Fossil Q

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Introducing Fossil Q: a line of fashionable connected accessories that showcase the design excellence, expert craftsmanship and bit of whimsy that defines Fossil – one of the world’s leading accessory brands. Comprised of two types of connected watches (both display and non-display) and two styles of connected bracelets (one for men and one for women), there’s something for everyone.

For the past 30 years, Fossil has created the most authentic, vintage-inspired, creatively charged, beautiful timepieces. It continues to push the envelope of innovation in order to capture the uniqueness of its consumer. And as consumers demand more information than ever before, it’s only natural that Fossil would evolve the brand to include connected accessories. This line, created in collaboration with Intel, is a delicate balance of fashion and functionality, seamlessly providing consumers only the information they need when they need it.

“Our customers are obsessed with their personal sense of style and staying connected, and we are thrilled to enter into this emerging category with an answer to their needs,” said Jill Elliott-Sones, chief creative officer at Fossil. “Fossil Q is the result of countless hours of meticulous design expressed through a playful curious lens. Our hope is the unique attention to detail in both our connected accessories line and app cue our audience to try new things, be more curious and experience the world around them like never before.”

Acting as your fitness tracker as well as your fun and quirky friend, Fossil Q will cue you to be curious, cue you to be active and cue up notifications from the contacts and apps you care about, without compromising your style.

The entire line of connected accessories is engineered with Intel® Innovation and is compatible with Android™ 4.3 and higher, iPhone 5 and above (running iOS 8.2 and higher), and connects via Bluetooth technology. The app works with top fitness applications Google Fit™, Health, UP by Jawbone® and UA Record™ by Under Armour. They also come with a wireless charging base for stress-free recharging.

Specifically the Fossil Q line includes the following:

Q Reveler: Who says you can’t have fun and look good while doing it? Q Reveler is your trusted friend, keeping track of how far you run, notifying you of only the people and apps you care about and daring you to be bold and explore more around you. Keep track of who’s contacting you with a subtle nudge and color LEDs. Q Reveler will be available on October 25 and cost $125.

Q Dreamer: Finally, a fitness tracker and more that looks like one of your favorite bracelets (and it goes with everything). Choose a leather band for work and a silicone band while working out; there are plenty of options to choose from, and you’ll stay connected at the same time. With gentle vibrating alerts and customized color notifications for key contacts and apps, you’re sure to stay in touch, in style. Q Dreamer will be available on October 25 and cost $125.

Q Grant: Curiously unassuming, it’s more than meets the eye. The Q Grant looks like an ordinary watch, but under its beautiful face, it’s talking to your smartphone, tracking fitness, listening for important messages and then alerting you to only the emails, texts, phone calls and app news you care about. Customize your key contacts with their own color, and when they contact you, you’ll feel a gentle vibration and see that color appear on right, left, or both LED indicators located on either side of the watch. Q Grant will be available on October 25 and cost from $175-$195.

Q Founder: A powerhouse packed into an elegant package. Let your personality free as you customize your favorite watch faces with a simple swipe and tap. The Q Founder is the result of collaboration with Intel and Google, engineered with Intel® Innovation and powered by Android Wear™. Leveraging Intel and Google technology, the Q Founder shows you useful information just when you need it and is compatible with both Android™ phones and iPhones. Q Founder will be available just in time for the holiday shopping season and starts at $275.

The magic that powers all of these devices is thanks to Fossil’s proprietary app. It has three main features:

Q Activity: This built-in fitness tracker lets you know how many calories you burned and also provides results in a curious way to make your activities a bit more fun. No need to ditch your favorite fitness apps; this tracker can connect seamlessly to Google Fit™, Health, UP by Jawbone® and UA Record™ by Under Armour.

Q Notifications: These notifications are your cue that a social media update, important call or meeting awaits. Filter by just the contacts or apps you care about – or get them all. It’s up to you.

Q Curiosity: Cue your curiosity! These notifications alert you that it’s time to break free from routine, look from a different angle or try something new in your community. These activities will ignite a new perspective, open up your creativity and leave your brain feeling refreshed.

Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151020/278827

New Balance 3D Printed Performance Running Shoe Midsole

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Through an exclusive collaboration with 3D Systems and their newly developed elastomeric powder, DuraForm® Flex TPU, New Balance has made significant advancements in the performance of printed parts for running shoes. The new midsoles leverage the benefits of 3D printing and breakthroughs in materials science to achieve an optimal balance of flexibility, strength, weight and durability. This limited edition, state-of-the-art running shoe will launch first in Boston in April 2016 and then in select New Balance retail locations around the globe. The shoes will also be on display and in use by employees in the 3D Systems booth at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January.

The latest designs of the 3D printed midsole are based on underfoot pressure data from heel strikers with more cushioning elements in areas of higher average pressure. This data to design formula follows the path that New Balance designers used to create the award winning Fresh Foam collection. For midsole production, New Balance uses selective laser sintering (SLS), a process which converts new powder materials into solid cross-sections, layer by layer, using a laser. DuraForm® Flex TPU powder gives the resulting parts a previously unavailable combination of strength and elasticity that is ideal for performance running shoes.

“This project represents an unprecedented technical collaboration in footwear”, says Sean Murphy New Balance Senior Manager of Innovation and Engineering. “To deliver this level of performance with a 3D printed component, we paired experts in running and biomechanics with leaders in plastics engineering, material development and generative design. These are the types of collaborations that will drive footwear design and manufacturing in the future.”

In 2013 New Balance was the first athletic brand to have a track athlete, middle distance runner Jack Bolas, compete with data-customized, 3D printed spike plates. Since then Team New Balance athletes have continued to compete in custom, printed spikes including US Olympic Athlete Kim Conley at the 2014 USATF Outdoor National Championships where she came in first in the 10,000m. Beyond Track & Field New Balance has also created customized soccer cleats and baseball spikes for its elite athletes. New Balance soccer star Aaron Ramsey wore a bespoke boot with printed plates in the FA Cup Final on May 30, 2015. New Balance continues to expand data customization with elite athletes and expects more athletes to test out customized products in practice and games in the near future.

“In 2013 we said this was the future of footwear manufacturing and today we are proud to bring the future to consumers with a fully 3D printed midsole,” says New Balance President and CEO Robert DeMartini. “With 3D printing we are able to pursue performance customization at a whole new level. The New Balance Innovation Team is showcasing the latest in performance running and these advancements signify an important step forward to becoming one of the world’s top athletic brands.”

For more information please visit www.newbalance.com.

About New Balance

New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. New Balance is the only major company to make or assemble more than 4 million pairs of athletic footwear per year in the USA, which represents a limited portion of our US sales. Where the domestic value is at least 70%, we label our shoes Made in the USA. New Balance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs more than 5,000 associates around the globe, and in 2014 reported worldwide sales of $3.3 billion. To learn more about New Balance, please visit www.newbalance.com.