Sensors: towards technological conquest of the wrist

Samsung Galaxy Gear Wrist

The new Gear 2 will feature sensors useful functions for health and exercise.
The wearable technology begins to gain a foothold through quantifier bracelets and watches connected devices that act of body sensors and envision new uses in the field of health.

They are part of the internet of things and even though its uses are limited to the area of physical activity or be simple extensions of smart mobile phones, major technological actors are interested in them.

"Wear with Android devices will offer relevant information for the user"

Companies like Google and Apple have already taken steps to, taking advantage of high penetration of personal technology, delving into the healthcare environment.

Specifically, Apple introduced the Health application, designed to centralize all information on health and user activity a few weeks ago: variables such as heart rate, blood glucose level or respiratory rate.

Meanwhile, the technology of Mountain View (California) has announced the Google Fit platform, also designed to organize all the physical information that can collect a user.

Work associated with a smart phone or a computer and its activity is centered on measuring the movement-with the aim of promoting a healthy life, and the dream of a person.

More sophisticated act as an extension of the "smartphone" and receive alerts allowed from mobile applications to answer calls.

Among the "wearable" devices without display stand Shine, SmartBand Sony, Jawbone Up 24 and pioneer, Fitbit Flex and Nike Fuelband.

All personal data collected measured and then the user can analyze on your device.

Shine was the last to arrive: it's a tough little metal disc to water that can be worn on the wrist or other body parts to monitor different types of physical activity (running, walking, swimming, cycling) and cycles dream.

The only thing that works on batteries, is water resistant and compatible with iOS and Android clock and serves with its tiny bright points, which also report the daily progress of marked physical target.

Fitbit Flex is one of the most popular: a bracelet different colors plastic measuring steps and calories burned, controls sleep and acts of silent alarm by vibration.

In this line also works Up24 Jawbone, the application allows you to analyze the activity and sleep data in conjunction with diet and moods.

Nike Fuelband The veteran, who has just arrived to Android, focuses exclusively on measuring the movement-its intensity and frequency, and its software is to motivate the user to reach the objectives it has set.

SmartBand, colorful proposal Sony also recorded sleep, the steps or calories burned, but also serves as a silent alarm by vibration.

Compatible with Android phones connect using NFC with Lifelog application that aims to be a center for visual representation of what a user has done throughout the day, not only their physical activity, also the pictures you have taken, the emails received, the music that has been played, the places you've gone and even Facebook notifications received.

Further afield wristbands try to go the touchscreen devices, most smart watches that act as extension phone, among which are Pebble, Gear Fit Samsung or Sony SmartWatch Gear 2 and 2.

In this area, Google presented at its developer conference, Android Wear, your bet for wearable technology.

Google claims that Android Wear is the entry key to a world of multiple screens.

The devices running Android Wear offer information deemed relevant to the user, display notifications mobile applications, will handle calls and control music and voice can handle.

Samsung, LG and Motorola have already developed Android watches to wear, but the most promising is the Moto 360, the unique circular format to date.

Apple is expected to break in September with its proposal in this field, the long-rumored "iWatch". EFEfuturo

Guide Samsung profit disappoints, Smartphone’s weigh

The Korean company also intends to improve its software.

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Tuesday offered a forecast of suddenly weak quarterly earnings that directs the company to its bad results in 2 years and calls into question the strategy of leading smartphone versus their cheaper Chinese rivals.


The South Korean company is facing a slowdown in market growth, intensified competition price at the decrease end and the threat of imminent next iPhone Apple Inc.

"Earnings offer a hard reality check that Samsung is not Apple, but Samsung. Their strategy of selling expensive phones at prices not work anymore, at a time when Chinese rivals also offer good sufficient phones at much less costly prices "said Lee Seung-woo, an analyst at IBK Securities technology.

"Samsung has to review its smartphone strategy," he added.

"Samsung might be forced to cut handset prices medium to low level"

While smartphones led Samsung to record profits past year, the market is growing.

Research firm IDC forecasts that global shipments growth will slow to 19.3 percent this year from 39.2 percent in 2013, while average selling prices will also be reduced.

Some analysts said that Samsung might be forced to cut handset prices medium to low level, where growth is stronger to compete with Chinese rivals for example Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and Lenovo Group Ltd.

While that would assist  protect its market share, also cut margins, slowing the recovery of their profits in the short-term.

The company said it "expects cautiously" a better outlook for the third quarter with the launch of a new line of smartphones, one reducible in marketing costs and boost seasonal demand in its memory business.

Samsung estimated its operating profit between April and June probably was down 24.5% from a year before to 7.2 trillion gained ($ 7.120 billion).

This would be the strongest percentage fall since the first one fourth of 2011 and the lowest since a profit of 6.5 trillion won in the second one fourth of 2012 level.

 
The guide, which is delivered before the final figures for the end of July, is much less than the 8.3 trillion won average expected 38 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I / B / E / S.
The result would be the third straight quarterly drop in profits of the company.

Samsung also said its second-quarter sales probably fell 9.5 percent to 52 trillion won.

Sales compared with analyst expectations of 54 trillion won and represent the first annual decline since Samsung followed new accounting standards in 2009.

Sales exceed those of PC tablets in 2015, according to a study

Tablets outsell PCs very soon.

The tablets will be sold globally than personal computers (PC) in 2015, a sign of the changing global technological landscape, according to a study reported.


A information by the specialist firm Gartner said the change occurs in spite of a cooling of the tablet market in 2014 and little fixity in Desktop Computer selling on account of upgrades of obsolete devices.

The research firm said it hope PC sales to ascend this year to 308 million units, an increase in the segment called "ultra"-high-end laptops, which offset the decline in purchases of computers traditional PC and laptop.

In 2014, PC sales will still be above the tablet, with sales of 256 million units expected. But in 2015, tablet sales will reach 320 million units to 316 million PC.

According to the information, total sales of electronic devices such as PCs, tablets and  cell phones reached 2.400 million units this year.

Gartner analysts say the growth of the tablet market is slowing to 23.9% this year, about half the pace of 2013.

“The growth of the tablet market is protraction to 23.9% this year"

The PC market, meantime, remains relatively stable, down 2.9% expected after a fall of 9.5% past year.

Gartner analyst Ranjit Atwal said improvements and replacements of old devices are helping PC sales.

"This year, we expect almost 60 million professional PC replacements," he said.

It is also envisaged that mobile phone sales reached 1,900 million units in 2014, an increase of 3.1%, from smartphones represent two thirds.

Considering all the devices are expected to run on Google Android that represent about half of total sales, about 1,160 million units, Gartner said.

Meanwhile, represent 333 million Windows devices, while Apple iOS and MacOS devices will total 271 million, according to the report.