The Consumer Electronics Association’s Director of Business Intelligence Jack Cutts is the organization’s lead analyst on smart eyewear, watches, glasses and phones. He released his forecast figures for the category of wearables — here defined as fitness trackers, smartwatches and smart eyewear (plus any device worn in, on or around the eyes). When will wearables go mainstream? This is one of the issues that Cutts’ data revealed, starting with the current market and out to 2018 and beyond. Continue reading CEA Exec on the History and Direction of Wearables (Part 1)

Developers of health and fitness wearables — currently the industry’s biggest segment — are challenged with providing accurate and reliable biometric information. If the consumer cannot be convinced that calories burned, steps taken, and blood pressure numbers do not reflect reality, then health and fitness wearables will never gain the traction they need to become mass market. Enter Valencell, a core technology provider for biometric information to silicon providers and OEMs. Continue reading Sensors/MEMS Session: Biometric Information for Wearables

During a CES session on “The Wearable Revolution,” panelists agreed that it is still early for the wearables category, but a revolution is right around the corner. Moderator Joanna Stern, personal technology columnist for The Wall Street Journal, pinpointed her main gripe: ugly, clunky watches and fitness trackers. “Will we look back at this generation and be reminded of the 25-pound laptop?” she asked. Panelists suggested the technologies that will make wearables more attractive and more effective are now being released. Continue reading CES Panelists Agree the Wearable Revolution is (Almost) Here

The Internet of Things will comprise 200 billion devices by 2020, according to Steve Holmes of Intel’s New Devices Group. He spoke about “Challenging Developers to Make It Wearable” during a day-long Sensors and MEMS Technology Conference at this week’s CES in Las Vegas. “I want to talk to you about why I think people are under-estimating the impact of wearables, what Intel is doing and to share some of the things we’ve learned about bringing products to market,” he said. Continue reading CES Session: Challenging Developers to Make It Wearable

A flying camera, an invisible piano keyboard that can be played, sensors that help the visually impaired navigate the world… these are just some of the technologies that will make 2015 a watershed year. “It’s the beginning of the next consumer technology wave,” said Intel CEO Brian Krzanich in his CES keynote address. “The last time we saw a wave of change this big was 20 years ago today, in 1995, with a revolution in consumer computing with the Pentium processor and first commercial browsers.” Continue reading Intel CEO Brian Krzanich Predicts New Consumer Tech Wave

The showpiece keynote sessions at the 2015 International CES underscore the scope of industry and breadth of innovation gathering in Las Vegas January 5-9. Of this year’s four featured keynote speakers, two represent leading automobile manufacturers, one is the CEO of a leading tech giant, and only Samsung’s Boo-Keun Yon, opening the show on Monday night at the Venetian’s Palazzo Ballroom, represents what would be considered a typical CES keynote highlighting consumer electronics devices. Continue reading CES Keynotes to Go Well Beyond Typical Hardware and Devices

In an effort to expand the company’s software capabilities, Samsung announced that its Tizen operating system would be widely adopted in its smart TVs beginning this year. According to the company, the Tizen operating system will allow Samsung’s Internet-connected TVs to sync with other CE devices, including smartphones, via a Wi-Fi connection that enables content sharing. While availability has yet to be announced, the Tizen-based televisions will be showcased at the 2015 International CES next week. Continue reading Samsung Plans to Demo Tizen-Powered Smart TVs at 2015 CES

Wearables made a surprisingly robust showing at the 2014 International CES. At the next Consumer Electronics Show in January, a Wearables Marketplace (Sands, Level 2) will gather companies providing products from “high-tech fashion and smart jewelry to wearables that track your mood, activity and even your pets, as well as the newest augmented reality devices.” Other wearable providers will be found in the Smart Watches, Health & Wellness and Sports Tech Marketplaces, all located in the Sands Expo. Continue reading 2015 CES: Wearables to Take Many Forms at the Sands Expo

Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer is planning to unveil its first smartwatch, possibly during CES in January. According to a source familiar with the matter, the watch will run on an Intel processor, likely with a focus on fitness features (measuring steps, calories burned, quality of sleep). But unlike most smartwatches, TAG Heuer’s offering is expected to look less like a touchscreen gadget and more like a traditional wristwatch. If not unveiled in Las Vegas next month, the watch will be announced during Q1 2015. Continue reading TAG Heuer Plans to Introduce Sleek, Intel-Powered Smartwatch

France has an acronym for the American tech giants that they often criticize for privacy and tax issues. GAFA (as “Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon” are now known as in France), are the latest companies under fire in a long history of French resistance of American cultural imperialism. The French have little sympathy for these massive companies that often invade personal privacy, either for profit or for government surveillance, and try to find ways around the country’s taxes. Continue reading French Term for American Tech Giants Reflects Resentment

The European Parliament recently voted in favor of breaking up Google in European territories. While the nonbinding vote holds no legal power, the decision to vote in favor of such a break-up shows the resistance that Google has encountered from the European Union. The vote comes in the wake of a recent appeal by privacy advocates and the EU to extend the “right to be forgotten” policy for European citizens beyond the European Google search engine. Continue reading European Union Expresses Privacy Concerns Regarding Google

While Intel did not match its usual pace of introducing new microprocessors this year, the company did report significant signs of growth for PCs. At a Southern California event on Tuesday, Kirk Skaugen of the company’s PC chip business discussed three key strategies, including the elimination of external wires, ways to make passwords obsolete, and enabling new types of user interface. Skaugen also addressed Intel’s focus on changing the way users command PCs, including the use of 3D camera tech. Continue reading Intel Showcases Three Key Areas of Focus for Future PC Tech

Broadcom has left the Open Interconnect Consortium, a standards group for the Internet of Things that was created by Intel as an alternative to Qualcomm’s AllSeen Alliance. Sources say the split had to do with a disagreement over intellectual property. OIC members are required to donate code to the group, and additionally must agree to forfeit the right to sue over that IP in the future. The AllSeen Alliance does not have such a provision, which is a primary difference between the two organizations. Continue reading Broadcom Bows Out of Intel’s Open Interconnect Consortium

This year’s edition of Interbrand’s “Best Global Brands” report places Apple in the No. 1 spot as the world’s most valuable brand for the second year in a row. Apple and No. 2 brand Google knocked Coca-Cola to the No. 3 spot last year. The top three positions are the same for 2014. The report, which provides a ranking of the top 100 valuable global brands, list a growing number of technology brands. Microsoft, Samsung and IBM are listed in the top 10, while Intel, Cisco, Amazon, Oracle and HP are in the top 20. Continue reading Report: Apple and Google Battle for Top Spot in Global Brands

Google is attempting to create a new standard for the Internet of Things that will enable people to use any smart device without having to download a mobile app first. The project is called “The Physical Web,” and it is led by interaction and UX designer Scott Jenson. He envisions a world in which people can walk up to vending machines, bus stops, and future smart devices and use them immediately without apps. The new standard would be open to all companies manufacturing smart devices. Continue reading Google Starts Project to Develop App-Less Internet of Things