Gadget Blog

Ever since google showed off its Project glass, the tech world has been buzzing with the concept of wearable tech. no, it is hardly new - remember Casio’s ‘smartwatch’ from the early 1980s, which was basically a calculator that could also show time and depending on the model, track a few notes too - but  it has never really gone mainstream. However, with the likes of Google  (and perhaps even Apple) showing interest in the feld, it might not be  long before you fnd yourself donning a cutting edge gadget instead  of carrying it in your pocket or handbag. If that sounds a bit hard to  digest, here’s a look at some gadgets and gizmos that you can actually wear right now  Ketan Pratap & abhijit ahaskar

Jawbone Up

Wrist bands have been associated with fashion statements rather than   utility. But now wrist bands are all set to become the next frontier in the  world of technology and will soon be called ‘smart bands’. Jawbone Up is  a wrist band that is making waves. It looks like a normal wrist band but  can actually track pulse and sleep patterns. Broadly, it helps in tracking  the wellness of a human being. And it does not look bad either!

Nike+ Fuel band 

Nike+ Fuel is a light contraption worn like a wrist band. Just put it on  and the band will track one’s daily activity including running, walking,  playing, dancing, and a whole lot more, thanks to a sports-tested acceler- ometer. It has a quick look display, allowing the user to see just how well  they are doing. It tracks each step taken and calorie burned and also tells  the time taken for this. The generated data can be synced via a desktop  app on a Mac or on iOS devices (no support for Android at the time of  writing). It comes in three attractive colours.

Nike Hyperdunk+

This is a gaming shoe from Nike that has sensors in its soles to track every  movement made on a basketball court and is synced directly to an iPhone, giving a player information on the length of a jump, speed of the player and  intensity involved in an action during a basketball match. And, with these  insights, feedback and a community of elite players, players can improve  their game every time they go out play. Nike Hyperdunk+ can be customized in different colours and patterns. Sole tech provider indeed.

Google Glass


When Google Glass started making news, people thought it was basically a set of goggles  with augmented reality. Today, it seems so much more than that. In simple terms, Google  Glass is a pair of spectacles that carries a head mounted display controlled by a small  micro computer within. It is equipped with a camera and a button on top for taking  pictures, a touch pad, compass, a micro USB charger, a speaker and an accelerometer. 

According to Google, Glass users can see texts, e-mails and can also check weather in  real time. Users can navigate using voice activated commands and the augmented reality  interface can serve up information about objects around you. Users can even record videos or snap few pictures and share them instantly. Just like in sci-fi!

Sony HMZ T1 glasses 

These 3D glasses from Sony look straight out of the Hollywood blockbuster, Tron. They look stylish although they are definitely on the bulky side. This  is basically a head mounted device with its own 3D display, and is a great  tool for private entertainment. It features an OLED screens and can create a  720p HD display with 3D, with 5.1 channel virtual surround sound. One can  play games and watch 3D and HD movies on it as well. Heady stuff !

Circuit M Dress

Circuit M dress looks just like any other silk dress for women. But it also  accepts a standard SIM card and allows the person wearing it to receive  and make calls without carrying a mobile phone in their pocket or purse.

Designed by Cutecircuit, it allows the user to insert their SIM card in the  slot below the label, letting  the dress function as a mobile phone. To receive  calls, users have to lift an arm and use the embedded speaker near the wrist. 

One limitation of the M Dress is that it does not have a display so you cannot  know who is calling until you have received the call. Also, you can only call on  one programmed number of your choice. 

Fraunhofer FitnessSHIRT

Fraunhofer has jumped into the wearable tech sector and has  introduced a FitnessSHIRT that can pick up electrical activity  from the cardiac muscle as well as measure breathing through  an elastic band around the chest. The result is a shirt that not  only covers your body but also provides you information about  it, thanks to an assortment of sensors. Staying in shape just  got a whole new meaning. In fact, there are many experts who  believe that the next big thing in wearable technology is not  going to be spectacles, but garments. Do be careful wearing  them in the rain, though.

Sony smartwatch


Sony entered the wearable technology sector last year when it launched  the Sony Smartwatch that could work with any Xperia device. The  SmartWatch is a wrist-ready Android device that sports a 1.3-inch OLED  screen with a screen resolution of 128X128 pixels. It is lightweight at just  40g with the wristband. The device can tell the time, and when paired  over Bluetooth with an Android device, can also display text messages, call  details, deliver weather information, and show social network notifications  as well. The closest thing to a phone on your wrist right now.

Casio BT Watch

A Bluetooth 4.0 watch that can be used as an extension to the iPhone, the  BT watch can be synced with the iPhone to receive incoming call alerts, mail  alerts, and social networking alerts. And if you manage to misplace your  iPhone, you can even make it issue a finding alarm from the watch. There is  a built-in sensor in the watch, which puts it in hibernate mode to conserve  battery when not in use. The watch can automatically adjust time by synchronising to time data received from the iPhone.