Razer unveiled its own wearable gadget at CES 2014, the Nabu, which is a device with fitness-related features, but also a smartwatch of sorts. “It’s not a smartwatch,” CEO Min-Liang Tan told Engadget. “It’s not a fitness band. It’s what we’re calling a ‘smart band.’ ” Since Razer is a company that produces game-related hardware, the Nabu will have some gaming features in the future, as Min revealed that “real-world gamification is something we’re really focused on.” The smart band will be compatible with future augmented reality games and offers band-to-band communication for in-game information trading.
The Nabu features two screens on opposite sites in order to protect the privacy of the wearer, including a 32-pixel square display that will show notification icons, and a bigger 128 x 32 screen that can list text messages, emails and other data. The smart band can keep track of fitness activities, burnt calories, sleep patterns, location and altitude, comes with gestures support, and has the mandatory iOS- and Android-compatible smartphone apps that let users manage the collected data. The device will offer 7 to 10 days of battery life on a single charge and will retail for under $100, although a launch date is not available yet for general consumers. Developers interested in working on Nabu’s open development platform will be able to pick on up for $50 by the end of March.
Razer also demoed an interesting modular PC gaming rig concept called “Project Christine” at CES, while companies including LG and Sony have announced their own similar smart band projects, including the Lifeband Touch and the Core SmartBand.
