AmbyGear is the coolest and smartest watch for kids

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Ambit Networks launches the world’s first smartwatch for kids that teaches life lessons while keeping them safe. 

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If only there was a device that not only would children love to wear, but would provide parents with a peace of mind as well. That may soon change thanks to Bay Area startup Ambit Networks, who has just launched their own take on a wearable targeted at kids.

The aptly-named AmbyGear is more than just a smartwatch, it’s an entire ecosystem that enables children to be more independent, encourages them to be physically active, and helps them learn life lessons while creating a safe environment — something parents will surely appreciate. The new watch is equipped with built-in GPS and couples tracking, text messaging and mobile gaming all in a single package. Most importantly, the device informs parents of how far a child has strayed and their current whereabouts right from the convenience of their smartphone.

Specifically, AmbyGear’s watch is aimed at children, who may be a bit too young for a smartphone of their own yet are old enough to begin wandering off. What’s more, not only can parents monitor their children’s activity in real-time, the wearer can use a “finder” app to locate their parents in the event they become lost or find themselves in unsafe situation. Parents can also configure boundary alerts, which let them be notified if their child moves outside a specific geo-fenced area.

The watch itself comes in a variety of vibrant colors, including blue, red, green and white — in other words, colors that kids would love to adorn on their wrists. AmbyGear boasts a Sharp ultra low-power display, a long-range Bluetooth module and Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS with 33 tracking channels, a 3-axis accelerometer, a magnetometer, four colored LEDs, a Qi wireless charger and USB cord, and a 20dBm RF power amp. The display is easy to read in sunlight and boasts super low power consumption, enabling the watch’s battery to last nearly a week in between charges. Should a child go beyond a 250-yard radius, AmbyGear switches from Bluetooth to Wi-Fi automatically.

In addition, AmbyGear also comes with a calendar app (which reminds after-school activities or dinner) as well as a built-in reward system, letting parents to encourage good behavior and achievements. These points can be traded in for rewards set by parents, whether that’s extra allowance money or a new toy. Kids can enjoy the watch too, by accessing a range of educational games and using geo caching to explore the outdoors in a much safer, more engaging manner.

In the near future, Ambit Networks says it will be releasing an AmbyGear SDK and a kid’s SDK to allow third party developers and young Makers create their own apps and games. Sound like a wearable device that’s perfect for your three to 11 year old? Head over to its official Indiegogo page, where the team is currently seeking $50,000. Pending all goes to plan, shipment to early backers is expected to begin in August 2015 with full delivery set for September.

Under Armour teams up with HTC on new fitness band

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The HTC Grip is a new wearable device made in partnership with Under Armour.

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Among the number of notable wearable technology announcements during Mobile World Congress 2015 is the spawn of a new collaboration between HTC and Under Armour. The device — dubbed HTC Grip — is the first high-performance, smart fitness tracker powered by UA Record, a new health and fitness network from Under Armour.

Designed with athletes and fitness enthusiasts in mind, Grip is compatible with both Android and iOS devices, and features a slew of Bluetooth-embedded accessories. Taking aim at one activity monitors on the market today, such as the Nike Fuelband and the Microsoft Band, this latest wearable packs GPS connectivity for accurate run tracking and provides additional performance data to the Under Armour connected fitness platform. Through Record, users can log workouts, set challenges and relay data from separate devices like heart rate monitors and the recently-revealed band.

When connected to a smartphone, a quick glimpse of the wrist lets users to see incoming call, text messages and email notifications, all without missing a step or interrupting a workout. Beyond that, the wrist-adorned gadget includes simple apps like a calendar, weather updates and a music controller, which allows wearers to skip, play and pause tracks while exercising.

Its uniquely contoured, waterproof band conforms to a user’s wrist without pinching the skin or catching on clothing, while a curved 1.8-inch PMOLED display makes it super easy to read time, distance and notifications on the go. To ensure a perfect fit, Grip is currently available in three sizes and complements even the most advanced training equipment and apparel.

What’s more, Grip is capable of tracking and recording a variety of workouts, ranging from running and cycling to time spent at the gym. Its 100mAh battery lasts up to five hours when the integrated GPS is turned on, enabling the device to accurately capture route, distance, pace and calories burned, all of which sync with UA Record in real-time. For everyday usage, Grip lasts up to two and a half days on a single charge, ideal for tracking daily activity.

“Our partnership with Under Armour has allowed us to direct our combined ambition, talent and passion towards developing new ways to empower athletes to make the most of their training every day. Grip is our first product to offer deep integration with UA record, providing an experience that will surpass the high standards of even professional athletes,” explained Drew Bamford, Corporate VP of HTC Creative Labs.

Intrigued? Head over to HTC’s official page here.

Quell is a wearable device that promises to relieve chronic pain

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Medicine? What medicine? You may want to try the world’s first pain-relieving wearable instead.

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As anticipated, wearables were all the rage back at CES 2015. However, one that truly captivated our attention was Quell, a device that promises to provide pain relief through wearable technology. The gadget works by attaching to a user’s calf and stimulating the body’s opiate production to relieve discomfort associated with various ailments.

When most people think of pain relief, they think of some sort of over-the-counter pill, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, and in some more severe instances, prescription medicines that available. However, Quell — which recently debuted on Indiegogo — is the only 100% drug free, FDA cleared device clinically proven to relieve chronic pain at the touch of a button.

How it works is relatively simple. Quell is placed in a breathable, comfortable sport band, and an electrode is snapped onto the back of the unit. The band itself, which its creators describe as a ‘virtual USB port,’ is then wrapped around a user’s upper calf with the electrode in direct contact with the skin. The sensory nerves it stimulates sends neural pulses to the brain that trigger the release of endogenous opioids, hence blocking pain signals throughout the body.

“Quell’s OptiTherapy calibrates to your optimal stimulation level ensuring you receive maximum relief. It knows what level of stimulation to deliver during the day and adjusts to the appropriate level at night. It senses when you are lying down and automatically switches to night therapy to ensure a restful sleep.”

As the team explains, pain relief isn’t an occasional need, it’s an all-the-time must-have. Subsequently, Quell was designed for 24-hour wear and is capable of lasting over 40 hours on a single charge. Beyond that, the wearable is packed with an accelerometer that automatically adjusts to sleep mode when at rest, thereby reducing its power to 80% during these hours. A built-in Bluetooth module also connects the device to an iOS app, enabling wearers to track therapy and sleep quality.

Do you suffer from chronic pain? Are you looking for a new solution? Then, you may want to head over to Quell’s official Indiegogo page, where the team is currently seeking $100,000.

This Arduino project lets you literally step into someone else’s shoes

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What if you could actually put yourself in someone else’s shoes? A group of Makers is making the old-school idiom possible.

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Imagine being able to step into a friend’s shoes and experience their activities? Or having your family follow you around the world? What if you could spend a moment in the cleats of your favorite athlete? Makers Lukas Gächter, Olivia Stadler and Ramon Marc are looking to make that possible through their latest project.

Originally designed for an embodied interaction class, the so-called “Stellvertreter Shoes” are able to convey the feeling of being close to a person who happens to be somewhere else by transferring the activities of the distant person’s shoes into the footwear of others.

The Stellvertreter Shoes are comprised of two components: a pair of input shoes and a pair of output shoes. The input shoes are equipped with two pressure sensors, each of which can record the movements of the wearer. Meanwhile, inflatable silicone cushions are embedded into the laser-cut cork soles of the output shoes. Based on the motions of the input shoe wearer, the cushions expand and deflate accordingly.

The interaction between the two shoes is done via shiftr.io, an IoT prototyping platform that provide users the ability to communicate and share data publicly. The shoes are controlled by two Arduino Yún (ATmega32U4), while movement sequences are recorded and played back through Processing. A real-time view online shows the shoes’ sensor fluctuations.

Ultimately, the project aims to enable people to feel a loved one’s steps as they travel around the world and even, to experience a sport star’s strides. Interested in learning more? Stroll on over to the project’s official page here, and be sure to watch it in action below.

Dole’s smart banana is the first wearable you can eat

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Dole Japan has outfitted a banana with sensors and LEDs to create the world’s first edible wearable product. Or produce.

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When you think of banana peels and racing, it’s hard not to conjure up memories of Mario Kart. However, what if those bananas weren’t inhibitors of your racing performance, but instead were actual enablers? That’s the idea behind the latest stunt from Dole Japan. Dating back to 2008, the world’s largest producer of fresh fruit has been sponsoring the Tokyo Marathon, and this year, it’s looking to step up its marketing game by giving two runners among the 30,000-plus pack a wearable banana. (And yes, we said banana.)

The smart bananas are embedded with sensors so that, like a number of fitness bands available today, it can monitor a racer’s time, track heart rate and even receive encouraging Twitter messages from fans. During the race, each of these notifications will be shown directly on the peel through an LED display that was inserted under the banana’s skin. What’s more, the gadget will notify the runner when it’s time to refuel, in which case they can conveniently eat the piece of fruit.

Dole’s edible device is powered by a small battery, and from the looks of its trailer, it appears that an Arduino Uno (ATmega328) plays some part in the process — though the company has yet to disclose the specs in their entirety.

It should be noted, however, that this is certainly a marketing campaign and the smart banana will also advise runners to consume more bananas at checkpoints along the route. Given the proliferation of the Internet of Things, we’ve seen wearables be many things, edible not being one of them. So what do you think? Could this be the next trend?

A Steampunk hat-mounted clock with multiple time zones and GPS

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Part hat, part clock, a whole lot of awesome.

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Not only did Maker “gifsh” want an attention-grabbing hat for last year’s Burning Man, he wanted something that would prove to be useful while in the desert. He also wanted a clock, but not just any clock. A clock that would be able to change time zones based on manual switches and physical location. Oh, and he wanted it all mounted inside the hat.

Rising to the challenge, the Maker devised a slick Steampunk-inspired top hat/clock hybrid. Like with most other timepieces, a pair of hands were positioned in the front of the hat, both of which were connected to a concentric shaft at the back. Meanwhile, micro RC servos were used to drive the hands. Mounted inside the hat was an Atmel based Arduino tasked with controlling the clock, a GPS shield to determine location, an RTC to maintain accurate time, and a 9V battery.

Attached to the side of the hat was a control panel, which he made from etched brass, that contained the project’s on/off switch, as well as a rotary switch for selecting a specific time zone and activating its GPS.

“Libraries exist for pretty much any microcontroller that let you control RC servos. You tell them what angle to go to, and they go to that angle. Simple! For use in controlling a clock hand. though, there’s a problem. Standard RC servos only have a 180 degree range, sometimes a bit less. That’s no good for a clock hand that has to rotate at least 360 degrees,” gfish explains.

This led the Maker to use gears, which meant that the drive system would be a bit too large to fit inside the hat. Instead, it would have to be mounted on the back side, with the clock hands controlled via coaxial drive shafts that passed through the center. Though a bit on the clunkier side, the gears complemented the overall Steampunk design — and with a purpose may we add!

“It works well for wearing at cons, and it’s a good conversation starter. Most people are surprised that it’s a real clock at all, much less that I can change the timezone, much less that it has a GPS mode!”

Looking for a fashionable yet functional hat for this year’s Burning Man or any of the Maker Faires for that matter? Head over to the project’s Instructables page here.

Moff Band is a wearable that brings sound effects to playtime

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On the inside, it’s a smart device. On the outside, it’s a retro slap-bracelet.

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Where were these when we were kids? Those who’ve ever adorned their wrists with flexible stainless steel slap-bracelets back in ‘90s will surely appreciate the latest smart accessory from Moff. While high-tech wearables have becoming increasingly popular amongst adults, it should come as little surprise that they’ve entered the toy industry as well.

With this latest device, the starts as soon as it hits the wrist. While it may not push notifications or track your recent fitness routine, the Moff Band has one purpose and one purpose only: to turn a child’s every movement into sounds, making things like air guitars a reality. The Bluetooth-connected slap-on band offers users the ability to play more than 30 realistic sound effects based merely on the motion of their wrists.

The bracelet — which first appeared on Kickstarter last year and recently made its debut at Toy Fair 2015 —  syncs with a companion iOS app, which is responsible for emitting all sorts of noises. The gadget is also equipped with a built-in accelerometer and gyro sensors. By simply swinging their arms and using their imagination, kids can play everything from air drums and baseball to ninja swords and magic wands, all with pretty cool sound effects. Even better, two can be used with the same iPhone or iPad, and it pairs well with the living room stereo system, too.

Designed to suit just about any kid’s style, the Moff Band is available in a variety of colors, including Moff Orange, Magic Magenta, Mellow Yellow, Mighty Blue and Mystery Lime. In addition, the company can create custom colors and cover shapes, as requested by the retail channel, so that children can wear Moff Bands as a fashion item.

Ready to bring playtime to life? You’ll want to head over to its official page here. While Moff Bands are recommended for ages 3 to 12, we wouldn’t be too shocked to see some adults explore their imagination as well.

Build your own DIY digital watch with Adafruit

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Be stylish and on time with this AVR based DIY watch.

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Flashy watches seem to be a dime a dozen these days. However, there are some wrist-adorned gadgets that catch our eye from time to time. Added to that list is this latest creation from Adafruit’s Phillip Burgess and Lady Ada herself, which really speaks to our inner geekery. Not only does it look great, but the 8×8 bit matrix watch is super comfortable and versatile with its repurposed silicone band. What’s more, you too can make your own with this new DIY kit.

64 LEDs illuminate the display to notify you of the time in a variety of ways, whether that’s in scrolling marquee and binary fashion. There’s also a built-in battery meter letting wearers know how much battery remains. Impressively, the watch packs 1,000 full-time displays out of a coin battery and over a year’s worth of ‘resting’ lifetime, which allows anyone to use this as a daily accessory.

The wearable device is based on an ATmega328P. As the brains of the timepiece, it is tasked with handling both the display and buttons. The board was pre-programmed at the Adafruit factory to have an Arduino-compatible bootloader and their default watch display code.

Aside from the MCU, the entire build includes the following components:

• A TIMESQUARE PCB
• An 8-pin real time clock chip
• 32.768KHz Crystal
• 2 x right angle buttons
• 20mm coin battery holder
• 0.1uF ceramic capacitor
• 1 x 10K resistor
• 8 x 47 ohm resistor
• 1.5″ 8×8 matrix

Ready to get started? Head over to Adafruit’s step-by-step tutorial here. Those looking to devise their own watch designs can take comfort in knowing that the watch is completely hackable. If you know how to program Arduino, you’re well on your way.

Neptune looks reverse the roles of the smartwatch and smartphone

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Montreal-based startup looks to usher in a Dick Tracy-like future. 

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Ever since you can probably remember, the smartphone has been the focal interest of your day. From waking up to a set alarm to checking your email to texting friends, they are seemingly attached to our hands at all times. In recent months, we’ve also seen a number of smartwatches enter the market; however, each of them have essentially been an add-on to your phone. But what if they were to swap roles? That’s the idea behind Neptune Duo, a two-device package featuring the “world’s smartest wearable,” Neptune Hub, and a pocket-sized companion device, the Pocket screen.

The wrist-worn gadget runs on Android Lollipop, while packing the capabilities (and power) of an ordinary smartphone. This includes a quad-core processor, 4G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and NFC. Instead of using a handheld device, the Hub comes paired with a smartphone-like 5-inch display of its own. The aptly named Pocket syncs with the watch and can remotely run apps through its capacitive touchscreen. Not to mention, it also promises to recognize scribbled writing from a finger to form letters and send a message. The screen is equipped with 8mp camera on the back and a 2mp camera on the front with LED flash, as well as a built-in microphone and speaker.

“Much like a mouse, a keyboard, or a computer monitor, the Pocket screen is simply an interface for the Hub. It’s not very smart, it doesn’t need to be,” the company explains.

Whether a user is with or without their Pocket, they will always be able to stay connected with the Hub. In fact, the screens are interchangeable as well, which means you’ll never have to worry about leaving your phone behind again. The wearable allows users to place calls, send and receive messages, glance at notifications, track fitness and much more right from their wrist.

With a combined battery capacity of 3,800 mAh, Neptune Duo can last a few days of normal usage on a single charge. Furthermore, the Pocket can serve as a portable battery juice pack for the Hub, recharging it whenever it needs power.

“The current wearables market is saturated with Bluetooth-paired smartwatches and fitness bands,” said Simon Tian, CEO and Founder of Neptune. “The issue is that they all depend on the presence of a nearby smartphone in order to have full function. This is mainly because the wearable usually acts as a ‘dummy’ device that tethers to your smartphone, the ‘master’ device. But what if the roles were reversed? What if smartphones were completely rethought to simply become dummy pocket-sized displays, void of any computing or connectivity, that paired with a smart wearable on your wrist instead? That’s what Neptune Duo is.”

With most smartwatches we’ve seen so far rely on your smartphone to supply the main computing power, the Neptune Hub acts as the main supply and the screen merely a companion device, meaning of all your personal information will stay securely on the wrist. With all apps and files stored on the Hub, a misplaced or stolen Pocket screen won’t mean lost data anymore.

Intrigued? Head over to the company’s official page here. The Montreal-based startup is currently taking early reservations in various combinations of pay now/pay later. For instance, it’ll cost $798 if paid upon shipment later this year, or $498 if paid for now.

This wearable robot can zip up your jacket for you

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Could a robot be coming to your fly or gym bag zipper in the near future? 

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Sartorial robotics can best be defined as a method of merging fashion theory and robotics through the design and development of robotic systems. These systems look to facilitate interaction and mimic the materiality, aesthetics and construction techniques of textiles and other apparel. Unlike others, these bots have one objective and one objective only: to enhance the social aspects of the human-robotic dynamic using clothes. In other words, cyberclothes.

Ultimately, researchers hope that it will one day lend a helping hand in how we include robotics in our everyday lives. And, while self-tying laces seem to get all the attention as of late, self-zippering has emerged. Created by Adam Whiton of MIT’s Personal Robots Group, the aptly-dubbed Zipperbot is exactly what its name implies: an autonomously-controlled, continuous closure for joining the edges of fabric.

“Clothing is a uniquely human pursuit and is nearly universal in its adoption and use. It plays a prominent role in our individual cultures transmitting a mixture of social signals and meanings through the semiotics of fashion. It is through this performance of assemblage of fabric surfaces we reconfigure ourselves and our identities,” Whiton explains.

(Source: Adam Whiton / Mashable)

The wearable mechanism does more than merely fasten your jacket. In fact, Zipperbot uses optical sensors to properly mesh the zipper teeth and motion sensors to open and close at the right time. While Whiton doesn’t go into the details of how Zipperbot was built, it appears to be a comprised of a zipper head, a stepper motor and two wires. In its current iteration, the tethered bot is likely connected to an Arduino or a similar microcontroller that enables it to glide up and down the chain.

While it may not be tiny enough to zip up your fly nor is it ready to be severed from its wires, the innovative project does currently work on sleeves, jackets and other forms of material with attached zippers. Nevertheless, this could be the start of something wonderful. Aside from helping the absent-minded, the device can play an integral role in situations where touching any part of clothing could be detrimental to one’s health, like in a medical or biohazard setting, as well as aid those wearing gloves looking to bundle up on a cold winter’s night. More importantly, the gadget has tremendous potential in spurring “assistive clothing” for those with disabilities.

Along with the Zipperbot, Whiton has also devised a number of other innovations in the past, which range from a wearable defensive jacket geared towards women to thwart off violence to an open-source, ATmega32 based MCU platform. Interested in learning more about this next-gen robotic accessory? Head over to the project’s official page here.