Tech on Tour hits the road: Several months later

After tirelessly crisscrossing the globe for several years offering hands-on technical training, the Atmel team kicked off a new Tech on Tour era this past January with a tricked-out mobile trailer. Designed to literally drive the Internet of Things (and other next-gen technologies), 40’ x 85′ trailer brings hands-on training, hackathons, key technology demonstrations and other gatherings based around Atmel MCUs, […]

Ultra-thin flexible batteries may power next-gen wearables

A California-based startup has developed a new ultra-thin flexible battery that is inexpensive to make and could potentially power next-gen wearable technologies. According to MIT Technology Review, Imprint Energy has been testing its ultra-thin zinc-polymer batteries in wrist-worn devices with aspirations of one day selling them to wearable electronics, medical device, smart label and environmental sensor manufacturers. The batteries were developed from research […]

This 3D-printed wearable is larger than life

Maker Zack Freedman was frustrated by the subtlety of the current wearables on the market. In opposition of current trends, he set out to develop a smartwatch that stood out from the slick wearable crowd, and with the SmarTwatCh he did just that. His entire wristwatch case was 3D-printed and filled to the brim with high-tech gadgets. […]

Report: Wearables need makeover to maximize market

According to a new Beecham Research report, the wearable tech market stands for a greater chance of mass consumer adoption if it can somehow up its chicness. The report notes that wearable devices will swiftly move beyond just smart glasses and watches to embrace products in a wider variety of sectors, such as safety, security, glamor and healthcare. The fashion-forward […]

Salesforce launches dev kit for wearables

Salesforce has rolled out a software development pack for wearable devices. Backed by a number of industry heavyweights such as ARM, the dev kit is expected to accelerate adoption of wearables in the enterprise. “Wearables are the next phase of the mobile revolution,” said Salesforce exec Daniel Debow. “With Salesforce Wear, companies can now capture […]

Transforming fashion with tech



17-year-old Ella DiGregorio recently introduced a line of “Transforming Beauty” gowns that literally change from long skirts to short with the touch of a button. As Mari Grigaliunas of MySuburbanLife reports, DiGregorio’s sample dress uses threads that run from the bottom hem to the waist of the garment to shorten the skirt when she pushes […]

Walltech SmartWatch tick-tocks with Atmel



After successfully designing and extensively documenting the open source OLED Watch (v 4.2), Walltech founder John Wall has moved on to version 6.0 of the Atmel-powered smartwatch. The latest wearable device is built around the FemtoduinoBLE, which features an ATmega32u4 microcontroller (bootloaded as an Arduino Leonardo) paired with a BlueGiga Bluetooth 4.0 low energy module […]

An $18 billion wearables enterprise market

Analysts at ABI Research confirm that wearable device technologies will become an integral part of enterprise mobile enablement strategies – increasing at an impressive CAGR value of 56.1% over the next five years. As expected, the North American region will be the largest, growing at a CAGR value of 39% over the next five years. […]

Flexible battery eyes next-gen wearables

Rice University researchers have created a flexible battery that could potentially power future generations of wearable devices. 

Developed by Rice chemist James Tour and his colleagues, the design comprises flexible material with nanoporous nickel-fluoride electrodes layered around a solid electrolyte. The flexible power source delivers battery-like supercapacitor performance, combining the best qualities of a high-energy […]

A thermoelectric generator for wearables?!



The upcoming generation of wearables is expected to be lighter and more flexible. Future devices may also be equipped with an advanced power source, which could be a portable, long-lasting battery or even a generator. 

Indeed, as Professor Byung Jin Cho of The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) notes, supplying power in a stable […]