Tag: wearables

The company will be taking its first steps into the wearable technology category within upcoming weeks.

Microsoft is now preparing for an important new product launch as it will make its way into the wearable technology device category through its upcoming smartwatch device, according to a recent report from Forbes.

This wearable device will provide a range of features such as tracking the heart rate of the wearer.

One aspect that is quite interesting about the upcoming Microsoft smartwatch is that it is meant to be compatible with a range of different mobile platforms. Moreover, it will also have a considerable battery life that will last over two days when the device is used regularly, said the Forbes report.

This will place Microsoft in direct competition with the smartwatch rivals from Samsung, Motorola, and others.

Galaxy Gear wearable technology from Samsung has already been released in several versions and generations. Equally, the Moto 360 has represented the first option in the category from Motorola. This also brings Microsoft into the wearables arena just as the lucrative holiday season will be getting going. That will bring it onto the store shelves ahead of the competition from Apple, which is not set to be released until sometime in early 2015.

The first reports of wearables from Microsoft began appearing earlier this year in May, when it was working on a gadget that would employ the Kinect division’s optical engineering tech and that would be able to sync not only with Windows Phones but also smartphones that are based on Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS.

At the time that this article was written, the company had not released any details with regards to what it intends to actually name its smartwatch. It also has not given any indication as to the type of price tag that should be expected on the device. This is not only a major step into a new product category for Microsoft, but it is also a large step being taken by the CEO of the company, Satya Nadella, as this territory is considered to be primarily an uncharted one.

Medical experts warn that wearable devices could be dangerous to a user’s health.

The arrival of wearable technology may be exciting for many consumers, but some doctors and scientists are not as thrilled about the idea of this technology becoming popular because, according to Fox News, some medical experts say that those who wear these devices are putting their health at risk.

The concern is that wearables will increase a person’s exposure to radio waves.

Due to the fact that it is likely that those who use wearable devices, such as health monitors, fitness trackers, smartwatches, smartglasses, etc. are already using other mobile devices like tablets, smartphones or laptops, at the same time, this can increase their exposure to radio waves.

The director of the Center for Family and Community Health at the UC Berkeley Prevention Research Center School of Public Health, Joel M Moskowitz, Ph.D, said that “Wi-Fi is very similar to cellphone radiation. You definitely don’t want to put these devices near your head or near your reproductive organs” for long periods of time.

Wearable technology is more likely to result in sustained RF exposure despite Bluetooh technology.

Since many scientific studies have already alerted consumers and industry leaders to the fact that various devices emit microwave radiations, the majority of tech companies have resorted to using Bluetooth technology in an effort to avoid health risks. Bluetooth emits lower radiofrequency (RF) levels in comparison to other gadgets that heavily rely on Wi-Fi and most wearables use this technology.

According to Cloud Tweaks, a leading Cloud informational portal, the chairman of Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Hugh Taylor, noted that even though most wearables utilize Bluetooth tech, which has decreased radio waves, the energy emitted from the devices can still build up in the body.

Taylor said that “I worry that wearables may increase our total exposure.” He added that “All that radiation will be adding up. Wearables are something more likely to keep on your body, so you’re more likely to have a sustained exposure.”

In spite of the concern medical experts may have regarding wearable technology and the potential health threat they pose in regard to increased RF exposure, further study is needed.