Wearables

For the past year or so, a student team from the Eindhoven University of Technology has been working on a wearable that could allow folks to understand what's being said in another language through vibrations on the arm.

Could an existing piano player adapt to playing the instrument with an extra, robotic thumb? A new study suggests that the answer is yes, and interestingly enough, even people who are new to the piano are equally adept at using the added appendage.

It's only been a few years since the first true wireless earphones launched and yet the marketplace is overflowing with variations on the theme. Relods is looking to stand out from the crowd with quick-swap batteries that let the music play on.

Back in July, Sony launched a neckband speaker aimed at folks using a corner of the living room or spare bedroom as a home office. Now B&O and Cisco have teamed up to supply the hybrid workforce with a wireless comms hub you put on your head.

At the RazerCon 2021 livestream event, Razer launched new Kraken headsets with HyperSense haptic feedback technology cooked in, adding another immersive dimension to gameplay by converting sound signals into "dynamic touch-sensory feedback."

Canada's PSB Speakers has launched the next generation of its award-winning M4U 8 wireless ANC headphones that were introduced at CES 2018, coming with improved battery life, personalized audio and a feature that recreates the feel of a room.

Since 2013, Astell&Kern has been employing multiple converters in its high-end DAPs in the pursuit of better sound. Now the company is taking that kind of thinking to its in-ear monitors as the Zero1 IEMs launch with three different driver types.

Regardless of whether you think they're less cumbersome or just easier to lose, AirPods certainly stirred things up when they first debuted. The third generation offers longer battery life, and technology that adapts the sound to each user's ears.

Imagine if you were an amateur singer or athlete, and you were able to "feel" the manner in which a professional breathes while performing. That's just one of the potential uses of a new "smart" fiber, which could also have medical applications.

Earlier in the week, Polar launched a premium-priced rugged smartwatch aimed at outdoor adventurers. Now China's Mobvoi is joining Polar on the mountain hike with a cheaper take on the tough fitness wearable, the TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS.

When other manufacturers were racing each other to get into the wireless headphone market, V-Moda held back. The high-style company has followed a similar path with true wireless earphones, only now entering the space with the Hexamove Series.

Although we've heard about "smart" fabrics which could be used in clothing that displays data, it's unlikely that most garments will ever be made of such materials. The PocketView system, however, shines its display through existing "dumb" textiles.