Chinese tech giant Huawei is planning to push forward its research and development of its wearables that would focus on healthcare. The move is part of the company’s efforts to grow into new areas amid U.S. trade sanctions.

Read more: Huawei’s New Health Lab to Explore Innovation of Sports and Health Technology Via Wearables

The initiative could also enable Huawei to catch up with its rival Xiaomi, the world’s second-biggest wearables vendor behind Apple, reports SCMP.

Just last week, at an online event, Huawei said it is taking on three health research programs on hypertension management, body temperature, and coronary heart disease.

“The whole industry is expecting [wearable] products which can really help consumers better manage their health [concerns], especially chronic diseases that both young and old people are likely to get,” said Jason Low, an analyst at tech research firm Canalys. “But there is still a long way to go because this requires a lot of R&D investment, as well as cooperation between smart hardware and technology companies.”

In December, Huawei announced the implementation of its brand-new HUAWEI Health Lab in Xi’an, China. The aim is to have researchers, engineers, and developers to jointly explore the innovation and application of new sports and health technology, bringing the scientific and convenient sports experience to global consumers. The Health Lab includes an experimental smart wearable product testing area and a sports health innovation area. In the experimental smart wearable product testing area, the engineers have set up more than ten reliability tests based on strict standards. All of the HUAWEI smart wearables will stand up to destructive test repeatedly.

Huawei’s smartwatches can monitor heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and blood pressure. In Q3 last year, the Shenzhen-based Huawei was the world’s No. 3 wearables vendor. The IDC report stated that the company continues to double down on other growth areas amid US sanctions, which affected the supplies of hardware and software for its smartphone and networking equipment businesses.

Read more: Huawei Watch GT Comes to the US for $199 with Two-Week Battery Life

According to IDC report, the global wearables market reached 125 million units in Q3 2020, up 35.1% from the same period in 2019. Huawei shipped 13.7 million units in the third quarter, behind Apple’s 41.4 million total and 17 million from Xiaomi.

Theranica, a prescribed digital therapeutics (PDT) company developing advanced electroceuticals for migraine and other pain conditions, announced that its Nerivio therapeutic device has received the Food and Drug Administration clearance to market for an expanded indication for acute treatment of episodic or chronic migraine in people 12 years and older. The use of the device in the treatment of adolescents is supported by a study recently published in Headache.

Read more: Theranica Made the List of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies for 2020

According to Migraine Research Foundation, 10% of all school-age children and up to 28% of teens between the ages of 15-19 live with migraine. 37% of children find that their schoolwork suffers from a headache and it can negatively affect a teen's social life as well.

Theranica's FDA-cleared prescribed therapeutic wearable Nerivio® is worn on the upper arm for 45 minutes and utilizes Remote Electrical Neuromodulation to activate the brain's native Conditioned Pain Modulation mechanism to treat pain and associated migraine symptoms. Nerivio was cited as one of TIME's best inventions of 2019, says a press release.

“Having this drug-free migraine therapy available for the adolescent migraine community could positively impact patient compliance,” said Dr. Jennifer McVige, a board-certified physician in pediatric neurology, adult and pediatric headache and neuroimaging at the DENT Neurologic Institute, who was one of the investigators in the clinical study which led to this indication expansion. “Teens do not always want to take pills, and some may be unable to do so due to various contraindications. Additionally, teens tend to easily adapt to tech. Nerivio is an efficacious smartphone-controlled tech solution that can be worn inconspicuously and is the perfect design for teens who may, unfortunately, begin to experience migraine attacks. As a mother of two teenagers with migraines, and someone who sees many adolescents in my practice, Nerivio is a promising new option with the potential to help thousands of young patients.”

A study published in Headache revealed 71% of the adolescent participants using Nerivio experienced pain relief after two hours while 35% experienced complete freedom from pain. Pain relief and pain freedom were sustained for 24 hours in 90% of cases. 69% of the patients experienced an improvement in their functional ability, defined by the ability to do schoolwork and perform "usual activities," at two hours. There were no device-related serious adverse events.

“This new indication is a dramatic step in our committed effort to serve the migraine community as a whole,” said Theranica's CEO and co-founder Alon Ironi. “Throughout 2020, we continued pursuing clinical data regarding how Nerivio can help this all-too-large patient population. As a result, Nerivio is now widely available as a drug-free alternative to treat migraines. Teens are one of the most vulnerable migraine populations and we are happy to provide them with a user-friendly tool to get them back to their daily lives as quickly as possible.”

Read more: Theranica Envisions a World of Non-Pharmacological Medical Therapy Wearables

Eligible for insurance coverage, Nerivio is available by prescription by any licensed healthcare provider including via telemedicine platforms such as Cove and UpScript. Nerivio is delivered directly to the patient's home. Every Nerivio unit is good for 12 treatments, after which it can be recycled, and the prescription refilled with a new device.

Aktiia today announced the first 24-7, automated blood pressure monitoring system that easily and comfortably gathers data during the day and while sleeping. This groundbreaking medical innovation will now provide people and their physicians comprehensive insights into blood pressure patterns that will better inform the diagnosis and management of hypertension. Now available for sale in the United Kingdom, Aktiia has received its CE Mark as a Class IIa medical device - signifying that the device has been assessed to meet high safety, health and environmental protection requirements in Europe. With the CE Mark, Aktiia now has access to over 40 countries worldwide.

See a video of the Aktiia product HERE.

Millions of people worldwide are at risk for severe health complications and death due to untreated or uncontrolled hypertension. The average person with hypertension measures their blood pressure only once per week due to the inconvenience and discomfort associated with a traditional cuff. Aktiia is the first product to automatically measure blood pressure over the course of hours, days and weeks without any effort required by the wearer. The data is then visualized in a free companion application, and with a simple click, a digital summary can be easily shared with a physician or family member.

The core technology was first developed at the prestigious Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM). Aktiia was then founded in 2018 by Dr. Mattia Bertschi and Dr. Josep Sola. Aktiia’s team has some of the world's leading scientific and technical experts in optical blood pressure monitoring, including CTO, Dr. Josep Sola, a pioneer in cuffless blood pressure monitoring and editor of "The Handbook of Cuffless Blood Pressure Monitoring.” Aktiia has been validated in multiple clinical studies across a diverse population of wearers in multiple body positions. Aktiia's pivotal clinical trial was conducted at University Hospital Lausanne (CHUV) following international standards of validation and enrolling participants across a representative sample of age, BMI, and skin tone. Its results have been peer reviewed and accepted for imminent publication by the reference journal in the field: "Blood Pressure Monitoring."

“Hypertension is the #1 cause of cardiovascular disease and premature death worldwide,” said Dr. Neil Poulter, Professor of Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine at Imperial College London. “Accurate blood pressure measurement and particularly 24/7 monitoring of blood pressure is increasingly recognised as being important to improve the diagnosis and control of raised blood pressure, thereby improving patient outcomes. Tracking blood pressure over long periods, without alerting the patient, represents a potential game changer in the diagnosis and monitoring of hypertension.”

How It Works

Aktiia’s Optical Blood Pressure Monitoring (OBPM) algorithms leverage optical sensors worn on the wrist and provide blood pressure values using photoplethysmography (PPG) to analyze the changing diameter of the arteries occurring at each heartbeat. This optical measurement is done automatically, so users are not aware and stressed, and do not have to interrupt their day or their sleep to take a measurement.

“With cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death across the world, people need to better understand the impact of their lifestyle choices and physicians need the ability to more deeply understand blood pressure patterns so they can change the way that they diagnose and treat people living with hypertension,” said Mike Kisch, Aktiia CEO. “After 15 years in development and one million blood pressure readings, Aktiia has cracked the code to bring to market the world's first automated 24-7 blood pressure monitoring system.”

Pricing & Availability

Aktiia is available to pre-order in the UK starting on January 26, 2021. During the pre-order period, the limited time promotional price will be £159 (inclusive of VAT and Free Shipping), which includes the Aktiia Optical Bracelet, Mobile App (available on iOS and Android), and Initialization Cuff.  This represents a 20% discount off the standard price of £199. Pre-order customers will also receive free ongoing access to the Aktiia 24/7 blood pressure monitoring service, which is normally an £8.99/month subscription fee after the first year.

About Aktiia

Founded in Switzerland in May 2018 out of a passion to turn insights into action in the fight against hypertension, Aktiia’s groundbreaking medical technology provides people and their physicians comprehensive insights into blood pressure patterns that will inform the diagnosis and management of hypertension. Now available in the United Kingdom, Aktiia has received its CE Mark as a Class IIa medical device - signifying that the device has been assessed to meet high safety, health and environmental protection requirements in Europe. To learn more, visit Aktiia.com.

In 2020, True Wireless Stereo (TWS) hearables were able to hold the most amount of stakes in the current wearables market, with Apple and Xiaomi leading their sales by a wide margin, according to a report by Counterpoint Research.

Read more: Audio Streaming and New Bluetooth Technology to Drive Hearables Market, Reaching $80 billion in 2025

The wearables market is divided into five distinct segments, of which earwear and wristwear comprise the majority of devices. Combined, they accounted for 93% of the overall market in Q3 2020, with earwear growing fastest on product changes from vendors and shifts in consumer demand, the Counterpoint Research report said.

“The trend around removing jacks and earphones from devices and boxes is becoming a big driver for TWS segment growth,” says Counterpoint Research senior analyst Liz Lee. “It also helps that mobile media consumption continues to grow, making TWS the next must-have accessory.”

In terms of smartwatches, demand is expected to wane in 2020 but should pick up this year, according to senior analyst Sujeong Lim, who covers IoT and emerging technologies. “The normalization of economies coupled with increased interest in health and fitness will help the smartwatch market grow. We expect low double-digit growth through the medium term – possibly higher if average selling prices decline quickly.”

Based on the latest figures from Counterpoint Research’s TWS Market Tracker and Smartwatch Model Tracker, premium products continued to lead, with Apple products comprising 29% and 28% of TWS and smartwatch shipments, respectively, in Q3 2020. Lim observed that “Apple’s powerful iOS ecosystem, typically comprised of consumers with larger disposable incomes, has been the main driver for growth – especially in terms of revenues. High-end stalwart Samsung has also performed consistently.”

“But there is big potential in the budget, and we’re already seeing the impact in hearables. In Q3 2020, half of the top 10 were budget brands with sub-$50 and even sub-$20 offerings; Xiaomi best illustrated the trend as it consolidated its number two spot.”

Read more: Growing Hearables Market Lead Worldwide Wearables Shipments, Surging 94.6% in 3Q2019

realme was another notable budget brand to place in the TWS top-10 during the third quarter. “Building on strong hearables momentum, a recent entry into smartwatches and strength in online, realme could repeat its smartphone success to become 2021’s dark horse in wearables,” commented Lee. “Our User Choices and Preferences Surveys for TWS and smartwatches show that a big portion of consumers buy wearables via online channels; vendors with a strong online pedigree should outperform.”

Boston Scientific announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Preventice Solutions. Minneapolis-based Preventice designs mobile health solutions and remote monitoring services for patients with cardiac arrhythmias.

Related: Boston Scientific Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for the LUX-Dx Implantable Cardiac Monitor System

The transaction consists of an upfront cash payment of $925 million, and up to an additional $300 million in a potential commercial milestone payment. Boston Scientific has been an investor in Preventice since 2015 and currently holds an equity stake of approximately 22 percent, which is expected to result in a net payment of approximately $720 million upon closing and a milestone payment of up to approximately $230 million. Preventice recorded net sales of $158 million in 2020 – a 30 percent growth rate from the previous year.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality globally, accounting for nearly 17.9 million annual global deaths and highlighting the need for early detection and management for individuals who may be at risk of a cardiac event. Physicians may ask at-risk patients to wear an external cardiac monitor to assess how their heart is functioning, which may lead to the diagnosis of a potential heart rhythm problem known as an arrhythmia. The recordings taken by the monitor can then help physicians develop an optimal and personalized treatment plan, says a press release.

Preventice’s wearables include the PatientCare platform and BodyGuardian family of wearable monitors for adult and pediatric patients. The BodyGuardian monitors use a fully-integrated, cloud-based platform supported by an independent diagnostic testing facility, where clinical technicians and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms provide insights that may lead to improved clinical diagnoses and outcomes. The company’s BodyGuardian Mini Plus, the newest system in its portfolio, features multiple electrode options to enhance rhythm detection while it is also waterproof, repositionable and can be used in all modalities of short-term and long-term monitoring.

“This acquisition will provide Boston Scientific with a foothold in the high-growth ambulatory electrocardiography space, which strongly complements our recent entrance into the implantable cardiac monitor market and will serve as an important component of our category leadership strategy in cardiac diagnostics and services – a nearly $2B market anticipated to grow double digits annually," said Scott Olson, senior vice president and president, Rhythm Management, Boston Scientific. “We are confident that by adding the broad technology portfolio and expertise of Preventice, our combined teams can continue to deliver rapid growth in these highly-attractive markets while also establishing an important adjacency to our core cardiac rhythm management and electrophysiology businesses.”

Related: Preventice Solutions Receives Tender to Provide BodyGuardian MINI Cardiac Monitor for Cardiovascular Study

“We have been humbled to provide thousands of physician practices with services based on near real-time clinical data to enable the diagnosis and management of more than one million cardiac patients, without needing to interrupt their daily activities,” said Jon Otterstatter, chief executive officer of Preventice Solutions. “Boston Scientific has been a key investor in Preventice for more than five years and we believe the company has the commercial reach, diagnostics expertise and operational infrastructure to bring these advanced monitoring technologies to more patients worldwide.”

Raspberry Pi has launched its first microcontroller, Raspberry Pi Pico. The $4 microcontroller is powered by the company’s own chip RP2040. The 7x7mm chip has 40nm silicon with a dual-core Arm Cortex-M0 processor.

Read more: Valencell Launches Software Library, Helping Manufacturers to Integrate the Company’s Software Into Their Wearables

Microcontrollers let you control other parts or other devices; they are specifically designed to interact with other things.

The Raspberry Pi Pico is a standalone board that can be used as a companion to a Raspberry Pi computer. It can also be used to run code or make projects by having it interact with other devices. There are dozens of input and output pins on the sides of the Raspberry Pi Pico. These pins act as the interface with other components. For example, you can make your microcontroller interact with an LED light, get data from various sensors, show some information on a display, etc, reports TechCrunch.

There are also 8 programmable I/O state machines allowing for custom peripherals, an accurate on-chip clock, temperature sensor, and low-power sleep and dormant modes. You can solder the module to another board if you want to.

The Pico is designed to offer a low barrier to entry for hobbyists and beginners alike. There's full support for programming in MicroPython or C/C++, with the ability to drag and drop code over to the Pico using the USB port.

Read more: MediaTek Launches New Dimensity 5G Smartphone Chipsets with Unrivaled AI and Multimedia

List of specs for the Raspberry Pi Pico:

• Dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ @ 133MHz
• 264KB of on-chip RAM
• Support for up to 16MB of off-chip flash memory via dedicated QSPI bus
• DMA controller
• Interpolator and integer divider peripherals
• 30 GPIO pins, 4 of which can be used as analog inputs
• 2 × UARTs, 2 × SPI controllers, and 2 × I2C controllers
• 16 × PWM channels
• 1 × USB 1.1 controller and PHY, with host and device support
• 8 × Raspberry Pi Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines
• USB mass-storage boot mode with UF2 support, for drag-and-drop programming

The Raspberry Pi Pico is available now from approved resellers for $4.

Four of Europe’s largest operators – Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange S.A., Telefonica S.A., and Vodafone Group Plc – are joining forces to support the rollout of Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) as the technology of choice for future mobile networks to the benefit of consumer and enterprise customers across Europe.

Read more: MediaTek Launches New Dimensity 5G Smartphone Chipsets with Unrivaled AI and Multimedia

Open RAN is not necessarily a new technology in itself but represents a combination of existing technologies, e.g. virtualization, AI, commercial off-the-shelf parts and open interfaces. Its proponents promise more secure networks without ‘high-risk vendors’ but Open RAN could introduce new systemic risks that must be addressed due to its reliance on open-source software.

“OpenRAN is about network innovation, flexibility, and faster rollout. Deutsche Telekom is committed to its promotion, development and adoption to ensure the best network experience for our customers. To seize this opportunity, it is critical that we join forces with our leading European partners to foster a diverse, competitive and secure 4G/5G ecosystem based on OpenRAN solutions,” said Claudia Nemat, Chief Technology Officer of Deutsche Telekom.

“Through our open labs and community activities, we facilitate smaller players to enter the market with their solutions. To build on this foundational work, we urge government support and funding for community activities that will strengthen the European ecosystem and leadership in 5G.”

Open RAN attracts operators because it would allow them to mix and match vendors, using radio software from one vendor in tandem with general-purpose equipment developed by another. Traditional radio access networks typically force operators to buy all their components from the same supplier, reports LightReading.

“OpenRAN has the power to stimulate European tech innovation using the expertise of the companies that develop it and the governments who support it. Opening up the market to new suppliers, with our ambition and government advocacy, will mean faster 5G deployment, cost-saving network efficiencies, and world-class services,” said Johan Wibergh, CTO of Vodafone Group.

Read more: Will Combined Power of 5G and Artificial Intelligence Change Tech Innovations of Tomorrow?

“We remain committed to rolling out our OpenRAN program across Europe, and we’re taking it even further. We aim to open R&D labs for new, smaller suppliers to develop their products. But to do this we need a supportive investment environment and political backing, and we urge European governments to join us in creating the OpenRAN ecosystem,” Wibergh concluded.

Valencell, a specialist in healthcare wearables, has launched a new software library that will make it easier for manufacturers to integrate the company’s software into the design of existing products. Wearables manufacturers can now easily embed Valencell’s patented biometric sensor software available on their ARM Cortex M4F microcontroller unit (MCU) of choice. This allows device makers to upgrade existing device designs and enhance future products without changing fundamental elements of their hardware designs. The Valencell Library is available starting today for an evaluation.

Related: Valencell Expands Its Groundbreaking Cuffless Blood Pressure Monitoring System to the Finger and Wrist

In addition, Valencell announced the next generation of its Benchmark® Sensor Systems designed for wrist devices and other wearables – BW1.5, BW5.0 and BW6.0. All three are library-ready, biometric sensor systems including the hardware (emitters, detectors, optical lensing) and software (firmware and algorithms) in flexible integration configurations, reports Valencell.

• 5 is the next generation of 3-LED sensor system that improves power efficiency and simplifies design and integration requirements.
• 0 and BW6.0 are the smallest sensor systems Valencell has ever designed for wearable devices and, despite the smaller footprint, continue to deliver highly accurate biometric monitoring that is expected of a Valencell solution. The primary difference between BW5.0 and BW6.0 is that BW6.0 provides motion-tolerant multi-wavelength outputs for use in ambulatory health monitoring applications and medical wearables.
• All three sensors come in lens-free versions, which allow for seamless industrial design while maintaining the highest degrees of accuracy in biometric wearables.

“Valencell has been a long-time proponent of designing our software and hardware to work together in a complete sensor system, but we also recognize that the massive growth in the wearables market has created a need to support the diversity of hardware configurations in the market today,” said Matt Smith, Vice President of Product Management at Valencell. “The Valencell Library has been one of our most requested roadmap items from Valencell customers and we’re happy to give customers the flexibility to meet their design and performance requirements.”

BW1.5 is available for sampling, while BW5.0 and BW6.0 will be available for sampling later in 1Q21.

Related: SunTech and Valencell Partner Up for New Blood Pressure Measurement Solutions

Through innovative R&D and validated technologies, Valencell develops breakthroughs and collaborate with wearables, hearables, and medical device companies around the world to deliver amazing results. Protected by more than 100 granted patents and more than 50 patents pending, Valencell’s technology can be used in wearables and hearables for virtually anyone, anywhere, doing anything. Valencell’s biometric sensor systems are currently integrated into more wearables, hearables, and other form factors than any other technology provider in the world.

VeraSci, a global clinical research company announced it has partnered with ActiGraph, a leading provider of medical-grade wearable activity and sleep monitoring devices. VeraSci's Innovation Lab will be incorporating ActiGraph's CentrePoint Insight Watch into an NIH-funded study examining the relationship between real-time measurements of gait and actigraphy collected by industry-grade wearables and established cognitive and functional endpoints that are sensitive to decline early in the Alzheimer's disease continuum.

Read more: Koneksa Publishes Data Assessing Wearable Devices for Clinical Trial Participants

Preliminary data have indicated a correlation between remotely captured gait and actigraphy measures and established cognition and function measures. These data suggest that wearables can provide meaningful information regarding cognitive health and may ultimately contribute to continuous assessment of cognition and function in clinical trials, says a press release.

“Wearables present an incredible opportunity to gather data in ways that haven't been feasible before. We can gather information directly while patients are engaged in their daily lives,” says VeraSci CEO Dr. Rich Keefe, “Our partnership with ActiGraph advances our commitment to pairing scientific knowledge with cutting-edge technology to improve the tools and measurements available in clinical trials.”

“This partnership between ActiGraph and VeraSci provides an exciting opportunity to better understand the relationship between real-world physical behavior, function, and cognition,” said Matt Biggs, ActiGraph's Head of Business Operations. “We believe that these types of collaborations will help to jumpstart the creation of novel digital endpoints for global health communities.”

The research was supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Read more: Spark Biomedical Launches Clinical Trial to Validate its Auricular Neurostimulation Device for Opioid Withdrawal Relief

About VeraSci:

VeraSci brings scientific expertise, strategic innovation, and unwavering commitment to each project, helping clients worldwide develop novel therapies.

About ActiGraph:

ActiGraph's FDA-cleared wearable actigraphy monitors and robust analytics platform have been widely used to quantify human movement in academic and population health research for nearly two decades. In recent years, the company's monitoring solutions have been steadily adopted by pharmaceutical and life sciences organizations seeking to capture real-world objective outcomes related to physical activity, mobility, and sleep behavior for patients enrolled in clinical trials.

MediaTek today unveiled its new Dimensity 1200 and Dimensity 1100 5G smartphone chipsets with unrivaled AI, camera, and multimedia features for powerful 5G experiences. The addition of the 6nm Dimensity 1200 and 1100 chipsets to MediaTek's 5G portfolio gives device makers a growing suite of options to design highly capable 5G smartphones with top-of-the-line camera features, graphics, connectivity enhancements, and more.

Read more: MediaTek’s Dimensity 1000 5G Chipset Delivers Ultra-Fast Speed and Seamless Connectivity

“MediaTek continues to expand its 5G portfolio with highly integrated solutions for a range of devices from the high-end to the mid-tier,” said JC Hsu, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of MediaTek's Wireless Communications Business Unit. “Our new Dimensity 1200 stands out with its impressive 200MP camera support and advanced AI capabilities, in addition to its innovative connectivity, display, audio, and gaming enhancements.”

Key features of MediaTek Dimensity 1200 and 1100 5G chipsets include:

The Most Out of 5G Every Day: The Dimensity 1200 and 1100 pack a highly integrated 5G modem with MediaTek's 5G UltraSave technology for big power savings. Both chipsets support every connectivity generation from 2G to 5G, in addition to supporting the latest connectivity features including 5G standalone and non-standalone architectures, 5G carrier aggregation (2CC) across frequency division duplex (FDD), and time division duplex (TDD), dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS), True Dual SIM 5G (5G SA + 5G SA) and Voice over New Radio (VoNR). The chipsets also integrate 5G HSR Mode and 5G Elevator Mode enhancements to ensure a seamless, reliable 5G connection across networks, MediaTek said in a press release.

Flagship AI Multimedia: The Dimensity 1200 supports 200MP photos for stunning photography with its five-core HDR-ISP. It boasts staggered 4K HDR video capture for a significantly greater dynamic range. The chipset integrates an updated version of MediaTek's hexa-core AI processor (MediaTek APU 3.0), which has an enhanced multi-task scheduler that reduces latency and improves power-efficiency. The Dimensity 1100 also packs impressive camera capabilities with its 108MP camera support and integrates MediaTek's existing APU 3.0 for high-performance computing that's also super power-efficient. Both chipsets support AI camera features including AI-Panorama Night Shot, AI Multi-Person Bokeh, AI noise reduction (AINR) and HDR capabilities. The chipsets also support new AI-enhanced video playback features including AI SDR-to-HDR.

Premium Performance: The Dimensity 1200 has an octa-core CPU designed with an ultra-core Arm Cortex-A78 clocked up to 3GHz for extreme performance, three Arm Cortex-A78 super cores, and four Arm Cortex-A55 efficiency cores. With a nine-core GPU and six-core MediaTek APU 3.0, the Dimensity 1200 delivers a new level of premium performance. The Dimensity 1100 is designed with an octa-core CPU which includes four Arm Cortex-A78 cores operating at up to 2.6GHz and four Arm Cortex-A55 efficiency cores, along with a nine-core Arm Mali-G77 GPU. Both chipsets are manufactured on TSMC's advanced 6nm process technology.

Incredible Displays: The Dimensity 1200 supports ultra-fast 168Hz refresh rates for a fast, fluid user experience. The Dimensity 1100 also supports cutting-edge displays with 144Hz refresh rates for ultra-sharp, zero-lag visuals. Both chipsets support MediaTek's HyperEngine 3.0 gaming technologies, which includes 5G call and data concurrency for more reliable connectivity, plus multi-touch boost touchscreen responsiveness. The new chipsets also support ray tracing in mobile games and artificial reality applications for more realistic visuals, along with super-hotspot power savings which let users go longer in between charges.

Dual-Link True Wireless Stereo Audio: Dimensity 1200 and 1100 both support Bluetooth 5.2, which lets users stream to multiple wireless devices simultaneously. The chipsets also support ultra-low latency true wireless stereo audio and LC3 encoding for higher quality, lower latency streaming audio that's also very power-efficient to prolong the battery life of wireless earbuds.

Read more: MediaTek’s New MT8516 2-Mic Development Kit to Accelerate Integration of Alexa

Dimensity 1200 has already received TÜV Rheinland certification for its 5G performance, with tests covering 72 real-world scenarios. The certification verifies that the chipset provides reliable, high-performance 5G connectivity and offers users high-quality 5G experiences across a wide variety of scenarios.

Many OEMs, including Xiaomi, Vivo, OPPO and realme, expressed support for MediaTek's new Dimensity chip. The first devices with the new MediaTek Dimensity 1200 and 1100 chipsets are expected to hit the market at the end of Q1 and the beginning of Q2 this year.

Digital health company etectRx has entered into an agreement with Pear Therapeutics, Inc. to develop up to two product candidates in the Central Nervous System (CNS) space combining Prescription Digital Therapeutics (PDTs) and adherence sensors. The collaboration is the first of its kind to explore the use of digital pill solutions with PDTs.

Read more: Pilloxa Collaborates with Sandoz Nordics to Improve Medication Adherence

“This collaboration between etectRx and Pear Therapeutics comes at a critical time for the mental health field, an area that is in dire need of immediate solutions,” said Valerie Sullivan, president and CEO of etectRx. “Our goal for this collaboration is to bring concrete solutions to those who need it.”

The ID-Cap System is a four-part FDA cleared system that consists of an ID-Capsule, Reader, Patient App, and Clinician Dashboard.  The ID-Capsule is a digital pill with an embedded ingestible sensor. The sensor communicates a digital signal shortly following ingestion and capsule dissolution. The sensor is naturally and safely eliminated through the patient's GI tract, says a press release.

The Reader is a wearable device that detects messages transmitted from the ingested sensor and forwards them to the Patient App and Clinician Dashboard. The Patient App allows patients to view ingestion events in real-time as well as medication use history. The app can send notifications to remind patients to take their medication. The Clinician Dashboard displays the information flow that starts with the ingestion of the ID-Capsule and provides the clinician with both real-time notifications and a history of their patients' ingestion events. The ID-Cap System is intended to log, track, and trend intake times and enables unattended data collection for clinical applications.

Read more: How Smart Patches and Smart Pills Are Changing Health Monitoring and Drug Delivery

“We see a significant opportunity for PDTs that involve digital pill technologies, like the ID-Cap System,” said Corey McCann, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Pear Therapeutics. “Optimized medication dosing presents a treatment lever for PDTs and creates an opportunity for a whole range of drug/software combination products.”

NeuTigers, an Artificial Intelligence company spun out of Princeton University, launched CovidDeep, a clinically validated solution that can triage those needing further testing for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 using physiological sensors data derived from wearable devices. The CovidDeep app is 90%+ accurate in predicting whether a person is virus-free or virus-positive, and is twice as effective as current triage tools, such as temperature checks and questionnaires.

Read more: How Virtual Reality Can Help Rehabilitate COVID-19 Patients

Early in the pandemic, NeuTigers realized its StarDeep™ Smart Healthcare Platform, which delivers AI[1]powered solutions to augment healthcare professionals’ productivity, could be used in the fight against COVID-19. CovidDeep was developed through rigorous clinical research and validation trials beginning at San Matteo Hospital in Pavia, Italy, during the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, with further expanded prospective field studies in hospitals in France and the United States to explore its robustness.

A powerful tool for businesses and healthcare facilities who regularly screen for COVID-19, CovidDeep is already deployed in B2B settings including multiple nursing homes and assisted living facilities in America and Europe. Designed to help keep work and medical facilities safe, CovidDeep is effective in multiple industries and use cases, and today is being made widely available.

CovidDeep works by collecting physiological sensor data from the Empatica E4 wristband, blood pressure and blood oxygen levels from any off-the-shelf, standalone monitors as well as personal health symptoms from a brief questionnaire. As a potential game-changer in the rapid and cost-effective screening of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19, it is already being adapted to work with connected health products from Fitbit, Withings, Apple, Samsung, and other devices. The CovidDeep consumer app is expected in early 2021.

Deep Neural Networks

COVID-19 affects people’s biometrics and physiological markers in both obvious and nearly imperceptible ways. Using advanced algorithms of machine learning, CovidDeep is so sensitive it can detect changes in these physiological patterns even before they are felt by the patient and all with real[1]time analysis.

CovidDeep is powered by cutting-edge AI deep neural networks that mimic how the human brain perceives, learns, and interprets the world. NeuTigers’ research co-founders at the Department of Electrical Engineering at Princeton University used proprietary deep neural networks to learn from hundreds of thousands of digital health data points and a specific questionnaire in SARS-CoV-2-positive and healthy participants. They identified patterns in the sensor physiological readings such as Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), Skin temperature, Heart Inter-beat Interval (IBI), Blood pressure, and Blood oxygen saturation levels (SpO2) that are consistent with how COVID-19 impacts the body. CovidDeep can recognize the ‘digital signature’ of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 and quickly identify if a person is COVID[1]positive, even if they do not have symptoms (asymptomatic).

CovidDeep is shown from the controlled clinical study at San Matteo hospital to predict SARS-CoV[1]2/COVID-19 with upwards of 90% accuracy, almost twice as effective as temperature checks and visual symptoms checks, which NeuTiger’s study and others have shown predict COVID-19 with around 50% accuracy.

“Advances in machine learning and the proliferation of medical-grade sensors in everyday consumer wearables has led to a new era in which we can predict and identify the onset of a myriad of diseases," said Adel Laoui, CEO and founder of NeuTigers. "Before the pandemic, our teams were using predictive models in our StarDeep health platform to monitor and screen for diabetes and mental health conditions.”

“Realizing our AI technology could be valuable in the fight against COVID-19, we quickly pivoted and developed a new solution after rigorous clinical research trials. Initially meeting the urgent need for mass screening in the business environment, CovidDeep is set to expand to a wider consumer offering in early 2021,” he continued.

CovidDeep - How it Works

CovidDeep brings forth groundbreaking science as an app that can predict SARS CoV-2/COVID-19 accurately, safely, quickly, and importantly by preserving people’s privacy. Users simply answer a questionnaire regarding symptoms and health history (based on CDC guidelines) and input their health sensor’s data. Data is entered by connecting CovidDeep to an Empatica E4 Wristband as well as inputting blood pressure and blood oxygen readings using any off-the-shelf device. All data remains local to the device, is never shared, and stays securely and privately under the user’s control.

CovidDeep then analyzes the data and provides a prediction as to whether someone is likely to be negative or positive for SARS CoV-2/COVID-19. The process takes around 2 minutes, allowing one Empatica device, blood pressure monitor, and pulse oximeter to screen unlimited numbers of people after being sanitized between usages.

Available globally from January 12, 2021, on Android with iOS availability coming soon, users can try CovidDeep for free with unlimited screening results for seven days.

Combatting COVID – Today and Tomorrow

CovidDeep represents a critical tool in combating SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 both today and in the future. Public health professionals and policymakers agree that rapid and mass testing is the key to controlling the spread of the virus and reopening society and the economy. CovidDeep is a powerful bridge to affordable mass testing and a highly scalable solution to efficiently triage scarce medical resources worldwide.

Read more: Empatica First to Win CE Mark For Wearable-Based Early Symptoms Detection of COVID-19

“Whether helping frontline healthcare workers, employers keeping the workplace safe, assisting airlines in reestablishing consumer confidence in travel, helping students to stay in schools, or providing fast access to sporting and entertainment venues, the applications of CovidDeep are endless,” added Laoui. NeuTigers is continuing extended clinical field testing worldwide to further hone the app's accuracy to ensure that no geographic, demographic, or ethnic biases occur. In addition to completed trials in Italy, validation field-testing studies are currently ongoing in the United States, France and planned in North Africa, Switzerland, Japan, and India.

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Valencell, a leader in transforming the science of wearable biometrics to enable impactful health outcomes, today announced its groundbreaking calibration-free, cuffless blood pressure (BP) technology for wearables is now able to be used in devices worn on the finger and wrist. The technology, which brings cuff-like BP accuracy to other parts of the body, was first announced in January 2020 for hearables, hearing aids and other ear-based devices. This latest advancement significantly expands the number of device form factors to embed the technology, including smartwatches, fitness bands, patches and pulse oximeter finger clips.

Read more: SunTech and Valencell Partner Up for New Blood Pressure Measurement Solutions

According to the CDC, hypertension affects nearly one-third of Americans, or 75 million people, aged 18 or older. Additionally, for approximately one-half of adults with hypertension (nearly 35 million people), it is uncontrolled. A new national survey released today by Valencell revealed 62% of Americans with hypertension only measure their BP a few times a month or less, far below expert recommendations of twice daily. However, more than 75% of respondents would measure their BP "more or much more" often if they could accurately measure passively in the background, which cuff-less options like smartwatches and audio earbuds would enable, says a press release.

Valencell's BP technology that can be built into a range of passive form-factors worn in the ear, on the finger and on the wrist makes it significantly easier for people to monitor their BP on a regular basis, allowing them to build potentially life-saving habits. Valencell is pursuing FDA clearance for this technology in early 2021.

Unlike other sensor modalities such as ECG or pulse transit time, the Valencell BP technology does not need to be calibrated to a BP cuff and only requires data from photoplethysmography (PPG) and inertial sensors that are already in widespread use in wearables today. Valencell is now the first commercially available embedded sensor solution to enable BP readings throughout the day with the same accuracy as current BP cuff devices without the need for a cumbersome cuff.

“Our survey results solidify the next frontier in medical wearables, which is to make a measurable impact on the global hypertension crisis through passive technologies that people will actually use regularly," said Dr. Steven LeBoeuf, President and co-founder of Valencell."Huge opportunities exist to ease the burden of blood pressure monitoring and reduce the cost of healthcare with non-invasive sensor technology embedded in devices people wear every day.”

Read more: Sonion-Valencell Collaboration Aims to Make Biometrics Universal in Hearables and Hearing Health Markets

Highlights of Valencell’s survey include:

• Inconsistent monitoring: People with high blood pressure are not measuring often enough. In fact, Americans with hypertension measure their BP "a few times a month" (31%) or "a few times a year" (also 31%). Only 4% measure BP multiple times a day.
• Fingers and wrists: When provided a choice, respondents would prefer to passively measure their BP with a finger clip or pulse oximeter clip (41%), followed by a watch (40%), phone (32%), fitness band (20%) and earbuds (10%).
• Information desired: In terms of data people would be interested in receiving when monitoring their BP, over half of respondents (52%) are interested in knowing if their blood pressure is out of the normal range or trending too high or too low. Forty-five percent are interested in the specific systolic and diastolic BP readings.
• Comorbidities impact hypertension management: Numerous comorbidities emerged from the research in addition to hypertension, including high cholesterol (50%), obesity (42%), type 2 diabetes (27%), chronic kidney disease (7%) and congestive heart failure (5%).

Howard University Department of Athletics and WHOOP announced a new multi-year deal that names WHOOP the Official Performance Partner of the school. The initial launch of the partnership will bring unparalleled physiological analytics via wearable technology to nearly 150 student-athletes across five programs: Men's & Women's Basketball, Football, and Men's & Women's Golf for their inaugural season.

Read more: Fitness Wearable Startup WHOOP Raises $100 Million Series E to Become Unicorn

"We are extremely excited to partner with WHOOP," said Howard Director of Athletics Kery Davis. "This will give our department more insight on making decisions during competition, and will create healthy habits for our student-athletes, coaches and staff that last a lifetime."

WHOOP harnesses critical biometric data to inform student-athletes' choices around sleep (quality, duration and regularity), workout and non-workout strain (cardiovascular load) and recovery (capacity to adapt to stimulus), WHOOP said in a press release.

"WHOOP is an invaluable resource in providing actionable feedback to our student-athletes," said Howard Director of Sports Medicine Lynson Willis. "The technology has been a key step in moving the Sports Medicine Department forward and has already become a real game-changer."

Howard Athletics will have access to an unprecedented number of insights into their well-being. WHOOP will empower student-athletes to optimize all aspects of human performance, offering in-depth onboarding training and ongoing support remotely to optimize the user experience.

"The best athletes in the world use WHOOP to understand their bodies and this new partnership will help Howard University's student-athletes take their performance to the next level," said WHOOP Founder & CEO Will Ahmed. "As the Official Fitness Wearable of both the PGA and LPGA Tours, we are especially proud to support the Men's & Women's Golf teams in their first-ever season."

Howard Athletics WHOOP members will have an exclusive view into their own data for personal analysis and the ability to opt-in to team insights with coaches, colleagues, teammates and training staff.

Read more: WHOOP Partners with CQUniversity and Cleveland Clinic to Study Whether its Wearable Could Identify Hidden COVID-19 Cases

WHOOP, the human performance company, provides membership for 24/7 coaching to improve health. The WHOOP membership comes with free hardware (the new Whoop Strap 3.0), a coaching platform designed to optimize your behavior, and a community of high performers. Studies show WHOOP can positively change behavior, increase sleep, and improve physiological biomarkers. Founded in 2012, WHOOP is based in Boston and has raised more than $200 million in venture capital.

A new report from Gartner finds worldwide end-user spending on wearable devices to total $81.5 billion in 2021, an 18.1% increase from $69 billion in 2020. Earbuds and other devices that fit in the ear have taken the top spot in the wearables category and should continue to hold that place through the next two years, according to the report.

The rise in remote work and increased interest in health monitoring during the COVID-19 pandemic was a significant factor driving market growth, reports Gartner.

“The introduction of health measures to self-track COVID-19 symptoms, along with increasing interest from consumers in their personal health and wellness during global lockdowns, presented a significant opportunity for the wearables market,” said Ranjit Atwal, senior research director at Gartner. “Ear-worn devices and smartwatches are seeing particularly robust growth as consumers rely on these devices for remote work, fitness activities, health tracking, and more.”

Read more: Audio Streaming and New Bluetooth Technology to Drive Hearables Market, Reaching $80 billion in 2025

Spending on ear-worn devices rose 124% in 2020, totaling $32.7 billion, and is forecast to reach $39.2 billion in 2021. This massive growth can be largely attributed to remote workers upgrading their headphones for video calling and consumers purchasing headphones they use with their smartphone devices.

Smartwatch end-user spending increased by 17.6% to reach $21.8 billion in 2020. Smartwatch growth, which was driven in part by new users entering the market, will continue through 2021 as new processor technologies and improvements to solid-state batteries increase battery life and shorten charging times.

Smart patches have been added as a new category in the latest Gartner forecast for wearable electronic devices as they are projected to see significant growth in 2021. Smart patches are non-invasive health-monitoring sensors that stick to the skin surface and are used to measure temperature, heart rate, blood sugar, and other vital statistics more effectively than other wearable technologies. They can also remotely administer medication, such as insulin for diabetic patients.

“Smart patches have been around for some time, but adoption has been slow due to strict regulatory compliance and resistance from both users and medical staff to adopt automated drug administration,” said Mr. Atwal. “The shift to e-health, especially during COVID-19, will transform users’ perceptions of automated health provision and increase the demand for smart patches.”

Sensor Innovations and Miniaturization Driving Market Growth

As device makers focus on improving sensor accuracy, the performance gap between medical- and non-medical-grade wearables is closing, driving growth in multiple wearable devices categories.

“The capability of embedded sensors is often a determining factor in the reliability and usefulness of a wearable product,” said Mr. Atwal. “Given the sensor improvement trend seen over the last several years, sensors built into wearable devices will be increasingly capable of more accurate readings, driving market growth over the next 3-5 years.”

Read more: Global Medical Wearables Market Size to Reach US $85.6 Billion by 2027: Polaris Market Research

Advances in miniaturization have also been an influencing factor in the wearables market by enabling device makers to integrate sensors into wearables that are nearly invisible to the end-user, such as in the Oura Ring, Spire Health Tag or Proteus Discover. Gartner predicts that by 2024, miniaturizing capabilities will advance to the point that 10% of all wearable technologies will become unobtrusive to the user.

This year, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s most popular trade fair, went virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the show was still packed with consumers from all over the globe. Like every year, this year’s show had an impressive collection of wearables. We picked the 5 best wearables from CES 2021. Here they are:

1. Fossil Gen 5 LTE

Fossil launched its latest Gen 5 watch – the Fossil Gen 5 LTE – at CES 2021. This Wear OS smartwatch can make and receive phone calls without the need for a connected phone. The watch is powered by the Snapdragon 3100 SoC and has a 1.3-inch touchscreen inside a 45mm case. The design is same as its predecessor Fossil Gen 5 but two new colors have been added to differentiate the Gen 5 LTE from the non-cellular models. The smartwatch also boasts 1GB of Ram and 8GB of storage. On the fitness side, the Fossil Gen 5 LTE can track your heart and count your steps. The watch is set to release in the spring for a price of $349.

Read more: The 5 Best Fitness Trackers for 2021

2. Vuzix Next Generation Smart Glasses

Vuzix announced its next-generation smart glasses, which will be available later this year. The smart glasses already received CES Innovation awards 2021 in three categories: Computer Peripherals & Accessories, Portable Media Players & Accessories, and Wearable Technologies. The CES Innovation Awards is an annual competition honoring outstanding design and engineering in consumer technology products. The glasses will combine most smartphone and smartwatch capabilities all in a pair of stylish and comfortable glasses that enable hands-free connectivity while engaged in the real world.

3. Skagen Jorn HR

The Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR is Fossil Group’s latest entry to the hybrid smartwatch space. In appearance, the Skagen Jorn HR hybrid looks like a normal smartwatch, but it is loaded with health and fitness features like exercise tracking, heart rate monitor, and sleep tracking. It can also control your music preference and send alerts. Custom watch faces are made possible by a E-ink display, and the wearable is available in both 38mm and 42mm case sizes, reports AndroidAuthority. Because of its E Ink screen, the watch delivers a longer battery life, which can last for two weeks between charges. The watches are priced at $195 (£189).

4. Huami Amazfit GTS 2e and GTR 2e

Amazfit unveiled the Amazfit GTR 2e and GTS 2e smartwatches at this year's all-digital CES. Featuring the latest fitness tracking features along with an ultra-thin and fashionable design, the two latest additions to the Amazfit GTS 2 and GTR 2 Family of smartwatches represent the perfect blend of style and health for today's active consumers, while also delivering extra-long battery life and uncompromised elegance. The watch features full display with a borderless design that uses curved glass to create a strong and integrated visual experience. The GTS 2e boasts a rotatable, 1.65-inch HD AMOLED screen, while the GTR 2e, for its part, has a rotatable, 1.39-inch high-definition AMOLED screen. The watches monitor your Blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), Sleep, Stress, and more. The PAI™ (Personal Activity Intelligence) is a health assessment system that uses algorithms to convert complex data such as heart rate, activity duration and other health data into a single, intuitive score for users to easily understand their physical state.

Read more Lenovo Launches ThinkReality A3 – Advanced and Versatile Smart Glasses at the CES 2021

5. Honor Band 6

Honor Band 6 boasts a big 1.47-inch AMOLED color touch screen with over 100 fabulous watch faces. The watch tracks your steps, sleep, stress, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), and female health features like menstrual cycles. The smartwatch is water-resistant at 5ATM. It also offers sports-type recognition, and 10 professional training modes and guidance. The Honor Band 6 will be available soon for a price of $35.

TCL announced its latest products in the connected device lineup at a press conference at CES 2021. The products include TCL's first commercially available Wearable Display glasses, the premium MOVEAUDIO S600 true wireless earbuds, and latest MOVETRACK pet tracker. These innovative and stylish new offerings from TCL are portable devices designed to add convenience to the lives of consumers, whether they're at home or on the go.

Read more: Lenovo Launches ThinkReality A3 – Advanced and Versatile Smart Glasses at the CES 2021

"It is a thrill to introduce a truly new and unique type of wearable product that leverages years of research and TCL's expertise in display manufacturing, as well as new premium devices that enhance our lives as well as the lives of our pets," said Stefan Streit, General Manager of Global Marketing for TCL Communication. "Today's announcements show that we continue to build and grow our already robust ecosystem by expanding further into the wearable and audio product categories."

A Wearable Cinema

The first commercially available follow-up to Project Archery, the TCL Wearable Display is a light and stylish pair of glasses that come with dual 1080p Full HD micro OLED displays built-in. From virtually anywhere, users can enjoy a 140-degree inch view from 4 meters away, and with a density of 49 pixels-per-degree (PPD), visuals are sharp and incredibly vivid, TCL said in a press release.

The Wearable Display is capable of connecting to hundreds of smartphones, tablets, laptops and 2-in-1 PCs from most manufacturers whose devices have a display port over USB-C that can support 1080p resolution. Once connected, the device enables you to watch movies, play games and more from at home, on the road, or anywhere else, enjoying a truly immersive experience.

The TCL Wearable Display will be commercially available later this year in select markets.

TCL MOVEAUDIO S600 True Wireless Earbuds

TCL's new true wireless earbuds with Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling and Transparency Mode are the perfect accessory for those seeking an optimized audio experience, filtering out background noise for an enhanced listening experience as well as the ability to talk to others without having to take out your earbuds, ensuring you can clearly hear and be heard in the loudest environments. The MOVEAUDIO S600 excels at presenting immersive audio and fostering crystal clear calls, even when on crowded streets or mass transportation, thanks to three built-in microphones on each earbud to enable echo noise canceling.

The latest addition to the MOVEAUDIO lineup features a strong bass response and precise reproduction for music enthusiasts, while Bluetooth 5.0 provides seamless connectivity between devices without lag or interruptions. Smart wear detection also automatically plays and pauses your music when you put in or take out your earbuds for the ultimate convenience, and Google Fast Pair allows for quick and seamless connections to your device.

Intuitive touch controls are located on each earbud, making it easier to activate ANC, get help with Google Voice Assistant, switch between music and phone calls, and manage playlists. Listeners can enjoy up to 8 hours of music playback on a single charge, and up to 32 hours of battery life when using the charging case.

The TCL MOVEAUDIO S600 earbuds are lightweight and offer an ergonomic design that fits comfortably in your ears. IP54 protection helps guard against water, sweat, and dust so you can use it on your commute, to the gym or for a jog on the beach.

The MOVEAUDIO will be available in global markets starting in February 2021 for $181 (149€).

TCL MOVETRACK Pet Tracker

The TCL MOVETRACK Pet Tracker allows owners to keep a virtual eye on their pets, anytime and anywhere. Attached to a dog's collar, the device provides real-time multi-geo location tracking using GPS, WiFi, and other technologies along with three tracking modes to help locate lost animals.

Using the MOVETRACK Pet Tracker, users can create a virtual leash and receive notifications if the tracker leaves a designated Bluetooth coverage area up to 10 meters. Similarly, editable safe zones can also be created, providing owners with alerts when boundaries are crossed. A pet's play, walk, or rest-activity level can also be monitored on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, like a human digital pedometer.

Read more: Ultimate Ears Announces UE FITS The First Ever True Wireless Earbuds With Instant Custom Fit

MOVETRACK has an E-badge QR code, which allows finders of lost pets to easily contact the owners. If your pet is lost in the dark, the app comes with a feature that illuminates an LED on the device, giving owners a chance to identify, find and retrieve their loved one. The IP67-rated water and dust resistant device also offers long battery life, providing owners with up to 14 days of standby battery life between charges.

The MOVETRACK Pet Tracker comes in three colors and will be available in global markets this spring for $120 (99€).

Since its establishment in 2018, Taiwanese startup Cloudmed has rapidly expanded sales beyond Taiwan into the US, Japan, China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Cloudmed provides turnkey solutions for mobile wellness, fitness, and lifestyle-related health management. Their health management services include infant, cardiovascular, and weight control.

Read more: Fitbit Adds Blood Oxygen Monitoring (SPO2) in its Versa, Charge, and Ionic Device

Cloudmed's iconic product "iCARE 8-in-1 Measurement Device" made impressive gains on the very first day of CES 2020 earlier this year, with deals struck with Saygus (US), Elotec (Norway), and IDCP (Netherlands). In the upcoming CES 2021, Cloudmed is expecting to earn another hit with an IoT healthcare device that fits exceptionally well with the healthcare priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The iCARE 8-in-1 Measurement Device is capable of measuring your body data in just 60 seconds. Readouts include heart rate, fatigue index, light volume pulse wave graph, pulse wave velocity, epidermal electrogram, body age, pressure index, and oxygen concentration. The results of iCARE are more accurate than Fitbit and Apple Watch, while Cloudmed implants red light detection instead of green light detection or electrocardiography (ECG), which only provides 34% accuracy and cannot measure peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), says a press release.

These body data are transferred via Bluetooth to your phone, which is tailored to meet current preventive healthcare trends. These personal data assist general practitioners (GPs) and family medicine (FM) doctors to facilitate comprehensive healthcare for people of all ages. In this world of the pandemic, more data means more-thorough protection for every family.

Moreover, iCARE also provides online consultations with doctors, pharmacists, and dietitians. This helps users develop their personal daily dietary and exercise routines with the help of a unique AI system. Furthermore, iCARE pushes personal reminders such as taking pills, real-time analysis, and even emergency calls.

According to Dr. Brian Lin, the Founder & CEO of Cloudmed, wearable devices like iCARE, is going to revolutionize the previous generations of daily home healthcare. As the customers are receiving a smoother and more effortless experience, it is more likely to improve the efficiency and accuracy of body data, meaning to let everyone have a better understanding of their own body while doctors are more likely to conduct better diagnoses.

Read more: Taiwan-Based Healthcare Startup iWEECARE Scores US$1M in Pre-Series A round

Since 2019, Cloudmed has collaborated with local nursing homes and hospitals. The data collected are gradually improving the AI of iCARE, and will provide better healthcare suggestions to users. As the Taiwanese government and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gradually loosen restrictions, we expect Cloudmed to incorporate more sophisticated and more specialized features into iCARE.

Among the most popular new year’s resolutions are ‘get in shape’ and ‘lose weight’. If you are planning to follow through with your fitness resolution goals this year, we suggest you browse through our list of 5 fitness trackers that will help you achieve your goals.

Read more: Best Smartwatches And Fitness Trackers For Kids 2020

1. Fitbit Charge 4

If you’re looking for a fitness tracker that has all the features of a smartwatch but isn’t bulky, then Fitbit Charge 4 will be the perfect fit. Charge 4 is Fitbit’s most advanced health & fitness tracker with built-in GPS, heart rate tracker, SpO2, active zone minutes, Spotify, Sleep tools, Fitbit Pay and more. Paired with essential smart features and up to seven days of battery life in a sleek, swimproof design – the Charge 4 comes also at an approachable price.

2. Fitbit Charge 3

If you’re on a budget and looking for a general-purpose wearable, then Fitbit Charge 3 is the best fitness tracker for you. With a fairly large monochrome touchscreen display, it displays our heart rate, distance traveled, and your smartphone notifications. The Charge 3 is swim-proof and has week-long battery life. It comes in 3 sizes to better accommodate wrists of all sizes. The SpO2 sensor monitors your blood oxygen level.

3. Xiaomi Mi Band 5

Mi Smart Band 5 is Xiaomi’s first smart wearable that supports dynamic home screen feature. A stunning 1.1-inch large AMOLED display makes it 20% bigger than its predecessor. The Mi Smart Band 5 boasts a larger 1.1-inch AMOLED dynamic display, improved fitness tracking accuracy, women’s health tracking, stress assessment, remote shutter control, and more. With 8 colorful straps and hundreds of themes, everyone can express a unique personality with Mi Smart Band 5. The Mi Band 5 tracks activities like Running, swimming, cycling, walking, treadmill, freestyle, jump rope, yoga, and more. It also tracks Blood oxygen level, sleep, and women’s health.

Read more: Apple Beats Samsung and Fitbit As North American Wearables Shipments Grow 10% Amid Pandemic

4. Moov Now 3D

This simple-looking fitness tracker possesses all the necessary features for you to achieve your fitness goals. One of the budget-friendly fitness trackers on the market, the Moov Now 3D allows you to track your active minutes during the day as well as your sleep minutes. It has a battery life of 6 months. The Moov Now app has several guided workouts in the form of running, biking, swimming, indoor cycling, cardio boxing and more, and has real-time audio feedback, reports Offers.

5. Honor Band 5

Although the company calls it a smartwatch, Honor Band 5 is a Fitbit style fitness tracker with all the features of a smartwatch. It tracks your running, walking, swimming, cycling, and cross-training. It also tracks your sleep, monitors your heart, and measures calories burned. It is waterproof at 50M. The Honor Band 5 comes with stylish clock faces and a battery life of 14 days.

Pennsylvania-based Strados Labs has received the FDA’s 510(k) clearance for its Strados RESP, a platform used to record, measure and assess lung sounds remotely.

Read more: Kaia Health Partners With Chiesi Group to Commercialize Kaia COPD Rehabilitation App in Europe

The RESP™ system has been used in clinical trials to help researchers quantify changes in lung sounds over time to compare against treatments, patient-reported outcomes, and other vital signs. The RESP™ can capture, store, and make available for clinical analysis these key changes in a patient’s lung sounds remotely with a small body-worn sensor and a cloud-based, HIPAA compliant software system, says a press release.

Dr. Mitchell Glass, the Chief Medical Officer of Strados Labs, said, “This wearable technology will allow us to follow our patients in healthcare settings more effectively, by providing regular interval listening between clinician visits, by archiving the patient’s lung sounds for future comparisons and by reducing the variability in auscultatory documentation that presents a major problem both in patient care and in clinical trials.”

The company is currently working with research organizations and pharmaceutical companies to capture lung sound measurements as primary and exploratory endpoints to support their trials. Strados Labs sees the use of RESP™ in trials as a way to learn more about patient-reporting outcomes (ePRO) to help sponsors better understand how treatments and therapies impact patient symptoms like coughing or wheezing objectively. This system for remote lung measurement aligns with the sponsor goals of minimizing patient burden, maintaining patient privacy, and decentralizing trial data collection to optimize recruitment and retention.

“We are excited to finally bring the RESP™ technology to clinicians, scientists and patients who need it most,” said Co-founder & CEO Nick Delmonico. “The FDA clearance is a major milestone for our early-stage company. Our team worked tirelessly and overcame obstacles, many that were out of our control due to COVID19, to achieve this goal during a particularly challenging year for small businesses. We are thrilled to be one step closer to our mission of making every breath count.”

Read more: Noninvasive Wearable Sensors to Advance Chronic Respiratory Disease Management In Patients Around the World

The RESP technology can be integrated into various health data systems, including telehealth, eICUs, clinical trial management platforms, and telemetry across healthcare settings. This is the company’s first FDA clearance.