Wearables are increasingly dominating the tech industry, and that was no more apparent than at CES 2015. You can now put a wearable on pretty much any part of your body, literally from your head to your toes.
But not all wearables are created equal. There are so many devices out there now that track your steps, count your calories and tell you how much sleep you're getting that to survive in today's market, you're really going to have to bring something different to the table. And that's exactly what these seven innovative wearables from the CES 2015 show floor do.
1. Swarovski Shine
The legendary crystal designer announced its partnership with fitness tracker company Misfit at CES this year. The activity and sleep monitors that have come out of it are just as stunning as you would expect. The Swarovski takes Misfit's Shine to the next level as a crystal, but it still has all of the great features of the activity and sleep tracker, from monitoring how far you walk each day to the number of calories you burn to automatically tracking your sleep. It syncs with iOS, Android and Windows devices, doesn't require charging and its battery lasts for up to six months. Even better, you can put the tracker in a variety of Swarovski wristbands, necklaces and bracelets to fit your own personal style. The Swarovski Shine is definitely for the user who doesn't want function to get in the way of fashion.
2. Ring
Your finger has more power than any of your devices combined. Don't believe me? Just try the Ring on for size. This smart ring that allows you to control pretty much all of the devices in your life with just the flick of your finger. All you have to do is write signs in the air that correlate with specific functions, like a mini-skywriter. Draw a triangle to play some music. Make a circle with a slight line in the middle to turn your TV on. Write a "W" to check the weather. Or, you can make your own custom gestures. Making the gestures will definitely take some getting used to, but once you do, it looks like this is one of the most effective wearables to seamlessly integrate technology into all aspects of your life.
3. Narrative Clip 2
These days, it's normal to have your smartphone glued to your hand as you try to capture every moment of a concert or a party, but that doesn't mean it's the best way to live. Snapping a selfie every five seconds takes away from that whole "living in the moment" thing people are always talking about. Wouldn't it be great to be able to take all of the photos you want without having to actually miss the fun that's happening in them? Well now you can with the Narrative Clip 2, a wearable camera that clips right on your clothes and automatically snaps a photo every 30 seconds. The camera has eight megapixels and USB, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. With the Narrative Clip 2, you can see and share all of the life moments you want and even those you didn't expect.
4. Muse
While there are many devices that monitor your physical activity, there are very few that measure your brain activity, so right off the bat, Muse grabbed my attention. After you connect this headband with your smartphone via Bluetooth, it takes you through an audiovisual exercise designed to improve your focus. You can do this anywhere from three to 20 minutes at a time. As you track your progress over time, the idea is that you will learn how to be better at managing stress and ultimately live a more peaceful life.
5. Lechal
Wearables are rapidly expanding to other clothing items, such as footwear. Lechal is the world's first interactive haptic footwear, which includes a shoe and an insole. What that means is you can set a destination in the Lechal app, and the device will vibrate to direct you along your way. You can also tag locations to help you return to a spot later on or find out the location to meet a friend in a crowded place who is also wearing the footwear. Of course, Lechal also comes with your standard activity tracking functionality of tracking steps, calories burned and distance traveled.
6. QBracelet
QBracelet's functionality is simple, but it is no less important as we become increasingly dependent on our mobile devices. The QBracelet is one-part bracelet, one-part mobile charger and all parts awesome. Not only is it a much more stylish option than those bulky mobile batteries out there but it is also more convenient because of the way you can just put it on your wrist and then plug it into your smartphone when necessary. QBracelet is always on hand when you need it, pun definitely intended.
7. COGITO
Though the COGITO watch looks just like a Swatch watch, it does so much more. The smartwatch connects to your smartphone and sends you notifications when you receive a text, an email or a Twitter mention. You can also use it to find your phone should you misplace it, snap a photo or track your steps. The best part about it is that it doesn't need to be recharged ever. Yeah, you're not going to miss that Swatch at all.
