Sony announces drive for wearable use cases

Japanese manufacturer focusing heavily on use cases for wearable concepts at CES 2015

Sony has announced a number of initiatives to broaden to appealm of its range of wearable technology.

SmartWatch 3, announced in October and set for release next month, runs on Google’s Android Wear operating system and features a 1.6-inch 320×320 display, 1.2Ghz quad-core processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB of internal storage, bluetooth 4.0 and NFC capability.

It can be controlled by voice, touch, gesture and has a range of sensors including an accelerometer, ambient light, compass, gyro (orientation) and GPS.

It has a 420mAh battery which Sony claims is enough for up to two days of normal usage. It can be paired with any phone running Android 4.3 or higher.

It is available in black or yellow but has a wider range of customisable wrist straps in different colours which are sold separately. The main body of the watch is made from stainless steel.

Use cases

With manufacturers becoming increasingly aware of the need to make the case for smartwatch usage it has also announced a number of partnerships with apps providers.

UK users will get premium access to three months of running performance app, iFit and 30 days access to golf performance app, GolfShot, when they purchase the product.

A collaboration has also been announced with Virgin Atlantic to develop solutions for Sony’s SmartWear products for the enterprise. The airline has previously deployed Google Glass for a successful trial period.

Lifelog application

As part of this drive to increase the use cases of its products, Sony has announced an update to its Android app, Lifelog, which Sony claims lets users set personal goals, monitor their progress and make more informed choices about their health and entertainment choices.

The new version uses open API’s to allow other Android applications to feed data into the central Lifelog application. It has been built using HTML5 technology (as opposed to native app coding) which means that the site will work across any screen size (smartphone, tablet, TV etc).

Apps which allow monitoring of weight and BMI, as well as a number of others, will soon be able to be integrated into Lifelog.

“The expansion of Lifelog – both in terms of its open API and our vision for new wearable concepts – will allow creative partners to integrate their apps and services to our platform – giving our users access to the richest, most varied wearable ecosystem,” said Sony Mobile senior vice president head of UX creative design and planning Kaz Tajima.

original article Mobile News Online

http://ift.tt/1BF3klg