Designers of internet of things (IoT) sensors, environmental sensors, smartwatches, medical/preventive health wearables, and other size-constrained devices can now increase battery life and functionality using the ultra-low power MAX32660 and MAX32652 microcontrollers from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. These microcontrollers (MCUs) are based on the Arm Cortex-M4 processors and provide designers the means to develop advanced applications under restrictive power constraints. […]
Wearables
Low-noise MEMs microphones target IoT apps
TDK Corporation announces an expansion of its ultra-low noise MEMS microphone family with the ICS-40740, delivering 70 dB (A) SNR with 133 dB sound pressure level Acoustic Overload Point. The low self-noise coupled with wide dynamic range makes the ICS-40740 ideal for voice controlled IoT applications, especially those with integrated loudspeakers, as well as wearable […]
BLE SoC targets low-power earbuds, headsets
At CES 2018, Qualcomm Incorporated announced that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd., introduced the new Qualcomm Low Power Bluetooth SoC QCC5100 series that is designed to help manufacturers develop a new generation of compact, feature-rich, wireless earbuds, hearables, and headsets. To help meet consumer demand for superior audio quality as well as extended battery […]
Ultra-low power, location positioning for IoT systems
PoLTE Corporation and Riot Micro today announced a technology collaboration to enable ultra-low power LTE Internet of Things (IoT) solutions with highly accurate location positioning for indoor and outdoor applications. The collaboration combines the advantages of Riot Micro’s RM1000 with those of PoLTE’s recently announced Lite-Touch location architecture. Riot Micro will support PoLTE’s location interface in the RM1000, […]
Making sense of displays: OLED, AMOLED, POLED, PMOLED and T-OLED
Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) displays are made using organic light emitting diodes, which emit light when current runs through them. The basic colors of light for these diodes are Red, Green, and Blue (RGB), which combine to create an extensive range of colors of visible light. OLED displays are different from Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) […]
Smartphone biosensor tracks heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen sat, and more
MediaTek Inc. today unveiled MediaTek Sensio, the first 6-in-1 smartphone biosensor module. MediaTek Sensio is a powerful advanced health monitoring solution which makes it easy to track heart rate information, blood pressure trends, peripheral oxygen saturation levels and more. Available as an embedded module in smartphones, MediaTek Sensio makes it possible for consumers to quickly check and […]
PocketBeagle: Smaller than a Raspberry Pi
It’s here and ready for the Holidays. The new BeagleBoard.org PocketBeagle is fun sized: smaller than Raspberry Pi, fits in an a small mint tin and the perfect size for a stocking. PocketBeagle features an incredible low cost, slick design, and simple usage, making PocketBeagle the ideal development board for beginners and professionals alike. Who is using […]
Biometric sensors include advanced heart monitoring and ECG
Capturing your heart rate from your wearable watch or patch was slick. But fitness enthusiasts are raising the bar and expecting manufacturers to step up to the bar with them. As wearables continue to move into consumer health applications, end users are expecting additional metrics such as heart rate variability, recovery rate — basically as […]
HMI software works with industrial wearable devices
ICONICS announces the integration of its human machine interface (HMI) software technology with the HMT-1 head-mounted, industrial wearable, a 100% hands-free tablet class device from RealWear. ICONICS GENESIS64 HMI/SCADA and building automation suite (V10.95) includes Any Glass technology that can be used with self-contained head-wearable computing devices. This combination of ICONICS software with hardware like RealWear’s HMT-1 […]
SiP for wearables includes NFC, antenna for extended secure payment features
As consumers become increasingly comfortable with making secure transactions using their smart devices, traditional card manufacturers want to extend their offers into contactless wearable products for uses such as payments, ticketing, and access control. These can be difficult to implement within tight size and cost constraints, because conventional separate NFC-radio and security chips demand extra […]
