Apple has hired Roy J.E.M Raymann, from Philips Research, for its iWatch team, according to a report from 9to5Mac. The hire is the latest in a long series of recent reports that suggest Apple is hiring a wide variety of health and medical sensor experts for its upcoming iWatch product.
According to Raymann's LinkedIn biography, his main research is in "how to optimize rest and activity", "non-pharmacological approaches to promote sleep", and "interpretation of ambulatory physiological and biomechanical data". He did other research on sleep and coffee, power napping, and he founded the Philips Sleep Experience Laboratory, a non-clinical sleep research facility.
Philips Research has been involved in many major technological advancements, including the development of the compact disc, LED lightbulbs, the MRI, and more.
Philips Research is a global organization that helps Philips introduce meaningful innovations that improve people’s lives. We provide technology options for innovations in the area of health and well-being, targeted at both developed and emerging markets. Positioned at the front-end of the innovation process, we work on everything from spotting trends and ideation to proof of concept and – where needed – first-of-a-kind product development.
The hire suggests Apple could be looking to help iWatch buyers with tracking and improving sleep, while also possibly tracking other health data like pulse and activity, and blood data like glucose levels. Several current fitness tracking devices are designed to track both sleep length and sleep quality. For example, bands like the Jawbone UP and the Fitbit Force are both able to slip into a night time monitoring mode that keeps track of sleep.
Philips confirmed to 9to5Mac that Raymann no longer works at the company, but would not say where he was currently employed.
Top Rated Comments
Please accept my humble apology for not being intelligent enough to immediately know exactly what the device was going to be based on the first rumors. I think I speak for the entire planet when I say that we all wish we were as smart as you.
"I am a sleep expert" :D.
Apple took their sweet time with both the iPad and the iPhone and I believe they're taking the same care to only release the iWatch when it's something that will blow everybody away.
Many moves are being made on the TV front while several preparatory steps for the iWatch still haven't materialized. For AppleTV, a snowballing speed of new app releases, new content contracts, decreasing reliance on traditional tv networks and increasing popularity of internet based ones (i.e. Netflix), server farm buildout, an impending UI revamp and holding back on Apple Displays. An AppleTV is bursting at the seams to come out.
Something big is coming for TV this year and Apple will not want one key product to steal the spotlight from another.
Timeline:
WWDC2014: New AppleTV UI and app store for developers to start working on. New AppleTV (box) with select experimental iWatch components hidden inside (i.e. a miniaturized chipset).
iOS 8 announcement: Healthbook app revealed as the focus of iOS8. Getting this right will be key to the success of the iWatch. It'll be tested out as an iPhone app first.
iPhone 6 announcement: Experimental parts for the iWatch used inside the new iPhone. A new version of the motion processor chip, a smaller chipset, a big leap in battery efficiency and some sort of wireless charging would be important for an iWatch. If all of these make their way into the iPhone 6, we'll have a good hint that the iWatch is not far behind.
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