And finally: Sony set to launch a hearable and more

The week's wearable tech news blips and murmurs in one place
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And finally is the place for the stories you might have missed from the last seven days. It's those wearable tech NIBs, murmurs and blips that lost the fight to make it onto our homepage thanks to headline-grabbing stories like Google working on two new VR headsets or that next gen Android Wear watches getting a battery boost.

This week, there's news on Sony joining the hearable party, Samsung using veins to make payments and another PlayStation VR release date leak.

Sony to launch a hearable

And finally: Sony set to launch a hearable and more

Sony has been quiet on the wearable front of late, but it sounds like it's ready to jump back in the game with an in-ear wearable in the mould of the Moto Hint.

That's according to Android Headlines, who spotted serial leakster @evleaks tweeting that Sony was planning a "tiny, smart Bluetooth headset" and that it would launch at MWC. The mobile-focused tech show in Barcelona is just over a week away, so we won't have to wait long to find out if this tip is on the money.

Read this: Everyone is making a hearable

Moto 360 2 to get Marshmallow features

And finally: Sony set to launch a hearable and more

Motorola's second generation smartwatch could be set to inherit more useful features from Google's mobile-centric Android Marshmallow software update.

A chart that appeared on the Motorola support website before being swiftly taken down, revealed that Google's power-saving Doze mode is incoming and should help preserve the smartwatch's battery life. Other new additions include app permissions and a new Moto Body Running app.

Smartwatch showdown: Samsung Gear S2 vs Moto 360 2

Samsung working on vein authentication

And finally: Sony set to launch a hearable and more

Samsung is apparently working on technology for wearables that will be able to scan veins to and can be used authenticate for things like mobile payments.

A patent filed by the Korean company outlines how a digital image is taken of the user's vein structure and then used against stored photos to provide the authentication. There's also details of using heart rate as an alternative way to ditch passwords and PIN codes.

Essential reading: The wearables set to kill the password

PlayStation VR launch date revealed

And finally: Sony set to launch a hearable and more

Another week, another release date tipped for the arrival of PlayStation's virtual reality headset.

This time it though it comes from a reliable source. The folks at Play Mag noticed that high profile VR company Vrse has an April 2016 PlayStation VR release date down on its website in a list of supported platforms for its software.

Sony remains tight-lipped on when we can expect to see it, but if this is accurate, it'll land in roughly the same launch window as the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.

Check out: What VR can learn from theme parks


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Michael Sawh

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Michael Sawh has been covering the wearable tech industry since the very first Fitbit landed back in 2011. Previously the resident wearable tech expert at Trusted Reviews, he also marshaled the features section of T3.com.

He also regularly contributed to T3 magazine when they needed someone to talk about fitness trackers, running watches, headphones, tablets, and phones.

Michael writes for GQ, Wired, Coach Mag, Metro, MSN, BBC Focus, Stuff, TechRadar and has made several appearances on the BBC Travel Show to talk all things tech. 

Michael is a lover of all things sports and fitness-tech related, clocking up over 15 marathons and has put in serious hours in the pool all in the name of testing every fitness wearable going. Expect to see him with a minimum of two wearables at any given time.


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