Tech of the Week: Wearable Tech Edition

Anjelika Temple
Sep 11, 2012

Whether we’re counting down the days until our Pebbles arrive or turning our Big Jambox into a wearable boombox, we love ourselves some portable tech. And, looking at the way trends in technology are leaning, we’re not alone. Here are 20 pieces of wearable tech for you to check out.

1. Google Glasses: Naturally, we have to start with Project Glass. This pair of glasses by Google is an augmented reality display that displays all of the information currently on your smartphone in your line of sight. You control the interaction via voice.

2. USB Pyramid Cuff ($35): Juicy Couture, we didn’t know you had it in you! This cuff is stylish, totally on trend, and happens to be a USB thumb drive as well. Love it!

Adidas Supernova Bra

miCoach system. While the idea is really cool, we’re not sure it makes sense for people who work out frequently and probably go through several sports bras per week.

4. Underarmour E39: This shirt tracks biometrics signals on the wearer and transmits them to your computer or mobile device. These were tested on NFL recruits to detect anything from heart rate to analyzing an athlete’s individual body movements to make for better coaching.

5. USB Locket ($229): We’ve written about this one before, but it’s one of a few things that sparked our interest in wearable tech. The techie-ness is hidden but oh so handy.

6. Safety Pin Flash Drive (concept): Handy in more ways than one, and easy to keep track of, this safety pin flash drive is the perfect combo of the grown-up boy scout and data nerd.

Pebble Watch

back in April when it was blowing up on Kickstarter, and now we can’t wait for Pebbles to start shipping! It’s an e-paper watch that syncs with your smartphone to make crucial information even more convenient.

Social Electric Eyewear

For our next set of glasses, these video glasses are definitely more of an Austin Powers device than James Bond, but are still really cool. They allow you to capture videos and images just as you see them and let you share directly with friends through email and social media.

9. Lumus Vision: More glasses! These see-through glasses can display the equivalent of an 87 inch screen experience in the glasses. They allow you to watch TV, read email or glance at stock tickers whenever you want. While we’re not totally convinced that these look like “natural-looking, discreet eyewear,” the technology is definitely cool.

10. USB Warming Gloves ($18): Got a long night of coding ahead of you? Keep your hands toasty with gloves that warm you using USB power.

Nike+ FuelBand

We’ve written about the FuelBand countless times here on Brit.co, but it would be wrong to leave it out of our wearable tech roundup.

Jawbone UP

Like the FuelBand, Jawbone’s UP also has an accelerometer, sleep tracker, and a nutrition component and fits handily on your wrist. Plus, you can easily style it up with our UP hack.

UV Bracelet

One more bracelet for good measure. This one, also written about before, UV SunSense bands track your skin’s exposure to damaging UV rays and remind you to apply more sunscreen when the band changes color. See also: UV Monitoring Swimsuits!

14. LED Eyelashes (concept): Those fake lashes not quite doing it for you? Definitely more an art piece than a cosmetic wearable one, these are quite a take on making sure your eyes light up a room.

15. Fabrican: Fabric in a can, for real. Fabrican has created spray-on fabric that, once sprayed on, can be taken off and washed supposedly like a regular garment. It’s particularly cool when you think of being able to mend or change clothes with a simple spray can. This is definitely something we’d have to see to believe.

16. Scrolling LED Belt Buckle ($25): This one isn’t actually useful but it gets 100 extra points for extreme geekiness. Program up to 6 different messages, each way longer than a tweet.

17. Halo Belt (not yet available): A more useful light-up belt, this belt is geared towards bikers and runners for nighttime safety.

Lumoback

This little device monitors your posture throughout the day and alerts you via a gentle vibration and on the corresponding iPhone app. This is great for all of us folks who spend the majority of our days typing away on our laptops. Brit’s actually had a chance to try this out and is a huge fan. We’ll be sure to let you know when it’s officially available for purchase.

Color-Changing Ball Gown

CuteCircuit for Katy Perry, this incredibly colorful dress features over 3000 color changing LEDs. We. Are. In. Love.

20. Piano Glove ($93): And finally, a piano glove. This is silly, hilarious, and would go gorgeously with a keyboard tie.

The One Reason 'Gilmore Girls' Is A Fall Show, According To Amy Sherman-Palladino

There's nothing more satisfying than starting your Gilmore Girls rewatch at the beginning of fall. There's just something about the crisp air paired with Amy Sherman-Palladino's quick, witty banter that just feels so right! And while you brew another pot of coffee, pile up the Lorelai-inspired junk food, and put on another episode, just know — none of this was accidental! Gilmore Girlscreator, Amy Sherman-Palladino told The Hollywood Reporterexactly why the show is so incredibly fall-coded.

The CW

Sherman-Palladino told The Hollywood Reporterthat she and her husband (co-creator Dan Sherman-Palladino) decided to take a fall trip to Connecticut right after Gilmore Girls finally sold. "We encountered that small-town feel, that feel of hayrides and pumpkin patches and hot apple cider. It almost felt ridiculous — the jaded woman that I am, I was like 'This is like central casting laid this out for us. People don't live like this,'" she said. "But they do in some places, and that creatively fed me the rest of the show. Most of the show is about Lorelai [Graham] creating this world that she and her daughter [Bledel] can both grow up in together."

I love the idea that Lorelai created this whimsical, almost storybook world for Rory for them both to grow up in. Because at the end of the day, Lorelai lived with rigidity and rules — only to leave that life as a child raising another child. So of course she would want to incorporate all the fun and fantastical things she felt like she missed out on. (BRB, sobbing)

The CW

Not only that, but fall is a very visceral season. Sherman-Palladino explained that the shift from summer to fall is "the most drastic change." She said, "It's temperature, but it's also visual, and it felt like this was the kind of place, if I was going to go through that journey, that's where I would set it. And when we shot the pilot, it was fall and it was cold and had that feeling, so it just sort of became our thing."

This means that Rory and Lorelai's constant growth and transformations throughout the show is always underscored by the shifting seasons, starting with fall from the very beginning and continued through A Year In The Life. The thematic through-line is just too good!

Leave it to our fave Amy Sherman-Palladino to cook up something that's both fun, funny, heartwarming, and incredibly on-theme down to the literal weather of it all. BRB while I continue my own rewatch and wait for Étoileto finally premiere!

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'Outer Banks' Will End With Season 5

Outer Banks season 4 part 2 drops November 7, and theories are swirling around our favorite Pogues — is Sarah pregnant? Will JJ die? Will the group FINALLY get their hands on some treasure (and NOT lose it?). While we have a ton of questions about what's going to go down on the OBX this week, creators Josh & Jonas Pate and Shannon Burke just gave us one huge piece of news: Outer Banks season 5 will be the final season.

The season 4 finale, which Tudum reveals will be the first feature-length episode, “sets the stage for an epic fifth and final season,” the trio says. Here's everything you need to know aboutOuter Banksseason 5. Bring it on home John B.!

Will there be a 5th Outer Banks?

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Yes, we're getting a fifth and final season of Outer Banks coming to Netflix soon. While we don't have an official release date yet, we're expecting to see the last installment in 2025 or 2026.

In their official letter "to all Pogues," creators Josh & Jonas Pate and Shannon Burke explain how a photo of teenagers on a beach during a power outage inspired them to create the hit show we've all come to know and love. "From this beginning, we imagined a mystery that would lead to a five-season journey of adventure, treasure hunting, and friendship," they say in an official letter. "At the time, seven years ago, it seemed impossible that we would really get to tell the whole five season story, but here we are, at the end of our fourth season, still chopping away."

"Now, with a little sadness, but also excitement, we're putting Season Four behind us and turning to Season Five, in which we hope to bring our beloved Pogues home in the way we imagined and planned years ago," they continue. "Season Five will be our last season, and we think it will be our best yet. We hope you'll join us for one more paddle out to the surf break."

I can't wait to see Outer Banks season 5, and TBH five seasons will round out the show perfectly considering each season focuses on a different Pogue. That means season 5 will probably focus on Sarah — which totally supports those season 4 pregnancy rumors! 👀 Stay tuned for all the OBX5 info you need to know.

Here's Every Shocking Detail You Missed In Outer Banks Season 4 Part 1 in case you don't have time for a rewatch ;).

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This 'Gilmore Girls' Fave Will Guest Star In 'Shrinking' Season 2 This Week

Where the Gilmore Girls cast leads, I will follow, which includes numerous roles on shows like Étoile, The Handmaid's Tale, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and now Shrinking. Season 2 of Harrison Ford's hit show premiered on Apple TV+ October 16, and one of our favorite GG actors is making an appearance: Kelly Bishop! She's starring as none other than Harrison's ex-wife Susan. The thought of these two onscreen together makes me giddy — talk about a power duo! Here's when Kelly Bishop will be on Shrinking season 2, and everything else you need to know about the new season.

  • Shrinking season 2 premiered on Apple TV+ October 16.
  • While season 1, which follows a therapist who begins telling clients what he really thinks after he experiences tragedy, was about grief, season 2 focuses on forgiveness.
  • Kelly Bishop will guest star as Paul's (Harrison Ford) ex-wife Susan in episode 5.

When will Kelly Bishop guest star on Shrinking season 2?

Beth Dubber/Apple/EW

Kelly Bishop will guest star as Susan in episode 5, which drops on Apple TV+ Wednesday, November 6. And thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we have a look at her character! “We always knew we were going to bring Paul’s ex-wife in because the second season was a lot about dealing with your past," creator Bill Lawrence tells EW. "And you can’t really move forward until you deal with your past."

"This season is about forgiveness," he continues. "Her arrival is a huge component because it’s tied into Paul’s family, and getting to hear, through Kelly, why he’s estranged from his daughter and what he feels guilty about was a great thing for his character."

There are two sides to every story, and let's just say I'm excited to hear Susan's side of things after hearing Paul's perspective for so long! And it looks like I wasn't the only one who could tell Kelly and Harrison are the ultimate duo. "We knew Kelly, just from having been fans, could definitely not only stand up to Paul, but even just dropping in for a few scenes, immediately feel like his equal and someone that could give as much as she got," Bill says. "Man, we love that combo of the two of them."

"This was the first time I had the pleasure of working with Harrison Ford," Kelly Bishop told EW. "I found him professional, amiable, and a delight to work with." I wouldn't expect anything less.

Where can I watch season 2 of Shrinking?

Shrinking Season 2 Release Date

New episodes of Shrinking season 2 are available to stream on Apple TV+ every Wednesday. Catch up on the first four before episode 5 drops this week!

How many episodes are there? 

Shrinking Season 2 Episodes

Shrinking season 2 will have 12 episodes total, and had a surprise two-episode premiere Tuesday, October 15. Here's when you can watch each episode:

  1. “Jimmying” on October 15
  2. “I Love Pain” on October 15
  3. "Psychological Something-ism” on October 23
  4. “Made You Look” on October 30
  5. “Honesty Era” on November 6
  6. “In a Lonely Place” on November 13
  7. “Get in the Sea” on November 20
  8. “Last Drink” on November 27
  9. “Full Grown Dude Face” on December 4
  10. “Changing Patterns” on December 11
  11. “The Drugs Don’t Work” on December 18
  12. Finale on December 25

Who's in the Shrinking season 2 cast?

Shrinking Season 2 Cast

In addition to Kelly Bishop (who's now my favorite cast member), the cast of Shrinking season 2 includes Harrison Ford, Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Christa Miller, Lukita Maxwell, and Ted McGinley.

What is Shrinking about?

Shrinking Season 2 Plot

Shrinking follows grieving therapist Jimmy, who throws policy & training out the window after his wife is killed by a drunk driver and starts to tell his clients what he really thinks. But as he makes these huge changes in people's lives, he realizes just how much his own is changing, too.

“When you pitch a show, half the time you’re dancing with sparklers and you’re not sure if you’re going to do what you said. You’re just trying to get somebody to agree to put it on TV,” Lawrence tells TV Insider. “But we pitched the first season as dealing with grief. And the second season, we pitched to these guys as forgiveness. In your head, you’re like, what does that mean? What does that look like? But I think anybody that’s a fan of the show will realize it’s not just for one person.”

And season 2, while focusing on forgiveness, also sees the fallout of Jimmy's choices — like how Grace is now in prison for pushing her abusive husband off a cliff or how Jimmy's relationship with his daughter Tia is still far from healed. Tune into the rest of Shrinking season 2 to see how that forgiveness plays out.

Check out Everything Coming To Apple TV+ In 2024 for more!