In today’s fast-paced industrial and manufacturing sectors, safety and efficiency are paramount concerns. Companies are increasingly turning to innovative technologies to transform their workplace culture, with the Wearable Internet of Things (WIoT) taking center stage. This cutting-edge technology is not only overhauling traditional practices but also revolutionizing the way companies approach worker safety and productivity. In this article, we will delve into the ways wearable technology is currently reshaping the industrial and manufacturing landscape, explore the myriad benefits of WIoT, and shed light on the software solutions that are propelling this revolution.

A Shift in Workplace Culture

Industrial and manufacturing environments have long been associated with rigorous physical demands and safety concerns. However, as technology advances, so too does the ability to safeguard workers and improve overall efficiency. Wearable technology, in particular, has emerged as a game-changer. From smart helmets to augmented reality glasses, these devices are revolutionizing the way workers interact with their environment.

One of the most significant shifts brought about by WIoT is the move towards a more proactive approach to safety. Traditionally, safety measures were often reactive, focusing on addressing incidents after they occurred. With wearable devices, companies now have access to real-time data that enables them to identify potential hazards before they become accidents. For example, smart vests equipped with sensors can monitor environmental conditions, such as temperature and air quality, alerting workers and management to unsafe conditions instantly.

The Multifaceted Benefits of WIoT

The adoption of WIoT is not solely driven by safety concerns; it also promises a host of other benefits. One of the most compelling advantages is its ability to reduce worker fatigue. In physically demanding industries, fatigue can lead to accidents and decreased productivity. WIoT devices can monitor a worker’s biometrics, such as heart rate and body temperature, in real-time. When fatigue is detected, alerts can be sent to both the worker and their supervisor, prompting necessary breaks or adjustments to tasks.

Furthermore, WIoT is facilitating the digital transformation of facilities. These devices are no longer just tools for monitoring workers; they are becoming integral components of interconnected systems that optimize operations. For instance, by equipping machinery with IoT sensors, it becomes possible to track equipment performance, anticipate maintenance needs, and reduce downtime. This seamless integration of WIoT technology results in cost savings and improved efficiency.

Enhancing Body Mechanics with Wearable Devices

The realm of body mechanics in the workplace is also being revolutionized by WIoT. Wearable devices, such as exoskeletons and wearable sensors, are designed to support workers and help them maintain correct postures and motions. These devices are equipped with sensors that can provide real-time feedback to workers, guiding them to adopt ergonomic positions that reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries.

Additionally, the data and understanding collected by these wearable devices is a goldmine of information. To harness this potential, companies are turning to sophisticated software solutions. These solutions aggregate data from various wearable devices and integrate it into a centralized platform. This allows for comprehensive analysis and insights that were previously unattainable.

For example, advanced analytics can identify patterns of movement and posture that may lead to injuries over time. By utilizing this data, companies can implement targeted training programs to improve worker ergonomics and reduce the risk of chronic injuries. Furthermore, the data can be used to engineer workflows, optimize the allocation of tasks and resources for maximum efficiency.

The Power of Integration

Integration is key to unlocking the full potential of WIoT. By consolidating data from wearable devices into a single platform, companies can achieve a holistic view of their operations. This data-driven approach enables predictive maintenance, real-time safety monitoring, and workflow optimization, all within one cohesive system.

Moreover, the benefits of WIoT extend beyond the factory floor. Office-based employees can also benefit from wearable technology, as it can monitor posture and sedentary behavior, promoting better health and well-being. For instance, smart wristbands can remind office workers to take breaks, stretch, or adjust their sitting positions, reducing the risk of long-term health issues.

Embracing Innovation: WIoT’s Role in Shaping Tomorrow’s Workplace

The Wearable Internet of Things is ushering in a new era of workplace culture, where safety, efficiency, and worker well-being take center stage. Companies that embrace WIoT are not only reducing the risk of injuries but also driving digital transformation, reducing worker fatigue, and optimizing operations. With the integration of advanced software solutions, the potential for improvement is boundless.

As more companies recognize the transformative power of WIoT, it is clear that this technology is here to stay. It is no longer a matter of if, but when, organizations will adopt WIoT to enhance worker safety and productivity. The future of industrial and manufacturing workplaces is being shaped by wearable technology, and those who embrace it are poised to lead the way in the evolving landscape of worker safety and efficiency.

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The Internet of Things (IoT) has ushered in a new era of connectivity, and its impact is profoundly felt in the world of wearables. Smart wearable devices, from smartwatches and fitness trackers to augmented reality glasses, have become integral to our daily lives. In this article, we will explore the pivotal role of IoT in wearables, its key applications, benefits, challenges, and the exciting future it holds for personal technology.

The IoT Revolution in Wearables

Wearable technology has evolved beyond mere timekeeping or fitness tracking. Smart wearables have become powerful, connected devices capable of collecting and transmitting a wide range of data. IoT is at the heart of this transformation, enabling these devices to communicate with other systems and users.

Key Applications of IoT in Wearables

1. Health and Fitness Tracking

Wearable fitness trackers and smartwatches equipped with IoT technology can monitor a variety of health metrics, including heart rate, steps taken, sleep patterns, and more. These devices often sync with smartphone apps to provide users with real-time insights into their well-being and fitness progress.

2. Location and Navigation

GPS-enabled wearables, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, can provide accurate location and navigation data. This is especially valuable for outdoor activities, runners, cyclists, and hikers.

3. Augmented Reality (AR)

AR glasses are wearable devices that overlay digital information on the user’s field of view, enhancing their perception of the physical world. IoT connectivity in AR glasses can deliver real-time data and interactions, making these devices more powerful and interactive.

4. Communication

Smartwatches and similar wearables enable users to make calls, send texts, and receive notifications, keeping them connected without needing to pull out their smartphones.

5. Environmental and Biometric Sensors

IoT wearables often include sensors that measure environmental factors, like temperature and air quality, as well as biometric data such as body temperature and stress levels. This data can be used for health monitoring and wellness management.

6. Location-Based Services

IoT in wearables allows for location-based services such as geofencing and location-sharing. Users can set up alerts when they enter or leave specific areas or share their location with family and friends.

7. Payments and Transactions

Many wearables, including smartwatches and fitness trackers, support contactless payments. These devices can be used to make purchases, access public transportation, and more, simplifying daily transactions.

8. Work and Productivity

IoT-powered smart glasses are finding applications in various industries. They can provide real-time information, instructions, and data visualization for workers in fields like manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics.

Benefits of IoT in Wearables

The integration of IoT in wearables offers numerous advantages:

1. Health and Wellness

Wearable devices with IoT capabilities empower individuals to take control of their health and fitness. They can monitor key metrics, track progress, and receive personalized recommendations for a healthier lifestyle.

2. Convenience

Wearables make it easier to access information and services without having to pull out a smartphone or other device. This convenience is especially valuable in situations where using a larger device would be impractical.

3. Safety and Security

Location-based services and emergency features in wearables enhance user safety and security. IoT connectivity allows wearables to transmit critical information in emergency situations.

4. Enhanced Communication

Wearables enable seamless communication, reducing the need to constantly check a smartphone. They allow users to stay connected while keeping their hands and attention free.

5. Improved Productivity

IoT-powered wearables in the workplace streamline tasks and enhance productivity. Workers can access vital information and instructions without having to consult manuals or look at screens.

6. Real-Time Data

Wearables equipped with IoT technology provide real-time data, which can be especially valuable in sports and fitness, healthcare, and various professional fields.

Challenges and Considerations

While IoT in wearables offers numerous benefits, it also poses challenges and considerations:

1. Data Security and Privacy

Collecting and transmitting personal data via wearables raise concerns about data security and privacy. Robust security measures are necessary to protect user information.

2. Battery Life

IoT wearables often require a constant connection to the internet or other devices, which can put a strain on battery life. Extended battery life remains a challenge for manufacturers.

3. Compatibility

IoT devices must be compatible and standardized to ensure seamless data exchange and integration. Common protocols and standards are essential for achieving this.

4. Data Accuracy

The accuracy and reliability of data collected by wearables are paramount, especially in healthcare and fitness applications. Ensuring that the data is precise and reliable is critical.

5. Ethical Considerations

Wearables can raise ethical concerns, particularly in terms of data collection and sharing. Users and manufacturers must consider the ethical implications of wearable technology.

The Future of IoT in Wearables

As technology continues to advance, the future of IoT in wearables looks promising. Here are some trends and developments to watch for:

1. Enhanced AI Integration

IoT and artificial intelligence (AI) will work together to provide more intelligent wearables that can analyze and provide insights into user data.

2. Extended Battery Life

Improvements in battery technology will extend the battery life of wearables, reducing the need for frequent charging.

3. Enhanced Connectivity

Wearables will become even more connected and integrated with other devices and services, offering a seamless user experience.

4. Health Monitoring Advancements

Health-focused wearables will provide more advanced monitoring and diagnostic capabilities, leading to better healthcare outcomes.

5. Personalization

Wearables will become increasingly personalized, adapting to user preferences and individual needs.

Conclusion

The Internet of Things is transforming wearables into powerful, connected devices that enhance health, convenience, communication, and productivity. Challenges related to data security, battery life, and compatibility must be addressed to ensure that the benefits of IoT in wearables are fully realized.

As IoT technology continues to evolve, it will remain a driving force in wearables, offering a glimpse into a future where these devices become even more integral to our daily lives, providing insights and convenience that we cannot imagine living without.

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Stronger wearable developed to keep pace with the growing demands of patient safety market.

In response to market demand for a stronger and more reliable hand hygiene compliance monitoring solution, Vitalacy, Inc., today announced the release of the new Gen4 SmartSensor, a smarter, faster and more powerful device to monitor and improve safety initiatives with healthcare partners.

Designed to capture hand hygiene compliance data and to provide real-time reminders to perform hand hygiene at critical patient care moments, the new Vitalacy Gen4 SmartSensor has built-in features for future products currently in Vitalacy’s development pipeline. In addition to containing improved hardware and firmware, the Sensor now includes a gyroscope and animated screen and provides longer battery life. These features bring more value to healthcare providers looking to improve quality and safety measures that save lives.

“Our fourth-generation wearable is a more powerful and durable sensor, designed and manufactured by our Vitalacy team of engineers and developers,” said Vitalacy VP of Engineering Dylan Humphrey. Many of these enhancements were the result of direct client and user feedback using the Gen3 SmartSensor in the healthcare environment. “This new device was developed with future looking applications in mind including care provider messaging, duress buttons, and patient fall alerts,” Humphrey added.

The Gen4 SmartSensor is placed inside a band worn on the user’s wrist or a clip holder worn on the user’s upper torso. IoT-enabled devices across the facility monitor dispenser usage and the entry and exit of patient rooms in relation to recent hand washes. The device uses Bluetooth to monitor hand hygiene behavior such as compliance and wash duration and reminds staff to wash at the point of care if they forget and to wash longer if the wash is too short. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or with hand sanitizer of at least 60% alcohol if soap is not available.

The Gen4 SmartSensor is the latest improvement to the Vitalacy’s Patient Safety Platform – a suite of products including hand hygiene compliance monitoring, workflow and nursing rounding monitoring, contact tracing, and a fall risk alert. The platform is capable of monitoring workflow in near real-time, allowing healthcare enterprises to monitor rounding, caregiver fatigue and contact tracing. These innovative measures help decrease infection risk and improve the patient experience.

1 in 31 patients suffer from a healthcare-acquired infection (HAI) each day

On any given day, about 1 in 31 hospital patients has at least once HAI, according to the CDC. The World Health Organization states:

“hand hygiene is one of the most effective actions you can take to reduce the spread of pathogens and prevent infections, including the COVID-19 virus.”

A lack of real-time feedback and coaching about hand hygiene was one of the major barriers to hand hygiene compliance, according to survey results presented by a hospital network at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) 2022 Annual Conference.

To meet Leapfrog Group standards, healthcare organizations must complete at least 100 observations of hand hygiene opportunities per month per unit, with the observations occurring across all days of the week and all shifts. Because of the difficulty, expense and inherent bias of doing these observations through direct human monitoring, organizations are increasingly turning to electronic hand hygiene monitoring solutions to meet Leapfrog’s criteria.

“Vitalacy is constantly innovating, leading the market with first-in-class solutions to meet the growing needs of their clients,” said Vitalacy CEO and Cofounder Janel Nour-Omid. “This recent innovation improves Vitalacy’s suite of products and demonstrates an investment in future development and integration capabilities with the company’s offerings.”

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Sequans Communications S.A. announced that Infrafon is using its Monarch cellular IoT technology to connect its award-winning Infrafon CC1 Smart Badge, an intelligent name tag introduced earlier this year at Mobile World Congress.

The Infrafon CC1 Smart Badge is a computerized name tag with smartphone functions that are fully controlled in the cloud. It can be worn as a wearable on clothing where it can ensure visual identification of the wearer through its e-paper display, and can contain a wide variety of desired information, including personalized credentials, appointment details, healthcare data, geofencing parameters, NFC credentials, and more. Sequans’ Monarch 2 GM02S LTE-M/NB-IoT module provides the cellular IoT connectivity that enables the Infrafon Smart Badge to remain always connected via the highly reliable LTE-M cellular network.

Louis Chuang, EVP of Sequans’ Massive IoT Business Unit, said:

“The Infrafon Smart Badge is a truly innovative personal communication system with a multitude of uses, for example, in healthcare and workplace safety.”

“It can perform all of the advanced smartphone functions you can imagine, but without the need of a smartphone, making it one of the most interesting IoT connected devices we’ve seen this year.”

“We selected Sequans’ Monarch module to connect our Smart Badge because it is the most advanced cellular IoT connectivity solution available today, with unmatched low power consumption, highly secure iSIM, and proven reliability,” said Frieder Hanson, Infrafon founder and CEO. “The ultra-low power consumption of Monarch allows the Smart Badge to run for many days without user intervention, making it extremely simple to use, which was one of our most important design goals.”

The Infrafon CCI is a tiny CC1 smart badge device that weighs only 50g, close to credit card size, and is equipped with a high res 600×480 pixel interactive e-paper screen. All familiar smartphone functions can be managed remotely OTA and centrally by the operator. The device user can interact with multiple DataView tasks or can answer questions. Device users have no access to the device´s functional setup details. This Infrafon design principle provides stability and efficiency to the operator´s processes.

Infrafon is using Sequans’ second-generation LTE-M/NB-IoT module, Monarch 2 GM02S, that delivers ultra-low power consumption and a very high level of security. Monarch 2 GM02S is the world’s only cellular IoT module supporting an EAL5+ secure enclave for integrated SIM (ieUICC) capability that is compliant with GSMA standards. The module also supports a single rail power supply starting at 2.2 V, the lowest level in the industry, allowing for better efficiency of the internal power management unit, further reducing power consumption, and lowering battery and BOM costs.

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Enabling a reduction of travel by 75% with RealWear device running Microsoft Teams by its Façade Team, the construction leader plans to deploy more than 150 devices over the next few months.

RealWear, Inc., the global leader of hands-free head-mounted wearables, today announced that Mace Group (‘Mace’), a global consultancy and construction firm headquartered in London, deployed RealWear’s assisted reality wearable computers running voice-enabled Microsoft Teams, paving the way forward for the global construction industry.

Throughout this global pandemic, the voice-activated RealWear HMT-1 wearable device has enabled hundreds of its workers and clients to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and reduce its carbon footprint via using the device for remote inspections during the construction process. The wearable deployment marks a first for the construction industry.

Mace works on a number of construction projects both in the UK and across the globe. When the pandemic hit and travel restrictions came into effect, Mace envisioned an entirely new and safer way to inspect building façades. To operate as effectively and as safely as possible under seemingly indefinite social distancing restrictions, it needed a solution that would enable inspection work to still be carried out but with minimal people onsite than normally permitted.

RealWear’s assisted reality head-mounted wearable computers require only a single site inspector to be physically present, while multiple others ‘view’ the site clearly and remotely from their own location, via a feed that streams from the innovative headset directly to the viewer’s handheld or laptop computer.

The technology negates the need to physically travel to a site, while also delivering on Mace’s requirement for its workforce to be fully connected through remote collaboration. Furthermore, the deployment has banished the logistical and planning complexities of trying to coordinate the diaries of several site inspectors to be present at the same time on the same day. Since the completion of the deployment this month Mace has been able to reduce in-person site visits, and its Façade team has seen a 75% reduction in travel; not only has this resulted in a reduction in carbon emissions, but the time saved has freed up staff to be more productive during the course of their day.

“With its willingness to embrace the future, it’s appropriate that Mace is at the head of the curve within the construction industry with respect to deploying wearable technology,” commented Phil Sedge, Head of Facade, Mace Group.

“Since the deployment, we have seen improvements in the decision-making process, and we’re able to share real-time information instantaneously. The technology has enabled us to reduce the number of staff travelling to site, without any compromises to the quality of our work. The time saving and environmental benefits deliver further advantages.”

He added: “RealWear’s reinvestment back into product development has also impressed us, which means that the foundations of this technology are future proofed. We only wish we had deployed it sooner.”

Following an in-depth consultation with RealWear partner, SystemActive, which involved various demos via video conference, Mace selected RealWear’s purpose built, voice enabled HMT-1 over other solutions available in the market, including smart glasses. The RealWear headsets met Mace’s requirements for no compromises on safety, for hands-free operation and the ability to clip to the side of hard hats. Its other requirements included durability and functionality at the right price point, two other areas where RealWear excelled.

The deployment began in June 2020. SystemActive worked with Mace’s IT team to create a bespoke operating system for the HMT-1, which was tailored so that many of its out-of-the-box features could only be used for collaborating with clients and colleagues who were not physically present on site. Once the operating system was set up, the wearable headsets arrived on site and were ready to use. Training from both RealWear and SystemActive included on-boarding sessions to bring Mace’s personnel up to speed on how to log on to video conferencing and join meetings, and a walkthrough of the functions of the camera and video stream.

“From a health and safety, durability and price perspective, RealWear’s device ticked a lot of boxes. We worked with the senior teams at Mace to ensure the device was as easy as possible for everyone to use and that the bespoke operating system met Mace’s needs. We’re thrilled with the positive feedback from Mace on the deployment and look forward to working with the team in a continued rollout,” added Ross Riley, Head of Immersive, SystemActive.

“RealWear’s HMT-1 is purpose built for productivity, even in extreme environments due to its ruggedness, durability and functionality,” said Jon Arnold, VP of Sales, RealWear Inc.

“With software updates to come in March that will further improve the user experience, the HMT-1 is set to be a central part of Mace’s workflow, both now and in the future,” he added.

Based on this level of success, Mace plans to surpass the 150-unit mark over the next few months as it ramps up deployment of RealWear’s HMT-1 globally. The company has recently procured more units to go out to one of its sectors in Peru to help with monitoring of a project and its various phases, including safety inspections. It has also increased awareness through its supply chain who have started to adopt the technology.

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Innovative OceanMedallion Wearable is Key to Touchless Capabilities, Effortless Vacations.

Princess Cruises announced that upon approval to return to service in 2021 its global fleet will feature the MedallionClass Experience, offering a number of new features that leverage touchless technologies and significantly enhance and personalize the guest experience, as well as support new health protocols.

The line of smart ships is expanding as ship transformation has continued during the pause. Coral Princess, Diamond Princess, Emerald Princess, Grand Princess, Island Princess, Majestic Princess, and Sapphire Princess will return as MedallionClass ships along with the new Enchanted Princess.

The cruise line’s OceanMedallion wearable device replaces the traditional cruise card and pairs with embedded IoT (“Internet of things”) -driven innovative technology to significantly expand touch-free options and personalization on board Princess MedallionClass ships including:

• touchless embarkation and disembarkation
• keyless stateroom entry
• completely contactless commerce
• simplified safety training
• on-demand food, beverages and retail items delivered anywhere on board
• guest service requests via mobile device chat
• location-based gaming and wagering
• entertainment content via smart devices

Princess MedallionClass ships also offer the best Wi-Fi at sea, MedallionNet, so guests can stay connected to the things and people they love and share vacation memories with ease. MedallionNet offers unprecedented connectivity that’s fast, unlimited and affordable, so guests can stream favorite movies, shows, games and music; connect to favorite social media sites; and video chat from anywhere on the ship.

Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises, said:

“Innovation is allowing us to pair guidance from public health experts with the unparalleled touch-free capabilities of the OceanMedallion honoring our commitment to health and safety, while continuing to reinvent and simplify the experience all together.”

“During this down-time we’ve worked behind the scenes to re-engineer our operation to give guests maximum control of their cruise vacation, as well as to activate the Princess MedallionClass Experience on all of our ships.”

A noted breakthrough in the vacation industry, the OceanMedallion connects guests and crew to an experiential “IoT” platform through a network of sensors and readers that help recognize individuals in locations throughout the ship, facilitating extraordinary touchless capabilities that include highly-personalized service and interactive entertainment, while also reducing contact between guests and crew on board and in ports.

“The same technology we’ve used to simplify and personalize the guest experience on our Princess MedallionClass ships for the past three years is now being further leveraged to safeguard our guests and crew as well,” said John Padgett, chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation. “That means that the smartest ships at sea are now enabling intelligence-driven safety processes via the OceanMedallion.”

Medallion-Enabled Touchless Experiences

TrulyTouchless Arrival and Embarkation : Princess is transforming embarkation day by leveraging OceanMedallion technology to reduce friction, remove contact, and avoid crowds, streamlining arrival and check-in, as well as completely reinventing the traditional muster drill.

OceanReady : Upon return, all guests will be required to become OceanReady before leaving home, creating a touchless, expedited arrival experience and embarkation. Guests will use the MedallionClass app to upload travel documents (i.e. passport information) and complete a health questionnaire in advance as well as provide important emergency information and form of payment, take a security image, personalize their Medallions and order accessories to be shipped to their home or ready for pick up upon arrival.

Simplified Safety Training : A new approach to the safety assembly on embarkation day lets travel parties watch an important safety video on their mobile device anytime on embarkation day or from the comfort of their cabin via their stateroom TV and verify their designated muster station with a quick, contactless check-in at their convenience anytime between boarding and sail away. The OceanMedallion and xIoT provide the verification needed by the ship’s captain to confirm muster drill check-in while strengthening safety and security operations onboard, safe-guarding guest and crew health, and increasing operational efficiency.

Keyless stateroom entry : Access to staterooms is a seamless experience where each guest is securely validated as their cabin door automatically unlocks as they approach – no fumbling for a phone or key card. The traditional do-not-disturb sign also becomes a thing of the past as the feature is integrated with the personalized portal outside each cabin, allowing guests to request privacy or designate their room for service by touching the display or using the MedallionClass app.

TrulyTouchless Commerce : MedallionPay transforms shopping on vacation by eliminating the need to carry cash and credit cards on board and in Princess Cays. MedallionPay allows for effortless payment when purchasing anything on the ship – food, beverages, merchandise, excursions, even laundry tokens. Because the proximity of the Medallion associates a guest’s photo with their location, crew members can quickly transact purchases without requiring the guest to handover, tap, swipe or insert a card, sign or enter a pin number.

OceanNow Service On-Demand : Food, beverage, retail orders and service are delivered directly to a guest’s location. Guests can place orders using their smart device, their stateroom TV or with a crew member, as the Medallion continuously ensures great service wherever a guest may go on board.

Service Always Available : The location-based capabilities of the Medallion are allowing Princess to completely reinvent onboard guest service. Instead of queuing at the guest service desk for help or support, guests sailing on MedallionClass ships will now be able to request assistance from their mobile device, stateroom TV or any crew member using OceanNow. Requests will then be routed to a crew member to chat or locate the guest to provide personal assistance.

“Our guests have always loved the convenience of OceanNow, but because the pandemic has expanded people’s appreciation of direct delivery, we think even more guests will embrace the ability to order food, drinks and more to meet them where they want to be – whether that’s a meal or a request for service,” added Swartz. “Not only does it prevent unnecessary queuing, it elevates our service delivery.”

Contactless Experiences Accessible from the MedallionClass App

On board Princess MedallionClass ships and throughout the guest journey, a portfolio of exceptionally fun and convenient experiences put guests in control. Contactless capabilities are accessible from guests’ smart phones and tablets, and include shipboard wayfinding, family and friends locator, first-run movies, an interactive events and activities planner, wager-based gaming, and interactive fun.

• Locate Travel Companions, Chat Using OceanCompass: The Medallion helps guests easily locate and chat with friends and family on board, as well as enables proprietary and industry-exclusive person-to-person wayfinding throughout the ship.
• First-run movies on the go*: With OceanView, guests can watch recently-released films, the world’s most popular travel series, and live TV featuring broadcasts of select onboard events and more, from anywhere on board using their smart phone or tablet at no additional cost.
• Reserve Events/Interactive Voyage Timeline*: An interactive timeline within JourneyView lets guests see all ship events scheduled during their voyage and reserve activities they are interested in attending, adding it to their own personalized itinerary.
• Wager-based gaming*: With Ocean® Casino guests wager real money on games including slots, poker, bingo, roulette, keno and lottery from anywhere on board, blackjack on stateroom TVs.
• Interactive fun*: PlayOcean puts entertainment at guests’ fingertips with interactive trivia, a ship-wide bar adventure, customizable avatars and more. PlayOcean also transforms guests’ mobile devices into game controllers for interactive gaming on the massive Movies Under the Stars screen near the ship’s main pool.

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Global shipments of wearable devices are expected to total 396.0 million units in 2020 according to new data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker.

This marks a 14.5% increase from the 345.9 million units shipped in 2019. Looking ahead, IDC forecasts shipment volume to have a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.4% and total 637.1 million units in 2024.

The first half of 2020 delivered positive results despite the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy. Even though vendors scaled down production and end users were quarantined, demand for wearables remained steady. The market was propelled by near-record demand for hearables, which was enough to offset slightly lower demand for watches and wristbands. The second half of 2020 is on pace to continue this trend and with the launch of new products – including hearables, watches, and wristbands – from multiple vendors, the wearables market is on track to reach nearly 400 million units this year.

Beyond devices, one trend to watch is the emergence of services to complement wearables. Apple’s recently announced Fitness+, Amazon’s new Halo, and Fitbit’s Fitbit Premium connect users with health and fitness content (i.e., guided workouts, coaching, and diet advice) while incorporating data from their wearable device. Several other companies are taking a different route, showing enterprise customers how to keep their employees physically distant and detect early signs of potential illness. These services and others to come will increase the demand for wearables.

Ramon T. Llamas, research director, Mobile Devices and AR/VR, said:

“Wearable devices and services will evolve together in the coming quarters. Wearables are the perfect device to collect user data and services provide guidance and actionable insight. Together, they offer the user a virtual coach to make better decisions and achieve their goals.”

“Device makers are also laying the groundwork that will allow consumers to use multiple wearables in conjunction with each other,” said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC Mobile Device Trackers. “Imagine tying positional and audio input from hearables with health metrics from the wrist to gauge a user’s level of attention or excitement in the surrounding environment. That’s a powerful new experience that can bring added utility to consumers and vendors alike.”

Category Highlights

Hearables* will account for the majority of shipments throughout the forecast while posting a market beating CAGR of 14.1%. A combination of drivers will sustain hearable growth: an expanding list of vendors with a growing number of devices; smartphones abandoning the 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of Bluetooth connections; lower prices; and an expansion of use cases beyond audio content consumption, like health and fitness monitoring, smart assistants, and connection to home and work IoT systems.

Watches**, comprised of smartwatches and basic watches, will experience the highest CAGR at 14.3%. The smartwatch market will see its operating system (OS) landscape shift as Google’s WearOS acquires FitbitOS to bolster its health and fitness offerings and new vendor partners are added to its list. Samsung’s Tizen will slowly gain share with its own fitness-focused and productivity-driven Galaxy watches. At the top is Apple’s watchOS, which will benefit from the introduction of its new Watch SE, sitting between its premium and entry-level devices. Meanwhile, basic watches will benefit from kids’ connected watches alongside hybrid- and GPS-equipped watches.

Wristbands will slowly crawl upward with shipments growing at a CAGR of 2.4%. Even as average selling prices dip below $40 USD by the end of the forecast, there will still be space for more expensive models whose feature sets closely mimic those found on smartwatches, including mobile payments, smartphone notifications, and advanced fitness features. Still, the primary driver for wristband shipments will be inexpensive step- and calorie counters.

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• Successful pilot used digital IoT technologies and wearable sensors to monitor crew proximity to heavy machinery
• Co-creation approach supports De Beers’ ‘zero harm’ health and safety objectives in a heavy industrial environment

Orange Business Services and De Beers Marine South Africa, a division of De Beers – the world’s leading diamond company, have jointly installed and tested a customized IoT solution to provide geofencing to maintain safe working distances for crew around the heavy machinery involved in marine diamond mining operations.

The new solution was successfully piloted on board the MV Mafuta, currently the world’s largest offshore diamond mining vessel owned and operated by Debmarine Namibia and operating up to 150 km off the coast of Namibia, in southern Africa.

Diamond mining vessels bring crew and heavy machinery into relatively close proximity, and De Beers is committed to ensuring the highest standards of operating safety for all personnel. The Orange IoT solution was developed in response to De Beers’ ‘zero harm’ objectives. It followed an initial engagement and joint exploratory workshop with the Orange Business Services team in South Africa and focused on IoT technologies, such as Bluetooth Low Energy locators and wearable sensors, as a precision crew locator tool, integrated with onboard antennas and an Orange software engine.

In the pilot, Orange Business Services imported the Mafuta’s AutoCAD files and undertook an onboard site survey to map antenna locations to geofence a predetermined area on the vessel. Ten crew members were equipped with wrist sensors. If one of the crew breached the geofenced area onboard the vessel, the ship’s bridge was alerted immediately.

De Beers Group Technology SA, an R&D arm of De Beers Group, is now further exploring additional applications, such as a breach alert function to link the sensors directly to the mining machinery via a SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) control system and PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), to facilitate a failsafe cut-off in the event of a breach in the geofence.

Gerhardus Theron, Vessel Manager of the MV Mafuta said:

“Debmarine Namibia has a very clear aim of ‘zero harm’ across all our operations, and we are constantly looking at ways of enhancing employee safety and especially around the heavy machinery required for diamond recovery operations. The initial engagement consultation and joint workshop with the team from Orange Business Services was very productive and quickly identified the potential for an IoT solution to ensure the wellbeing of personnel onboard the vessels. We quickly moved to a pilot phase, which has now confirmed the potential of this innovative approach that we could embed within our existing safety processes and procedures.”

“This smart IoT solution developed with De Beers is a great example of innovating and co-creating with our customer. The geofencing pilot has already proved successful in one of the most challenging heavy industrial environments – a floating diamond mine at sea, with prolonged exposure to strong vibration and corrosive saltwater.”

“The next phase of its development will aim to refine the interface and data collection capabilities, and include testing a trigger function to deactivate machinery in the event of a breach of the geofence by a crew member,” said Keith Matthews, Country Manager for South Africa, Orange Business Services.

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Tele2 and Civil Rights Defenders have entered a partnership in which Tele2 provides IoT connectivity to the global security system of Civil Rights Defenders’ Natalia Project, protecting human rights defenders all over the world.

Civil Rights Defenders’ Natalia Project was created in 2013 to promote freedom of speech and protect human right defenders in countries where threats, or even attacks, might be used to silence outspoken voices. In short, each participating human rights defender is provided with security training and a security device that can activate an alarm instantly in situations where the human rights defender faces an immediate threat. The alarm sends a distress signal with a GPS location to nearby local contacts, as well as to Civil Rights Defenders’ headquarters in Stockholm, enabling instant local and global support.

Going forward, Tele2’s IoT connectivity will provide all units in the Natalia Project’s global security system with the best connectivity possible, including roaming in more than 450 networks all over the world.

• “No tangible change can be achieved when you constantly live in fear of retribution. The Natalia Project has freed me from that fear, so I can amplify the voice of my people knowing that someone is watching over me”, says Phyllis Omido, a Kenyan environmental human rights defender who participates in the Natalia Project.

• “Tele2 has always been a firm protector of freedom of speech. We have enabled it by providing alternative connectivity, but also fought for it, in many countries over the years. It feels great to support Civil Rights Defenders and the Natalia Project with our high quality and reliable IoT connectivity, to make sure all units ceaselessly provide security and comfort for brave human rights defenders in challenging communities”, says Anders Nilsson, President and CEO of Tele2.

• “Sadly, there is a growing need to protect outspoken voices, be it from authoritarian states or other powerful offenders. The Natalia Project is a unique global security system that has proven to be absolutely crucial when human rights defenders face immediate danger. Partnering with a reliable supplier of worldwide connectivity for our alarms is therefore a very important step, not only for Civil Rights Defenders, but also for all human rights defenders participating in the project”, says Anders L. Pettersson, Executive Director of Civil Rights Defenders.

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In recent years, the IoT market has shown rapid expansion and growth, especially in the medical field. IoT use in healthcare is expected to be worth $534.3 billion by 2025. Among its most useful applications are medical wearables, which enable accurate data collection and the ability to monitor vital signs. These contain various types of PCBs, including flexible PCBs and rigid-flex PCBs that are smaller and lighter than other types, making them more ideal than their rigid counterparts. In addition, many of these devices also contain temperature sensors, and skin perspiration sensors to help monitor symptoms. Because this technology is constantly developing, here are some of the latest trends in medical wearables:

Applications in cardiology

Many fitness wearables like the Apple Watch and Fitbit have the ability to detect a person’s heart rate, which comes in handy during exercise. However, applications in the field of cardiology are still a generation away from becoming feasible. One of the most well-known studies on wearable healthcare technology so far is the Apple Heart Study, which demonstrated the possibility of smartwatch-based atrial fibrillation screening. They are now currently partnering with Johnson & Johnson in a large-scale clinical trial, to not only screen for the condition but actually detect the condition and treat it as well. The good news is that professional cardiologists in The Heart Rhythm Society appear to endorse the technology: “Wearables can contribute to an early diagnosis and to a better management of diseases,” but the helpfulness of continuous screening techniques is still being debated.

Applications for sleep disorders

When it comes to monitoring sleeping habits, mobile apps, online programs, and wearables are some of the most popular methods. Through this technology, you can track your sleep patterns and address any areas of concern for improvement. However, commercial fitness devices have limited accuracy when it comes to measuring short naps or tracking light and deep sleep. In contrast, the Withings ScanWatch is allegedly going to be the first FDA-approved wearable designed to detect sleep apnea and various abnormalities. This year, it is likely the divide between consumer wearables and traditional diagnostic forms of testing will lessen. Remote patient monitoring is becoming more prevalent across large hospitals, with higher projected numbers of FDA-approved devices to help enable this. While using this technology can give you a better understanding of your sleeping habits, it is unlikely that they’ll fully replace conventional forms of sleep testing soon.

Applications in diabetes management

The management of chronic diseases like diabetes is a concern for many affected individuals. To remedy this issue, medical wearables perform a variety of functions. They can help track blood sugar patterns, issue reminders about medication, and provide general advice for diets and lifestyles. A popular tool is the traditional insulin pump which is designed to manually deliver medication to control blood sugar levels depending on the required level. More recently, developers are venturing into the creation of “Closed Loop Systems,” which automatically monitor a patient’s blood sugar levels in real-time and automatically adjust the level of medication for them. In addition, the startup Klue has created a behavior tracking software that uses AI to determine a patient’s meals and give insight into their behaviors. Automating the identification of meals and adjusting insulin delivery can dramatically simplify a diabetic’s lifestyle. Investing in wearable technology that is affordable, minimally invasive, and can be made widely available should be a priority for companies in this field.

Ultimately, medical wearables can have a massive impact in the field of healthcare. Continuous end-to-end software testing is vital to ensure their success in the long run. While more research and development is needed to determine their full potential and efficacy in terms of dealing with disease, they show significant potential in improving the lives and jobs of patients and doctors worldwide.

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Microsoft Teams on RealWear headsets allows industrial workers to use both hands for complex work procedures while remotely collaborating with subject matter experts from around the world.

RealWear, Inc, a global leader of hands-free head-mounted tablets for digital transformation in industry, today announced that it is integrating Microsoft Teams for RealWear’s voice-controlled Android HMT-1 headsets.

With Teams on RealWear headsets, industrial workers can use both hands for complex work procedures while remotely collaborating with subject matter experts wherever they are in the world.

“Voice-optimizing Microsoft Teams for our reality-first, digital second headset will deliver measurable ROI in-situ for industry, empowering all first line workers,” said Sanjay Jhawar, president of RealWear.

“This integration addresses a common request from our customers to deliver Teams on HMT-1 headsets, enabling them to operate the Teams app and start a remote meeting with just their voice.”

Firstline workers often are required to work in dangerous environments where the use of both hands is critical for safety and effectiveness. These workers increasingly require access to a screen to gather information or to collaborate. With RealWear’s noise cancellation technology for voice commands combined with an adjustable micro-display screen running Android, RealWear’s HMT-1 is purpose-built for safe collaboration and knowledge transfer at the edge.

“Integrating Microsoft Teams with RealWear’s hands-free connected worker platform brings added safety to workers,” said Emma Williams, Corporate Vice President, Modern Workplace Transformations. “Microsoft Teams on RealWear has the potential to reduce downtime, as well as dependence on handheld devices in dangerous work environments.”

Two million manufacturing jobs are expected to go unfilled creating a major skills gap in the manufacturing sector according to a Deloitte study from 2017. Microsoft Teams for HMT-1 will reduce costly travel, and help workers manage issues in dangerous environments such as wind turbines and high-speed or hard-to-reach machines. According to Harvard Business Review, the firstline workforce make up more than 2 billion people around the world of which five percent are skilled industrial workers with high information needs.

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RealWear, the world’s leading industrial hands-free knowledge transfer platform for frontline workers, today announced that Italgas opted for RealWear’s HMT-1Z1 intrinsically safe platform running OverIT’s field services software to support the digital transformation of its operations.

Italgas reports that with the RealWear-OverIT field services solution, the utility has moved beyond the consumer tablet, taking its digital transformation to the next logical level with a purpose-built device for restricted zones. The utility has already seen huge productivity gains with RealWear by solving complex and risk-sensitive job tasks, even in ATEX Zone 1 restricted zones.

Andy Lowery, RealWear’s CEO, said:

“We’re thrilled that our HMT-1Z1 systems are helping Italgas accelerate its digital transformation efforts, improving safety and reliability. We are committed to delivering intuitive hands-free systems to accelerate knowledge transfer to the next generation of workers.”

Utility field workers performing maintenance work on gas infrastructure frequently encounter potentially hazardous situations that require immediate remote support and visualization of real-time IoT data of specific assets. Beyond just managing work orders, Italgas’s field services crews are required to visualize data and read technical documents while performing manual work.

Italgas declares that keeping hands free via voice-controlled systems safely resolves complex issues quickly and avoids additional travel or costly service downtime in extremely restricted zones where gases are present.

At Italgas, gas distribution means guaranteeing network safety, service continuity and system efficiency. To improve service quality and safety, increase distribution system efficiency and have a positive impact on the environment, the third largest European utility has been investing heavily in the digitization of its operations.

The utility first deployed the automated scheduling of work orders in 2004, pioneering the adoption of a Field Service Management solution to allow its workforce to avoid the need to visit the office to collect tasks in the morning or physically hand off documents at the end of their shift.

In 2012, to efficiently manage its approximately 44,000 miles of pipelines and 7.6 million assets, Italgas became one of the first utilities to use consumer devices for its workforce. The implementation of OverIT’s Field Service Management solution was a success and Italgas quickly moved onto an even bigger challenge: how could workers operate hands-free and benefit from the features of the tablet app while performing manual maintenance tasks? Italgas’ Digital Factory, the utility’s innovation department, developed the idea of using head-mounted devices (HMDs) and assisted reality.

Currently, the innovative solution enables Italgas’s field workers to reference documents (e.g., technical datasheets, multimedia content and asset history) while using their hands to perform the maintenance on a specific asset. Data collection via voice provides further efficiency, enabling users to update asset information without any manual input.

Italgas’s goal is to increase the number of field workers supported by the solution and expand its functionality. At Italgas, the knowledge gained from long-tenured workers is critical. Capturing their expertise and transferring it to less experienced technicians on the job advances digital transformation for the utility.

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Korean digital healthcare company WELT won the Innovation Awards for its new product, Smart Belt Pro, at CES 2020.

An updated version of a previous model, the Smart Belt Pro adds the world’s first fall prevention function to an already rich set of features that included waist measurement, sitting time measurement, monitoring for overeating and step counting.

While various wearable products including the Apple Watch have offered a fall detection function, they were limited in that they could only detect a fall after one occurred.

The Smart Belt Pro, however, uses the stable signals provided by the sensor located at the center of the body to detect patterns in small steps that wearable items on the wrist cannot.

The company explains that falls are detected in advance and prevented by analyzing irregularities in the user’s walking pattern.

By regularly evaluating the risk of a fall and anticipating falls that may occur in the future, this fall prevention function, a world first, is differentiated from other fall detection functions.

The Smart Belt Pro has achieved many improvements compared to the previous version in terms of the belt’s quality, proving itself worthy of the name “Pro.”

The leather strap has been handmade by master craftsmen using the premium Italian cowhide used by the finest fashion brands. The automatic buckle developed by WELT is so comfortable that you will never want to go back to your old buckle.

The price ranges depending on the type of leather and buckle quality, starting at USD 395.

WELT co-founder, Ken Roh, said:
“For WELT, CES is like a contest that gives us a chance to show off our hard work in the past year. Buyers and media companies from all over the world stop by our booth to experience WELT and promote the value of the brand.”

He added:

“Starting with CES, we will enhance our brand value and begin global market entry in earnest through premium stores in our major markets in the United States and Europe.”

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Innovative Light Drive system for smartglasses creates the first transparent, lightweight, and stylish user experience.

• World’s first all-day transparency smartglasses solution
• Smallest Light Drive on the market: 30 percent less depth
• Highly efficient, lightweight system, weighing less than 0.4 ounces
• Delivers high quality, bright images, even in direct sunlight
• Turnkey Light Drive display solution, for rapid integration

At CES® in Las Vegas, Nevada, Bosch Sensortec will launch an innovative optical Light Drive system for smartglasses.

The Bosch Smartglasses Light Drive module is a sole source, all-in-one technology stack consisting of MEMS mirrors, optical elements, sensors, and onboard processing. This integrated solution delivers a clean visual experience with bright images that are always in focus – even in direct sunlight.

For the first time, Bosch Sensortec integrated the disruptive Bosch Light Drive technology in the system. This revolutionizes all-day wearables with perceived total transparency for the user, and with radical social acceptance because it is nearly invisible to others. Additionally, the technology can also be applied to optimize performance of waveguide systems for which integration packages are in development.

There is no externally visible display or integrated camera, the two pitfalls that have alienated users of other smartglasses technologies. The smaller size allows designers to overcome the bulky, cumbersome characteristics of many of today’s smartglasses. For the first time, a turnkey system enables smaller, lighter, more stylish smartglasses designs that meet the visual and comfort needs of everyone. The tiny module is also big news for those who wear eyeglasses for vision correction – a significant market, since six out of ten people use corrective lenses every day1.

“The Smartglasses Light Drive system is the smallest and lightest product on the market today and is, therefore, able to turn almost any regular spectacles into smartglasses,” says Dr. Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO of Bosch Sensortec.

“By eliminating distracting phone usage, smartglasses can help improve driving safety and reduce the impulse of users to constantly check their mobile devices for notifications or messages.”

Bosch Sensortec’s innovative Smartglasses Light Drive solution paves the way for a day without digital fatigue. The system displays the perfect balance of just-in-time hands-free information in a minimalist format, making it ideal for applications including navigation, calls, and notifications such as alarms, calendar reminders, and messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and WeChat. Everyday note-based information like to-do and shopping checklists are exceptionally convenient.

To date, these applications have been primarily restricted to devices with physical displays like smartphones or smartwatches. Smartglasses minimize socially unacceptable behavior such as obsessive phone checking, and help improve driver safety by providing hands-free, transparent heads-up navigation directions. The new technology promises to broaden the scope and availability of apps and information, coupled with instant access to relevant data, social media, and intuitive control of audio playback.

Innovative technology in a tiny package

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) based collimated light scanner inside the Bosch Smartglasses Light Drive module scans a holographic element (HOE) that is embedded in the lens of the smartglasses. This HOE redirects the light beam onto the human retina surface, directly painting a picture that is always in focus.

The technology enables hands-free, secure viewing of practically any data from a connected mobile device, such as a paired smartphone, overlaid in a comfortable viewing position. The projected high-resolution image is crisp, bright, private, and clearly visible even in direct sunlight thanks to its adaptive brightness.

The Bosch Light Drive technology is compatible with curved and corrective lenses, making this new tech appealing and available to users who already wear prescription glasses. Older competitor display technologies are hindered by a haze or rainbow glare called stray light that is visible when the system is switched off. The Bosch Light Drive technology provides pleasing all-day optical transparency with minimal stray light sensitivity, meaning the view is always crystal clear, and that distracting internal reflections are a thing of the past.

Smallest Smartglasses Light Drive solution on the market

The new complete turnkey Light Drive system is the smallest comparable solution available on the market, delivering a depth reduction of 30 percent compared to existing solutions. It measures approximately 1.77-2.95 inches by 0.19-0.39 inches by 0.31 inches (L x H x W, depending on customer integration) and weighs less than 0.4 ounces. This makes it easy for glasses manufacturers to flexibly reduce the width of the glasses frame to create a stylish design, and eliminate the visibly chunky design of first-generation smartglasses. Social acceptance and broad adoption have the potential to make retinal Light Drive technologies the next boom for manufacturers of consumer electronics display devices.

End-to-end solution for smartglasses manufacturers

Bosch Sensortec provides a turnkey Light Drive solution – designed and built in-house to ensure consistent high quality, reliability, and performance, whilst being able to quickly respond to market and customer demands for product modifications. Bosch Sensortec is the only end-to-end system provider of such retinal Light Drive technology and can further leverage this position by offering an extensive range of complementary devices and solutions. The smartglasses module is enriched by several sensor solutions, such as Bosch’s smart sensor BHI260, the barometric pressure sensor BMP388, and the BMM150 magnetometer. The sensors enable intuitive user interface features such as multi-tap functions on the frame to improve convenience while operating the glasses.

The Bosch Smartglasses Light Drive solution will be available in 2021 to high-volume manufacturers as part number BML500P.

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Intense competition and price pressure impact on profits in the consumer and enterprise device markets. Differentiation is difficult and an expensive exercise.

The Smart Ring is an emerging and yet unexploited wearable electronics segment – so the question is, how can brands and manufacturers use the Smart Ring to create a profitable and uncontested market – their own Blue Ocean?

In this article, Ville Ylläsjärvi, Product Innovator and Co-founder at Haltian, the global product development and IoT firm, and developer of several Smart Ring products, explains how brands, manufacturers, and service providers can define the right Smart Ring strategy.

Launch of a new era in the Smart Ring market

The first Smart Ring products entered the commercial consumer markets about five years ago. Since then, the Smart Ring space has been dominated by startup companies. The startup driven market has enabled rapid innovation, technology evolution, and product development. As a result, you can find several Smart Ring products in at least 11 product segments – these include health monitoring, fitness tracking, contactless payments, the panic button, and more.

Amazon’s launch of the Echo Loop Smart Ring in September, has however, marked the beginning of a new era for Smart Rings. The offering from one of the largest global consumer brands will help the Smart Ring enter into the mainstream market, and accelerate market growth. Apple’s Smart Ring patent application guarantees that other tech giants will follow suit.

Is Smart Ring ready for Widescale Innovation?

The Smart Ring form-factor has passed the initial acid test of commercial consumer markets with flying colors. Despite several market flops, a handful of companies have managed to create successful Smart Ring products – among these are the Oura health ring, the Motiv fitness tracking ring, and the Wave MIDI controller ring created by Genki Instruments.

The Smart Ring is light, unnoticeable, and a very personal wearable device. It sits tightly on a finger and doesn’t fall off easily, and it won’t disturb the user. The Smart Ring is a natural device for gesture control – as we use our hands and fingers all the time for communicating, steering, and for pointing at things. Our fingers provide a comfortable way to sense the heart rate for applications, such as health monitoring.

So, yes – the Smart Ring form-factor is ready for wide-scale innovation for brands, manufacturers, and service providers to create new Blue Ocean markets.

Smart Ring – The Ultimate Product Development Challenge!

Let’s face it; the Smart Ring is an ultimate product development challenge for any company. On a strategic level, you can choose between several go-to-market strategies; and then you will have to define the right product/market strategy and value model.

Technically, the Smart Ring is an ultra-demanding form-factor. It is tiny, yet packed with sensors, circuitry, a battery, and more with an ultra-high degree of integration – antenna design alone requires deep RF (radio frequency) know-how. Developers have to solve countless challenges before they can launch a Smart Ring product, which can deliver an extraordinary user experience.

Consequently, choosing the right product development strategy will be crucial – there are several alternatives, and each of them has its pros and cons.

Building a successful Smart Ring strategy depends on three primary areas: it is the product/market strategy, the value model, and the right product development strategy. I will now go into depth by delving into them in more detail.

Choose the Right Smart Ring Product/Market Strategy

The Smart Ring form-factor is a flexible product innovation platform, which can be designed, developed, and applied for a multitude of use-cases and markets. As with every company, you have to define your own strategy. These are four alternative paths you can take:

1. Create a New Smart Ring Category

Smart Rings have been successfully used for establishing several new product segments, which were not in existence before. These include, for instance, convenient sleep improvement, and health and fitness monitoring. However, there will be many more segments to be invented, for example, in the areas of remote medical care, personal authentication, ambient sensing, and even more —the only limit is your imagination!

2. Redefine an Existing Product

You can use the Smart Ring to redefine the utility and user-experience of your existing products or services delivered today. The Smart Ring can introduce deeper intelligence, higher security, and a further ease-of-use; into your products, and this can translate into higher customer value, or differentiation. The first-come-first-serve advantage is critical for success in this strategy – and typically, competitors will follow your lead quickly!

3. Develop a Physical Dimension for a Service

If you are a provider of an immaterial service, such as an online service, gaming, gambling, security and surveillance service, or an ecosystem provider, you can develop the Smart Ring to be the physical dimension for your service. This differentiation strategy could set you apart from your competitors by providing the buyers better security, easier authentication, or enable easy payment.

4. Develop a Vertical or Enterprise Application

According to a recent report by Gartner, by 2020, more than 60% of organizations will be using wearables for business purposes. You can already find several Smart Ring opportunities in verticals and enterprise segments. Some ideas include the monitoring of performance levels of employees through parameters such as keeping tabs on their heart rate, blood pressure, and skin temperature. Just imagine how useful it would be to assure that people on duty have the required physical and mental preparedness to carry out their tasks – this would include air carrier crew, taxi and bus drivers, field service technicians, emergency responders, public safety officers among others. Smart Rings could also improve worker safety by monitoring their health under challenging environments and sending out alerts, in case of emergencies.

Define the Best Value Model for your Smart Ring Product

The Smart Ring, like any other consumer electronics market, is highly price sensitive. How can you maximize the economic benefits in the Smart Ring market? This depends on the product and pricing strategy you will choose. Here are three alternatives to consider:

1. The one-off hardware pricing strategy is the simplest and straight-forward way to convert customer value into revenue. However, this is what everyone is doing today.

2. Instead of a one-off price, you can develop the Smart Ring to be an ecosystem like smartphones – and ensure that customers buy new applications and features for your ring.

3. If you are a service provider with a recurring pricing model, you could also capture the value of the Smart Ring through monthly service fees, instead of a one-off sale fee.

Choosing the Optimal Product Development Strategy is Crucial!

The Smart Ring is a highly demanding form-factor. It is the ultimate technical challenge for the developers. Choosing the right product development strategy is crucial for your success in the markets. Now I will share the three most common product development strategies and their pros and cons.

1. With in-house development – you can build up an internal organization and competence and invest in the resources required for developing your Smart Ring product. With this strategy, you have full control over the development process, and future product roadmap, and, if successful, you will sustain competitive advantage in the market. On the flip side, the Smart Ring industry is still new; so there is very little competence out there, and you might end up wasting a lot of time.

2. You can buy and rebrand a third-party white-label Smart Ring product, and enhance it with your own custom features. The white-label strategy is fast, and you save time in the beginning. However, the downside is that you will not have full control of the
product features, quality, data security, and roadmap.

3. You can also outsource the product design, development, and manufacturing to a high-end product development company who have prior experience in the Smart Ring market. This strategy provides you with a fast time-to-market with a well-designed, high-quality product, thanks to working with an experienced development team who can foresee and avoid problems. With a long-term partnership, you can develop a product customized for your needs, and plan your roadmap ahead. With this strategy, however, you will not accumulate all the technical competence assets in-house.

In Conclusion

The Smart Ring is more than just a product. It is a versatile innovation platform that can help you to create new, unforeseen products, services, and user-experiences. It gives you the opportunity to redefine your existing products and services in a new way. The Smart Ring allows you to differentiate your offering and to deliver your customers an unprecedented utility and value – and create a profitable Blue Ocean market!

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Triax Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of technology for the connected jobsite, and EarthCam, the leading provider of construction camera technology and services, today announced a partnership to integrate their solutions to increase visibility into jobsite perimeters, enhancing safety and security.

Using Triax’s Spot-r network, the two companies are offering a first-of-its-kind solution, enabling EarthCam’s high-resolution video cameras to provide real-time, independent visual verification of data identified through a worker’s wearable Spot-r Clip as it is swiped by each person entering and exiting the jobsite.

The Spot-r Clip, an Internet-of-Things (IoT) device attached to a worker’s belt, is a multipurpose credential for a worker’s access to the jobsite. It is synced to a worker profile in the Spot-r dashboard, enabling supervisors to manage worker identification and certifications to ensure compliance with regulations. Now, with the EarthCam integration, this data is synced to a video camera that provides a video segment as each person enters and leaves the site. With these new capabilities, contractors and owners can know who is on site, as well as the exact time they entered and left. Additionally, the data that Spot-r captures on these transactions enables contractors to easily and quickly access the relevant images they need, rather than sifting through all of the video footage.

“As an industry leader in high-resolution visual imagery, EarthCam is the perfect partner to complement the capabilities of our Spot-r network, providing an extra level of visibility and control over who is entering and exiting a jobsite,” said Ian Ouellette, VP of product, Triax Technologies. “The ability of the EarthCam video to verify if an individual entering the site matches the identity on the Spot-r Clip, or see if a worker tries to tailgate on someone else’s clip by entering at the same time, is invaluable in ensuring that only qualified workers are on the site.”

“The opportunity to collaborate with Triax Technologies further exemplifies our collective desire to innovate visual information solutions for the construction industry,” said Brian Cury, CEO and founder of EarthCam. “Pairing our high-quality video with the data derived from Triax delivers a unique integration for enhanced jobsite security and safety.”

The combined technology is being effectively implemented at Lettire Construction. “We take site safety and security very seriously at Lettire,” said Nick Lettire, president and CEO, Lettire Construction.

“By controlling and thoroughly verifying jobsite access with the Triax/EarthCam integrated technology, we are able to significantly enhance our safety and security practices and reduce risk. We have peace of mind knowing that we are covering all the bases when it comes to controlling who is entering and exiting our site, 24/7.”

Sammy Journey, business development manager at Procore, said:
“We are pleased that two of our key partners are working together to enhance jobsite security, and provide a seamless solution that our customers can easily access through Procore.”

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Industry-first healthcare wrist wearable now connected by LTE-M.

Sequans Communications S.A. and OneCare, Inc., are partnering to bring innovative health wearables to market using Sequans’ Monarch LTE-M/NB-IoT chip platform.

The first device is the OneLife Carewatch, a revolutionary remote monitoring care platform recently launched on a leading US mobile network, and the two companies are developing additional wearable devices based on Sequans’ Monarch technology. The OneLife Carewatch is the only certified, mass-produced standalone wrist wearable on the market today that uses advanced LTE-M technology to securely transmit data and information to the cloud.

The OneLife Carewatch features a robust platform and delivers five days of battery life, thanks to the ultra low power consumption capability of Sequans’ Monarch. The OneLife Carewatch is an advanced and powerful solution for remote patient monitoring, delivering data, predictive analytics, and comprehensive health information over the cloud via the highly secure OneLife Guardian Carewatch APP. Another unique feature of the OneLife Care platform is its ability to integrate with all other health/medical devices and provide doctors, clinicians, and patients with a wide-ranging view of overall patient health, becoming a “hub of care.”

“We are dedicated to becoming the world’s leading remote care monitoring and population health monitoring platform,” said Thomas Glaser, Chairman, OneCare.

“With our innovative Carewatch now connected by the always on and everywhere available LTE-M provided by Sequans’ ultra-efficient Monarch, patients are connected to their caregivers, and loved ones are connected to those needing monitoring for safety and protection in real time.”

“Our partnership with Sequans and use of Monarch technology ensures we are well-positioned to positively impact lives. Our mission is to promote caring for each other—OneCare, OneLife, One Million Cared For.”

According to Juniper Research, the healthcare wearables market will reach $60 billion by 2023 and remote patient monitoring devices will become “must haves.” The research firm reports that the healthcare wearables market is being driven by improvements in remote patient monitoring technology and its increased adoption by medical institutions. The firm forecasts that 5 million people will be remotely monitored by healthcare providers by 2023.

“It is very exciting to provide our technology for the OneLife Carewatch wearable that will surely help millions of people,” said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO. “The Carewatch’s ability to provide accurate, real time health data that improves health outcomes and may save lives, makes it one of the most important IoT applications in use today. The OneLife Carewatch platform represents the future of healthcare and I believe it will drive the faster adoption of IoT.”

The OneLife Carewatch is powered by Sequans Monarch LTE-M/NB-IoT Platform. Monarch provides full support for power saving mode (PSM) and extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) to enable long battery life, and it provides enhanced coverage modes, including a +23 dBm power amplifier, that extend coverage for deep-indoor and remote deployments. For LTE positioning, Monarch incorporates the positioning technology of Polte for accurate, low power, indoor and outdoor positioning capability using only the LTE radio. Monarch delivers programmable RF filtering for global band support in a Single-SKU, and proprietary dynamic power management technology, enabling rock bottom power consumption of 1 micro amp. Monarch is certified by operators around the world.

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Berg Insight today released new findings about the connected wearables market. Shipments of connected wearables reached 116.8 million worldwide in 2018.

Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.4 percent, total shipments of smartwatches, smart glasses, fitness & activity trackers, smart clothing, mobile telecare and medical devices as well as other wearable devices are forecasted to reach 238.5 million units in 2023.

Bluetooth will remain the primary connectivity option in the coming years. A total of 67.7 million of the wearables sold in 2023 are forecasted to incorporate embedded cellular connectivity, mainly in the smartwatch and telecare and medical device categories.

The connected fitness & activity tracker segment is led by Chinese Xiaomi, which has been successful with its Mi Band fitness tracker. Fitbit, a pioneer in the segment, is still also among the largest vendors in the segment along with Huawei and Garmin. Berg Insight estimates that shipments in the segment reached 65.0 million units in 2018.

This product category is now facing fierce competition from smartwatches that in most cases include activity tracking features. Apple entered the connected wearables market in Q2-2015 and quickly became the leading smartwatch vendor. In 2018, the company accounted for almost half of the total 45.5 million smartwatches sold during the year.

“Apple continues to hold a firm grip on the smartwatch market and is at the forefront of innovation in the industry” says Martin Bäckman, IoT Analyst at Berg Insight.

The competition has responded with increasingly capable and attractive devices from Wear OS vendors including Fossil, LG and Huawei as well as from vendors betting on other platforms such as Fitbit and Samsung. The smartwatch segment is expected to surpass fitness & activity trackers and become the largest device category within wearable technology in terms of shipments in 2021.

Mr Bäckman concludes:

“Technology advancements, increased consumer awareness and wide availability of devices in different price segments will enable smartwatches to reach shipments of 117.7 million units in 2023.”

Sales of smart glasses and head-mounted displays have so far been modest, but promising use cases in professional markets as well as in niche consumer markets will enable it to become a sizeable connected wearable device category in the next five years. A number of vendors including Daqri, ODG, Epson, Google, Microsoft, Kopin and Vuzix are active in the segment. Standalone VR headsets from companies such as Oculus and HTC aimed for the consumer market are gaining traction and accounted for a large share of the total 1.5 million devices shipped in the segment during 2018. Berg Insight forecasts that shipments of smart glasses and head-mounted displays will reach 11.9 million units by 2023.

Annual shipments of medical devices and mobile telecare/mPERS devices are forecasted to grow from 1.8 million devices in 2018 to 6.9 million devices in 2023. The segment includes wearables such as cardiac rhythm management devices, ECG monitors and mobile telecare devices.

Finally, annual shipments of wearables not covered by the above product categories such as authentication and gestures devices, smart rings, wrist-worn computers and scanners, smart jewellery and connected prosthetics are predicted to grow from 3.0 million units in 2018 to reach 13.0 million units in 2023.

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Sierra Wireless Ready-to-Connect solution enables the world’s first cellular-connected safety ring with panic button. Try the Nimb smart safety ring in a live LTE M-connected demonstration at Mobile World Congress 2019.

Sierra Wireless today announced that Nimb has selected Sierra Wireless’ Ready-to-Connect cellular modules for its smart safety ring, designed to alert emergency contacts when the ring’s wearer presses the hidden panic button.

Ready-to-Connect delivers all of the key elements needed for this IoT application in a compact 15 x 18 mm package, including LPWA module, GNSS, Smart SIM with global coverage and cloud management services, in one integrated bundle.

After one of its founders was violently attacked, Nimb developed a smart ring with a concealed panic button that allows users to send an alert with their location to a list of emergency contacts, including first responders in the US and fellow Nimb ring wearers nearby. With one click and without drawing unwanted attention, the Nimb ring enables its wearer to call for help. Using Sierra Wireless’ Ready-to-Connect solution, the Nimb ring is a stand-alone device that doesn’t need to be paired with another mobile device and can be used anywhere in the world on LTE-M and NB-IoT networks.

Leo Bereschansky, Founder and CEO, Nimb, said:

“Our goal was to create an easy-to-use wearable that keeps its user safe without needing to be paired with a mobile device. By designing the next generation of Nimb rings with Sierra Wireless’ Ready-to-Connect solution, we were able to develop a fully autonomous safety system that fits into our form factor budget and works anywhere in the world in many fewer months than planned.”

Using Ready-to-Connect modules simplified the development of Nimb’s safety ring by delivering all the elements they needed to deploy a global personal safety system. The HL78 LPWA modules deliver best-in-class power performance, extending the Nimb ring’s battery life, while the operator-agnostic Smart SIMs make it easy for Nimb to deploy their solution globally. All SIM subscriptions and devices are managed end-to-end through a single interface using AirVantage® IoT Platform.

Marc Overton, Chief Solutions Officer, Sierra Wireless, said:
“Nimb was looking for a low-power cellular solution that they could quickly and easily deploy, without having to integrate products and platforms from different vendors. Ready-to-Connect provided the security, connectivity and management platform, as well as the small form factor that Nimb needed to develop a reliable smart safety device.”

Research by analyst firm Frost & Sullivan found that many IoT deployments can take more than 18 months to move from concept to commercial launch. With Ready-to-Connect, companies can innovate in a third of the time, while also simplifying operations and reducing product and logistic costs by up to $500,000/year*. Ready-to-Connect eliminates the need to manage different vendors and platforms, as well as the complex pairing of multiple components that can lead to security vulnerabilities.

Mobile World Congress 2019 Demonstration

Sierra Wireless and Nimb will demonstrate the smart safety ring at MWC, February 25-28, in the GSMA Innovation City, Hall 4, Stand 4A30. Visitors can try on the ring and see how easy it is to use the hidden panic button to send emergency alerts over a live cellular network.

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Sequans Communications S.A. announced that Daatrics, maker of smart wearables, will use Sequans’ Monarch SiP to provide LTE connectivity to its Neebo baby monitor.

Neebo is an innovative infant wearable that provides parents with highly accurate monitoring of their baby’s vital statistics. Monarch is the industry’s most advanced LTE-M / NB-IoT chip, optimized for IoT devices such as wearables.

Andrey Khayrullaev, CEO and founder of Daatrics, said:

“We chose Sequans’ Monarch SiP to LTE-enable the Neebo, because of its ultra-small size that is ideal for this tiny baby wearable.”

“Also, Monarch further improves the peace-of-mind we want to give our users because of its always-on and everywhere available reliability. Sequans’ Monarch is the most mature and proven LTE solution in the world.”

The Neebo infant wearable is a beautifully designed egg-shaped wristlet for baby. It is the only penny-sized device that’s small enough to be placed over a newborn’s wrist. Neebo provides the most accurate infant data stream on the market and monitors baby’s heart rate, oxygen saturation, thermal state, and audio environment, and provides a smart alarm system, alerting parents whenever necessary.

“We are proud that Monarch SiP is providing the LTE connectivity for the new Neebo baby wearable,” said Georges Karam, CEO, Sequans. “It is a special achievement to have all of the excellent Neebo monitoring features packed with LTE inside such a tiny and beautifully designed wearable.”

Daatrics is using Sequans’ Monarch SiP, which is the world’s smallest and thinnest LTE connectivity solution, combining Monarch with the universal radio front end of Skyworks.

Monarch provides full support for power saving mode (PSM) and extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) to enable the long battery life needed by many IoT use cases, and it provides the enhanced coverage modes that extend coverage for deep-indoor and remote deployments. Monarch incorporates the positioning technology of Polte for accurate, low power indoor and outdoor positioning capability using only the LTE radio. Monarch delivers programmable RF filtering for global band support in a Single-SKU, and proprietary dynamic power management technology enabling rock bottom low power consumption of 1 micro amp. Monarch is certified by operators worldwide.

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Java Card 3.1 enables multi-cloud authentication and quickly deployed security to connected devices.

Oracle today announced the general availability of Java Card 3.1, the latest version of one of the world’s most popular and open application platform used to secure some of the world’s most sensitive devices.

This extensive update provides more flexibility to help meet the unique hardware and security requirements of both existing secure chips and emerging Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. New features introduced with this release address use cases across markets ranging from telecom and payments to cars and wearables.

Java Card technology provides a secured environment for applications that run on smart cards and other trusted devices with limited memory and processing capabilities. With close to six billion Java Card-based devices deployed each year, Java Card is already a leading software platform to run security services on smart cards and secure elements, which are chips used to protect smartphones, banking cards and government services.

Java Card introduces features that make applications more portable across security hardware critical to IoT. This enables new uses for hardware-based security, such as multi-cloud IoT security models, and makes Java Card the ideal solution for tens of billions of IoT devices that require security at the edge of the network.

Emerging Applications for Java Card include:

• Smart meters and industrial IoT – Increasingly sophisticated IoT smart meters and IoT gateways use Java Card to authenticate smart city and corporate services while protecting individual device credentials.
• Wearables – Wearable and consumer electronics are increasingly used for sensitive applications such as Near Field Communication (NFC)

ticketing and payments, as well as tracking health data. Java Card helps to meet the security requirements of these devices while allowing the flexibility to add and update services.

• Automotive – Car manufacturers can use strong Java Card-based security to help protect vehicle systems and sensitive data from physical and network attacks.
• Cloud connected devices – Java Card in connected devices can enable access to 5G or NBIoT networks and offer strong authentication for the IoT cloud.

“Connected devices’ volumes are expected to increase in the upcoming years, posing an increasingly complex challenge as growth adds system complexity to the infrastructure handling device data,” said Volker Gerstenberger, President and Chair of the Java Card Forum. “Java Card 3.1 is very significant to the Internet of Things, bringing interoperability, security and flexibility to a fast-growing market currently lacking high-security and flexible edge security solutions.”

New features and capabilities include:

• Deployment of edge security services at IoT speed – Java Card 3.1 allows the development of security services that are portable across a wide range of IoT security hardware, helping reduce the risk and complexity of evolving IoT hardware and standards. A new extensible I/O model enables applications to exchange sensitive data directly with connected peripherals, over a variety of physical layers and application protocols.
• Dedicated IoT features – Java Card 3.1 introduces new APIs and updated cryptography functions to help address the security needs of IoT and facilitate the design of security applications such as device attestation. Uniquely, Java Card in IoT devices enables deployment of security and connectivity services on the same chip. Multiple applications can be deployed on a single card and new ones can be added to it even after it has been deployed.
• Developer enhancements – Java Card includes a set of unique tools for developing new services and applications. An extended file format simplifies application deployment, code upgrade and maintenance. API enhancements boost developer productivity and the memory efficiency of applications in secure devices.

“Java Card is already used and trusted as a leading security platform for countless devices in the multi-billion-dollar smart card and secure element industry,” said Florian Tournier, Senior Director for Java Card at Oracle.

“The 3.1 release enables the rollout of security and SIM applications on the same chip, allowing those services to be used on a large spectrum of networks from NB-IoT to 5G, and on a wide range of devices.”

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The worldwide wearables market is forecast to ship 122.6 million units in 2018, up 6.2% from the 115.4 million units shipped in 2017, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker.

This will be the first year of single digit year-over-year growth for the wearables market, mostly due to continuing softness among basic wearables (devices that do not run third-party applications). However, double-digit growth will return in 2019 and through the rest of the forecast as smartwatches and new form factors gain acceptance. In 2022, IDC expects total shipment volumes will reach 190.4 million units, resulting in a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6% over the five-year forecast.

“The slowdown in the worldwide wearables market is a sign that this is a market in transition instead of a market in slowdown,” said Ramon T. Llamas, research director for IDC’s Wearables team.

“Vendors are slowly moving beyond first-generation devices and experiences, bringing together an ecosystem of partners and applications for improved user experiences that reach beyond step counting. The wearables of tomorrow will play a more prominent role in communication, digital health care, home IoT, and enterprise productivity that will make last year’s wearables look quaint.”

“The shift from basic wearables to smartwatches is well on its way,” said Jitesh Ubrani senior research analyst for IDC Mobile Device Trackers. “With it, we anticipate far greater diversity in terms of design, feature set, brands, and most importantly, price points than ever before. Fitbit’s Versa was one of the first mass market smartwatches to target the sub-$200 price band and in the next six to twelve months consumers can expect more options in the same or lower price tiers.”

“Apart from smartwatches, we also expect growth from new products as kid’s brands, fashion brands, and sports brands begin to to hit the shelves,” added Ubrani. “Although kids’ wearables have been a phenomenon in the Asia/Pacific region, they are just beginning to emerge in Europe and Latin America with the North American market to follow. Meanwhile, the third generation of WearOS watches are expected to make a small splash this holiday season and gain traction throughout 2019.”

“Through all these changes there will still be an appetite for basic wearables,” noted Llamas. “Wristbands will continue to play a significant role in the wearables market, offering simpler and less expensive solutions than their smartwatch counterparts. We also expect these devices will bring a more smartwatch-like experience to the table. Meanwhile, clothing and earwear will post market-beating growth with use cases that go well beyond their primary functions.”

Forecast Highlights

Smartwatch volumes will reach a total of 46.2 million units shipped in 2018, up 38.9% from the 33.3 million units shipped last year. By 2022, total volumes will grow at a CAGR of 19.5% and reach 94.3 million units shipped, accounting for nearly half the entire wearables market. In the near-term, expect a boost from Fitbit’s entry in the market as well as a reinvigorated WearOS to spur volumes. At the same time, Apple’s new Watch will appeal to cardiac patients thanks to its approval from the FDA and AHA, and its refreshed watchOS5 provides reason for owners of older versions to upgrade.

Wristband volumes will remain essentially flat throughout our forecast. Although numerous vendors have exited in recent quarters and more will exit in the years to come, what will remain are best-of-breed devices that go beyond step counting and move towards being a health and fitness companion. Combined with their simple value proposition and lower prices compared to smartwatches ($44 USD vs $289, respectively) wristbands will continue to play a significant role in the wearables market.

Earwear will grow the fastest among all the other wearables products on our list. In this category, we included those devices that feature a plus-one functionality beyond audio, and already earwear has expanded to include fitness tracking and coaching and real-time language translation, and in the coming years it should not be difficult to imagine a smart assistant tucked into a user’s ear.

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New technology implemented on Altair’s ALT1250 and utilizing Ethertronics’ antenna design expertise to be demonstrated at MWC Americas.

Altair Semiconductor and Ethertronics (a subsidiary of AVX®) a leader in high performance antenna system solutions, today announced a new small antenna technology, which will be demonstrated within a new cellular IoT wearable concept at Mobile World Congress Americas.

The technology is a significant breakthrough that combines Ethertronics’ ultra-small antenna with Altair’s ALT1250 dual-mode Cat-M1/NB-IoT chipset algorithms to reduce the size of cellular wearable devices without sacrificing performance.

“Ethertronics is a recognized leader in antenna design and tunable components, making it an excellent partner for developing this concept,” said Dima Feldman, Head of Product Management for Altair.

“Combining Altair’s modem algorithmic capabilities with a world class antenna designer has resulted in the smallest antenna design for cellular wearable devices and other tiny IoT devices, setting a new standard for antenna performance that improves coverage, power efficiency and overall user experience.”

The ALT1250 is the market’s most highly integrated dual-mode Cat-M1/NB-IoT chipset, with lowest power consumption and enabling longest battery life. It includes GNSS location positioning, a RF front-end supporting all commercial LTE bands within a single hardware design, a hardware-based security framework and an internal application subsystem.

“Until now, wearable device manufacturers have struggled to reduce the size of their products without sacrificing cellular coverage and overall performance,” said Olivier Pajona, Chief Scientist for Ethertronics. “Altair’s antenna tuning algorithm and leadership in integrated solutions, together with our expertise in antenna design, paves the way to developing the smallest and highest performing wearable devices.”

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Laipac Technology Inc., a Richmond Hill, Ontario-based IoT technology development and design company, announced the S911 Enforcer, an IoT Smart Bracelet for Electronic Monitoring of Law Enforcement applications.

The S911 Enforcer is a wearable Law Enforcement Bracelet used for house arrest and restraining order applications, constructed with Laipac’s award-winning GPS technologies. The S911 Enforcer uses a powerful Cortex processor with high sensitivity GNSS (GPS & GLONASS) receiver. This innovated security wearable device is equipped with programable geofences which instantly notifies the supervisor with alerts when the holder of the S911 Enforcer enters or exits a geofence.

The S911 Enforcer is also equipped with a dedicated call button that can directly make two-way calls between the device holder and the designated call recipient. It has a loud-volume sound speaker and a sensitive microphone to ensure that calls and warning messages are heard.

For installation on a user, the S911 Enforcer has a security stainless-steel lock. Any tampering, unauthorized opening of the lock, or cutting of the wrist band will instantaneously trigger the tamper alert on Laipac’s IoT platform, LocationNow.com. The S911 Enforcer contains the most advanced technology for law enforcement monitoring applications compared to the traditional ankle bracelet. It has a ruggedized case material for maximum strength, durability, and is rated at IP68 for waterproof.

“We are very excited to launch our new S911 Enforcer to help to secure the electronic monitoring for law enforcement agencies. We hope our technologies can help to reduce the problems of overcrowded prisons,” said Diego Lai, Co-Founder and CEO of Laipac Technology Inc. “S911 Enforcer will be ready for sale in September 2018.”

S911 Enforcer can also pair with RF beacon for in-door detection. It meets and surpasses the requirements of law enforcement agencies for applications of parole monitoring, house arrest, restraining orders and zones exclusion. There is also an additional application for the S911 Enforcer to be used in Alzheimer patient monitoring.

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New NXP mWallet 2GO secure service enables Montblanc’s TWIN smart strap.

NXP Semiconductors N.V. in collaboration with Mastercard, and Visa today announced the launch of its new mWallet 2GO, a white label wallet service developed on the NXP Secure Service 2GO Platform.

With the new service, NXP is first in the industry to offer the full scope of mobile wallet development in one solution including leading hardware technology, surrounding software and ecosystem integration. The payment solution is designed to ease development, reduce cost, and accelerate time-to-market for OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) to add mobile payment capability to any wearable, mobile or IoT (Internet-of-Things) device.

Montblanc, the German manufacturer of luxury writing instruments, watches, jewelry and leather goods, is the first company to launch its own mobile wallet solution based on mWallet 2GO for its new TWIN smart strap.

“Montblanc’s heritage of sophistication and craftsmanship remains true with the introduction of the TWIN smart strap,” said Dr. Felix Obschonka, Director for New Technologies at Montblanc.

“In this new stylish, smart strap, we’ve combined high-end materials with the most advanced technologies on the market to bring our customers easy, secure payment capabilities for their beloved watches – so they can delight in fashion and convenience while at the same time don’t miss out on digital use cases.”

“mWallet 2GO extends our market-leading silicon offering to a truly full service and system solution for mobile payment. Following the announcement of MIFARE 2GO, this once again proves how NXP is at the forefront of transforming whole ecosystems,” said Rafael Sotomayor, senior vice president of secure transactions and identification solutions at NXP. “The company’s success in mobile payment implementations around the world validates NXP’s position to pave the way for new exciting secure payment devices to market.”

This first true end-to-end solution integrates NXP’s advanced technologies including Near Field Communications (NFC), Secure Element (SE), NFC middleware, SE JavaCard operating system, SE applets, SEMS (Secure Element Management Service), wallet application and software developer kit (SDK), wallet server and MDES (Mastercard Digital Enablement Service) and VTS (Visa Token Service) tokenization platforms, to offer OEMs a pre-certified and validated turnkey solution.

“We are very pleased to have NXP as our latest partner in the space of connected consumer devices, which will result in simpler, more secure and convenient ways to pay for every shopper, while enabling issuing banks to further differentiate their product offerings,” said Paolo Battiston, Executive Vice President, Digital Payments and Labs for Europe at Mastercard. “Mastercard teamed up with NXP to provide a simple and better way to ensure security with the NXP Loader Service, and we anticipate a similar traction with mWallet 2GO.”

“As commerce expands from PC’s, smartphones and tablets to connected endpoints of all shapes and sizes, having both the partner network and the right technology in place are fundamental to delivering great experiences,” said Matt Dill, senior vice president, global products and solutions, Visa Inc. “Through the work NXP is doing, consumers will ultimately have even more ways to pay that are fast, secure and convenient to their daily lives.”

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