The United States Patent and Trademark Office today published a patent filed by Apple last August, which detailed an Apple Watch band accessory that could double as a "protective cover" for the device itself when not on a user's wrist.Referred to as the "Magnetic wristband," the accessory would be similar in function to the Leather and Milanese Loop bands sold today but include multiple "config...

Smartwatches, fitness trackers are still relatively new products.The product category of fitness trackers, smartwatches and other devices worn on the body is relatively new. But analysts predict that device makers will soon offer more holistic systems—including clothing with embedded sensors—that collect better data to provide consumers more constructive lifestyle advice.[wallstreetjournal]

Amazon may sell its $199 Amazon Echo device as a digital assistant for the home, but it looks like it completely dominated the wireless-speaker market in 2015, too.That's according to a new report by 1010data, a company that anonymously tracks the purchases of millions of online shoppers.And it's good news for Amazon, which first released the Echo in November 2014.Per that data, the Echo has be...

The team developed tiny, metal-coated polymer helices that capture sperm from behind.There are a number of possible solutions available to those having trouble conceiving, including artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization, but these treatments are far from a surefire fix. Researchers at IFW Dresden in Germany are working towards another approach they hope will provide better results...

PopTalk provides free international calls, texts and prepaid data in exchange for filling the user’s lock screen with ads.Advertisers are always looking for untapped surfaces to fill with ads, and consumers can often reap the benefits. We have already seen Add My Window enable Dutch residents to rent out their public facing windows to advertisers. Elsewhere, Screen Donor is a free app that con...

Introducing the ‘OM Bra’, the first-ever smart bra that will keep records of all the essential data for every active woman.Designed by San Francisco-based company OMsignal, the smart bra is an alternative to other wearable techs. It records down the calories burnt, and gives an assessment of your workout in real-time, letting you know when to train harder and when to avoid over-training. The...

Israel felt the effects of these global trends, with an unprecedented $5 billion in investments, $8 billion M&A activity and a significant drop in IPOs (to $4 billion). Yet beneath the surface of these high-level statistics lies a wealth of interesting data.Whether it’s sectors like cyber and fintech heating up or syndications and co-investments leading to increased round sizes and valuati...

Virtual reality started making fresh headlines in 2014, when Facebook made a $2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR. Now Google Inc. has ramped up its "VR" game by focusing Clay Bavor, vice president of product management, solely on virtual reality.As Wall Street tries to calculate the possible impact on a number of industries, Goldman Sachs Group has put forth some charts laying out its assumptio...

Raise your hand if you’ve ever forgotten to take a pill you were prescribed? The chances are, if you’re in the U.S. at least, you probably have. The failure to take prescribed medicine, whether as part of a clinical trial or treatment regimen costs the U.S. healthcare industry roughly $378 billion dollars.That’s a lot of money, and a lot of people who aren’t either getting completely better...