’s heart rate to be tracked. The offering will likely provide cross platform capabilities and, if Microsoft manages to launch it during the next handful of weeks, it will provide a rival to the current products from Google and Samsung during the holiday shopping season.

It could also become competition for the Apple Watch, which is expected to launch at the beginning of next year, after the holiday shopping season has already fizzled out. As it will not be based on Android Wear, it will be in direct competition with other existing devices that are already using that platform.

However, the belief is that the Microsoft Surface Smartwatch will still be able to function with nearly any smartphone, which means that it will not be limited exclusively to mobile devices that operate on the Windows mobile operating system.

Wearable technology device unveiled by Lenovo

| October 30, 2014

The company has now jumped into the wearables market with its own version of a smartband gadget.

Lenovo has now joined the latest entrants into the wearable technology market, as it has now unveiled its  through a quiet addition of the device to its official website.

The Chinese company has clearly taken the popular focus of health and fitness for its new wearables.

The description on the official website says that this wearable technology will help a wearer to be able to track his or her sleep, daily exercise and heart rate. At the same time, it provides the user the opportunity to customize the notifications that he or she receives through the device in order “to improve both work and life efficiency and automatically log in on a PC without entering a password.”

Clearly, there is more than one component to this wearable technology and they have stepped beyond mhealth.

The fitness component of these wearables allows a wearer to be able to track his or her daily calories burned, distance travelled, and the number of steps that have been taken. At the same time, though, it can provide the owner with notifications of the receipt of texts, calls, and appointment reminders. The device also has a “smart” feature, that gives users the ability to automatically unlock their PC when they are within a certain proximity range.

The weareables have yet to be released, but a filing to the FCC was made earlier in October and was spotted online. That said, Lenovo has yet to actually release any of the specific details about the product launch, including where the smartband will be sold, in what regions it will be available, at what its price will be sold, or when the exact release date will be.

This device came as a surprise to some, as many expected that Lenovo would be entering into the wearable technology category with a different type of product, altogether. This is because the company had unveiled a smart glasses product back in July, which would place it in a wearables category that would rival Google Glass as opposed to wrist-worn gadgets.