Wearables Push the Boundaries of Tech for Consumers

Some may argue that wearables were sparse at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas — those gadgets that take an undaunted approach to improving our overall comfort. Some of them are already on the market, while others need further refinement before becoming ready for consumers.

Smartwatches as we know them continued to evolve in design and features, one model introducing the possibility of phone-free running experiences, without giving up on the tunes that can set the pace of training. Other makers opted for a modular design that allows customization by mounting functional units on it. You can expand the core features and add an extra battery, various sensors (for temperature, air pressure, humidity, air quality, hear monitor, fingerprint), an LED flashlight or a camera.

A smartwatch for kids came from a Dutch company, designed to get children engaged in outdoor activities for healthier development. The product is interactive and responds to hand motion with various sound effects, letting kids’ imagination run wild with pretend play; it can also connect with other Bluetooth toys.

Like all gadgets at CES, sunglasses came with multiple purposes. One exhibit offers a meditation assistant that kicks in whenever your mind bounces off the meditation track. It reads your brain waves and prompts the accompanying app to guide you to calmness by playing weather-based sounds in your headphones.

The international electronics show brought a series of wearables that use bone conduction audio technology to carry sound directly into your inner ear, to let you experience a blend of your favorite tunes and the surrounding noise. The technology helps runners or cyclists stay connected to their environment while listening to music; it is available in headbands and helmets that pair with the phone.

But the exhibition also showed that the trend is to introduce this technology to the average consumer, by integrating it into sleek-looking sunglasses. The technology has also been implemented in a wristband that connects to your phone and allows you to take calls and talk by simply placing your finger to your ear.

In the wireless earbuds category, one product earned the esteem of the tech industry and a Best of Innovations award at CES. Apart from being able to play tunes or take calls from a connected phone, and the noise-canceling qualities, MARS earphones work as a real-time translator, too. The idea is to share one piece with someone speaking a different language so you can both speak in your native tongues.

The tech industry came up with an alluring offer this year, proposing dashing designs and functionality for products many did not think could serve for anything outside their initial application. Yet, the makers have pushed the boundaries of the conventional and have exposed users to a whole world of possibilities regarding comfort and style.

Image credit: IntelFreePress