And finally: Apple is exploring the idea of self-adjusting Watch bands

All the rumours and lighter stories you may have missed this week
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Yes, it's time for And finally — our way of bringing you all the latest wearable tech rumours and lighter stories you may have missed from the past seven days.

This week, we've seen Oculus lay the foundations for the next step in VR by unveiling the Oculus Go and revealing more info about its Santa Cruz project, while Samsung finally announced a release date and pricing for the Gear Sport smartwatch and Gear IconX 2018 smart earbuds.

But there's plenty more that went down this week, so let's see what else has been happening in the world of wearables.

Apple patents self-adjusting wristbands

And finally: Apple is exploring the idea of self-adjusting Watch bands

Looking to aid the daily struggle of watch holes being too tight or too loose, Apple is seemingly exploring self-adjusting Apple Watch bands that would automatically work to fit your wrist.

That's if a patent uncovered by AppleInsider is to be believed, anyway, which indicates the Cupertino giant has at least considered the notion of smarter bands. The filing itself describes a strap that could be electronically tightened or loosened, with this coming manually from a user or automatically in response to biometric data from the Watch.

When dealing with patents, it's always wise to point out that there's a strong chance it might never see the light of day. However, this also isn't the first time we've seen a smart band idea pop up from Apple. Eventually, one way or another, expect it to act on this intention.

MLB fines coach for wearing Apple Watch

And finally: Apple is exploring the idea of self-adjusting Watch bands

Let's stick with Apple, with the MLB choosing this week to fine Arizona Diamondbacks coach Ariel Prieto for wearing an Apple Watch in the dugout during a game.

This, of course, follows the controversy involving the Boston Red Sox stealing signs with the help of a Fitbit. Naturally, the MLB has made it against the rules to use electronic devices to relay the information, and while CBS Sports note that Prieto has been cleared of any cheating, wearing any wearable capable of assisting cheating through communication is not allowed. Don't expect this to be the last you hear of wearable controversy in professional sports.

Android Wear gets some new features

And finally: Apple is exploring the idea of self-adjusting Watch bands

When Android Wear 2.0 initially launched earlier this year, it wasn't exactly the smoothest of rollouts to its army of devices.

And with its worst troubles now stabilised, the platform is now looking to add some new features to the mix. As detailed by Hoi Lam on Twitter, the company will be giving users more upgrades between over-the-air updates, including third party chat app support in Contacts, reduced false positives for watch face picker and improved Play Store discoverability for new users.

It's not going to rock your world, obviously, but every little helps.

Smart tattoos go chameleon

And finally: Apple is exploring the idea of self-adjusting Watch bands

Researchers at Harvard and MIT have developed smart tattoo ink that's capable of keeping tabs on your health by changing colour. The tattoo, for example, would be to track if a diabetic's blood sugar rises or if a wearer was dehydrated and act accordingly.

The idea, which was undertaken by two postdoctoral fellows at Harvard Medical School and colleagues at MIT's media lab, was developed as way to work around current limitations in biomedical monitoring devices. And while it's unlikely the concept will be taken further and any time soon and commercialised, it does show the potential for the space.




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Conor Allison

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Conor moved to Wareable Media Group in 2017, initially covering all the latest developments in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and VR. He made a name for himself writing about trying out translation earbuds on a first date and cycling with a wearable airbag, as well as covering the industry’s latest releases.

Following a stint as Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint, Conor returned to Wareable Media Group in 2022 as Editor-at-Large. Conor has become a wearables expert, and helps people get more from their wearable tech, via Wareable's considerable how-to-based guides. 

He has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, Metro, The Independent, and The Mirror. 


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