Category: Wearables

Fossil Group, Inc. is among the biggest watch manufacturers in the world, with annual sales of over $3 billion.  On March 15, they have become even bigger after unveiling two new smart watch products that will be added to their Android Wear lineup.  However, Fossil isn’t stopping there.

The 32-year-old watch designer and manufacturer is committed to launching 100 wearable devices throughout 2016. We warned you a couple months back that wearable technology was going to explode this year so consider this a reality check. It is also a wakeup call for all the other watchmakers that are still on the fence about making the switch to wearables.

This means your station needs to be ready for another digital platform, beyond the smartphone. A good example is Deezer.  The web-based music streaming service headquartered in Paris, France has shown strong effort in order to keep up with the times and released an app for the Apple Watch that allows users to control the music player as well as gain access to Flow, My Music, Charts and Mixes.

If you want to know the best way to use wearable technology check out App Everywhere℠ or give us a call at (248) 353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Apps have broken out of the smartphone and are making their way to other platforms. Leading the trend is the smartwatch.  This is probably because more and more people are buying and using wearable technology.  Here’s the proof: Swiss watch shipments declined 5 percent in the fourth quarter compared with the same period in 2014, while smartwatch shipments rose 316 percent over that same time.  In fact, global shipments of smartwatches outpaced Swiss watch shipments by about 200,000 units in the last quarter of 2015.  This was the first time ever that smartwatches have out shipped Swiss watches on a global basis.

That is why jacapps has introduced the App Everywhere strategy.  We have begun developing apps for these new platforms starting with the much-buzzed-about Apple Watch. If you want to learn more, contact us to discuss your evolving mobile strategy.  If you want to read more about “Global Smartwatch Shipments Overtake Swiss Watch Shipments in Q4 2015,” click here.

To find out how to use these apps to begin generating a new source of revenue make sure to watch our webinar on Monetizing Mobile, call Alex Burnstein at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

By: Bob Kernen

The past few years at this time of year we’ve communicated with our clients and others just how important the recently concluded holidays are when it comes to your mobile strategy. We’ve been diligent about reminding you that lots and lots of people opened packages with new smartphones in them, and that you should be sure that your brand is well-represented and that your listeners know they can add your station’s branded app to their smartphone.

For this past holiday season, however, we want to also remind you that there was likely another goodie wrapped up for good boys and girls: a smart watch. It was probably be a nifty new AppleWatch, but it could also have been any number of other “wearables” that are emerging as the next big movement in digital devices.

Even all the way back in 2014 when just a few Android watches were available, the market sold 6.8M of them. With Apple entering the scene, the numbers have jumped dramatically. The new AppleWatch did $1.7B in sales through end of the 3rd quarter of 2015, accounting for over 3M units in less than six months. And the forecasts are stratospheric with 40% of US consumers interested in buying a smart watch. The estimate for the wearables market was 45.7M units in 2015, growing to 126.1M in 2019. By 2018, this will be a $19 billion market.

That is why jācapps has announced our “App Everywhere℠” strategy. Apps have broken out of the smartphone and are now showing up … everywhere. If your station has one of our V4 apps, we will be offering to enable it for the AppleWatch, and throughout 2016 we will be offering support for more and more new platforms, including other wearables, smart TVs and cars.

So now, as millions of consumers are strapping on their new wearables you should be thinking about your mobile strategy and how to use all of these new mobile, digital platforms to build your brand and drive revenue.

If you want to learn more about App Everywhere℠ or how to upgrade your mobile strategy to jācapps V4 platform, call Alex Burnstein or me at 248-353-9030, or email sales@jacapps.com.

For more ways to add monetization to your mobile strategy get our white paper on “Monetizing Mobile.”

It’s that time of the year again.  The time when everyone realizes they should have probably said no to the second helping of dessert at their office/family holiday party.  With the guilt of the holiday diet comes the motivation to be fit, and this shows with the recent survey conducted by The Consumer Technology Association.

The survey was comprised of 1,001 U.S. Internet users and 74% of respondents said they intend to purchase a health or fitness tracker within the next year.  Of this group, more than a third (35%) had plans to purchase a smart watch in the next 12 months.  According to eMarketer, usage in wearable technology is growing dramatically with an estimated increase of 60% in the coming year.  The number of U.S. adults that uses wearable technology in 2016 is estimated to be about 63.7 million, up from 39.5 million in 2015.  This can mean big things for smart watches, fitness apps, smart apparel, sleep trackers, and other wearable fitness devices.

To read more about which wearables consumers plan to buy, click here.
 

As wearables such as the Apple Watch gain in popularity, Disney has been inspired to incorporate this technology into their Avengers toys. Unlike a regular video game where you remain seated, these high-tech toys allow you to use modern technology while also using movement and imagination.  Disney is calling this new product Disney Playmation, and I’m not going to lie, it is making me wish I were a kid again!

The wearable toys use Bluetooth technology, gesture recognition, and cloud connectivity. What is really neat is that you do not need to be connected to the Internet, so you have the option to go outside and play instead of it being exclusively an indoor toy. The games associated with the toys primarily use audio to give directions and narrate the story. Users receive points for killing villains and following the narrator’s directions. There is also a multi-user mode, so kids can play with friends.

Disney Playmation also gives you the option to register your toy with an accompanying app, where scores can be accessed and allow users to unlock new features. This product is great for kids whos parents want to get them up and moving without taking away the excitement of digital technology. Talk about innovative. I just might need to get one of these for myself.

Source: Mashable

When Sten Kirkbak lost track of his 3-year old son, Filip in a crowded mall for 30 minutes, he was mortified. The next day, Sten began searching for a product to give to Filip in case they were to get separated like that again, but couldn’t find a technology that was age appropriate. After a year of research, Sten knew that there needed to be a wearable smart product for kids on the market.

He decided to name the product Filip, after his son who inspired his journey to create the world’s first smart locator and phone for kids. Filip makes it easy to locate your child indoors or outdoors, and you can set up the Filip to make and receive phone calls. There is even an emergency button that can be pressed at a moments notice. This will initiate emergency mode and will automatically call the primary account holder, record the conversation, and will update you on your child’s location every 60 seconds until the emergency is cancelled. Set up is extremely easy and can be done in just three steps. You just have to download the app, create an account, and connect the device.

To learn more about Filip Technologies, click here.