Top 10 must-have wearable tech gadgets

Wearable technology has moved beyond fancy prototypes and firmly established itself as a evolving product category. Players like Qualcomm and Intel are betting on wearable technology. Amazon UK, the online retail giant has started a wearable technology store, which pretty much tells us that this category is here to stay. Many of the internationally available wearable gadgets are easily available at Amazon India, Snapdeal, Flipkart, etc. Some are even bundled with smartphones. Here is a glimpse of what is in store.

JawBone UP
One of the most popular fitness bands around, Jawbone UP helps people to understand their sleep cycles, move and eat better. The band is paired with an app that displays movement and sleep details from the UP24 or UP band and delivers insights, celebrates milestones, and sets challenges. One can even share achievements with friends by teaming up in the UP App.

Samsung Gear 2
The Gear 2 from Samsung is an evolved smartwatch. The most important part of the device is its 1.63 inch SUPER AM OLED display with 320 x 320 pixel resolution. However, the Gear 2 is restricted to just Samsung smartphone owners as it pairs with only a few select Samsung Galaxy smartphones. One can use it to answer calls while driving. The notifications for emails and messages appear on the phone. The Gear 2 runs on Tizen, and has a dual core 1GHz processor.

FitBit Flex
This cute, flexible band reflects its name. The Fitbit Flex helps you turn exercise into a game that works around your daily routines. It aims to get you fit even if you never set foot in a gym. The Fitbit Flex could be just the thing to drag you off the sofa and into the land of the healthy. It comes in various attractive colours.

NuMetrex Fabric Chest Strap
This is a heart rate monitoring chest strap with heart sensing fabric technology and second-skin fit. It consists of a soft band with heart rate sensors knitted into the fabric. The stretch fabric moves as one breathes. A small transmitter snaps into the pocket in the front of the strap. It is a quick drying fabric that wicks moisture away from the body. It can be used with heart rate monitoring sports watch, smart phones and cardio equipment.

Google Glass
This is the most talked about wearable eyegear in the world, a perfect example of wearable technology. Google Glass displays information in a smartphonelike hands-free format. Wearers communicate with the Internet via natural language voice commands. Wear this Glass and you will have insight into all the world's knowledge, Google Search to be precise. It is a small LCD screen in front of your eyes, controlled by both voice and touch - on the frame. You can make calls, surf the Internet, record and share what you see.

GoQii
This is a life fitness tracker with lifestyle coaching as it helps to make a permanent shift towards a healthier lifestyle. GoQii has got a touch OLED display and 360 motion sensor that measure activity and sleep quality. It has Bluetooth 4.0 and 4 -5 days of backup on a single charge. GoQii has got some world leading experts that analyze the data such as height, weight, gender, etc. This is a goal enabled fitness band guiding and pushing one to work out.

Get Active Slim
This is a a touch operation personalised dash board that tracks your activity and measures sleep quality. It is a sleek designer device that looks trendy. It offers functionalies such as it measures daily steps, calories burnt, distance travelled, active time, activity break-up in a day, sleep tracking,etc. It has a 3D accelerometer sensor and an LED Display. It can store data for up to 15 days and can be synced online using the USB cable.

LECHAL GPS Shoes
Navigational maps on the phone might be a big support for the die-heart trekker. But it is a pain having to walk unknown territory with your eyes glued to your smartphone's screen. With these pair of Bluetooth-connected shoes that use haptic feedback to notify users which direction to take, navigational maps might become passe. You can buy 'LECHAL', ('take me along' in Hindi) as either a set of shoes or a set of insoles. Using GPS the app determines directions and notifies the user which side to turn by sending a mild vibration to the right or the left shoe. The app also functions as a fitness tracker and lets you check your record at places

Fin Ring
Wearable technology has moved beyond bands and wrist watches. Fin Ring is an innovative gesture based control for devices. Bluetooth enabled, it helps to control any smart device just by moving the thumb over the other fingers. Switching between devices requires a tap on the finger while wearing the Fin on the thumb. It can be used for playing games, making business presentations, it comes in handy while driving - for instance, one can control the AC without taking one's hands off the steering wheel. It can capture images and share files. Listed for $120, it will begin shipping in by 2015

Spotnsave Wristband
The Spotnsave Wristband lets you send SOSs to dear ones if you are ever in trouble. The wristband lets you activate Spotnsave's emergency alert system without touching your phone. You just need to install the Spotnsave app on your Android phone, choose up to four guardians and pair it with the wristband via Bluetooth. To activate the emergency alert, you will have to press a button on the wristband twice. The app will then send an SMS every two minutes to your guardians., telling your guardians you need help and giving your location coordinates.