Thursday, January 7, 2016
A couple of months ago, we rounded up the latest and greatest in wearable fitness trackers, yet even just since the New Year, we've seen several new options hitting the market. And the major push, as we expected, is to have something unique, but non-fitness-y. So many people truly are interested in monitoring their progress, and yet announcing to the board meeting that they're trying to lose weight is hardly top of their agenda. More than this, the aging population is also intrigued by tracking their activity, monitoring their blood pressure, and additional biometrics without looking like a walking medical facility. What about the younger crowd? Those who moms and dads are concerned for, but aren't particularly fond of wearing a watch (even the band did get small enough to fit their wrists)? 2016 brought solutions for them, too! Awareness of wellness is definitely the current slogan for the U.S., but we're bringing fashion back. Check these out!
www.wisewear.com
Created by a 94-year-old fashion icon, the socialite collection goes beyond any other fitness tracker or smart watch available - it looks gorgeous. Sure it tracks your activity and updates you on any mobile notifications you might be receiving. Yet, the features also include an optional safety function to send emergency distress signals, geolocation information, as well as sound recordings to contacts of your predetermined choice, putting this statement piece in a class all its own.
Withings is on-point with their options: after just having released their Activite Steel, they now have a family-friendly clip-on disc that doesn't require recharging! The Withings Go is no doubt designed with kids in mind, and priced at only $69 they didn't forget mom and dad are usually the ones responsible for outfitting the kids (sometimes more than once when things magically disappear). The best part of this super simple tracker is the e-ink display, that appears to always be on. It simply ticks off progress showing a star when all the tick marks have been met. Vibrant colors can be worn as a bracelet or as a clip-on (think: shoes). And did we mention you can take it for a swim? Yep, it's even safe for your excessive hand-washing preschooler. More information can be accessed when you sync the Go with its free app, but for most kids the basic display will be plenty. Go, go, gadget tracker!
While it's not here, yet, this is one product you will want to watch. Click the link above to watch the video of how Profusa will continue to change the whole idea of monitoring and tracking this year. The company has already proven miraculous with their original Lumee which has allowed medical practitioners to monitor oxygen levels continuously in patients with Peripheral Artery Disease. This means saved limbs and lives because tissue oxygen levels drop well before advanced signs and symptoms occur. Now they want to help those with Diabetes monitor their glucose levels without pricking their fingers every two hours, they want to help triathletes monitor blood oxygen levels, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure levels to know when to stop, eat, or hydrate accordingly. Profusa will bring biometric tracking to the world with their innovative biosensors.