Following a report from earlier this week indicating that Apple is still "aggressively" hiring new employees to support its smart watch project, 9to5Mac has published a lengthy feature highlighting a number of the company's recent hires. In particular, the report focus on Apple's hiring in the health sensor field.
Based on new hires, it seems that Apple’s interest in sensors focuses on the ability to measure glucose and other body level information. With this data, the product could inform users of vital information in a non-invasive way. These sensors could also pick up more data to give a user a snapshot of their health, which would be ideal for fitness applications.
To assist with the development of these sensors, Apple has hired several scientists and executives from multiple sensor developers. Some notable firms who lost employees to Apple are AccuVein, C8 MediSensors, and Senseonics.
C8 MediSensors had been pursuing non-invasive monitoring of glucose and other substances, and Apple had reportedly considered an acquisition of the company. Ultimately, C8 MediSensors ceased operations and Apple was able to hire a number of the company's employees earlier this year.
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The report also outlines the structure of Apple's "iWatch" group, which is reportedly led by Senior Vice President of Technologies Bob Mansfield, as well as former Adobe Chief Technology Officer Kevin Lynch and engineering senior director James Foster.
According to our sources, Lynch’s side of the team is focused on overall software vision, and Foster’s group is developing the technologies and mechanics that will shape the features of the device. While Lynch and Foster run two different groups that are part of the bigger project, sources say that the groups are closely knit.
Other Apple teams, such as Dan Riccio’s Hardware Engineering group, Jony Ive’s Industrial Design team, and Craig Federighi’s software developers, are likely collaborating closely to develop the user-facing hardware and software.
Apple has also reportedly tapped some of the original iPhone engineers with expertise in miniaturization, as well as some of the company's Mac engineers with expertise in battery technology. In addition, some members of Apple's AuthenTec fingerprint sensor team are said to be working on other types of sensors for the iWatch.
Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed the topic of smart watches and other wearables at the D11 conference back in May, calling the market "incredibly interesting" and "ripe for exploration". Apple has been rumored for some time to be bringing a smart watch to the market, but while the company has begun filing for "iWatch" trademarks, the latest rumors have suggested the device may not launch until late next year as Apple works to solve numerous technical challenges.
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Top Rated Comments
'Please Sir, can you spare some change?'
Gerald spent every last dime on his iWatch. Now he is in need of money to pay for the on-going subscription charges for various features of said device. Won't you spare just $2 a month to help people like Gerald get their continuous supply of Apple-goodness?
Anyway, the continuous screen patent actually coming into fruition is going to be dependent on how thin Apple can make the screen. If the device is initially .5 cm thick and it overlaps, the layered area will be (assuming my math is correct) 1 cm, which is a relatively large protrusion compared to the rest of the device. I'm super excited to see where they take this concept!
Actually, for the average person it might not be that revolutionary but for athletes, it could be. If they can get non-invasive blood analysis working there could be lots of cool stuff. Imagine knowing the % of oxygen in your blood throughout a workout. If you are monitoring the right things you could tailor your workout so that you remain in just the right range for whatever it is that you want (fat loss, muscle hypertrophy,etc.)
There are already apps for women to track their cycles, imagine if a woman wants to get pregnant (or not) and could use her temperature and/or hormone levels to make decisions.
The uses are many, but it depends on how accurate and what kinds of measurements these sensors can take.
Yes and the iPad is just a big overpriced iPod that no one will buy. :roll eyes:
You luddites and haters are like a broken record of Leonard Nimoy singing By Myself.
You don't have to be diabetic to be interested in tracking your glucose and insulin levels, you just have to not be brainwashed by the "fat is evil" crowd.
I for one would be massively interested in tracking those two numbers.
A second sensor of interest to many people would be a pedometer (look at something like a Striiv Play for an example, only strip out the hideous app and all it's advertising/game crap).
A third sensor of interest to many people would be sleep tracking.
A fourth (not exactly sensor) of interest to many people would be "take this medicine now" notifications.
And of course you can start to imagine even more specialized things.
Could it be rigged up to report if you are having a heart attack? Stroke? Epileptic fit?
Any individual may only care about one of these. But if you care about it, you REALLY care about it, and you'd be willing to pay to have it done right rather than half-assed.