APIs, and also through short-range sensor technology like

ANT+, your device can communicate with any IoT device that
exposes an API or offers the ability to connect wirelessly.

The Platforms
Power consumption is one key area where smart device platforms
show their subtle differences. One one end, the power-hungry end,
you’ve got Android Wear and Apple Watch, with battery life just
over a day. The Pebble smartwatches trade battery life (2 to 10 days
depending on model) for a slower CPU without really sacrificing
functionality. Garmin devices can run even longer—two to three
weeks (between 8 and 14 days with 24/7 heart rate monitoring).
What the Pebble and Garmin wearables lack are actually their
strengths. Because they choose reflective displays that are readable
in sunlight, they are usable where you probably use them most: out‐
doors. And although they don’t have CPUs as fast as the Apple
Watch or Android Wear devices, they get great battery life, and still
have enough built-in computational power to create a user experi‐
ence that works well on the small screen.
Of all the smartwatches on the market, Garmin devices have been
designed for the most extreme of conditions. An ultramarathoner
who needs to track activity for a 100 km footrace may expose the
device to varying weather conditions, needs the device to be reada‐
ble in bright sunlight, and needs it to stand up to 12 or more hours
of sweat and strain. And while the user and the elements are trying
to destroy it, the device needs to log position, speed, heart rate, and
maybe more…every second of those 12 hours.

Inventing the Future of Wearable Devices

In these modern times, where computers and mobile devices have
massive amounts of memory, computing power, and battery life,
wearables represent a multifold challenge. First, you need to work
within significant constraints in the face of modern user expecta‐
tions. Second, you’re going to find yourself at the leading edge of a
new kind of development; with that comes the opportunity to blaze
a trail, but with the challenge of finding your own way. Finally,
you’re inventing the future; as exciting as that is, it does come with a
great responsibility to get it right.

viii | Preface