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Can a sock reassure you of a baby's well-being? Perhaps it can, if it's the Owlet. Created by Owlet baby care, this sensor-lined sock monitors a baby's vital signs through its foot, and transmits the data to a smartphone app or internet-based device via Bluetooth. Parents can check on a baby's skin temperature, heart rate, blood oxygen levels and sleep quality at a glance, and even be alerted to the baby rolling over. As a monitoring tool rather than a medical or diagnostic device, the smart sock aims to help parents be more aware of potential health-related danger signs so that they can take preemptive action.

Created by students at Utah's Brigham Young University, the Owlet is currently the object of an independent crowd-funding campaign and has already exceeded its US$100,000 goal. Owlet's CEO, Kurt Workman, hit upon the idea of a baby monitoring sock when caring for his prematurely-born twin cousins and losing one of them to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). A baby's sleeping position is thought to have some connection to SIDS; it's why doctors recommend that babies sleep on their backs instead of face-down.

Its developers hope that the sock can help parents monitor their baby's sleeping position more easily, since the sock can be strapped to the baby's foot and held in place as it sleeps through the night. The built-in accelerometer keeps tabs on the baby's movements and issues an alarm when the infant begins to roll on to its tummy. A four-sensor pulse oximeter within the sock takes numerous readings of the baby's vitals with the aid of a small LED light. It does this by sending harmless beams of light through the tissue and detecting the amount of light absorbed. This is used to calculate the oxygen levels in the blood, and other health metrics.

The data is sent to a paired smartphone or PC and can be uploaded onto the cloud through Wi-Fi, letting parents check on their baby's health from anywhere in the world. While the sock is targeted at babies less than a year old, it has been beta tested on babies up to two years of age and can be used for as long as it fits the baby's foot.

The Owlet will ship in November according to the Owlet website, and is expected to eventually retail for $199 though early backers can obtain it for $159. Owlet 2.0, the next version of the smart sock, will contain an alarm that notifies parents of emergencies such as the baby's oxygen levels falling below the norm. The advanced version is expected to get FDA clearance by 2015.

 

Intel is working on a new line of ultra-small and ultra-low-power microchips for wearable devices likesmartwatches and bracelets, a bid by the company to make sure it will be at the crest of the next big technology wave after arriving late to the smartphone and tablet revolution.

The new line of chips, called Intel Quark, will ship next year and include an ingestible version aimed at biomedical uses, Intel's president, Renee James, told reporters late on Monday.

The Quark chips will be five times smaller and 10 times more power efficient than some of Intel's Atom chips for tablets and smartphones, she said.

"We're very committed to not missing the next big thing," James said.

Intel, the world's biggest chipmaker, dominates the PC industry, but it was slow to adapt its chips to be suitable for smartphones and tablets.

Intel Chief Executive Brian Krzanich and James spoke on Tuesday at the company's annual developer conference in San Francisco, their first major public appearance since their promotion in May, when Paul Otellini stepped aside as chief executive.

Intel's focus on wearable computing -- a trend that for many Americans evokes images of Dick Tracy, the comic strip detective who sported a two-way wrist radio -- comes as Silicon Valley eyes sophisticated computerized watches with touch-screens and other high-tech features. Technology companies see wearables as a growth opportunity amid signs that explosive expansion in smartphones shipments since Apple launched its first iPhone in 2007 is receding.

Last week, Samsung Electronics launched the Galaxy Gear watch, and Qualcomm, an Intel rival, launched the Toq smartwatch in a bid to showcase its technology to potential manufacturers.

Krzanich, a three-decade Intel veteran seen as the company's manufacturing guru, has said that under his leadership Intel will give much more priority to its Atom line of mobile chips. In the past, Intel's most cutting-edge manufacturing resources were reserved for making powerful PC chips, with Atom chips made on older production lines.

Processors based on technology from ARM and made by Qualcomm and Samsung account for most of the mobile market.

Intel has shown some recent signs of improvement in mobile, progress Krzanich is keen to build on. The company has promised major performance improvements in its new Bay Trail chip for tablets.

The Bay Trail chip is based on Intel's new Silvermont architecture, which is the most extensive overhaul of its mobile processors to date, with improved performance and lower power consumption.

The smartwatch trend has certainly taken off recently with new wrist-worn tech announced by the likes of Samsung, Sony, and ... Nissan? Yes, the automobile company is getting in on the action with a concept for a watch designed exclusively for its Nismo brand of high-performance cars. Unlike most other smartwatches that just sync to a person's mobile phone, the planned Nismo Watch will also connect to a sports car to provide data on its performance in real-time.

Unveiled on the eve of the Frankfurt Motor Show, Nissan says the watch will be the first in an ongoing line of wearable devices for drivers. The Nismo smartwatch snaps together around the wearer's wrist and is designed to be quickly checked while their hands are on the wheel. On a full charge, the built-in lithium battery provides over seven days worth of power and can be recharged through a micro-USB port. A smartphone app connects to the car and uses Bluetooth Low Energy to relay any info on it to the watch, which a person can cycle through using two buttons on the side.

Through the Nismo Watch, users will be able to check their average speed, top speed, and fuel efficiency, amongst other stats. It will also keep a log of all this data to compare with current info or share with friends online. If the app detects that the car is due for some maintenance, the watch will display a warning message to let the driver know. Additionally, the Nismo Watch will show an alert when users receive a message through text, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram, along with updates on the weather and time.

The Nismo Watch is also equipped with a heart rate monitor that tracks the wearer's pulse and compares it to their current speed, providing similar biometric technology to the kind used by race car drivers. Nissan hopes this will help customers see not just how their car is performing, but also how well they're performing while driving it.

One other feature that makes the Nismo stand out a bit more from the smartwatch pack is a messaging system that offer various tips based on the information it receives. Depending on the weather forecast, it might advise you to be aware of ice on the road, or if it detects a high pulse rate, it could warn you to slow down.

Nissan designed the watch to resemble the "O" in the Nismo logo with the aim of conveying the same cutting-edge sensibilities as its performance cars and will produce it in black and white colors in addition to the black and red model that's been shown. Even the packaging will be made from the same rubber found on racing tires.

Since this is only a concept at the moment, Nissan hasn't revealed any potential release dates or prices for the Nismo Watch just yet. However, the company has stated it plans to develop more wearable technology for its customers and already has a few specific devices in mind. Future gadgets could involve an ECG (Electrocardiogram) that measures heart rhythms to check for fatigue, an EEG (Electroencephalogram) that monitors brainwaves to detect a driver's concentration, and a skin temperature sensor that also checks a driver's hydration.

In the meantime, check out the video below for Nissan's take on how drivers could interact with the Nismo Watch.

Have you ever delivered a great line, been involved in a memorable conversation, or heard something you'd like to preserve for posterity? If so, then Kapture may be the device you've been waiting for.

Kapture is a wristband that is constantly recording audio on a 60-second loop, with an accompanying app allowing you to save, edit, and share the recorded file. Recording devices are obviously far from a new phenomenon, but Kapture offers a simple way of constantly capturing conversation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The device consists of an omnidirectional microphone covered by a plastic grille held on your wrist by way of a silicone strap. There are no buttons or touchscreens and integration between the hardware and the accompanying smartphone app is provided by a Bluetooth connection.

An accelerometer registers a tap on the Kapture device, which is all that's required to send the last 60 seconds of audio to your smartphone for safe-keeping. The app (available for iOS and Android) then allows you to name, tag, and edit the clip before giving you the option to share it with friends.

The internal battery is designed to last for 24 hours before needing to be recharged, which then takes around an hour. Assuming this is done while you're asleep it should mean there is no break in recording your every move.

There is a rather obvious privacy concern with Kapture to bear in mind before ordering. While it's perfectly fine to record things you yourself have said, recording what other people are saying could lead to problems. Especially if you don't warn them in advance.

The team behind Kapture is seeking to raise US$150,000 through a Kickstarter campaign. Pledge levels include $75 for a black and white Kapture device, with the price rising to $125 for other colors such as hot orange and seafoam. A 14k gold grill limited edition is available for $299. If all goes well with the campaign, the creators of Kapture hope to ship the first units in March 2014.

Sony has shown off a new entry into the evergrowing connected watch segment in the form for the Sony SmartWatch 2. Unveiled at IFA 2013, the SmartWatch 2 is billed as the first NFC watch that is resistant to water, which could be big for buyers who lead an active lifestyle.

The SmartWatch 2 is designed to work with Android smartphones as an extension of the existing screen and therefore like most smart watches, it serves as a notification center that doesn't require users to remove their smartphone or tablet from their pocket or bag. Apps are available for functions such as handling calls, taking a photo, controlling presentations, and it features integration with Facebook and Twitter for keeping up with the latest happenings in the social media world. Sony claims that its watch has more dedicated apps than any other on the market.

Besides being waterproof, the other big changes from the original Sony Smartwatch come in the form of NFC connectivity, which makes connecting the watch to an NFC capable Android device faster, longer battery life, better visibility in sunlight and a bigger, higher-res screen (1.6 inch, 220 x 176 pixels).

Sony plans to have its SmartWatch 2 hit the market later this month. Pricing information was not announced yet. So far, smart watches have been very hit or miss, so it will be interesting to see how Sony's latest offering performs in a market that is becoming increasingly more competitive.

We've known for a while now that just about every company under the sun is making a smartwatch. Apple, Microsoft, Google, LG ... you name the manufacturer, and it probably a wrist-based computer in the works. Sometimes there's something to be said for being first, though, and Samsung just beat out the other major mobile manufacturers. Say hello to the well-leaked, but no less intriguing, Samsung Galaxy Gear.

Wearable electronics are all about notifications, and the Galaxy Gear is no exception. Emails, text messages, calls, and other notifications will pop up on the device's 1.63-inch, 320 x 320 display. You can read previews of those notifications right on the tiny screen. You can even use it to make voice calls (while tethered to your Samsung phone) by lifting it up towards your ear.

The Gear also has Samsung's S Voice (think Siri, only made by Samsung) in tow. So you can do things like draft messages, set reminders, or check the weather just by speaking to your wrist. Dick Tracy would be proud.

Integration with Samsung's Galaxy phones is key, particularly with Samsung's Smart Relay feature. If you receive a notification on your Galaxy Gear, you can pull the Galaxy Note 3 out of your pocket, and the app that gave you the notification will already be open. Lengthy email comes in on Gear, whip out smartphone, and read rest of email. No searching for the app required.

It isn't often that we get excited about a 1.9-megapixel camera, and perhaps we shouldn't here either. But the convenience that you get (and perhaps the intrusiveness that others get) from having a camera on your wrist makes this significant. There is, however, no front-facing camera for video chat, so that's one area where Dick Tracy still has a leg-up on Samsung's engineers.

Battery life needs to be a priority with any mobile device, but perhaps even more so with wearables. After all, it makes more sense to plug in your phone at the office or in the car, than it is your watch or glasses. Samsung is claiming that the Gear's 315 mAh battery will have it lasting 25 hours, but we're going to take that with many grains of salt until we get some extended time with this bad boy.

Samsung is marketing the Gear as less of a standalone device, and more of a companion to the Note 3. It will, however, also work with the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, and Galaxy Note 2 via coming software updates (no iPhones or other Android devices will be supported). The company also mentioned a list of apps that will run on the Galaxy Gear, including Path, Pocket, MyFitnessPal, and RunKeeper.

The Gear will be available in a variety of colors, starting on September 25, and will ring up for US$299.

If someone says that they want to steal your heart, be careful. They may be trying to get into your computer files. The Toronto-based biometrics company Bionym wants to replace old-fashioned passwords with Nymi; a bracelet that uses the wearer’s heartbeat in place of passwords. According to the developers, the system delivers a secure and convenient means of identification that also provides the potential to control devices using gestures.

Cybercrime is a billion dollar problem that’s made security a top priority. Unfortunately, for most of us online digital security means an endless repetition of logins with a bewildering raft of passwords and PINs. The need to handle all these passwords also provides opportunities for them to fall into the wrong hands, as well as tempting us to use easy to remember passwords that are in turn easier to deduce.

Biometrics based on fingerprints and retina scans offer ways to get around this by turning the person into the password, but while they improve security, they are not without some shortcomings. Fingerprints can be lifted or forged for example, and there’s still the matter of presenting hands or eyes for scans, which can be as tedious as punching in passwords.

The Nymi bracelet aims to replace this by turning the user’s heartbeat into the password that's seamless and automatic in its operation. It works by means of the user’s electrocardiogram (EKG), which is encoded in the bracelet. Like fingerprints, an EKG is unique to each person, but unlike fingerprints, people don’t leave their EKG lying around every time they pick up the phone. This makes it a biometric that is, at the very least, very difficult to obtain and forge.

The device works in conjunction with a smartphone or device running the Nymi app. After an initial set-up where samples of cardiac rhythms are registered, Bionym says that it is very simple to use. Putting the bracelet on and touching the contact confirms your identity against the recorded EKG and will authenticate you to other devices while you wear the bracelet.

So long as the bracelet is put on while the you are relaxed and calm, and your EKG is updated regularly, the link up will work. If a Nymi is lost, it can’t be used because it is keyed to the owner’s EKG signature. The company claims that the system is “both tamper-proof and impossible to duplicate.”

The Nymi bracelet uses Bluetooth Low Energy to transmit identification to your devices and to enable the bracelet to act as a proximity sensor. It also contains an accelerometer and gyroscope for motion sensing and gesture control, which the company says extends to the control of smartphones, computers, televisions and even car doors.

Scheduled for shipping in early 2014, Bionym is promoting a developer community by providing data about the Nymi bracelet to help in the creation of new applications.

The Nymi bracelet is now available for pre-order at US$79 for the first 25,000 customers with the later price set at US$99.

Pocket-watch, wrist-watch, finger-watch? Is this the evolutionary path for time-telling devices? The team behind The Ring Clock hopes so, and has launched a crowdfunding campaign to bring the idea to market.

Despite this being an era where most of us are carrying a mobile phone, dedicated timepieces haven't died out. In fact, there appears to be a healthy demand out there for innovative, unusual and expensive watches and the Ring Clock is the latest to enter the fray.

As its name suggests, The Ring Clock is a watch that you wear as a ring rather than a bracelet. It was originally designed in 2011 by Gusztav Szikszai as part of a competition to create a product that was impossible to make now, but may be feasible in 10 years. Given that the The Ring Clock is becoming reality just two years later, it might already be ahead of its time.

The final product is a chunky stainless steel finger ring made up of an inner ring and an outer ring. The outer ring has three distinct bands on it; the top one has the 24-hour clock markings, the second has minute markings, and the third has dots showing the seconds ticking away.

The Ring Clock sits on your finger in an inert state until you spin the outside ring, at which point the time is revealed by the correct numbers lighting up with LEDs. This keeps battery use to a minimum, which, as the battery only lasts two hours before needing to be recharged via its Qi wireless power charger pad, is a good thing. The battery also only has a lifespan of three years, and is not replaceable.

The team behind the Ring Clock is seeking US$287,000 from crowdfunding advocates on Indiegogo to make the watch a reality. The basic pledge is $195 for a single Ring Clock, with $15 extra added for shipping outside the UK. Currently the designers say a conceptual model has been completed and if all goes well, the first batch will be delivered to backers in April 2014.

Some Tokyoflash watches may be almost as impossible to read as they are fun, but they can’t be faulted in the eye-catching department. The latest watch in the Tokyoflash stable, the Kisai Blade, is notable not only for its take on aviation and automotive themes, but also by going against the house trend by being (almost) easy to read by the uninitiated.

Based on a concept submitted to the Tokyoflash Design Studio Blog by Britain’s Peter Fletcher, the Kisai Blade foregoes a crystal for a bespoke turbine-style lens, which uses digital tube LEDs that seem to rotate like the spokes of a wheel.

The Kisai Blade has two time settings. In the Turning Mode, the blades spin and as they do so, three blades light up briefly in turn to indicate the hours and minutes. In the Flashing Mode, one blade lights up to indicate the hour and another flashes to indicate a five minute interval in a manner similar to a conventional watch. Four LED dots by the 12 o’clock blade indicate up to four additional minutes to show the exact time.

Pressing the upper button twice displays the date in a series of numbered blade codes similar to that used to display the time.

To keep things fun, there’s also a selectable Animation mode, where the LED blades light up and seem to rotate “like a jet engine” at 15-minute intervals between the hours of 6 PM and Midnight.

The casing of the Kisai Blade is a unisex design that fits both small and large wrists. The black, silver or gold sandblasted stainless steel case with brushed detail comes with a choice of blue, green or red LEDs, and a stainless steel or leather strap. The PL301517 battery is rechargeable by connecting via USB cable to a computer. A three and a half hour charge is said to be good for up to 30 days. The watch is rated water resistant to 3 ATM.

The Kisai Blade is priced at US$169.