2014 CES: Epson introduces Pulsense wearable fitness devices

It seems that the healthcare and fitness industry is on track to embrace wearable technology. Epson America, a leader in innovative products, and probably better known for their inkjet printers and projectors, is leading the way with the announcement of their continuous heart rate monitoring wearable device.

The Epson Pulsense smart watch, a bio-sensing wrist watch, and a lightweight Pulsense band was announced at the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. According to Epson, these devices, which are designed for daily wear and activity, can monitor and store your heart rate, activity level, calorie burn and sleep patterns.

The Pulsense band has a LED display that can be wirelessly connected to a smartphone to read and transfer the stored biometric data, while the watch features a LCD display for real-time viewing of heart rate, steps walked, calorie burn and date/time. These wearable devices will be pitched as ideal devices for staying fit, losing weight or training for a marathon.

This technology works by detecting a continuous heart rate directly from the wrist by measuring the amount of light reflected from red blood cells. A single heart beat is recorded when the amount of light reflected changes due to a drop in red blood cell count as the blood vessel contracts. There is no chest strap involved.

Since the Pulsense devices utilizes real-time heart rate data, it is able to determine calories burned based on personal biometrics. With the built-in memory, the Pulsense can store up to 480 hours of heart-rate data, which can be transferred to a smartphone or computer. For tracking your progress over a period of time, the data can transferred to an online health or fitness service using an iOS or Android mobile app, as well as from your personal computer.

You can look for these devices to hit the shelves this summer for around $130 for the band and $200 for the watch.

Epson also announced Moverio smart glasses with front-facing cameras and motion sensors and a Labelworks app-enabled label printer for printing QR and Bar codes.

It's still early in the week and more emerging technology will continue to flow from the 2014 CES at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

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Google Glass will usher in amazing technology, wearable computers

The Google Glass technology appears to be truly amazing. We have been hearing bits and pieces about this hi-tech device that you wear like glasses, but more information is starting to filter out about the capabilities and how this technology might fit into our daily routines.

This is what happens when a bunch of engineers and software developers get together to design something that we don't know we need. But as we learn more about the Google Glass device, I'm sure you'll want one. I know I do.

A room full of these guys gathered in Austin recently to listen to a Google guru explain the Google Glass concept and how to approach writing applications for the upcoming technological wonder.

If the final product actually works like the demonstration, it'll be revolutionary and Google will be an innovation leader in the mobile display of information. I hope they will be affordable, because I imagine they won't be cheap. But I like what I see coming down the pike.

The Google Glass device is designed to not be in the way of your normal vision. The apparatus that presents the information is in a heads-up-like display will be just above your right eye. You'll have to look up slightly and to the right to view a mini display.

Most of the controls will be along the right handle, which is significantly thicker than the left handle. That's where you'll tap and swipe back and forth like we do on smartphones and tablets. I assume there will be an option with the control handle on the left side for southpaws. Now the fun begins.

You will be able to give voice commands, such as "record a video" or "take a picture." This means that since you're already wearing the device, you can capture just about all your activities hands-free, such as recreational sports and other events.

Another voice command will bring back a Google search for information to be displayed as images or a text summary. This feature will be invaluable for doing research while on the go or if you're involved in something and not near a computer. So I assume the Google Glass device will have built-in Internet access with a data plan or Wi-Fi capability.

Receiving text messages and email will be a given and you'll reply by voice command, as will getting news headlines throughout the day, which can be read to you if you so desire. Yes, audio will be another feature that will be available, so maybe you'll be able to let the music play.

Google also says photos taken with Glass can be shared, with the popular online note-management site Evernote taking center stage. The idea is to use Skitch to interface with Evernote.

The Google Glass technology is still in the early stages of development, but the marketing has started and developers are hard at work building the future through managing technology and exploring how information is displayed.

This concept could be so cool that I can't imagine all the other technology heavyweights like Apple, Samsung and Microsoft staying on the sidelines very long, along with all the others that I didn't mention. I'm sure Apple will come out with something like iGlass to compete with the "Big G." While Galaxy S Glass from Samsung would have a nice ring to it, a name like Windows 8 Glass also could be a good fit if Microsoft jumped into this arena. With the smart watches arriving soon, and smart glasses on our eyes at some point, we will truly be wearing our computers.

As cyborg as it sounds, I can barely wait.

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Smart watches connecting to smartphones could be next big thing

I have been feeling a little like Dick Tracy lately, as I walked around with a Sony SmartWatch on my arm. There is a certain cool factor about this device, which was on loan from Verizon Wireless.

The SmartWatch functions as an extension of your Andriod smartphone or tablet and will allow you to read text messages and view social network updates, as well as check the time and date. The latter should be a "duh" moment; of course it'll give you the time and date.

I was up and running in no time, which allowed me to leave the Android smartphone in my pocket for most tasks.

The SmartWatch makes a Bluetooth connection to Android devices. After downloading a SmartWatch Liveware manager app from the Google play store, you're off and running with Facebook and Twitter updates, the weather, text messages and other features that have smart watch apps available. After digging around in the Android app store, I discovered SmartWatch apps for eBay, Web Cams, games, and get this – a Bubble Level.

I got most of these apps and features to work with the SmartWatch, but keeping a connection to the Android phone is kind of flaky. You can't let them get too far apart, as in the next room, or the Bluetooth connection will be lost.

I also found that swiping the face of the SmartWatch to control the menus and features was a little hit and miss. I would prefer hard button for some of these functions, as the face of the watch is too small for big fingers to be swipe and pinch. The SmartWatch has a single button to bring up the time and date.

Some users found the charging cable tricky to navigate, as it plugs into the underside of the watch, but depend on clamping friction from the watch back against the band to hold it securely. But once you do it a couple of time, it becomes a fairly easy maneuver.

The SmartWatch is compatible with most Android smartphones and tablets. A long list on Verizon's website includes the Droids, HTC, LG, Motorola and Samsung devices. As expected, the Sony Xperia Play is also compatible.

The Sony SmartWatch is listed at $149 from Verizon Wireless and is only available for Android devices at this time. But other manufacturers are also working on iOS compatibility, along with their Android software.

The Citizen Watch Company is taking a different approach with their $495 Eco-Drive Proximity wristwatch. According to this well-known giant in wristwatches, their smart-watch timepiece will connect to the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 through Bluetooth and features automatic adjustments for time zones, a lost iPhone search feature and email alerts with discrete vibration.

To use the smart watch features on the Citizen Proximity watch, you'll need the Proximity app in the Apple App Store. But early adopters are reporting Bluetooth connectivity problems in their reviews.

This technology is still in the early stages and I'll say the best is yet to come. As we look ahead to 2013, we can expect smart watches from MetaWatch, Martian Watches and Pebble. All of these firms have watches that are about to hit the market or are on the drawing board. These devices will be able to answers phone calls and the social networks integration will get better.

I'll predict that smart watches will be the next big thing and we won't have to reach for the smartphones as often to check emails or answer a call.

More: Apple smartwatch may be in the works

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