Meet fashionable wearable tech: Cuff and Epiphany
Contributor Jennifer Jolly goes hands on with a new line of 'smart' jewelry, and video-enabled smart glasses called Epiphany Eyewear.
Cuff is my favorite example so far. It's a new line of connected bracelets and necklaces.(Photo: Roddy Blelloch for USA TODAY)
In the growing world of wearable technology, most of what's come out so far is way more geek than chic. Sure, Google Glass has shown up on the runway[1], but we have yet to see a truly head-turning blend of high tech and haute-couture. Deep inside the hoodie-clad hills surrounding the Silicon Valley there's a movement to change that — and actually design a device that's both smart and hot. Like Birkin Bag and Jimmy Choo hot — without the outrageous price tag.
Cuff[2] is my favorite example so far. It's a new line of connected bracelets and necklaces embedded with simple, yet sophisticated technology. You can pair a gold-plated pendant necklace, or trendy leather wrap bracelet with an app on your mobile device and use it like a panic button to send or receive alerts. Each glittery gadget sports a discreet built-in button that can be used to poke your party comrades and let them know it's time to leave, or nudge your spouse as a friendly reminder that it's time to check in.
Cuff accessories are also waterproof, with batteries that keep going for a full year, and you can even swap out the digital sensor to a new wearable when your style changes. Even though the designs look high fashion, the prices are reasonable — from $50 to $150 dollars — making this affordable, connected jewelry that doesn't scream nerd. The company is taking pre-orders on its website now, with items planning to ship in the fall.
Epiphany Eyewear has an HD video camera with wide-angle optics.(Photo: Epiphany Eyewear)
Then there's the geeky glasses from Epiphany Eyewear[3] — smart glasses that leave you no choice but to embrace your inner nerd or head the way of the hot hipster. The bold black frames are anything but subtle, but still, unlike Google Glass, they don't scream, "Hey world, I'm wearing a computer on my face!"
Tucked discreetly in the glasses is an HD video camera with wide-angle optics, and there's a hidden one-button control that signals the shades to begin recording. The glasses can be equipped with up to 32 GB of storage and can be synced with cloud storage and cross-platform web software.
But Epiphany isn't just about HD video — an add-on is on the way called Glance AR, a detachable on-the-go display that lets you see calls, texts and app notifications on a built-in screen similar to Google Glass. You'll even be able to get directions, play music and watch videos right from your spectacles.
Starting around $300, Epiphany comes with dark or clear lenses, and you can use your own prescription lens in as well.
No matter what your particular style might be, there's a good chance that sooner rather than later what you wear will not only make a fashion statement, but be able to text, tweet and send a message about it as well.
Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech contributor and host of USA TODAY's digital video show TECH NOW. E-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.[4]. Follow her on Twitter: @JenniferJolly[5].
References
- ^ http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/dvf-gives-google-glasses-a-spin-on-the-runway/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 (runway.blogs.nytimes.com)
- ^ http://shop.cuff.io/ (shop.cuff.io)
- ^ http://www.epiphanyeyewear.com/ (www.epiphanyeyewear.com)
- ^ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (rssfeeds.usatoday.com)
- ^ http://twitter.com/jenniferjolly (twitter.com)