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Tag: wearables

Smartwatch in the works at BlackBerry

BWild | September 16, 2014

Though the device may be in the company’s labs, there is no guarantee that it will ever hit the market.

Not a full week after the Apple Watch was unveiled to a very mixed response from the technology world, BlackBerry has now revealed that it has been looking into its own smartwatch possibilities.

John Sims, the enterprise head at Blackberry, revealed that it has been experimenting with wearable tech.

Sims explained that it would be very interesting to make it possible to run BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) on a smartwatch or other wearable technology device. That said, he also pointed out that “We’re not releasing anything at the moment, but it’s a definite area of research for us.” Much of the “internal experimentation” that is going on with this type of device, at the Canadian device maker has been centered around an effort made by Sims’s team as they look into the way that they work from the perspective of mobile app use.

The experimental smartwatch would work with a smartphone and would use a “voice interface” for communication.

Blackberry Smartwatch in the works This wearable technology announcement was made during a roundtable which had been assembled in order to provide an introduction of the company’s new technology assets head, Sandeep Chennakeshu. Previously a Sony-Ericsson CTO, Chennakeshu is now running the QNX OS department, the acquisition of Paratek antenna, the Certicom cryptography lab, and the platform for the Project Ion Internet of Things.

Among the assets currently under Chennakeshu’s control are some highly unique and cutting edge options. For example, the Paratek antenna technology functions by making sure that a smartphone antenna does not become “detuned” when the device is held in the user’s hand or up against his or her face. It also makes a difference in the improvement of signal strength and the device battery life.

The elliptic key cryptography from Certicom provides considerably greater efficiency than the current RSA standard, and several security certificates have been issued by BlackBerry for the Zigbee connected home standard. QNX has become the in-car system OS standard in the industry. It is clear that the company is moving toward software and services and away from a focus on devices, but at the same time, it isn’t stopping them from looking into the possibilities of a smartwatch.

Wearable technology is as hot among dogs as it is among humans

JT | September 16, 2014

Smartwatches and augmented reality glasses may be great for people but they are also buying pet fitness trackers.

Among the largest tech trends at the moment – and one which may soon be entirely reshaped by the recent unveiling of the Apple Watch – is wearable technology, and these gadgets are not only being worn by people, but they are also finding their way to the collars of our furry friends.

These fitness and wellness trackers are appealing to owners who want to be sure that their dogs will be healthy.

There are growing number of devices making their way into this wearable technology category for dogs, which have been designed to collect data with regards to the activity level of the animal, so that it can be transmitted through the internet and viewed by the owner. This can help owners to decide whether or not a dog is receiving enough exercise throughout the day to justify the amount of food that he or she is eating, and to make sure that the pooch will have the best opportunity for being happy and healthy.

Some of this wearable technology also helps to monitor other patterns such as sleeping and scratching.

Wearable Technology - Dogs Through this information, an owner may be able to make better choices and bring his or her pet to the veterinarian if there might be a problem, present. It could encourage earlier detection of health issues so that they can be managed while they are still minor and before they become something more serious.

As dogs cannot actually tell their owners when something is wrong, it is up to the human to spot when there has been a change in behavior. Not all of the signs of behavioral changes are all that obvious. Through careful regular observation and the added feedback provided by these wearables, many pet owners feel that they are better equipped to provide their animals with the best possible care.

According to an expert in the pet industry, Kristen Levine, “Pet owners really want to do right by their pets in terms of their health; they want the best diet; they want the best care. And the wearable technology kind of layers into that mindset.” This opens up a considerable market for this type of mobile device and companies are responding.