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Wearables talk at MWC

Nicola Mawson
By Nicola Mawson, Contributor.
Barcelona, 04 Mar 2015
Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky punts the company's smartwatch at Mobile World Congress 2015.
Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky punts the company's smartwatch at Mobile World Congress 2015.

Mobile World Congress 2015: Wearable makers took to the stage in Barcelona to talk up their products and persuade the audience to buy into their vision.

Here is a round-up of what was said:

Pebble

Founder Eric Migicovsky told the audience smartwatch company Pebble launched Pebble Time on Kickstarter last week, and has now followed the device with a band that supports additional hardware, such as a heart monitor.

The bands, which can be swapped out in seconds, allow developers to step in and create smart straps for the devices, said Migicovsky. At the same time, he announced the launch of Pebble Steel, which comes in three colours and retails on Kickstarter for $250.

Migicovsky noted the company has been working on wearable devices since 2008, starting with a Nokia screen that was not elegant. Now the company often launches products on Kickstarter.

Fitbit

Gareth Jones, VP and GM of sales for Fitbit in Europe, Middle East and Africa, said Fitbit seeks to gain traction by making products easy to use, and an extension of everyday life. Stickiness is created through products that influence people's lives, he commented.

Jones said it will build up a support base by continuing to launch products that add value. He noted, however, there is a low awareness of tracking devices generally. The company recently launched several new iterations of its devices.

Muse

Interaxon CEO Ariel Garten took to the stage to punt the benefits of Muse, a headband that analyses brain activity.

Garten pointed out the amount of lost productivity and cost to the economy of time lost due to illnesses within the brain, before demonstrating that Muse works as well as an Electroencephalography test, but is portable. She noted the head gear also allowed people to relax because the app includes activities that relax the brain, and take only three minutes a day to execute.

Muse is being used in research centres and being punted by doctors as a way to alleviate stress and depression, Garten added.

* Nicola Mawson is being hosted in Barcelona courtesy of Samsung.

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