Despite the fact that companies like Whoop have been there for years, the Fitbit Air has taken the wearable market by storm, selling out at many stores and maybe starting a new trend of screenless fitness tracker bands.

The Fitbit Air is a $99 fitness tracker that doesn't have a screen or buttons, is compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones, and doesn't require a membership. It hardly even resembles wearable technology because it is so light and cozy.

Without even considering hiring basketball player Steph Curry as a Performance Advisor, Google has accomplished this in a few crucial ways. First of all, it's reasonable price makes it a far more affordable choice than companies like Whoop, reports Chris Martin in Tech Advisor.

While appearing to be on its way out with years between the Air and the previous generation, the Fitbit brand still has significant influence. Additionally, Google has stated that the Pixel Watch models will essentially replace the Fitbit devices.

The buzz and early success of the Fitbit Air give Google a good opportunity to extend its wearable game. I feel the corporation would be crazy not to follow up the Air with a Fitbit smart ring.

For many, the Fitbit Air's price of less than $100 makes it an obvious choice. In addition to the fact that the Fitbit brand is well-known and trusted, spending many times more on a rival is a considerably bigger purchase choice.

Read more Pebble Bringing Back Its E-Paper Smartwatches

At a comparable price, a Fitbit smart ring would be extremely popular. It would be four times less expensive than the Samsung Galaxy Ring, five times less expensive than the more elegant Oura Ring 5 finishes, and still less expensive than even the "cheap" smart rings that are now on the market.

Not to mention, low-cost gadgets like the Air don't need to generate enormous profits when one of their goals is to encourage consumers to sign up for Google Health.

Google has to seize this market opportunity right away.

One argument against this device could be that the smart ring is unnecessary for someone who recently purchased a Fitbit Air.

It doesn't have to be one or the other, though. For more accurate data and possibly longer battery life (as the Galaxy Ring does when used with a Galaxy Watch), they might operate concurrently (as the Air does with a Pixel Watch).

Alternatively, depending on your preferences and practicality, you might alternate between the two for certain settings and situations.

It makes perfect sense to get a Fitbit Ring. Google might dominate the market if it packs the Air's data-first, screen-free mentality into an inexpensive smart ring.

Samsung announced its next smart ring, presumably named Galaxy Ring 2 just after the new Oura Ring 5 hit the shelves. Compared to its predecessor, the Oura Ring 5 is roughly 40% smaller with an even longer battery life, although does come with a higher price tag. Given how intense the competition has become over the past two years, it's about time Samsung made a comeback to the smart ring market. How will the Galaxy Ring 2 compare to its competitors?

First off, given the sleeker shape of the Oura Ring 5, it wouldn't be shocking if Samsung adopted a similar "smaller but tougher" strategy for its own smart ring in order to increase comfort, reports Tech Radar.

Additionally, Samsung might learn from Oura and eliminate skin contact bumps from the ring's interior while increasing its battery life. We also anticipated that it would use a solid-state battery.

Pak implied that the Galaxy Ring 2 won't be the greatest change, despite the likelihood of design improvements. He said, "It's really about what services you create on the top layer. If you look at the comparison of other rings, regardless of the competitor, the sensors are not that different right now." What you actually notice is the software differentiation.

In light of these comments, the Galaxy Ring 2 will prioritize stronger software integration over hardware reupholstery. Pak added that Samsung intends to expand its networked environment in order to provide consumers with more precise measurements and a deeper understanding of their health-related behaviors.

Related Samsung Launches Galaxy Watch8 Series

Samsung uses the Samsung Health app to combine your data from the smart ring with data from other devices in its network, rather than relying solely on the metrics collected by the Galaxy Ring 2 to provide a comprehensive picture of your well-being. Galaxy Watches, smartphones, and even its line of SmartThings home appliances might be examples of this, providing you with more specific context for your everyday activities and general well-being.

It's a great win for consumers who are already well-versed in Samsung's gadget ecosystem, but the first-generation Galaxy Ring's inability to support iOS is one of its biggest drawbacks. Although Oura supports iOS, which gives consumers greater incentive to use its wearables over Samsung's, Samsung still has the overall advantage. However, this could change with the Galaxy Ring 2.

Pak strongly implied that the Galaxy Ring will eventually have iOS support in addition to software updates, saying, "I'm smiling but I can't say anything." The biggest surprise of all the new features would be iOS support, which would encourage non-Android customers to choose the Galaxy Ring over competing wearables.

At the Augmented World Expo 2026, Snap introduced SPECS, its new augmented reality glasses. The company believes technology can do better. Its vision is that the best technology fades into the background, providing help when needed and staying out of the way when it is not. With that philosophy in mind, it developed SPECS.

SPECS bring computing into the world around users rather than pulling them away from it. The glasses make it possible to access information, entertainment, and assistance while remaining engaged with people and surroundings. The company believes augmented reality is the most natural way to use a computer because it aligns with how people already experience the world—visually, socially, and in three dimensions, reports Snap.

Built for Everyday Life

SPECS are fully standalone, requiring no external puck or tether. They are constructed from high-performance Swiss TR90 polymer and are available in two sizes. The 47 mm model weighs just 132 grams, while the 52 mm model weighs 136 grams. Removable prescription inserts accommodate a wide range of vision needs.

The display system is powered by proprietary liquid crystal on silicon technology, delivering a 51-degree field of view and 16 million colors. This creates a large, vivid display experience that feels like a 24-inch desktop monitor for work or a 115-inch home cinema screen positioned approximately 10 feet away for entertainment.

Useful in the Moment

SPECS can transform almost any location into a workspace. Users can cast screens, stream content, open whiteboards, or collaborate with others while remaining aware of the people and environment around them. Because augmented reality is inherently social, SPECS also enable entirely new forms of shared experiences.

Related Lightweight AR Glasses with Theater-Like Immersion

Developers have already created hundreds of Lenses for SPECS, unlocking experiences beyond traditional screens. These include tools for reading a golf green, interactive drum lessons through Drum Kit, and educational applications such as Vector Fields that make invisible forces visible.

Built to Understand the World

SPECS provide up to four hours of mixed-use battery life, supporting audio and video playback, Lenses, AI assistance, Bluetooth notifications, and more. The included charging case offers four additional charges, extending total mixed-use time to as much as 20 hours.

A Platform for Developers

The company is introducing agentic development capabilities for building SPECS Lenses in Lens Studio through a developer preview rolling out across Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor. It is also launching the SPECS Spatial Benchmark, the Migration Agent, and a new Native Development Kit that enables developers to bring their own code and libraries into Lens Studio.

Privacy from the Beginning

SPECS are designed with transparency at their core. The glasses clearly request permission before accessing sensitive information, and an LED indicator illuminates whenever recording is taking place. SPECS prioritize on-device processing and give users control over what information is stored, synchronized, shared, or deleted.

Pre-Ordering

SPECS are now available for pre-order at the company’s website for $2,195, with a refundable deposit of $200.
The glasses are expected to begin shipping this fall in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

Last weekend, Duan, 21, received his Bachelor of Science in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University. Additionally, she closed a $11 million seed investment for Clair Health. With backing from a16z Speedrun, Brydge Club, Treehub, Cartan Capital, AGI House, Insiders VC, and Anne Wojcicki, Khosla Ventures led the funding round. The company, which co-founded with Abhinav Agarwal, is developing what it claims to be the first non-invasive, continuous hormone monitor for women.

Clair Health's wearable wristband uses a stack of ten biosensors, including biomagnetic sensors that it claims are not found in any competing consumer wearable, to read physiological signals like skin temperature, heart rate variability, and electrodermal activity. These markers are then run through AI models to determine a woman's hormonal cycle rather than taking blood or puncturing skin, reports Fortune.

“Right now, to measure hormones, you either do a blood test in a lab or you pee on a stick at home,” Duan told Fortune. “Any urine test is also not looking at hormones directly—they’re looking at how your body metabolizes them.”

When compared to daily urine samples, which are the same standard as at-home ovulation strips rather than a clinical blood study, Clair's AI accurately determined a woman's menstrual cycle phase 94% of the time. There are ongoing independent third-party investigations, such as one conducted by Stanford, that will eventually present more accurate data.

Related Oura Introduces AI Model for Women’s Health

This area has been the focus of several wearable tech firms. Whoop introduced women's hormonal insights in 2025 and this spring included a blood test panel tailored to women. In February 2026, smart ring manufacturer Oura introduced a customized AI model for women's health. Additionally, Natural Cycles already uses Oura's temperature sensor to power FDA-approved birth control. However, none of it was created specifically for hormones.

“Much of wearable technology being developed is bro-tech for tech-bros,” Dr. Alex Morgan, partner at Khosla Ventures, said in a statement to Fortune. “This team has identified the larger under-addressed market of women interested in improving their health and wellness through getting insights specifically designed for women.”

The global femtech market is projected to nearly triple from $39 billion in 2024 to $97 billion by 2030, according to Fortune report.

In order to get to market more quickly, Clair plans to launch as a wellness product in November and then seek FDA approval. The company has already sold out its presale and has a waitlist of 25,000 people. Fertility clinics have sent it over 100 letters of intent. Perimenopause monitoring, hormone replacement treatment calibration, and endometriosis and PCOS diagnostics are all part of the longer-term plan.

With zero-knowledge encryption and on-device computing for women who choose not to have their health information saved in the cloud, the company is moving closer to HIPAA compliance.

Using a smart running vest, a group of Dutch engineers took on the task of enhancing runners' safety. Currently looking for support on Kickstarter, the product is called RunSafePro.

RunSafePro may be helpful for purposes other than running, despite its name. It is marketed as a safety wearable for commuters, cyclists, hikers, dog walkers, and runners. Its primary purposes include alerting your loved ones in the event of an emergency, making you visible to cars, and alerting you when someone is approaching from behind, reports New Atlas.

The vest needs a companion app for setup and modification, as would be anticipated from a smart device. The proposed monthly subscription fee is US$0.99.

A back radar that can identify approaching objects (cyclists, vehicles, or pedestrians) up to 30 meters (100 feet) behind you is one of the garment's safety features. Depending on the settings, alerts can be sent as visual signals on the vest itself, auditory notifications via headphones, or vibrations via a phone or smartwatch. Although the designers make sure that a 30-meter distance provides you adequate time to react, the system does not indicate whether the object is approaching from the left or the right.

Read more Catapult Sports GPS for Football Teams – Full Review

Instead of being overt and taking out your phone when you feel insecure, you can hit an emergency button on the vest. Your emergency contacts will receive your GPS location instantaneously from the system. A double press triggers a loud alarm and tells all of your emergency contacts, but a single press simply alerts your primary contacts silently. The program now lets users add up to 50 contacts, which may sound like a lot, but it does raise the likelihood that someone will turn up.

An integrated sensor that senses when you abruptly cease moving is another helpful feature. Your phone or smartwatch will receive a notification from the system asking how you're doing. It will alert your key emergency contacts if you don't reply within a set period of time.

You would need to have an iOS or Android smartphone with you in order to activate emergency notifications. You would need to combine the vest with an eSIM-capable smartwatch if you would rather leave your phone at home. The vest is intended to work with all of the major brands, including Apple Watch, Samsung, and Garmin.

It is not recommended to wear RunSafePro over a hydration vest because it is intended to be worn over clothing, including light layers. A hydration vest may compromise the accuracy of the rear radar, which requires a steady, unobstructed location near the body. RunSafePro is mainly intended for shorter runs, interval training, or walks where you wouldn't typically need water, according to its makers.

The vest's adaptable 360-degree lighting and reflective materials make you more visible from a distance, even in low light.

The product is washable, but remember to take out the electronic module, which the manufacturers claim is quite simple. Although the module cannot be washed in a machine, it is said to be resistant to perspiration and rain. Currently, depending on the settings, battery life ranges from three to six hours.

The vest, which will retail for $175, may be obtained with an early pledge of US$119. Additionally, a complimentary six-month app membership will be given to the first 1,000 early backers. Shipping will commence in October if the Kickstarter campaign is successful.

We are excited to introduce Cala kIQ Plus by Cala Health, a next-generation wearable designed to transform how essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease are treated. This wrist-worn neurostimulation device delivers personalized, non-invasive therapy that helps reduce hand tremors and improve daily motor function — bringing clinically validated treatment directly into everyday life.

Unlike traditional approaches that rely on medication or invasive procedures, Cala kIQ Plus uses adaptive transcutaneous nerve stimulation to target tremor symptoms in real time. The system continuously adjusts therapy modes to optimize relief based on individual response, enabling users to regain control during everyday tasks such as eating, writing, or holding objects.

Seamlessly integrated with a companion app, the wearable supports personalized calibration, therapy tracking, and data-driven adjustments over time. Whether at home or on the move, it provides precision, adaptability, and meaningful symptom relief without compromise.

About Cala Health

Cala Health is a bioelectronic medicine company focused on developing non-invasive wearable therapies for neurological conditions. By combining neuroscience, wearable sensors, and personalized stimulation algorithms, the company aims to provide effective, drug-free treatment options for patients with movement disorders.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared for marketing the first over-the-counter (OTC) continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for children, Dexcom Inc.’s Stelo Glucose Biosensor System, an integrated CGM (iCGM) indicated for people two years of age and older who do not use insulin. The FDA previously cleared the Stelo Glucose Biosensor System OTC for individuals 18 years and older in March 2024.

“Children deserve access to the best tools available to manage their health," said Center for Devices and Radiological Health Director Michelle Tarver, M.D., Ph.D. "Today's clearance reflects the FDA's commitment to fostering innovation for pediatric patients and supporting the safe and effective use of medical devices where children live, learn, and play.”

Prediabetes is increasingly impacting children in the United States, placing millions at heightened risk for progressing to Type 2 diabetes. OTC CGMs can play a critical role in addressing this public health concern for pediatric users who do not use insulin. By providing real-time glucose data, these devices can help pediatric patients and their caregivers build greater glycemic awareness, track patterns in response to meals and exercise, and make informed adjustments to support healthier long-term outcomes and quality of life, the US FDA said in a press release.

The product is indicated for children, including those with diabetes, who receive oral medication to manage their condition and people who want to understand how diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes affect their glucose levels.

The Stelo Glucose Biosensor System uses a wearable sensor, paired with an application installed on a compatible smartphone, or other smart device, such as a parent’s or caregiver’s smartphone, to continuously measure, record, analyze and display glucose values. Each sensor lasts for up to 15 days before it must be replaced, although sensor wear time may be shorter in pediatric users than in adults due to several interconnected physiological and behavioral factors. The app displays glucose measurements and trends every 15 minutes. Users and their caregivers should consult their health care provider before making any medication adjustments based on the device’s output.

Related Noninvasive Infrared Light for Blood Sugar Monitor

This clearance is an example of the FDA’s use of real-world evidence (RWE) to support regulatory decision-making. Dexcom and the FDA used previous clinical study data from both pediatrics and adults, along with RWE derived from real-world data on current iCGM use among both groups, to understand expected device performance in pediatric users over the full 15-day wear period.

Participants in the previous study reported mild adverse events including local infection, skin irritation, and pain or discomfort.

For children, the device should be used under the supervision of an adult caregiver. Importantly, this system is not for people with problematic hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) because it is not designed to alert users when this potentially dangerous condition occurs. This system is also not for people on dialysis. People with a history of disordered eating or eating disorders should talk with their health care provider before using Stelo.

This clearance is also aligned with the FDA’s Home as a Health Care Hub Initiative, which focuses on advancing the development of innovative, patient-centered devices that fit more seamlessly into people’s daily lives at home.

In an effort to revive the legendary wearable brand, Eric Migicovsky, the original founder, has revealed that Pebble plans to begin distributing the Pebble Round 2 in July.

One of the first smartwatch companies was Pebble, which debuted in 2013 following a fruitful Kickstarter campaign. The company's devices were renowned for their use of E-ink displays. Fitbit purchased Pebble's software in 2016, and Google later purchased Fitbit, reports Chris Hall in T3.

To complete the cycle, Migicovsky began developing additional devices, such as the new Pebble Round 2, which was unveiled in January 2026, after Google declared the software open source in 2025.

Eric Migicovsky shared the information on X, emphasizing that while he had been examining pre-production samples, certain tooling modifications are required to achieve the desired level of quality.

Related Pebble and UNA Launches Open-Source Smartwatches

Pebble has a distinct mentality than the standard Garmin or Apple Watch, which strives to do everything. It's about designing attractive gadgets that people would want to use rather than overloading them with functionality.

As a result, battery life and pleasure are prioritized over meeting every need on a specification sheet. The end product should be a watch you love to wear rather than one that confuses you. Less really is more in this situation.

According to Chris Hall: “The Pebble Round 2 should be a conversation starter, a device that's thin and elegant, will tell you the time with a 1.3-inch color e-paper display, and sports two weeks of battery life, with step and sleep tracking.”

You can access AI companions on your phone through a variety of apps and a built-in microphone.

The Pebble Round 2 is priced at $199 direct from Pebble.

A new piece of smart jewelry might be the solution if you struggle to remember to reapply sunscreen or are concerned about sun damage. The90 Gem, a pendant necklace with a sensor that measures UVA and UVB exposure in real time, was introduced by The90, a wearable firm that promotes preventive skin health.

UVA rays can raise the risk of skin cancer and cause long-term skin aging. Sunburns can be caused by UVB rays, but over time, both forms of UV radiation can harm skin.

The pendant is paired with the The90 app, which analyzes real-time UVA and UVB data all day long. It converts that ambient exposure into proactive skin-care management rather than just alerting you to the sun's strength. The Gem feels more like a beauty-focused wellness item developed around prevention, even if it is essentially a sun health tracker.

Stacy Salvi, a specialist in wearable health technology and the person who oversaw Google's acquisition of Fitbit, created The90. In order to preserve healthy skin free from sun damage, Salvi sought to give women more control over their sun exposure statistics.

According to a representative for The90 who spoke to CNET, the necklace was created with women in mind because, according to the company's research, this group is typically already aware of sun protection.

"We found that women are both the most familiar with the benefits and risks of UV exposure and the most interested in finding ways to mitigate those risks," they said. However, The90 plans to expand its product line in the future to serve men and children as well.

Related UV Light Sensor Warns about Skin Damage

"The90 transforms sunscreen from a one-time morning ritual into an adaptive, responsive system built around your actual UV load," Salvi said in a press release.

The pendant collects UVA and UVB data, determines your skin type, whether you apply sunscreen, and whether you are wearing protective gear. The goal is to increase women's awareness and provide them with practical reminders regarding sun exposure, when to apply sunscreen, and good skin aging.

"Women are already investing in SPF, treatments, tools and routines to protect their skin, but when it comes to sun exposure, most of us are still guessing," said entrepreneur Lauryn Bosstick, one of The90's investors and podcast host and founder of The Skinny Confidential, in the press release.

The90 Gem is available now for $299, but there's an exclusive deal for $199 for The Skinny Confidential community.

The new X Series exoskeletons from Hypershell offer walking and trekking assistance over a variety of terrain, ranges, and support levels thanks to AI-driven motion control.

The new X Series comes in three distinct models: the X Ultra S, X Max S, and X Pro S. Hypershell's predictive movement-syncing software, HyperIntuition, powers the complete range, which has a variety of power outputs and terrain-focused modes for harsh settings, reports New Atlas.

Hypershell is concentrating on seamless synchronization with the X Series, which lowers your metabolic effort by coordinating the machine's output with human intent rather than merely adding raw power.

The primary software update powering the new X Series is called HyperIntuition. According to Hypershell, it is an AI-powered motion control system that integrates planning, perception, movement detection, and prediction into a single, continuous loop. In reality, the objective is to provide a kind of support that is more naturally tailored to the individual and the environment, rather than relying solely on rules.

The system achieves 97.5% gait synchronization and replies in just 0.31 seconds, making the algorithm 64.5% faster than the previous iteration, according to Hypershell's TÜV Rheinland-verified materials. The main argument is not only that the exoskeleton provides assistance, but also that it does it when you most need it.

Related Vastnaut One: Built for Outdoor Limits

The M-One Ultra motor system from Hypershell, which can provide up to 1,000 W, 22 Nm (16.2 lb.ft) of torque, and a maximum assisted speed of 25 km/h (15.5 mph), powers the Ultra S and Max S. The Ultra S can travel up to 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) between battery charges. The Pro S reduces power to 800 W, 18 Nm of torque, 17.5 km of range, and a 20 km/h aided speed.

The series' 1.8-2-kg (3.96-4.4-lb) weights, IP54 protection, and foldable designs make it suitable for extended outdoor walks in a variety of environments, not just flat urban strolling.

A few improvements in durability and comfort are also included in the new lineup. These include an ergonomic back pad to provide stability during extended usage, a honeycomb silicone anti-slip structure, and a three-zone waist pad. Hypershell adds carbon fiber and titanium alloy parts that have undergone one million high-torque swing cycles to the flagship X Ultra S.

Use case and intensity are used to divide the models. The Ultra S has additional fitness-focused functions, Boost Mode, and Dune and Snow settings. Mixed terrain is the goal of the Max S. Additionally, lighter outdoor movement is the goal of the Pro S.

Additionally, Hypershell is introducing HyperLIFT, a search-and-rescue field test program intended for over 50 SAR organizations, indicating that the business wants the technology tested in more challenging field work than leisure hiking.

The X Pro S costs US$999, while the X Max S and X Ultra S cost $1,499 and $1,999, respectively. The series is currently accessible in a number of locations, including the US, Canada, China, and Australia, and it is anticipated to launch in additional nations soon.

With real-time data on player mobility, load management, and performance measurements, Catapult Sports provides one of the most complete GPS monitoring systems available in professional and collegiate sports. In order to maximize your players' training loads and avoid injuries during crucial game weeks, a football coach who oversees 80-hour workweeks and frequent recruiting visits needs accurate statistics.

Catapult’s Athlete Monitoring Solutions are trusted by over 1,200 football teams worldwide, including prestigious clubs like Real Madrid, Chelsea FC, and national organizations such as the French Football Federation. Our technology is proven at all levels of football, playing a pivotal role in leagues like the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, and many more. We're committed to enhancing performance and providing strategic insights for the world's biggest football teams and leagues.

Football Player Performance Analysis

Catapult provides detailed, football-specific metrics that capture every nuance of athlete performance on the pitch. From tracking individual player movements to analyzing team dynamics, Catapult GPS offer insights that are essential for coaches and teams striving for excellence, reports John Hashem in Eyes Up Football.

Their data-driven approach helps in making informed decisions, optimizing training, and enhancing strategies, ensuring that every player achieves their peak performance. Trusted by top teams, Catapult’s analysis tools are the secret behind many successful football journeys.

Injury Prevention and Load Management

During taxing times like spring practice, fall camp, and playoff runs, player workload management becomes crucial. With Catapult's load monitoring, you may find players who are at a higher risk of injury before issues arise.

The system monitors the ratios of acute to chronic effort, alerting players to abrupt increases in training stress. When integrating transfer players or managing returning starters who missed a lot of time due to injury, this data is quite helpful.

Planning for Costs and Budgets

Football programs must make large investments in catapult devices. Initial hardware purchases, continuing software subscriptions, employee training, and technical assistance are all expenses. Software updates, system expansions, and device replacements should all be taken into consideration when creating a budget.

Related Oura Becomes Team USA & LA28 Official Wearable

Before moving on to full-team monitoring, many programs begin with smaller implementations that cover important position groups or particular training periods. Before making significant financial commitments, this strategy enables employees to get experience and prove their worth.

Data-Driven Coaching Choices

When coaching decisions are directly influenced by data, the actual benefit of Catapult systems becomes apparent. When preparing for a game, use GPS analytics to find tactical advantages, optimize practice planning, and modify player loads.

Protocols for Preventing Injuries and Return-To-Play

Optimal return-to-play techniques and injury avoidance may yield the highest return on investment. Fatigue patterns, workload imbalances, and movement asymmetries that precede injuries can all be found using GPS data.

Objective movement data offers precise standards for a safe return to competition in the event that athletes sustain injuries. You can monitor if players have recovered their pre-injury movement abilities and training tolerances instead of depending just on subjective evaluations.

Fitbit has always been dedicated to creating high-quality wearable technology that is affordable and suitable for a wide range of users. However, many individuals still believe that wearable technology is too large, too complex, or too costly.

That’s where Fitbit Air comes in – it’s easy to use, reasonably priced, and sufficiently comfortable to wear around the clock. It was created to fully utilize the Google Health Coach and provide everyone with advice and personal health insights.

Wearable with three different types of wrist wraps, this nearly weightless tracker (0.4 oz/11 g including a band) tracks all the typical activities, steps, and sleep. With FDA-approved background AFib detection, it can also monitor your heart rate, blood oxygenation, skin temperature, cardiac load, and heart rhythm, reports New Atlas.

You may anticipate a full week of battery life and avoid fussing with controls or becoming sidetracked by notifications because it lacks a screen. It may be charged for five minutes to provide a full day's worth of tracking.

Bicycling, running, walking, elliptical, and rowing will all be immediately detected by the Air. It will also monitor other activities that raise your heart rate, but it might not correctly identify the type of activity. Based on the information you enter into the app, it will also gradually discover the precise activities you engage in.

Related Clair Develops Continuous Hormone-Tracking Wearable

In relation to the app, the Fitbit app is changing its name to Google Health and undergoing a significant redesign to improve its usability and customization for both iOS and Android. It will display all of your statistics, which can be synced with other fitness apps like Strava. While a subscription unlocks a plethora of premium services, basic logging is free.

This includes coaching to help you reach your fitness objectives, proactive workout recommendations, AI-powered insights from your activity stats, summaries of your medical records, a workout library created by professional trainers, and access to an AI assistant that can provide evidence-based answers to your health-related queries. Your statistics and trends are presented as wordy content, so you don't have to figure out what they imply on your own.

Additionally, there are mindfulness classes that include guided breathing, meditation, and other topics. Additionally, you can modify your exercise regimen as necessary (to account for vacation days, for instance) and receive advice on how to do so by speaking with the AI coach. You will pay US$9.99 per month or $79 annually for that.

When paired with your smartphone, the tracker can use connected GPS to map your routes and sync them with fitness data for apps like Strava. It also comes with a 50-meter (164-foot) water resistance rating, making it suitable for swimming in a pool. In addition, the device can gently vibrate to wake you in the morning and notify you when the battery is running low.

Priced at $99.99, the Air costs about the same as the Amazfit Helio Strap and roughly half the price of the Polar Loop, while avoiding subscription fees altogether. That makes it a solid option for covering the basics. For users interested in deeper health analytics through Google Health, the annual subscription still comes in cheaper than the entry-level Whoop membership, which starts at $199 and can reach $359 depending on the included features.

Researchers at Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne are moving beyond simple data collection and into real-world testing of a new system that combines artificial intelligence with wearable devices to help identify infections early in children receiving cancer treatment.

The institute recently revealed that its WEARABLES research project, headed by Rachel Conyers, will begin trialing the Apple Watch alongside a specially developed mobile application at The Royal Children's Hospital. The goal is to spot the earliest indicators of infection in children undergoing chemotherapy before symptoms become severe.

The WEARABLES initiative originally focused on determining whether useful health information could be reliably gathered from pediatric cancer patients through the Apple Watch ECG feature. Now, the project is taking a more ambitious direction. According to Lane Collier, a doctoral researcher at the University of Melbourne and member of the study team, the researchers are investigating whether constant background monitoring through everyday wearable technology — enhanced by AI analysis — can recognize subtle warning signs of infection in young cancer patients in a way that is practical for hospitals and comfortable for families, reports MobiHealthNews.

Despite major improvements in childhood cancer treatment, long-term complications remain a serious concern. The institute reports that a majority of childhood cancer survivors develop at least one chronic medical condition later in life, while more than a quarter face severe or even life-threatening health problems linked to their treatment. Infections are particularly common among patients experiencing treatment-related side effects.

Researchers in pediatric oncology have also observed that infections can worsen extremely quickly in children with neutropenia, a condition marked by low white blood cell counts. In many cases, parents are the first to detect subtle behavioral or physical changes in their children before clinicians notice clear symptoms.

Related Sonar Smartwatch Enables Hand-Tracking Breakthrough

Collier also pointed out a major limitation in current healthcare technology: many diagnostic thresholds and AI-driven monitoring systems used today were originally developed using adult patient data, which may not accurately reflect the unique needs and physiological patterns of children undergoing cancer treatment.

"Despite growing interest in wearable monitoring, the evidence base for real-time, intervention-focused use specifically in pediatric oncology remains limited," Collier told Mobihealth News. "That's precisely the gap this study is designed to explore."

"The knowledge generated here contributes to understanding what is possible and what still needs to be solved, before this kind of monitoring could be equitably deployed at scale," she stressed.

Collier also noted that once AI-supported wearable monitoring could reliably identify infection risk earlier, the implications could be far-reaching.

"In settings where families travel long distances to access care, where oncology workforce capacity is stretched, or where delayed presentation to the hospital is common, an early warning system that works passively [at] home could be genuinely meaningful – potentially the difference between a child receiving timely treatment or not."

Still, access to digital technology would have to be addressed first, particularly in lower-resource settings, Collier said.

"For this kind of technology to be more widely applicable, the field would need to address device cost and accessibility, compatibility across a wider range of smartphones, offline functionality for settings without reliable connectivity, and, critically, AI models trained on diverse populations."

A new study reveals that smart electronic rings linked wirelessly to an AI-powered platform can convert several different sign languages into written text.

“I believe this is an important step toward making sign language translation systems more practical, lightweight, and usable in real-world environments,” says Ki Jun Yu, an associate professor of electrical and electronic engineering at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea.

Today, around 70 million deaf individuals around the world rely on one of nearly 300 different sign languages. However, only a small portion of the hearing population can understand these forms of communication. As a result, common social interactions — from placing a food order to introducing oneself at gatherings — can become frustrating barriers for deaf communities. Hoping to make communication easier, researchers in South Korea have created intelligent wearable rings capable of converting hand and finger movements into written text.

Earlier technologies mainly depended on wearable sensors designed to monitor either physical hand movements or the electrical activity generated by muscles. One widely used approach involved smart gloves, but these devices often became uncomfortable during extended wear because they trapped sweat and heat inside the material. Their rigid sensor layouts also struggled to adapt to differences in users’ hand shapes, finger proportions, and joint placement, which frequently affected precision and reliability, reports IEEE Spectrum.

Another drawback was limited mobility. Many of these systems needed wired connections to computers, restricting natural hand motion. Even in cases where the collected information was later sent wirelessly to an outside processor, the sensors themselves were usually still tethered to a central transmitting unit through cables, reducing overall convenience and flexibility.

Researchers have now introduced a new wearable system made up of compact electronic rings that send movement data wirelessly to a central processor. Unlike bulky smart gloves, the ring-based design allows sensors to be placed more naturally on different fingers, making the technology better suited to the unique shape and movement patterns of each user’s hands. Because the system operates wirelessly, users can move their hands freely without being restricted by cables.

According to Yu, advances in Bluetooth Low Energy system-on-chip technology have made it possible to combine wireless communication, power control, and sensing hardware into a flexible device small enough to fit comfortably on a finger.

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During the study, the team analyzed which fingers contributed most significantly to sign language gestures and found that seven fingers carried the majority of the movement information. To simplify the design and minimize unnecessary hardware, the final setup used only seven rings.

The rings were equipped with accelerometers that functioned as motion sensors, enabling them to recognize both still hand positions and moving gestures. This was important because sign languages rely on a combination of fixed poses and fluid transitions. The researchers also intentionally avoided using bioelectrical signals, since those measurements vary widely between individuals and typically require time-consuming calibration for every user.

Building a durable device presented another obstacle. Early prototypes used straight copper connections, but repeated bending caused them to weaken and nearly fail. To solve this problem, the engineers redesigned the connectors using flexible serpentine-shaped patterns that could tolerate constant movement without breaking.
The team also created an advanced deep-learning model capable of interpreting sign language through tracked hand movements. Remarkably, the system was not limited to the individuals whose gestures were used during training. It also performed successfully with five completely new participants who had never contributed data to the learning process, indicating that the technology may work broadly across users without requiring extensive personalization or recalibration.

When tested on those new participants, the platform correctly identified 100 frequently used words from American Sign Language and another 100 common signs from International Sign Language with accuracy rates of 88.3% and 88.5%, respectively. Earlier sign-language translation technologies generally supported vocabularies of fewer than 50 words, making the new system a significant step forward in both scale and practical usability.

“Two hundred words is a meaningful advance over prior wireless systems, but it is still a small fraction of a full sign language lexicon, which can contain thousands of signs,” cautions Dosik Hwang, a professor of electrical and electronic engineering at Yonsei University. “I want to be careful not to overstate what the current system can do in open-vocabulary, real-world conversation.”

The new system was not just capable of recognizing isolated words, but of translating entire sentences from continuous signing. The scientists suggest this could help support real-time interpretation.

In the long term, “our goal is to make the system work with everyday devices such as smartphones without requiring specialized external equipment,” Yu says. “The rings could wirelessly transmit sign language signals to a mobile device, where they would be automatically translated and displayed in real time. This would make the technology more portable, accessible, and practical for daily communication.”

We are excited to introduce Dreem 3S by Beacon Biosignals, a next-generation wearable designed to transform how sleep and brain health are monitored. This lightweight EEG headband combines advanced brain-sensing technology with AI-powered sleep analysis, enabling clinical-grade sleep monitoring from the comfort of home. Unlike traditional sleep studies that require overnight stays in specialized laboratories, Dreem 3S captures high-quality brain activity data in real-world settings, making sleep assessment more accessible, scalable, and patient-friendly.

Seamlessly integrated with Beacon’s analytics platform, the wearable provides automated sleep staging and longitudinal brain monitoring while maintaining the convenience of an easy-to-use form factor. Whether used in clinical research or decentralized healthcare programs, Dreem 3S delivers accurate insights into sleep architecture and neurological health without compromising comfort.

About Beacon Biosignals

Beacon Biosignals is a neurotechnology company focused on accelerating the development of treatments for neurological, psychiatric, and sleep disorders. By combining wearable EEG technology, artificial intelligence, and large-scale brain data analytics, the company enables researchers and healthcare organizations to better understand brain function and develop more effective therapies.

In April 2026, the California-based business Sabi emerged from stealth with a product that sounded like science fiction: a winter hat that contains between 70,000 and 100,000 small EEG sensors that are intended to translate silently imagined words into letters on a screen. Khosla Ventures, Accel, Initialized, and Kevin Weil, the former chief product officer of OpenAI, are investors in the business.

The advantages of this technique would actually go well beyond just achieving typing speed parity. This kind of technology would be revolutionary for people with disabilities or injuries that make communication challenging. Another feature that sets Sabi apart from modern rivals like Neuralink is that the sensors would be implanted in a baseball cap or beanie rather than in users' brains.

Electroencephalography (EEG), a non-invasive technique that analyzes electrical signals from the brain through the scalp, is how the beanie operates. Sabi's method does not require surgery, in contrast to implant-based systems like those being developed by businesses like Neuralink.

The objective is to identify "internal speech," or the words individuals think but don't express aloud, and translate it into text on a linked device. If it works, people might be able to interact or operate gadgets without having to talk or type, reports Digital Trends.

Why It Matters?

Although brain-computer interfaces are not new, the majority of current devices can be classified as either invasive implants or large external gear. Due to issues with usability, expense, or medical hazards, neither strategy has gained widespread acceptance.

Sabi's beanie adopts a distinct approach by emphasizing accessibility and comfort. The gadget is made to function right out of the box without the need for daily calibration, which has been a significant drawback for a lot of BCI systems.

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Early goals call for typing speeds of about 30 words per minute, which might increase as users get more accustomed to the system.

This could lead to new applications, such as hands-free computing for regular users and accessible aids for individuals with disabilities.

The Challenges

The technology has a lot of obstacles to overcome despite its potential. Individual differences in brain signals are significant, and even the identical thought can result in slightly different neural patterns each time.

Sabi is creating a large-scale AI model that has been trained on hundreds of hours of volunteer brain data in order to address this. Finding patterns that match internal speech across several users is the goal.

Privacy Concerns

Privacy is one of the main issues with this technology. Deeply personal neural data can disclose intentions, thoughts, and cognitive habits.

Sabi claims that in order to ensure safe handling, it is addressing this by encrypting data and collaborating with neurosecurity specialists. However, as these devices get closer to commercialization, the larger discussion over brain data ownership and ethical use is probably going to expand.

What's Next?

By late 2026, the business hopes to launch the beanie's first consumer version along with a cap version.

The next time you’re scrolling your phone, take a moment to appreciate the feat: The seemingly mundane act is possible thanks to the coordination of 34 muscles, 27 joints, and over 100 tendons and ligaments in your hand. Indeed, our hands are the most nimble parts of our bodies. Mimicking their many nuanced gestures has been a longstanding challenge in robotics and virtual reality.

There are several ways to record those motions so that robots can replicate them in real time, but each approach has drawbacks, reports New Atlas.

Until visual obstructions get in the way, cameras are fairly good at capturing a wide range of motions. Wearing sensor gloves restricts the human hand's normal movement and sensation, yet they can convey detailed motion data and are unaffected by barriers. In order to forecast hand movements, another technique measures electrical impulses from muscles using sensors on the wrist or forearm. However, these sensors are not very good at picking up on small in-between motions and are susceptible to background "noise."

Using ultrasonic imaging, the new method created by MIT researchers is the most accurate and dependable to date. Small ultrasound stickers, about the size of a watch, paired with compact electronics, are placed on the wrist in a wristband. As the fingers move, this configuration produces crisp, continuous images of the tendons and muscles.

To explain how it works, Gengxi Lu, one of the researchers, uses the analogy of puppet strings.

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"The tendons and muscles in your wrist are like strings pulling on puppets, which are your fingers," he says. "So the idea is: each time you take a picture of the state of the strings, you’ll know the state of the hand."

The ultrasound scans show each of the 22 degrees of freedom that each finger possesses. At first, researchers attempted to match those movements with the pictures, but this proved to be too difficult for people to perform in real time. Rather, they trained AI to identify patterns in the ultrasound pictures and forecast hand motions, and it was flawless!

In order to evaluate this system, volunteers performed all 26 American Sign Language letters and interacted with various objects, including a tennis ball, pencil, and scissors. The wristband was able to correctly predict hand positions in every instance.
Additionally, the bracelet was evaluated by the researchers as a wireless controller for a robotic hand that could replicate movements in real time, including playing a basic piano melody.

The ultimate goal is a wearable, compact hand tracker that anyone can use to remotely control virtual or robotic items. The AI may potentially be trained to perform a variety of activities, including assisting with surgical procedures, interacting with virtual reality environments, and operating equipment without touch, by gathering a large amount of hand movement data.

The research was published in the journal Nature Electronics.

Imagine traveling in a foreign country, reaching for a window you’ve never seen before, and instead of struggling to open it, you feel your own muscles gently guide you through the motion, as if an invisible teacher was there, lending their know-how. Now picture that same sensation helping you twist open a child-proof pill bottle, operate a camera, or perform tasks you’ve never practiced before. That's the core idea behind an AI-powered suit created by researchers from the University of Chicago.

Yun Ho and Romain Nith, PhD candidates working under Pedro Lopes at the Human Computer Integration Lab (HCintegration) at the University of Chicago, created the system. It includes a motion-tracking layer, wearable electrode suits, smart glasses with built-in cameras, and a multimodal AI model that can interpret both language and vision—the same class of technology as GPT-4.1. Without the need for a preprogrammed regimen, the suit physically exercises the user's muscles in real time, responding to whatever task is in front of them, reports New Atlas.

"This could be a game-changer, not only for tasks that are highly physical (such as learning physical skills required for working with manufacturing and materials or learning musical instruments) but also in situations where users might be situationally impaired," said Lopes.

Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), a method that applies low-level electrical pulses to particular muscles to induce movement, is the foundation of the technology. For many years, EMS has been utilized in sign language instruction, piano lessons, and physical rehabilitation. However, previous systems were basically fixed scripts. If you program one to shake a spray can, it will do so consistently. It would shake even if you showed it a cooking oil spray that doesn't require shaking. It was impossible to see the context.

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Between the AI and the body is a fourth layer called an anatomical safety filter. The method automatically distributes that motion across several joints if the model tells a wrist to spin 180 degrees, which is physically impossible without harm. Compared to a simple AI model without this body-awareness layer, the suit produced considerably fewer mistakes in lab tests.

The suit is actually easier to use than it seems. When a user approaches an unknown window and says, "EMS, help me open this," the system recognizes the sort of handle and electrically directs their elbow, wrist, and fingers in the proper order.

Three short-term use cases are described by the team. The outfit could help patients move safely at home without constant supervision during physical therapy and rehabilitation. It could shorten training times and lower the chance of accidents when workers come into contact with new machinery in industrial settings. It could provide direct physical orientation—that is, guided movement in an unfamiliar environment rather than an audio description – for those who are blind or have impaired eyesight.

When the system intentionally created mistakes during user tests, participants identified them, gave verbal instructions to fix them, and still finished the task. One participant pointed out that the errors were instantly apparent due to the body's natural intuition, which is encouraging evidence that people may truly stay informed.

"While we are really excited about our system, it is clearly just the first step; much more needs to happen," said Lopes. "Currently this is not something you can just wear in your everyday life but more of a superhero suit that researchers are experimenting with in the lab."

We are excited to introduce the Neural Sleeve by Cionic, a next-generation wearable designed to transform mobility for people with neurological conditions. This lightweight, garment-based device uses intelligent sensors and functional electrical stimulation to analyze movement in real time and actively support muscles — bringing personalized mobility assistance directly into everyday life. Unlike traditional braces that passively support the body, the Neural Sleeve dynamically adapts to each user’s gait, enabling more natural and efficient movement.

Seamlessly integrated with a companion app, the wearable continuously learns and adjusts stimulation patterns based on individual needs, offering real-time feedback and long-term progress tracking. Whether at home, at work, or on the move, it provides comfort, adaptability, and enhanced independence without compromise.

About Cionic

Cionic is a neurotechnology company focused on redefining human mobility through wearable innovation. By combining advanced AI, motion sensing, and neuromuscular stimulation, the company develops solutions that restore movement and improve quality of life for people with neurological impairments.

University of Washington researchers developed the first system that incorporates tiny cameras in off-the-shelf wireless earbuds to allow users to talk with an AI model about the scene in front of them. For instance, a user might turn to a Korean food package and say, “Hey Vue, translate this for me.” They’d then hear an AI voice say, “The visible text translates to ‘Cold Noodles’ in English.”

The prototype system called VueBuds takes low-resolution, black-and-white images, which it transmits over Bluetooth to a phone or other nearby device. A small artificial intelligence model on the device then answers questions about the images within around a second. For privacy, all of the processing happens on the device, a small light turns on when the system is recording, and users can immediately delete images, reports University of Washington.

The team will present its research April 14 at the Association for Computing Machinery Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in Barcelona.

“We haven’t seen most people adopt smart glasses or VR headsets, in part because a lot of people don’t like wearing glasses, and they often come with privacy concerns, such as recording high-resolution video and processing it in the cloud,” said senior author Shyam Gollakota, a UW professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. “But almost everyone wears earbuds already, so we wanted to see if we could put visual intelligence into tiny, low-power earbuds, and also address privacy concerns in the process.”

Cameras use far more power than the microphones already in earbuds, so using the same sort of high-res cameras as those in smart glasses wouldn’t work. Also, large amounts of information can’t stream continuously over Bluetooth, so the system can’t run continuous video.

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The team found that using a low-power camera — roughly the size of a grain of rice — to shoot low-resolution, black-and-white still images limited battery drain and allowed for Bluetooth transmission while preserving performance.

There was also the matter of placement.

“One big question we had was: Will your face obscure the view too much? Can earbud cameras capture the user’s view of the world reliably?” said lead author Maruchi Kim, who completed this work as a UW doctoral student in the Allen School.

The team found that angling each camera 5-10 degrees outward provides a 98-108 degree field of view. While this creates a small blind spot when objects are held closer than 20 centimeters from the user, people rarely hold things that close to examine them — making it a non-issue for typical interactions.

Researchers also discovered that while the vision language model was largely able to make sense of the images from each earbud, having to process images from both earbuds slowed it down. So they had the system “stitch” the two images into one, identifying overlapping imagery and combining it. This allows the system to respond in one second — quick enough to feel like real-time for users — rather than the two seconds it takes with separate images.

The team then had 74 participants compare recorded outputs from VueBuds with outputs from Ray-Ban Meta Glasses in a series of tests. Despite VueBuds using low-resolution images with greater privacy controls and the Ray-Bans taking high-res images processed on the cloud, the two systems performed equivalently. Participants preferred VueBuds’ translations, while the Ray-Bans did better at counting objects.

Sixteen participants also wore VueBuds and tested the system’s ability to translate and answer basic questions about objects. VueBuds achieved 83-84% accuracy when translating or identifying objects and 93% when identifying the author and title of a book.

This study was designed to gauge the feasibility of integrating cameras in wireless earbuds. Since the system only takes grayscale images, it can’t answer questions that involve color in the scene.

The team wants to add color to the system — color cameras require more power — and to train specialized AI models for specific use cases, such as translation.  
“This study lets us glimpse what’s possible just using a general purpose language model and our wireless earbuds with cameras,” Kim said. “But we’d like to study the system more rigorously for applications like reading a book — for people who have low vision or are blind, for instance — or translating text for travelers.”