Wearably Brings RSS Feeds to Google Glass

With more wearable devices entering the market, the way we read online content could change significantly. Instead of taking out a smartphone, readers of the near-future will more often read from devices like Google Glass or the Galaxy Gear.
A new service makes it easier for content from RSS feeds and websites to transition to wearable technology. Wearably helps publishers display their content on wearable devices such as smartwatches or Google Glass.
Atlantic Media, National Geographic and NPR already use the service, created by a three-person team called Silica Labs. The company's biggest selling point is its ability to help companies keep up with the rapidly changing digital content arena while saving money. Silica Labs co-founder Marvin Ammori told Mashable that customers come to the company because they know it will avoid "costs that are more unpredictable."

Originally called SimpleWing, Wearably allows users to create Google Glass apps similar to the ones created by CNN and Elle.
The service takes the important elements of an article — headline, photographs, time of publication — and transfers them to interactive cards designed to be viewed on wearable devices. Users simply install the Wearably app and then subscribe to certain outlets. Because many websites publish content throughout the day, the service allows users to organize news into morning and evening editions.
Wearably CTO Antonio Zugaldia told Mashable that publications can organize their content as they wish. National Geographic, for example, dedicates one section entirely to photographs.
"It's totally up to the publication how they organize their content," says Zugaldia. "Our responsibility is to deliver the content to users in a beautiful way."
Zugaldia also explained that the biggest challenge during the development of Wearably was working with so many different devices, which meant a variety of application programming interfaces (APIs). In addition, the team does not want to overwhelm users with content.
As designer and co-founder Stephanie Nguyen says, these devices can affect how users read content. "

What we're hoping to do is re-imagine the way users consume news

What we're hoping to do is re-imagine the way users consume news," says Nguyen. To use the service, individuals pay $11 a month while big publishers pay $449 a month. The publisher plan guarantees distribution of one RSS feed onto Google Glass, the Sony Smartwatch 2 and the Pebble Watch.
Ammori also revealed that the team is working on developing a way to bring news to users based on their location and eventually deliver city-wide alerts to users' devices.

Starbucks Brings Back $450 Laser-Etched Gift Cards

What do you get the coffee drinker who has everything? Consider Starbucks‘ version of the “Black Card”— a limited-edition, $450, fancy looking gift card, ideal for that special someone who can’t bear paying with something as pedestrian as cash, credit or even an app. For the second holiday season in a row, the coffee chain is offering its over-the-top metal gift cards, which go on sale at Gilt.com starting Friday at noon.
Before you spit out your latte, consider that this may not be as ridiculous as it sounds. Superfluous, yes, but the gift/reward cards come with $400 in Starbucks credit (enough for 200 coffees!) and offer the highest-level rewards membership. The company claims that the $50 difference doesn’t even cover the cost to produce each card, “so there really is a strong value to the customer,” spokeswoman Linda Mills said in an email. She went on: “It’s completely handmade and features an artisan rose metal base with rose-colored coating. Starbucks lettering is laser-etched on the front, and since it’s in such a small quantity, we do incur quite a bit of expense to produce them.”
Recent history suggests the chain is on to something. Last year, Starbucks offered 5,000 cards in a stainless steel color, and USA Today reports they sold out in about six minutes. Recap: That’s $2.25 million worth of gift cards in 360 seconds. (Now you can spit out your latte.) This year, only 1,000 of the cards will be sold — for a total of $450,000 — because Starbucks wants it to be “a very premium, exclusive offering.” Well, it sure beats a fruitcake.