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This Sony wearable camera concept records the best (and worst) parts of your day

Andy Boxall
By
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Sony has big plans for the wearable market, and has been talking a lot about its Core life tracker at Mobile World Congress this year. The tiny module is the heart of its SmartWear Experience, but it’s only the start of the company’s mission to ensure you never forget that special moment, awesome run, or tedious bus journey ever again. We sat down with Sony to have a sneak peak at what could come next.

One possibility is the Smart Lifelog Camera, and we took a look at the concept device. It’s so new, not even the Sony executive working on the project could take it out of the box to show it off. It’s tiny, around the same size as the Core or a small Bluetooth headset, and Sony has made several accessories to house it, such as a watch-like strap and a necklace. While the Core tracks movement and has a little button to ‘bookmark’ key moments in your day, this goes one step further and snaps still pictures or records video of your day.

The final feature set hasn’t been agreed upon yet, so there’s no decision on whether the Smart Lifelog Camera will continually record, just activate when you want it to, or take a series of  pictures or video at set times. If so, prepare for the good and bad to be saved in the Lifelog Android app, which syncs with the camera, just like the Core. When the Core was unveiled at CES, Sony talked about releasing accessories for it, but this isn’t one of them. Instead, it’s currently a standalone device, but as it’s still a concept, this may change in the future.

Now, as Google Glass has proved, not everyone is happy about being surreptitiously recorded or photographed, and the Smart Lifelog Camera is in danger of facing the same criticism. To avoid this becoming an issue, Sony is considering adding a light or even an audible alert to show the device is taking pictures or video. Additionally, the Lifelog app doesn’t have the ability to share over social networks. It’s more like a private diary, so unlike a video shot with Glass, there’s little danger you’ll be all over YouTube in moments.

The Smart Lifelog Camera is a concept device, and therefore has no release date, or even a guarantee it’ll ever go on sale. However, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it headline Sony’s next major wearables event.

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Topics
Sony gets in on fitness tracking trend with Lifelog app, Core fitness tracker
sony gets fitness tracking trend lifelog app core tracker screen shot 2014 01 06 at 8 48 39 pm

Check out our full Sony Smartband with Core review.
Sony isn't new to the wearable tech trend and already has it's own line of smartwatches, but now it's ready to put something more health-centric on your wrist. The Japanese electronics giant showed off its Core fitness tracker and Lifelog Android app on the CES 2014 stage.
The concept of the Core will not be foreign to most who have seen or experienced fitness tracker bands. It's worn around your wrist when attached to a SmartBand, or kept in your pocket while tracking all of your actions over the course of the day - from how well you sleep to how many steps you take to the effectiveness of your workout regimen. The Core is completely waterproof as well. Sony claims its device is the smallest of its kind ever made.
All of the activity that the Core tracks is synced with an Android app called Lifelog, which will come installed on the new Xperia smartphones. This is where you'll have access to the information you've accumulated over your day. Sony says the Core doesn't just keep track of your physical motions but your emotions as well ... but we're not really sure what that means. It appears Sony has bigger aspirations for the Core, making it more than just a fitness tracker and more an integrated part of your life. Lifelog will be the platform through which it all comes together.
Sony has stated the Core and the accompanying Lifelog app will be available sometime during the spring of 2014. More details will be revealed at the Mobile World Congress event in February 2014. More information will be available on the SmartBand is also available on Sony's landing page for the technology.

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