wristbands

My watch is an iPod Nano. It's not perfect. In fact, there are many ways I'd like it to be better. But, it works. It also looks cool.

Those are two seemingly small details that are in fact quite major when considering a smart watch these days. "Working" is a matter of opinion and design in some cases, but the point is that the iPod Nano-as-a-watch does exactly what you think it does, and it does it well. So far, that can't be said for Sony's SmartWatch, a confusing remote for Android phones that ends up doing less than you expect it to, yet somehow is hard to even work in that limited capacity. I had a chance to try one out here at CNET, and was surprised at how Sony's solution was good-looking, but a complete slave requiring Bluetooth and an Android phone to get anything done -- even tell the time. That's a problem. A good watch can't mess that part up.… Read more

Gentlemen--ladies, too--start your wristbands.

Although better known for its Bluetooth headsets, Jawbone is venturing into fitness gadgets with UP, a wristband that tracks your activity level, what you eat, and when you sleep. SmartPlanet's Sumi Das speaks to Jawbone Product Management VP Travis Bogard to find out how it works and gets an answer to a common complaint about the product--why doesn't it transmit data wirelessly?

This video first appeared on SmartPlanet under the headline "Can a smart wristband make you healthier?"

OK, I'm ready for the backlash. I'm wearing an iPod Nano on my wrist as a watch. I already own an iPhone. And an iPad. What's wrong with me?

Would you believe me if I said that I'd have done the same thing if there was any watch that could do what this one does? Would you believe me if I said I didn't do this for the iPod?

Let me explain.

I've always been a fan of digital watches and funky watch design, especially tech watches (I even defended them on TV). I'm a watch geek. I wore a retro Casio watch. I just got a cool Diesel one. A long time ago, I tried the Fossil Palm-powered watch, the Fossil Wrist PDA. I still have it in my desk drawer. Microsoft Spot watch? Check.

The iPod Nano-as-watch is a proud successor of that line, a gadget that I believe will stand the test of time for its novelty. Apple may not make a true iWatch, and the iPod's long-term destiny may not inevitably be on my wrist, but for now it's the most innovative use of iPod technology since, well, the first iPod. … Read more

Smells are strongly tied in with memories. There's the aroma of buttered popcorn from your first date with your spouse. The fragrance of futility as your beloved old car finally coughed and died in a cloud of smoke. Ah, it's like it happened only yesterday.

Now you can harness the power of perfume with Whiffers, rubber wristbands aimed at the student population. Think of them as silly bands for academics.

Alliance Rubber Company lays claim to inventing the world's first imprinted wrist bands, so you can thank those folks for the gazillions of colors and causes being worn as accessories.

You may soon start noticing a faint odor of lavender, peppermint, or spearmint wafting from wrists. Alliance suggests using the peppermint to boost concentration and the lavender to relax and curb test anxiety.… Read more

There's one surefire way to solve the iPhone 4 antenna problem: don't let your hand or fingers come in contact with its metal band.

Easier said than done, right? Unless you're willing to constantly use the speakerphone, a headset, or a pair of gloves, your only viable option is to keep the iPhone in a case--or, as some have discovered, wrap it in a rubber "bumper."

iPhone Guru blogger Oliver Nelson crafted a clever DIY iPhone 4 bumper solution out of one of those rubber wristbands you probably have sitting in a junk drawer.

It'… Read more

We first drooled over the LG Watch Phone at CES 2009, but as we have yet to see signs of it in the U.S., we have to make do with gadgets like this Bluetooth Wristband Communicator from Helium Digital.

The HDBT-990 is not even a watch, but you can use it to receive calls with incoming caller ID, vibration alerts, and even A2DP audio streaming (though you'll probably risk annoying your neighbors). It has up to 4 hours of talk time and 160 hours of standby time, and promises noise-cancellation, as well. It'll be available in February … Read more

I once saw a homeless teenager with piercings all over his face standing on a San Francisco corner, and I asked him about the meaning of those little pieces of metal. Misinterpreting my genuine curiosity, he barked, "To shock people!" and refused my dollar.

Well, while I personally don't believe in self-expression via extreme piercing, I trust these bracelets I got here are gonna scream to the world that you identify as a nerd. In a good way.

They're the USB wristbands from USB-Hub. Basically, they're regular USB drives, up to 4GB in capacity, in … Read more

It takes a total geek from out of this world (think the nerds from "Big Bang Theory") to cough up good money (about $45) for this, let alone wear it on a date. If this were April Fool's, we'd have thumbed our noses at it as a gimmicky gag. As it is, we'll leave you to decide if this portable lie detector is what you really, really need.

The literature takes some wading through, specifying this as a wearable device that "dynamically reflects your psycho-emotional response to the world, promoting internal states to be … Read more