The accuracy of wearables employing photoplethysmography (PPG)-based heart rate sensors may vary significantly between specific devices and activity types, but these sensors’ performances do not appear to be significantly affected by the skin tone of the wearer, according to a new study published in NPJ Digital Medicine.
The investigation, conducted by Duke University researchers among 53...
Xiaomi, the Chinese company that, in 2014, launched a $13 activity tracker -- in stark contrast to the $50 to $200 price point devices typically common in the US -- has done it again. Today the company announced that it would launch the $23 MiBand 2 later this month. Like its predecessors, the MiBand and the MiBand Pulse, it will not be available in the US.
The MiBand 2 shares a number of...
Over the past few months China-based WeChat, an instant messaging app that has around 500 million active users, has added fitness tracking integration into its app, according to a post from TechInAsia. WeChat is a subsidiary of Tencent.
The WeChat app is available in the US, Hong Kong, India, China, Thailand, and Indonesia, although the new feature is currently only available in Chinese.
WeChat...
Chinese electronics company Xiaomi has announced a new fitness band that will retail in China for just $13 (79 RMB). The device will track activity, act as a silent alarm, and do something novel for fitness-tracking wristbands: unlock the user's phone in lieu of a password. PC World covered the launch event where CEO Lei Jun announced the device.
Although Xiaomi is just starting to sell devices...
