This week’s Wearable Tech roundup features high end, fashionable developments with the Razer Nabu, Intel’s interesting partnership for wearable tech, the MetaWatch, and the Pebble Steel.

Razer Nabu

Razer sees the wearable tech industry as a disorganized market.  There are too many fitness trackers and wearable devices available, countless startups emerging on crowdfunding sites but none have really brought something a person would stick to using on a daily basis, according to Razer.

At CES 2014, the company unveiled the Razer Nabu, a smartband that aims to keep you connected without disrupting your daily life.  The Nau features two OLED screens.  The first screen is the public screen and displays icons such as when the wearer receives a message or a call, while the inner screen displays more detailed information about the notification such as who is calling, what the reminder is about, or who sent the message.

It seems to be the perfect device for moments when you’re in a meeting and you know that fishing your phone out will be frowned upon.  A simple twist of your wrist allows you to view notifications discreetly.  Gestures are customizable so a flick of your wrist could dismiss notifications, or a simple tap could put it in sleep mode.

Aside from giving you notifications discreetly, the Nabu is also a fitness and sleep tracker so wearers will be able to analyze their daily activities and sleep quality.  It works with current fitness apps in the market, and the device itself is compatible with iOS and Android smartphones.  To top it off, Nabu can give you turn-by-turn navigation on your wrist if you connect to a GPS-enabled app.  No news yet as to how much the Nabu will cost.

Intel partners with fashion fashion industry for wearable tech

At CES 2014, Intel announced its collaboration with fashion industry leaders such as Barneys New York, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and Opening Ceremony, to create smart wearable devices that people will be excited to wear.

To kick things off, Intel and Opening Ceremony will collaborate on the design and development of a smart bracelet that is based on Intel technology.  Open Ceremony will lead the design of the device itself, and Barneys will carry the smart bracelet when it’s ready to go to market.

Intel aims to scale the convergence of the fashion and technology industries with this team up, working with the Council of Fashion Designers of America to create a community where tech developers and fashion designers can find each other and create fashion-forward and technologically sound devices.

MetaWatch

Let’s be honest, smartwatches often look too big, too plasticky, and don’t really go well with formal attire.  That’s all going to change with the MetaWatch.

Ex-Fossil engineers have banded together and entered the smartwatch market, but their first offerings were too functional and not very nice to look at.  This time around, they’re launching the MetaWatch line that looks good even when you’re wearing a tux.  Thanks to Frank Nuovo, former Vice President and Chief of Design at Nokia and Vertu, the aesthetic of the MetaWatch is something dapper men will go for.  The line will be available in Spring 2014 but it’s unclear what OS it will be compatible with and what “smart” functions it will bring to the table.

Pebble Steel

Pebble has come a long way from being one of the most funded projects on Kickstarter. At CES 2014, Pebble unveiled a new line that caters to people who have a more sophisticated palate.  The Pebble Steel now features a stainless steel frame with a Corning Gorilla Glass face, and each Pebble Steel comes with interchangeable metal and leather straps.

It is a limited release so if you want to grab your Pebble Steel now, you can now order it on Pebble’s site for $249 with free worldwide, expedited shipping.

photo credit: ad454 via photopin cc