Plantronics Addresses the What, How and Why of Wireless Connectivity and Wearables at Wearables DevCon 2014

Dateline:

"Wearable tech gives today's software developers an unprecedented opportunity to create applications leveraging information that until now has been out of reach"

SANTA CRUZ, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hackathons focused on application development for wearable technologies are an important testing ground for pushing the limits of these emerging devices. To-date, Plantronics' (NYSE: PLT) innovations team, PLT Labs, has participated in 10 hackathons nationwide and shared its Wearable Concept 1 device with scores of developers. On March 5-7, developers will gather for additional face time with PLT Labs and other industry experts during Wearables DevCon 2014 - an inaugural show devoted to the wearable tech developer community.

During the show, PLT Labs head of innovation, Cary Bran, will outline the core pillars of wireless connectivity for wearable devices and share practical guidance on how developers can choose the right technology and development routes for particular use cases and platforms.

What:

Wearables DevCon 2014

Date:

March 7, 2014

Time:

10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Where:

Hyatt Regency Burlingame

"Wearable tech gives today's software developers an unprecedented opportunity to create applications leveraging information that until now has been out of reach," said Cary Bran, head of PLT Labs and senior director of Innovation and New Ventures, Plantronics. "Understanding this opportunity and the associated technology challenges will be critical for developers and businesses alike, as together they strive to create applications that will enrich not only individual experiences but also the much larger and growing wearable tech ecosystem as a whole."

Developer Momentum and Wearable Concept 1

Wearable Concept 1, developed by the PLT Labs team, takes Plantronics' flagship technology beyond audio into true wearables territory and provides developers with a platform to create new applications and use cases for this emerging tech.

PLT Labs has been working with developers across the country to help make wearable tech-related applications a reality through its participation at key hackathons throughout the country. Major events and results include:

  • AT&T Internet of Things Hackathon Series
    • This hackathon series comprised four events across the nation, culminating in a final match between all of the top individual hack winners during the AT&T Developer Summit on Jan. 5, 2014 in Las Vegas.
    • During this "finale" hack, second place went to Leverage, who created a virtual personal trainer using Wearable Concept 1's accelerometers to detect what workout a user is performing. Third place went to Universal Voice Remote, who used Wearable Concept 1's tap detection to wake up the app.
  • AT&T | SIC (Seattle Interactive Conference) Mobile App Hackathon
    • Taking a cue from Seattle's music scene, the winning team from this event, Hackcouture.io, built a gesture-detecting glove and accompanying air guitar game, Metalhead, using Wearable Concept 1's on board, nine-axis sensors to detect "head bang" movement and incorporate it into the game experience.
    • Overall, four of the event's five finalists chose to leverage the capabilities in PLT Labs Wearable Concept 1 device to create unique wearable solutions.
  • Sundance HackDance
    • This star-studded event ran concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival. SecondGov won the Innovation grand prize for using Wearable Concept 1 to detect head movement indicating either "yes" or "no" in their app called voting.a - a virtual entity where new ideas, methods and processes pertaining to government and governmental procedures can be tested and evaluated.

About Wearable Concept 1

Wearable Concept 1 is a headset form-factor concept device created by PLT Labs. Packed with sensors, Concept 1, and its associated proprietary APIs, give developers the opportunity to create applications leveraging a wide-range of data, including a nine-axis sensor that can track head orientation in three dimensions, tap detection, free-fall detection and more.

About PLT Labs

PLT Labs is working on innovations that will help take wearable tech to the next level. Through PLT Labs, developers can sign-up for a chance to help shape the future of wearables and influence how people will interact with the Internet of Things. Sample applications can be found at http://pltlabs.com. Developers interested in joining the Plantronics developer community can find more information at http://developer.plantronics.com/welcome.

About Plantronics

Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50 years, creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate. From unified communication solutions to Bluetooth® headsets, we deliver uncompromising quality, an ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100™, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660.

Plantronics and Simply Smarter Communications are trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. registered in the US and other countries. PLT Labs and Wearable Concept 1 are trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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