Apple Watch, Lumo Lift May be Hot Ticket Wearables this Holiday

With Black Friday afoot and the holiday shopping season poised to start - though for many it's already begun - industry analysts are speculating about the winners and losers of the season. Argus Insights' new report on the wearable tech market shows a couple items should be very popular, including one product that's a bit out of the blue.

Upcoming Crossrail trains will get customers online when they're on the line

The trains for the UK's new Crossrail rail link have been unveiled. They will be over one-and-a-half times as long as London's longest Tube train and will accommodate 1,500 passengers. Features will include regenerative braking, intelligent lighting and temperature systems, and free Wi-Fi and 4G access.

.. Continue Reading Upcoming Crossrail trains will get customers online when they're on the line

Section: Urban Transport

Tags:

• Crossrail
• Trains

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Misfit Acquired by Fossil Group for $260 Million

Misfit, the pioneering maker of sleek activity trackers that couldn’t break through once bigger brands entered the market, has been sold to one of those bigger brands, the Wall Street Journal reports  Fossil Group has agreed to acquire Misfit for $260 million.

The company, founded by Sonny Vu and which counted former Apple CEO John Scully on its board, was best know for its Shine tracker, a slim aluminum disk with minimal displays and six-month battery life. It was the first tracker to be sold in the Apple Store, and Vu was a frequent speaker on the conference circuit on the subject of branding and packaging of wearables. Misfit pioneered mass sales to corporate HR departments interested in encouraging wellness, and recently upgraded its products to include home control features.

Vu will become president and chief technology officer of connected devices for Fossil Group, and Misfit’s employees will all be given job offers with Fossil, the company said. Misfit had raised $63 million in three rounds of funding during its four years as an independent company.

Yamaha's OR2T leaning four-wheeler R&D prototype hits the track

While its MWT-9 three-wheeled concept was making headlines at the 44th Tokyo Motor Show last week, Yamaha discreetly released a video of another similar prototype in development. The OR2T has four wheels and suspension technology evolving from the 2007 Tesseract concept model.

.. Continue Reading Yamaha's OR2T leaning four-wheeler R&D prototype hits the track

Section: Motorcycles

Tags:

• Tilting-Vehicle
• Yamaha
• Tesseract

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Pulse puts sonic control on or above its surface

From familiar-looking keyboards to portable projection-based tables, there are a good many touch-enabled flat controllers available that can help turn strokes, taps and bumps of the surface into music. There are also a few spatial types like the Motus that can transform mid-air moves into funky digital sounds. Pulse combines the two, allowing players to create tunes by caressing its touch-sensitive surface or going gestural in the space above it.

.. Continue Reading Pulse puts sonic control on or above its surface

Section: Music

Tags:

• Kickstarter
• Digital music
• Controller

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Solar-powered permanent hotel planned for Sweden's Icehotel site

Each winter for the past 26 years, guests have enjoyed a chilly reception at a newly-sculpted Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, Swedish Lapland, before it melts away and a different structure is built in its place. This routine could soon change though, as plans were recently unveiled to add a permanent solar-powered hotel to the site that will be open year-round.

.. Continue Reading Solar-powered permanent hotel planned for Sweden's Icehotel site

Section: Architecture

Tags:

• Hotel
• Icehotel

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