Six of the best in wearable tech

Kidderminster Shuttle: Six of the best in wearable tech Six of the best in wearable tech

Six of the best gadgets and gizmos on a theme. This week: Six of the best in wearable tech.

By Peter Jenkinson

With the hype around the new Google Glass (a camera, display, touchpad, battery and microphone built into spectacle frames, rumoured to be launched later this year), the idea of 'wearable tech' is becoming ever more prominent. It's an idea that has amazed, baffled and inspired people in equal measure, but whatever your view, take a look at these slightly more accessible, but still brilliant, 'wearable tech' gadgets.

Fuel for thought

Nike Fuelband - £129 from

There are a number of fitness bands on the market but the Nike Fuelband is, frankly, the best. This tracks your day-to-day activity and measures it with 'NikeFuel'; the more active you are, the more NikeFuel you will be rewarded with per day. Tell yours what you want to achieve and a series of 20 LEDs will gradually turn from red to green as you near your target. The Fuelband also synchs via Bluetooth with an app on your iOS device, neatly keeping track of everything.

Image is everything

Autographer - £399 from

Forget lining people up for the perfect shot or stopping whatever you're doing to take a snap, this very intelligent camera captures moments as they happen. Inside are sensors which determine when to take photos based on changes in light, motion, direction, colour and temperature. It is able to take up to 2,000 pictures a day with a very wide 136 degree angle lens, so wear it around your person then filter through the results when you get home. This utterly brilliant piece of kit has clearly seen the bigger picture.

Animal magic

Neurosky Necomimi - £69.95 from

Inside this head-mounted apparel is brain-computer interface technology so that when it's worn the EEG (electroencephalogram) sensor tracks brain activity and makes the ears act upon your emotions. The developers, Neurosky, state our minds have three mental states; focused, relaxed and 'in the zone', and each one of these will translate into a particular movement by the fluffy ear; when focused the ears will prick up, when relaxed they will droop, then when you manage to relax yet concentrate (aka: be 'in the zone') they will twitch. It's all slightly pointless, but also very fun.

Time to connect

Cookoo Watch - £109.95 from

This wrist-wear connects over Bluetooth to your iPhone or iPad, keeping tabs on what's happening, without you bothering to dig your device out of your pocket. Whenever you get an incoming call, missed call, email, SMS, calendar reminder, alarm, low battery sign - or even if you simply forget your phone - the watch will ping up with an alert. As if that wasn't enough, it also syncs with Facebook and lets you control the music on your device. With such an endless list of functions, losing your Cookoo Watch would be real blow - but luckily, they've thought of that too. If you misplace it, just open the app on your phone and set off an audible alert on your watch to help you locate it.

Keep it close

Hipkey - £69.95 from

Slip a Hipkey onto your keyring, trousers or handbag and, together with its free app, you have a very clever detection device. If you leave your iPhone somewhere, it'll start to buzz when you're further than a certain distance away. It also works in reverse with the companion app; you can have your phone alert you if the Hipkey is further away from your phone than you'd like, or it moves when it shouldn't, which comes in especially handy if you want to make sure the kids don't wander too far away.

Talk to the hand

Bluetooth Gloves - £49.99 from

You can now do the international signal for making a call - waving your hand up to your ear - with a bit more substance, thanks to this pair of Bluetooth gloves. Integrated into the gloves are a microphone and speaker, as well as a control pad, so instead of having to hold your phone in your hand, you can just speak into the glove. You might get some odd looks from strangers, but there's no denying this is a handy (and warm) device.

App of the week

Battroborg Trainer - free on iTunes and Google Play

Released to coincide with one of the hottest toys in Japan arriving on our shores, this app lets you take to the arena to battle other Borgs on-screen. Master your skills in training and perfect your motion control before heading off into battle. Speak into your smartphone and they'll respond - as, no doubt, will confused passers-by.

Top 10 paid for apps for android phones

1. Minecraft - Pocket Edition

2. Pocket Rally

3. Quell Memento

4. Kindle Fire Camera

5. Where's Waldo now?

6. Plants vs Zombies

7. Despicable Me 2 Game

8. Monster University Game

9. Classic Catch Phrase

10. Cut the Rope

(Charts supplied by appstore)

Top 10 free apps for android phones

1. Despicable Me: Minion Rush

2. 4 Pics 1 Song

3. True or False

4. Preschool Zoo Puzzles for Toddlers and Kids

5. vTube - viewer & downloader for YouTube

6. Maker - Snow Cone!

7. The Simpsons: Tapped Out

8. Princess Hair Salon

9. Guess the TV Show

10. Tetris

(Charts supplied by appstore)


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