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A bunch of young, fresh and vibrant minds are busy developing security gadgets for a noble cause. They want all the women in this country to feel <keyword id="923223" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Safer">safer</keyword>. Precisely, why they have even named their award winning security device ‘SAFER’! <br />
<br />
The most interesting bit is, their product innovation is different from the sprays and electric pens available in the market. It came about when the founders felt that it should be a pretty thing to wear which girls feel proud of, unlike the boring hand bands etc.What could  be a better idea than a pretty necklace!<br />
<br /> This resulted in 'SAFER', a smart necklace with secret security device inside. The brainchild of five friends - students of IIT Delhi and Delhi Technological University- who, not very long ago came together with the aim of making lives safer amid rising crimes, the fancy device didn't take much time to get noticed. It won an Ericsson innovation award this year. This resulted into a full-fledged product and led to the launch of their firm ‘<keyword id="3163256" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Leaf-Wearables">Leaf Wearables</keyword>’ in February by <keyword id="2825793" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Manik-Mehta">Manik Mehta</keyword>, Avinash Bansal, Ayush Banka, Chiraag Kapil and Paras Batra. By virtue of the extraordinary innovation, the startup was chosen amongst the top 10 innovative <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=startups">startups </a>in India by Department of Science and Technology, and accompanied Prime Minister <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Narendra+Modi+">Narendra Modi </a>on his visit to <keyword id="6357722" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="silicon-valley">Silicon Valley</keyword> to participate in first <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=India-US+Startup+Konnect">India-US Startup Konnect</a>.<br />
<br />
There has been no looking back for this new toddler in the startup space. Recently, it announced another feat - received $250,000 in seed funding from seasoned investors, which is now being planned to be used in growing SAFER.<br />
<br />
Co-founder Manik Mehta explains how SAFER works: “Our device is run by the app SAFER WALK. It is priced at Rs 3500 and looks like a piece of jewellery. It can be used to trigger alarm and send signals to pre-identified phone numbers in cases of emergency. However, if people cannot buy the device, they can also use our app for safety,” he said.<br />
<br />
He makes it clear with an example: “Suppose my sister has to go to office. Now, my mom would call her several times to inquire if she has reached. With safer walk app in the phone, she can see in real time where my sister is and if she has reached or not. The worry and the hassle of calling repeatedly can be done away with when you can see your daughter is safe.”<br />
<br />
During the Silicon valley trip, Manik says, the experience opened him up to a fast moving world where he saw India not lagging behind too far in the race. But he did have some key learning while interacting with US entrepreneurs.<br />
<br />
“Some of our innovations are better than theirs. I see many IIT students thinking of ways to tackle daily life problems. However, they have a culture in US that is totally different than the Indian start up space-even if they failed in building 6 startups, they still have the ability to raise funds because investors are of the view that if the person has failed he must have learnt a lot from it. They don’t call it failure, they call it switching one idea to another and learning from mistakes.”<br />
<br />
On what obstacles they personally faced in raising funds, Manik said: “We started a little early. As entrepreneurs, we didn't know when to raise<br />
funds, but we learnt a lot of things along the way. The main obstacle is that a lot of investors in India do not believe in hardware startup companies. They are of the belief that hardware can only come from China and the US, that Indians don’t make good electronic engineers and hence there is no competitive hardware market. They are willing to fund <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=e-commerce">e-commerce</a> companies, software companies but as soon as they hear hardware, they become skeptical,” he says.<br />
<br />
Manik feels that even as several investors in India are extremely experienced and knowledgeable, the whole space is yet to evolve. “It’s much more of an ecosystem in the US than innovation itself. The mindset of Indian society towards failures has to change to begin with,” he says.  <br />
Accomplishing one milestone at a time, the folks at Leaf Wearables have huge dreams. They want to make one million families safer by 2017! They disclosed to us that they are planning on getting new products in the market for children and elder too, however, refused to divulge what they would look like.<br />
<br />
Definitely, these young folks are set to make a change as they ride high on their dreams – ensuring safety of people in India! <br />

This startup, which accompanied PM Modi to Silicon Valley, is making smart necklaces and a security app for a 'SAFER' India!

<br /> All of a sudden there is a sudden boom in the Indian wearable technology platforms. Beating <keyword id="874458" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Xiaomi">Xiaomi</keyword>'s Mi Band, <keyword id="211471" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vishal-Gondal">Vishal Gondal</keyword>’s GOQii is the market leader in India in this segment.<br />
<br /> <keyword id="1951790" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="SenseGiz">SenseGiz</keyword>, a Bengaluru-based startup that makes a safety monitoring wristband called <keyword id="3683950" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="safr">SAFR</keyword>, has sold around 35,000 devices so far. Priced at Rs 3,000, SAFR connects to a smartphone app and can detect if a user has got into an accident and alert emergency contacts, as per a news report by The <keyword id="6474066" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-times">Economic Times</keyword>.<br />
<br /> Its primary markets have been <keyword id="6355311" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Japan">Japan</keyword> and the US. "Now, awareness is growing even in India," <keyword id="3683949" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="abhishek-latte">Abhishek Latte</keyword>, cofounder and CEO of SenseGiz told the ET.<br />
<br /> "People should not throw the devices after a few months. To prevent that, there should be enough services that keep the consumer interested. Hardware is just one part," <keyword id="52455" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gondal">Gondal</keyword>, whose GOQii counts former <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword> search head <keyword id="6372293" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amit-Singhal">Amit Singhal</keyword> and WhatsApp's business head <keyword id="468884" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Neeraj-Arora">Neeraj Arora</keyword> among investors, told the financial daily.<br />
<br /> Another wearable start up by an <keyword id="6364832" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIT-Kharagpur">IIT Kharagpur</keyword> alumnus, Blink operates a smartwatch and uses an inhouse operating system. The device will be priced at around $200 and will be launched by the end of September.<br />
<br /> Some of the wearable ventures that have won funding include Actofit, a fitness wearable that has received funds from Next Orbit Ventures; <keyword id="2105082" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Azoi">Azoi</keyword>, another fitness wearable funded by <keyword id="3683948" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="vedanta-capital">Vedanta Capital</keyword>, MadRat Games, which has built a wearable gaming suit and has been funded by <keyword id="6360722" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ratan-tata">Ratan Tata</keyword> and others, and Leaf Wearable, a bluetoothconnected jewellery for safety of women and funded on crowdfunding platform Ketto.

​ Made in India wearable technology platforms are beating Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Business Insider spoke to two <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-scents-fragrances-to-wear-spring-from-perfumers-2024-4">professional perfumers</a> about the best scents to wear this summer. </li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/outdoor-summer-shopping-home-depot-vs-lowes-which-better-review-2024-5">Tomato leaf</a> and leather with citrusy undertones are great unisex options.</li></ul><p>As wardrobes change with the weather, so do perfumes.</p><p>Fragrances are one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fragrance-sales-increasing-during-pandemic-explained-2021-6">biggest affordable-luxury trends</a> that have boomed in recent years, so Business Insider asked two professional perfumers what scents everyone should wear this summer.</p><p>Here's what the experts said.</p><h2 id="fc658a0e-29d8-4821-aabb-7083449841e2">Tomato leaf is a unique but pleasant base scent for warmer months.</h2><div type="image" title="closeup shot of tomatoes on a vine in a garden" height="1320" width="1760" msid="110977453" hostid="261" sizebytes="131570"></div><p>According to Caitlin Hayes, founder of <a target="_blank" href="https://sorcellerieapothecary.com">Sorcellerie Apothecary</a>, tomato-leaf scents are reminiscent of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-tips-for-surviving-summer-heat-disney-world-frequent-guest">summer weather</a> and savory garden aromas.</p><p>"After a morning spent in the garden, the distinctive sweet and spicy scent of tomato leaves and vine lingers on your hands," she told BI. "So this is a perfect reminder of that."</p><p>Hayes recommended Garden Heaux by the Seattle-based company Samar.</p><h2 id="1e39e890-bf94-4b45-81e3-86ce45ea0e6d">A mixture of peony and bergamot is great for summer</h2><p>Although <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/beauty/dossier-perfume-cologne-review">floral scents</a> never seem to be out of style, perfumes that offer a specific mix of peony and bergamot are the way to go this summer, according to Ashley Santiago, junior perfumer at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.givaudan.com">Givaudan</a>.</p><p>"It doesn't get more 'hot girl summer' than this scent, and it's a huge compliment getter as my go-to night-out fragrance when it's warm," she told BI.</p><p>She said Carolina Herrera's Good Girl Blush is a great option for this scent profile.</p><h2 id="5f9fabdd-1324-4e0b-a3ca-8551f39380c5">Mango is a classic and delicious scent to wear</h2><div type="image" title="two halves of a diced up fresh mango on a plate" height="1172" width="1563" msid="110977451" hostid="261" sizebytes="65132"></div><p>It's mango season, and that goes for both the fruit and the wearable scent.</p><p>"This fresh, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/popular-chefs-recipes-for-fruit-salad-reviewed-photos-2021-8">tropical summer fruit</a> is having a moment — the more realistic, the better," Hayes said.</p><p>Santiago recommended Phlur's Mango Mood Body Mist for a realistic and fresh scent.</p><h2 id="04ed81ef-e207-4607-8cb9-375e268b9560">Tuberose is trending again, and you don't want to miss out</h2><p>Tuberose has been around for hundreds of years, and according to Hayes, the floral scent is finally falling back into the spotlight.</p><p>"Prized for centuries for its sensual scent, it can have a cooling effect," she told BI. "Think gauzy, sweet white petals, still blooming or tempered with soft spice."</p><p>The perfumer recommended trying Tuberose Tantra by Kismet Olfactive.</p><h2 id="7bb33d7b-ae0c-43b6-9773-d22171e383f3">If you like tea, it might be your perfect summer scent</h2><div type="image" title="cup of tea in front of a white teapot on a table" height="1119" width="1492" msid="110977452" hostid="261" sizebytes="30192"></div><p>According to Hayes, incorporating tea-scented perfumes into your summer rotation is a great and lightweight option.</p><p>"Green tea, black tea, matcha, oolong, Earl Grey — however you enjoy your cuppa, there's a perfume for that," she told BI</p><p>Some of her favorite options include Nest Fragrances' Indigo and Sweetly Known by Kerosene.</p><h2 id="7efbceab-f52b-4196-aa44-b71cb55b8f24">Sweet, citrusy scents are replacing warm vanillas this summer</h2><p>It's time to put away warmer vanilla scents and opt for light, citrusy alternatives.</p><p>"Caramel and vanilla are usually welcome, but heavy gourmands can start to feel oppressive in the heat — a zingy citrus scent has a way of balancing the sugar," Hayes told BI.</p><p>The perfumer said Love and Crime by Ex Idolo is a good option for a sweet, citrus smell.</p><h2 id="19ae0c0e-c410-4a8f-a2c5-b089951a71b8">Salted caramel and pistachio make a warm and surprisingly beachy combo</h2><div type="image" title="pistachio cheesecake with caramel sauce and pistachios on top" height="1027" width="1369" msid="110977454" hostid="261" sizebytes="155348"></div><p>If you want to smell toasty and beachy, Santiago recommended finding a body spray with notes of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/kitchen/how-to-make-caramel">salted caramel</a> and pistachio.</p><p>"I first discovered this salted-caramel-pistachio scent through hair oil and was so happy to see they offered it in a mist format," she told BI.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/beauty/sol-de-janeiro-review">Sol de Janeiro's</a> Brazilian Crush Cheirosa 62 fragrance mist is the perfumer's top lightweight pick.</p><h2 id="022d4652-889f-4c45-b868-62c2e4b7b67d">Instead of heavy leather scents, look for ones with notes of bergamot</h2><p>Leather scents are typically reserved for colder months, but if you find ones balanced with citrus, it could be perfect for summer.</p><p>"A leather note combined with some bright citruses like bergamot is an unexpected and unisex combination," Santiago said.</p><p>She recommended Memo Paris' Sicilian Leather perfume.</p>

8 of the best scents to wear this summer, according to professional perfumers

<p><em>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.</em></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://amzn.to/2om0sdu" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><p class="source"><span>Bellabeat/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><p><strong>Smart jewelry brings fashion and tech together in the perfect marriage of beauty and brains. </strong></p></li><li><p><strong>We've tested all the smart jewelry out there, and the <a href="http://amzn.to/2om0sdu" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bellabeat Leaf Urban</a> is the best piece of smart jewelry for most women.</strong></p></li></ul><p>Wearables don't have to be ugly or super masculine to be high tech and helpful. A number of small startups and a handful of big companies are finally making wearables for women. One of the most exciting new categories is smart jewelry. </p><p>Smart jewelry is turning the fitness tracker into a work of art. Some of these gorgeous pieces of jewelry use high-end materials like stainless steel, leather, and wood.</p><p>We've tested a lot of smart jewelry, and these are our favorite pieces. Every item in this buying guide offers special smart features, including fitness tracking, notifications, silent alarms, and even mindfulness reminders. Whether you want a smart necklace, bracelet, or watch, we've got you covered.</p><h2>Here are our picks for the best smart jewelry:</h2><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Best smart jewelry overall: <a href="http://amzn.to/2om0sdu" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bellabeat's Leaf Urban</a> </strong></li><li><strong>Best hybrid watch: <a href="http://amzn.to/2FCuotX" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fossil Q Neely hybrid watch</a></strong></li><li><strong>Best smart necklace: <a href="https://amzn.to/2P53izJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bellabeat Leaf Chakra</a></strong></li><li><strong>Best smart ring: <a href="https://track.flexlinkspro.com/a.ashx?foid=1067927.138293329&amp;foc=2&amp;fot=9999&amp;fos=1&amp;fobs=biipgf121217bestfitnesstrackers&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fmymotiv.com%2Fbuy%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Motiv Smart Ring</a></strong></li><li><strong>Best fitness tracker: <a href="http://amzn.to/2nnYubn" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Misfit Ray fitness tracker</a></strong></li></ul><p><em>Updated on 11/27/2018 by Malarie Gokey: Added the Leaf Chakra and Motiv smart ring. Updated prices and formatting.</em></p><h3>Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.</h3><p class="tagline">Find the best holiday deals on our <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-friday-deals-2018">Black Friday Deals</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cyber-monday-deals-2018">Cyber Monday Deals</a> page. <a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a><br>Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.<br>Find all the best offers at our <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/">Coupons page</a>.</br></br></p>

The best pieces of smart jewelry you can buy

<p>While on a recent trip to the northwest corner of Connecticut, we flew a drone to capture an aerial view of the<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-fall-foliage-viewing-2017-8"> fall foliage</a> that's starting to peak in the region. <br /><br />Due to warmer temperatures, the leaves are changing colors a little <a href="https://www.popsci.com/autumn-late-climate-change">behind schedule</a> this year, which means you still have time to <keyword id="6354692" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> to the region for peak "<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2017/09/14/six-prettiest-new-england-towns-for-leaf-peeping/KCpX5nOB7lkYwrFttOWScI/story.html">leaf peeping</a>" season.<br /><br />This footage was filmed in the towns of Sharon and Lakeville, Connecticut.</p><p class="tagline"><div id="categorypromo"><p><h2><span>Read more:</span></h2><ul><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/top-internet-of-things-companies-to-watch-invest-2016-8">Top IoT Companies to Watch &amp; Invest In</a></li><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/internet-of-things-conferences-2016-8">Best IoT Conferences &amp; Expos</a></li><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wearable-technology-iot-devices-2016-8">IoT Wearable Devices &amp; Technology</a></li><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/internet-of-things-security-privacy-2016-8">How the IoT Will Affect Security &amp; Privacy</a></li><li><a href="http://read.bi/iotultimate">Ultimate IoT Research Bundle</a></li></ul></p></div></p>

We flew a drone over the changing fall leaves in New England - and the footage is spectacular

This tattoo is temporary, yet has changed people’s impression of wearable tech. Meet DuoSkin, an innovation from MIT's Media Lab and <keyword id="10387" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Microsoft">Microsoft</keyword> Research. The metallic tattoos, propelled by trendy body art, let wearers utilize their skin as an interface for smartphones and computers. The product isn't yet available to purchase. At this stage, it's the subject of a paper that will be exhibited at an up and coming wearables conference.<br />
<br /> The framework is intended to be genuinely reasonable and simple to set up for pretty much anybody. It utilizes gold leaf, the same thing you'll infrequently discover carefully chipped on swanky pastries, for fundamental conductivity; however it generally utilizes ordinary creating materials like a vinyl cutter and temporary tattoo printing paper. You can use any desktop graphics software and afterward bolster that configuration through the vinyl cutter, layer the gold leaf on top and apply it as you would a standard temporary tattoo. Little, surface mount electronic parts including <keyword id="6409450" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="NFC">NFC</keyword> chips finish the availability picture.<br />
<br />
Researchers concocted three distinctive ways in which the DuoSkin tattoos could be utilized, including as input devices that can transform your skin into a trackpad, or a capacitive virtual control handle for conforming volume on your associated gadget, for instance. The tattoos can likewise display output, changing colours based on your body temperature like a Hypercolor T-shirt. Also they can contain information to be perused by different gadgets, by means of NFC remote correspondence.<br />
<br />

<p>
	<a href="https://vimeo.com/178334883">DuoSkin:Functional, stylish on-skin user interfaces</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/mitmedialab">MIT Media Lab</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
The DuoSkin tattoos can sense touch to control a music application on a smartphone, change colour based on body temperature, or transmit information to different gadgets. DuoSkin is a dazzling–and glam–a gentle reminder of technology advancement.

Temporary Tattoos
that can control your smartphone<b></b>

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Apple's new $5 billion campus is almost completed, as depicted in a new drone video by photographer Matthew Roberts <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh_9_1FX0Yk&amp;feature=youtu.be">released on Tuesday</a>.<p>There is only one crane left working on the building. And Apple's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/we-now-know-why-theres-a-giant-dirt-pyramid-on-apples-new-campus-2016-2">legendary</a> mountain of dirt has been drastically reduced, with the earth being spread around the campus for landscaping.</p><p>Apple CEO Tim Cook told employees earlier this year that Apple planned to move the first groups into the new "Spaceship" campus in January 2017.</p><p>But the City of Cupertino, where the building will be located, announced last month that the project's completion date had been pushed back to the second quarter of 2017.</p><p>And Cupertino's engineering inspector, 4Leaf, told the city in September that it believed the project was behind schedule and prepared its own budget through June 2017, according to a document seen by Business Insider.&#xa0;</p><p>"Although we haven't been formally notified, we understand that the AC2 project is behind its anticipated 31-month construction schedule," 4Leaf wrote.&#xa0;</p><p>But whether the official move-in date gets pushed back a month or two won't matter to this campus in the long run, which is an excellent symbol of Apple's massive success over the past decade.</p><p>Check out the video below:</p><p><div></div></p><p>Here's what the building will look like when it's finished:</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div> <p class="tagline"></p><div id="categorypromo"><p></p><h2><span>Read more:</span></h2><ul><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/top-internet-of-things-companies-to-watch-invest-2016-8">Top IoT Companies to Watch &amp; Invest In</a></li><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/internet-of-things-conferences-2016-8">Best IoT Conferences &amp; Expos</a></li><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wearable-technology-iot-devices-2016-8">IoT Wearable Devices &amp; Technology</a></li><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/internet-of-things-security-privacy-2016-8">How the IoT Will Affect Security &amp; Privacy</a></li><li><a href="http://read.bi/iotultimate">Ultimate IoT Research Bundle</a></li></ul></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tiny-buttons-rivets-jeans-2016-11">What those tiny rivets on your jeans are for</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="FvajVuNzE6FeZYPfzdXhwUaIoFl9wkLj" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Apple's massive pyramid of dirt has disappeared

<p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Richard Vogel</span></p><p class="caption">A customer smokes a joint while having a salad at Lowell's Original Cannabis Cafe in Los Angeles.</p><p><strong><em>Welcome to Cultivated, our weekly newsletter where we're bringing you an inside look at the deals, trends, and personalities driving the multibillion-dollar global cannabis boom. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/cultivated">Sign up here to get it in your inbox every week</a>. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/prime-discount?r=birefer-jberke">If you want a discount to BI Prime to read my stories, sign up here!</a></em></strong></p><p>Happy Friday,</p><p>Welcome to another edition of Cultivated! We're back after a week off for (American) Thanksgiving. </p><p>Across the industry, the story's the same: public cannabis companies are getting hammered, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cannabis-investing-slump-stocks-fall-layoffs-fewer-deals-2019-11">deals are stuck in the mud</a>, but more people all over the world are buying cannabis legally every day.</p><p>To that end, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/legal-marijuana-states-2018-1">Michigan made the first legal marijuana sales in the Midwest on Sunday</a>. Illinois will follow shortly after on January 1. And countries as far-flung as New Zealand are weighing legalization bills. </p><p>In other news, I'll be at MJBizCon in Las Vegas next week. My schedule will obviously be pretty crazy but please get in touch if you'll be there and want to talk.</p><p>Last, we're continuing to report on the wave of layoffs in cannabis. If you have a tip, please send me an email. We can talk about moving our conversation to Signal, an encrypted chat app, or even going on background or off-the-record.</p><p><em>-Jeremy </em></p><p><strong><em>Here's what we wrote about this week:</em></strong></p><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ayr-strategies-ceo-john-sandelman-discusses-pot-shop-strategy-2019-12">The CEO of the top-selling cannabis shops revealed how a strategy he shares with Starbucks is crucial to his success</a></h3><p>Despite maintaining a low profile, the New York City-based <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/latest-cannabis-business-news-2019-6">cannabis</a> company Ayr Strategies can boast about at least one superlative: Its dispensaries make more money than the competition, according to a report from the industry data provider BDS Analytics.</p><p>We talked to the company's CEO, the Wall Street veteran John Sandelman, to figure out why.</p><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/traders-piling-into-bets-against-aurora-tilray-hexo-canopy-growth-2019-11">Wall Street stock traders are piling into bets against cannabis stocks, even as shares have plummeted</a></h3><p>Traders are still bearish on cannabis stocks after <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cannabis-investing-slump-stocks-fall-layoffs-fewer-deals-2019-11">months of turmoil in the industry</a>. A report from the financial analytics firm S3 Partners showed that investors were increasing their bets that the stocks would fall, a practice known as short selling.</p><p>Shorts have added a net $1.4 billion of short positions in cannabis companies this year, according to S3 data through November 20.</p><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/legal-marijuana-states-2018-1">You can now officially purchase legal marijuana in Michigan. Here are all the states where marijuana is legal.</a></h3><p>Michigan residents can now purchase marijuana legally. Marijuana dispensaries opened for business in the state on December 1, marking the first day of legal recreational marijuana sales in the Midwest.</p><p>Illinois will soon follow. Governor JB Pritzker signed a legal marijuana bill into law in June, and recreational sales will start January 1. </p><h2>Capital raises, M&amp;A activity, partnerships, and launches</h2><ul><li>Canopy Growth <a href="https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/canopy-growth-outlines-cannabis-2-0-portfolio-849267468.html">unveiled its full lineup</a> of "Cannabis 2.0" products, including vape pens, CBD and THC-infused beverages, and chocolates. The company said it will stagger the rollout of products to "ensure a smoother rollout" and they'll start hitting shelves in Canadian dispensaries in January 2020. </li><li>Cannabis infusion tech startup Vertosa <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191204005574/en/Vertosa-Raises-6-Million-Series-Seed-Funding">closed a $6 million seed funding round</a>, co-led by California-based AFI Capital Partners and New York City-based Welcan Capital. </li><li>Chicago-based cannabis startup Leaf Trade <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191203005390/en">raised a $4.5 million seed round</a> led by Hyde Park Angels and Duke Software Investments.</li><li>GrowGeneration Corp., a chain of specialty retail hydroponic centers, <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/growgeneration-corp-approved-to-begin-trading-on-nasdaq-stock-exchange-300964686.html">began trading</a> on the NASDAQ on Monday. </li><li>Kevin Durant's Thirty Five Ventures is <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kevin-durants-thirty-five-ventures-joins-canopy-rivers-strategic-advisory-board-300964915.html">joining the board</a> of Toronto-based cannabis investment firm Canopy Rivers. </li><li>Rapper Lil' Wayne is joining his former protegee Drake in hawking cannabis products. Weezy rolled out his brand, <a href="https://www.gkua.com/">GKUA Ultra Premium</a>, in which the high-THC products are tasted and approved by "Lil' Wayne himself."</li></ul><h2>Executive moves</h2><ul><li>Former Canndescent CFO Tom DiGiovanni is joining Harborside as the company's new CFO. Former Harborside CFO Keith Li is staying on as VP of Finance.</li><li>Holly Hamman is joining cannabis payroll startup Wurk as the company's CMO. She joins Wurk from Automox, a cybersecurity company.</li><li>Katy Dickson, a former Mattel and General Mills exec, is taking over as president of Manitoba Harvest, which was acquired by Tilray earlier this year. </li><li>Bhang's interim president, Jamie Pearson, is taking over as CEO.</li><li>Alex Shah is joining Akerna as the company's CTO. </li><li>Former Beboe CMO Kiana Anvaripour is joining Sweet Flower as the company's new CMO.</li></ul><h2>Chart of the week</h2><p>Despite the tumult in the public markets, cannabis legalization is spreading around the US. Michigan started recreational cannabis sales on December 1, and Illinois is set to start January 1: </p><p class="source"><span>Shayanne Gal/Business Insider</span></p><h2>What I'm reading</h2><p id="link-591ac78f"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/03/business/hemp-producers-banks.html">Hemp industry is cleared to do business with banks</a> (New York Times)</p><p><a href="https://slate.com/human-interest/2019/11/cbd-coffee-shampoo-lotion-tincture-everything-all-of-it.html">I was a CBD guinea pig</a> (Slate)</p><p><a href="https://cannabiswire.com/2019/12/03/cannabis-in-the-caribbean-part-i-change-is-coming/">Cannabis in the Caribbean Part 1: Change is coming</a> (Cannabis Wire)</p><p><a href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/deals-dry-up-with-pot-stocks-limping-into-year-end-1.1355846">Deals dry up with pot stocks limping into year end</a> (Bloomberg) </p><p><a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-04/cannabis-industry-marijuana-4thmvmt-licenses-los-angeles">He went from buffalo wings to cannabis and became the talk of L.A.'s marijuana industry</a> (Los Angeles Times)</p><p><em>Did I miss anything? Have a tip? Just want to chat? Send me a note at jberke@businessinsider.com or find me on twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jfberke?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">@jfberke</a>. </em></p><p class="tagline"><a href="/intelligence/digital-health?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_subscription&amp;itm_content=health&amp;itm_campaign=digital-health"></a></p><p>Featured Digital Health Articles:<br />- <a href="/telehealth-industry-explained">Telehealth Industry: Benefits, Services &amp; Examples</a><br />- <a href="/value-based-care-pay-for-performance-healthcare-model">Value-Based Care Model: Pay-for-Performance Healthcare</a><br />- <a href="/senior-care-market-trends">Senior Care &amp; Assisted Living Market Trends</a><br />- <a href="/wearable-technology-healthcare-medical-devices">Smart Medical Devices: Wearable Tech in Healthcare</a><br />- <a href="/artificial-intelligence-healthcare">AI in Healthcare</a><br />- <a href="/remote-patient-monitoring-industry-explained">Remote Patient Monitoring Industry: Devices &amp; Market Trends</a></p>            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-warren-buffett-billionaires-donate-money-2017-10">On Giving Tuesday, see how Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are changing the world like no other humans in history</a></h3>

CULTIVATED: Traders are piling into bets against cannabis stocks, and the CEO of a lucrative dispensary chain dishes on what he owes to Starbucks

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=startups&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Startups</a> that are already reeling under cash crunch are unhappy with the proposed 6 per cent equalisation levy on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=online+advertisements&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">online advertisements</a>.<br />
<br />
A committee set up on taxation of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=ecommerce&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">ecommerce</a> had proposed that services such as online advertising, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=cloud+computing&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">cloud computing</a>, software downloads, web hosting, etc will have an equalisation levy of 6-8% of gross payment if the provider of the service is a foreign entity and does not have a permanent establishment in India.<br />
<br />
Through the equalisation levy, the Indian government wants foreign internet companies like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=google&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Google</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=facebook&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Facebook</a> to pay taxes in India.<br />
<br />
However, this proposal has not gone down well for cash strapped startups, who say the levy will put a dent on their budget.<br />
<br />
"The levy puts us in a precarious position because all these companies-Google and Facebook- which are the most popular advertising platforms for us, are going to make us pay more at the end of the day," Manik Mehta, cofounder Leaf Wearables, told ET.<br />
<br />
Also, if the proposal gets a nod, making payments for the levy will become cumbersome.<br />
<br />
"Typically, for an SMB client, the media spend is between Rs 50 lakh-Rs 1 crore a month. The taxes are over and above this cost- service tax is 14.5% and 10-15% is the agency's commission. Collecting this money is also painful sometimes, and now if a further 6% is added, small businesses that we deal will might decide to change the structure of their digital spends altogether, and we could end up losing business," Sarita Singh, founder of Gurgaon-based Corpus Digital, told ET. <br />
<br />
(Image: Reuters)<br />

Cash starved startups feel gloomy over proposed ‘equalisation levy’ on online ads

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Blair Gable</span></p><p class="caption">Chemdawg marijuana plants grow at a facility in Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada October 29, 2019.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><strong><em>Welcome to Cultivated, our weekly newsletter where we're bringing you an inside look at the deals, trends, and personalities driving the multibillion-dollar global cannabis boom. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/cultivated">Sign up here to get it in your inbox every week</a>.</em></strong></p><p>Happy Friday everyone,</p><p>My week was sadly dominated by the influx of tips I had coming in around <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canndescent-laid-off-16-people-before-closing-series-c-2019-11">layoffs in the cannabis industry</a>. These stories are never easy to cover - you have to remember there are real people on the other end of the line, who depend on these jobs to support themselves and their families. </p><p>There is clearly a consequence to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cannabis-investing-slump-stocks-fall-layoffs-fewer-deals-2019-11">the "green rush" mentality</a> that gripped investors and entrepreneurs in the cannabis space. We're <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pax-eaze-weedmaps-hexo-canntrust-layoffs-job-cuts-in-cannabis-2019-10">telling that story as best we can</a> - and if you have a tip, please get in touch. We can talk about source anonymity, it's something we take very seriously.</p><p>And with that, let's get to it:</p><p>On the policy front, all eyes were on a certain committee hearing on Capitol Hill. Not impeachment - though yes, I imagine just a few people watched that - but a separate hearing the House Judiciary Committee held on Wednesday regarding the MORE Act, a far-reaching cannabis legalization bill.</p><p>The bill, which would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, effectively legalizing the drug, is the most comprehensive cannabis bill ever debated in Congress. While it passed the committee 24-10, its prospects in the Republican-controlled Senate are dim at best.</p><p>Some industry experts say the hearing was held as a way to shore up support for more limited cannabis legislation, including the SAFE Banking Act and the STATES Act, which would protect banks that want to work with cannabis companies and states that want to create recreational cannabis markets respectively.</p><p>My colleagues at Markets Insider <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/pot-stocks-gain-second-day-following-key-marijuana-legalization-vote-2019-11-1028709673">have the breakdown on what the hearing meant for cannabis stocks</a>, which gained on the news. </p><p>And last, a slew of US cannabis companies including <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/11/20/1950373/0/en/Green-Thumb-Industries-GTI-Reports-Increased-Third-Quarter-Revenue-of-68-Million-and-Adjusted-Operating-EBITDA-of-14-1-Million.html">Green Thumb Industries</a> and <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/curaleaf-reports-third-quarter-2019-financial-and-operational-results-300961273.html">Curaleaf</a>, or MSOs in industry parlance, reported earnings this week. They were <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/weed-stocks-slipped-this-week-after-round-of-disappointing-earnings-2019-11-1028693999">much more positive</a> than the big Canadian companies that reported last week.</p><p>I also wanted to shoutout a fun video my colleague Joe Avella in BI's LA office put together, visiting Lowell Farms, the world's first cannabis cafe. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-r3bfU48L0&amp;t=1s">Joe really, really enjoyed that cheeseburger</a>. </p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/prime-discount?r=birefer-jberke">If you want a discount to BI Prime to read my stories, sign up here!</a></p><p><em>-Jeremy </em></p><p><strong><em>Here's what we wrote about this week:</em></strong></p><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canndescent-laid-off-16-people-before-closing-series-c-2019-11">We got the internal memo that reveals why hot California cannabis startup Canndescent quietly laid off 16 workers just days before closing a big funding round</a></h3><p>More layoffs are hitting the cannabis industry. The California cannabis company <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canndescent-275-million-series-c-pitch-deck-california-cannabis-2019-9">Canndescent</a> laid off 16 employees on September 5, according to a memo obtained by Business Insider.</p><p>"We are now well into the year and believe it's important to make immediate changes to our operating plan in order to drive growth and control costs," the company's chief people officer, Kerry Arnold, wrote in the memo. You can <strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canndescent-laid-off-16-people-before-closing-series-c-2019-11">read the full memo here</a></strong>.</p><p>The company closed a $27.5 million funding round five days later that valued the company at over $200 million, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canndescent-275-million-series-c-pitch-deck-california-cannabis-2019-9">Business Insider reported at the time</a>.</p><section><section><section><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kpmg-pulled-in-9-million-from-canadian-cannabis-companies-2019-11">Accountants are making millions from the Canadian cannabis industry, and KPMG is leading the pack. Here's how much each of the top firms is raking in.</a></h3><p>The largest accounting firms are making millions off the Canadian <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/latest-cannabis-business-news-2019-6">cannabis industry</a>.</p><p>While accounting firms are often seen as staid, conservative institutions, they're finding the burgeoning industry to be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/accountants-are-getting-into-marijuana-but-there-are-challenges-2018-12">a rapidly growing source of profit</a>. KPMG is leading the pack, pulling in $9.3 million in fees from publicly traded Canadian cannabis cultivators, according to data provided to Business Insider.</p><p>The complexities around the cannabis space - namely, rapidly changing laws, volatile stock prices, and the difficulties in valuing a plant that until recently has never been grown legally - mean that it's a lucrative business for auditors, <a href="https://brocku.ca/goodman/faculty-research/faculty-directory/michael-armstrong/">Michael J. Armstrong</a>, an associate professor at Brock University's Goodman School of Business and an expert on the Canadian cannabis industry, told Business Insider in an interview.</p><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pax-eaze-weedmaps-hexo-canntrust-layoffs-job-cuts-in-cannabis-2019-10">Cannabis companies have slashed over 1,000 jobs in recent weeks as the industry contends with a 'toxic' landscape. We're keeping track of all the cuts here.</a></h3><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/latest-cannabis-business-news-2019-6">Cannabis companies</a> have been hit with a wave of layoffs in recent weeks, amounting to over 1,000 jobs across both startups and public companies.</p><p>The layoffs come <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-medmen-pharmacann-blowup-is-a-disaster-for-cannabis-ma-2019-10">amid a broader downturn in the sector</a>. One index of marijuana stocks lost over 50% of its value since its high in January 2018.</p><p>We're continuing to keep track of those cuts here. </p></section></section></section><h2>Capital raises, M&amp;A activity, partnerships, and launches</h2><ul><li>US cannabis company Acreage Holdings announced an agreement to acquire the Compassionate Care Foundation, a New Jersey nonprofit cannabis corporation.</li><li>The CBD Capital Group <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/11/21/1950834/0/en/CBDCapitalGroup-Announces-Acquisition-of-Hawaiian-CBD-Company-Mana-Artisan-Botanics-as-Second-Portfolio-Company.html">acquired its second portfolio company</a>, Mana Artisan Botanics. </li><li>Hemp and CBD company Freedom Leaf <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/freedom-leaf-announces-closing-5-133000607.html">closed a $5 million convertible note</a> led by an affiliate of Merida Capital. </li><li>CBD company HeavenlyRx announced an agreement to execute a reverse takeover Therapix Biosciences, a NASDAQ-listed pharma company. The combined company will be named HeavenlyRx and trade on the NASDAQ, and will be led by Paul Norman, the former CEO of The Kellogg Co. </li><li>Terrace Global, a cannabis company launched late last year, commenced trading on the TSX Venture Exchange on Monday.</li><li>And another psychedelic deal: Graph Blockchain Inc has <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/11/20/1949895/0/en/Graph-Blockchain-Enters-Psychedelics-Market-With-LOI-to-Acquire-Shroom-Street.html">signed a letter of intent</a> to acquire Shroom Street Limited for $1 million (CAD). Shroom Street is a "psychedelic" e-commerce and media company. </li></ul><h2>Executive moves</h2><ul><li>MJardin Group, based in Denver and Toronto, <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/11/20/1950050/0/en/MJardin-Group-Inc-Appoints-Patrick-Witcher-as-Chief-Executive-Officer.html">names Patrick Witcher as CEO</a>. Witcher was previously COO.</li><li>Vape company <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/11/21/1951047/0/en/Gofire-Names-Joe-Hodas-Chief-Executive-Officer-Peter-Calfee-To-Retain-Chairman-of-the-Board-Role.html">GoFire names Joe Hodas as CEO</a>. He'll take over from Peter Calfee, the company's co-founder. Calfee will remain on as chairman of the board.</li><li>Aurora Cannabis <a href="https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/aurora-cannabis-strengthens-leadership-team-adding-chief-product-officer-and-chief-integration-officer-875669897.html">has promoted</a> Dr. Shane Morris, formerly an SVP of product development to chief product officer, and André Jérôme, formerly SVP of business integrations, has been promoted to chief integration officer.</li><li>TerrAscend Corp <a href="https://www.canopyrivers.com/news/canopy-rivers-news/rivers-rundown-canopy-rivers-portfolio-companies-expand-operations-leadership?mc_cid=1bac7e48bc&amp;mc_eid=15f9dc8ef2">appointe</a>d Jason Ackerman to its board of directors as executive chairman, where he will oversee the company's New York office. Ackerman previously founded and served as CEO of FreshDirect. </li><li>Treehouse Global Ventures, a women-led cannabis investment firm, names Jessica Billingsley, the CEO of Akerna and Michelle Bodner, the COO of Curaleaf to its advisory board. </li></ul><h2>Stories from around the web</h2><header><ul><li><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/21/joe-biden-marijuana-072441">Biden's wariness on marijuana puts another target on his back</a> (Politico)</li><li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/11/celebrities-legal-weed/602233/">America's best drug dealers are A-List celebrities</a> (The Atlantic)</li><li><a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/all-the-excuses-cannabis-companies-are-making-for-an-ugly-crop-of-earnings-2019-11-17">All the excuses cannabis companies are making for an ugly crop of earnings</a> (MarketWatch)</li><li><a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/marijuana/2019/11/20/one-year-into-recreational-marijuana-sales-mass-some-hiccups-and-challenges-remain/0xI8f9ve5Ke1ZI5PHk5a1I/story.html">It's been a year since Mass. started selling recreational marijuana. Some frustrations remain.</a> (Boston Globe)</li><li><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6182678/canada-legal-cannabis-industry-lack-of-stores/">What ails Canada's legal cannabis industry? Lack of stores, mostly</a> (Global News)</li><li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/11/20/yes-marijuana-has-gateway-effect-so-do-most-addictive-substances/">Yes, marijuana has a gateway effect. But so do most addictive substances.</a> (The Washington Post)</li></ul></header><p><em>Did I miss anything? Have a tip? Just want to chat? Send me a note at jberke@businessinsider.com or find me on twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jfberke?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">@jfberke</a>.   </em></p><p class="tagline"><a href="/intelligence/digital-health?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_subscription&amp;itm_content=health&amp;itm_campaign=digital-health"></a><p>Featured Digital Health Articles:<br />- <a href="/telehealth-industry-explained">Telehealth Industry: Benefits, Services &amp; Examples</a><br />- <a href="/value-based-care-pay-for-performance-healthcare-model">Value-Based Care Model: Pay-for-Performance Healthcare</a><br />- <a href="/senior-care-market-trends">Senior Care &amp; Assisted Living Market Trends</a><br />- <a href="/wearable-technology-healthcare-medical-devices">Smart Medical Devices: Wearable Tech in Healthcare</a><br />- <a href="/artificial-intelligence-healthcare">AI in Healthcare</a><br />- <a href="/remote-patient-monitoring-industry-explained">Remote Patient Monitoring Industry: Devices &amp; Market Trends</a></p></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-venice-floods-every-year-2018-12">Venice is currently experiencing the worst floods it has seen in 50 years. Here's why the Italian city floods every year.</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

CULTIVATED: Layoffs hit Canndescent, KPMG rakes in millions from cannabis companies, and more.

<p class="p1"></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p class="p1">New York-based startup <a href="https://ringly.com/">Ringly</a> creates ring wearables that connect to your smartphone. The idea - that they are both fashion-forward and practical - was good enough to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ringly-raises-51-million-2015-1">raise $5.1 million in funding</a>&#xa0;earlier&#xa0;this year.</p><p class="p1">But after trying Ringly, I'm not convinced I'd buy one on my own.</p><p class="p1">Ringly uses Bluetooth to connect to your phone and will both light up and vibrate when you receive a notification. You can customize what colors and vibrations you want to alert you for different apps and even specific people.</p><p class="p1">The cost isn't cheap, running customers between $195 and $260.</p><p class="p1">So far, Ringly connects with a surprising number of other apps, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Uber, Tinder, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and more - so far, 18 in total.</p><p class="p1"></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p class="p1">Wearables designed for women are a popular idea in the startup world. Apart from Ringly, there's <a href="https://www.bellabeat.com/">Leaf</a>, which helps women track their reproductive cycles, the <a href="http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/wearables/mica-smart-bracelet.html">MICA smart bracelet</a>, fitness tracker <a href="http://misfit.com/products/shine?locale=en">Misfit Shine</a>, and all the jewelry from <a href="https://cuff.io/collections/all">CUFF</a>.</p><p class="p3"><span class="s1">"</span><span class="s2">Tech companies like Intel or Google believe they need designers to help them make wearables that will appeal to women," Molly Wood wrote in the New York Times story&#xa0;<a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/24/wearable-devices-for-women-still-pretty-and-still-dumb/?_r=0">Wearable Devices for Women: Still Pretty and Still Dumb</a>. "Maybe they do, but not if the tech suffers as a result."</span></p><p class="p5"></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p class="p6"><span class="s2">When Ringly was first announced in 2013, there was a lot of hype surrounding&#xa0;it. </span></p><p class="p6"><span class="s2">"T<span>he latest in wearable tech doesn't look much like tech at all," <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ringly-wearable-tech-2014-6">Business Insider wrote</a>. <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/ringly-unveils-wearable-tech-worth-wearing-women-watch-how-it-works-video-1598584">International Business Times&#xa0;said</a>&#xa0;that Ringly was "wearable tech worth wearing" while <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3023021/internet-of-things/designing-the-next-generation-of-wearables-with-women-in-mind">Fast Company said</a> Ringly products "<span>would appeal to wearers even if they didn't </span><em>do</em><span> anything."</span></span></span></p><p class="p6"><span class="s2">"We were going for something that was simple, classic, something that a lot of women could get behind," <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ringly-raises-51-million-2015-1">Ringly cofounder Christina Mercando told Business Insider</a> earlier this year about the wearable's aesthetic. "It's so small and discreet that people wouldn't know the technology is there."</span></p><p class="p8">With this emphasis on design, I was excited to see Ringly in person. The first collection of four rings plus&#xa0;one limited edition design are said to be made with&#xa0;18-karat matte gold, 3-micron plated setting, and precious and semi-precious stones. It sounded fancy.</p><p class="p8"></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p class="p8">But the ring did not look quite as upscale as I was expecting. One coworker compared it to a toy that you might find in a gumball machine for 50 cents.</p><p class="p8">Though I wouldn't be quite as harsh, the ring was bulky, taking up nearly one quarter of my finger and rising an estimated 3/4 inch&#xa0;off my hand. Because the yellow gold was matte, the effect made it look more like plastic than 18-karat gold. The real emerald of my "Into the Woods" ring was also cloudy and cheap-looking.</p><p class="p8"></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p class="p8">I synced my phone with Ringly and started assigning colors and different vibrations for my apps. To start, I chose phone calls, text message, emails, Instagram, and calendar events as my notifications. I also set up my roommate and my mom as contacts who would flash a different color so I knew they were trying to get ahold of me.</p><p class="p8"></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p class="p8">When I started receiving notifications, I thought it would be hard to remember what colors and vibrations matched with my notifications and/or contacts. To my surprise, I got the hang of it pretty easily. After the first day I knew what every notification meant. Though my email didn't seem to sync with the app, my phone calls, Instagram notifications, and text messages were all being picked up by Ringly.</p><p class="p8"><div></div></p><p class="embed-spacer">But there were far more negatives than positives with this wearable. For one thing, the light only comes out of a little hole on one side of ring - not through the stone like some of my friends originally thought - so you need to be mindful to face the small hole toward you to see the flashing. It's a moderate&#xa0;inconvenience, but something I found rather annoying.</p><p class="p8">The biggest negative for me was that my Ringly notifications did not go through as fast as they did on my phone or laptop. I often knew I had received a text or phone call by as much as half a minute before Ringly would even buzz.</p><p class="p8"></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p class="p7">Because I knew I might be the exception for having my devices around me at all times, I tried to see if Ringly would be helpful when it would be considered rude to have your phone out. That was, after all, the inspiration for cofounder Mecando. She became frustrated by the calls and texts she missed by leaving her phone in her purse in social settings.<span class="s4">&#xa0;</span></p><p class="p8">So I went to dinner with a friend to see if Ringly would help me know who was trying to reach me without having to check my phone constantly. I ended up getting a few texts throughout dinner, but the flashing and buzzing of my ring distracted both me and my dinner partner almost as much as having my phone on the table would have.</p><p class="p8">And though I had set up a few contacts to flash so I would know who was calling or texting, the majority of my notifications&#xa0;were from people I didn't know. The curiosity of having a new text or call&#xa0;without knowing who it was ended up being way too enticing to pass up.</p><p class="p8">With wearables like the <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/apple-watch-first-impressions-2015-5">Apple Watch</a>,&#xa0;you can see who is trying to contact you, so there's less pressure to respond immediately. But with Ringly, it's the opposite - it made me too intrigued&#xa0;to stay away from my phone for very long.</p><p class="p8"></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p class="p8">Ultimately, I would rather have an Apple Watch, with prices starting around&#xa0;$350, than pay $260 or even $195 for the Ringly. The Apple Watch has more functionality and apps, and lets me see who's trying to contact me, whereas Ringly just lets me know that someone is trying to contact me, period.</p><p class="p8">That doesn't necessarily mean that Ringly couldn't evolve into a better wearable. If the ring was a little smaller and the materials were a little better looking, I could see the appeal of having something tell you when you had a meeting or your phone was ringing across the room.</p><p class="p8">A spokesperson for the company told us that&#xa0;it took her a month to get used to Ringly; I only wore it for a week. Also, she said that the wearable was most&#xa0;helpful for people who had to be reachable 24/7 like working moms or freelance workers who don't ever want to miss a call.&#xa0;</p><p class="p8">Maybe if there was one specific person - a nanny, child, or parent - whose calls I&#xa0;absolutely had&#xa0;to take throughout the day, I'd&#xa0;view&#xa0;Ringly as much more vital. But for my current lifestyle, I don't get enough important notifications during the day to justify the price tag.</p><p class="p8">At this point, I'd rather leave my phone in my purse and ignore it than feel an&#xa0;urge to check it after&#xa0;every single Ringly notification.</p>

I tried the high-tech ring that lights up when you get a text, but it didn't live up to the hype

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://pixabay.com/en/sleep-bed-feet-toes-dream-1672943/">Wokandapix / Pixabay</a></span></p><p class="caption">We could all benefit from a little more sleep.</p></div><p></p></div></div>If there's one thing we're all guilty of, it's that we don't get enough sleep. The importance of shut-eye is becoming an increasingly popular trend in sports, though, with top athletes like Usain Bolt declaring he gets upwards of 10 hours every night and <a href="http://www.fatiguescience.com/blog/infographic-why-athletes-should-make-sleep-a-priority-in-their-daily-training" target="_blank">Roger Federer famously managing to sleep for 11 or 12</a>.</p><p>If you're an athlete, sleep is especially important. Rigorous exercise takes a toll on the body and nervous system, and studies suggest <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rachel_Venter/publication/230582637_Role_of_sleep_in_performance_and_recovery_of_ethletes_a_review_article/links/00b49519f10fdc7361000000.pdf" target="_blank">sleeping is key to the healing and recovery process</a>.</p><p>Some athletes refer to something called sleep hygiene, a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/arianna-huffington-how-to-sleep-well">set of behaviours designed to gradually prepare the body for sleep</a>. Sleep hygiene may include <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/can-iphone-night-shift-help-you-sleep-2016-3">things like limiting screen time at night</a> and cutting back on how many alcoholic beverages you drink close to bedtime.</p><h2>But it turns out that aside from making sure you're getting the right amount of sleep, there's another factor to consider: Your biological clock.</h2><p>Depending on whether you're an early bird or a night owl, you might have better athletic performance at a certain time of day.</p><p>Elise Facer-Childs is a doctoral researcher working at the University of Birmingham in the field of chronobiology, who studies what times of day people perform their best, depending on their sleep cycles and biological rhythms. Everything we do, she says, affects the time of day that we're at our optimum level.</p><p>"The main thing that we're interested in in terms of sleep patterns and body clocks is the different types of people that we have," Facer-Childs told Business Insider. "We like to generalise and say we all need 8 hours sleep, or you should go to bed then and wake up then, but actually we're all different. We've got different genetics, different lifestyles, different behaviours, and that's reflected in the body clock type."</p><p>In simple terms, <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/become-a-morning-person-2016-9" target="_blank">there are morning people and evening people</a>; those who get up first thing without needing an alarm, and those who struggle to get out of bed but stay up late into the evening to burn the midnight oil. And this can have an impact on how we perform athletically.</p><h2><span>Early birds performed best at midday, and night owls peaked at about 8 p.m.</span></h2><p>In previous literature, athletes have been grouped together to study the optimum time to perform. In these cases, research shows that peak performance tends to occur in the early evening, between 6 and 8 p.m.</p><p>However, Facer-Childs explained that her research group wanted to divide the athletes up into morning and evening people and test them separately and see if this result differed.</p><p><a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(14)01639-X?_returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS096098221401639X%3Fshowall%3Dtrue" target="_blank">They tested individuals at six times throughout the day</a>, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., by making them run to exhaustion. What they found was that early birds were performing best at about midday, and night owls peaked at about 8 p.m.</p><p>"We automatically see these differences in performance linked to their peak," Facer-Childs said. "But also the early birds weren't physically at their best as soon as they woke up at 6 o'clock in the morning - it still took them a bit of time to wake up."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady#/media/File:Tom_Brady9.jpg">Keith Allison / Wikimedia Commons</a></span></p><p class="caption">Tom Brady's bedtime is 9pm.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Many different factors can affect the quality of our sleep, but the biggest one is light exposure. Our brains are affected by light, which is what resets our biological clocks every day. That's why <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/can-iphone-night-shift-help-you-sleep-2016-3">looking at your phone late at night can hinder you in drifting off</a>.</p><p>In fact, all of our organs have their own clocks, and respond to different stimuli. The liver, for example, responds when we eat. So if you have a meal at 1 a.m., your liver thinks that you should be awake for a few more hours, whereas your brain knows it's dark outside and wants you to go to sleep. This imbalance can affect both physical and cognitive performance.</p><p>Caffeine and alcohol intake also have an effect. For example, drinking coffee to wake yourself up might feel like a quick fix, but ultimately if you drink too much, then you're going to be impacting your ability to sleep later on in the evening. If that happens, and you can't sleep until very late, then you may be more likely to repeat that behaviour the next day, and the next, and so on.</p><p>Sleep deprivation in general can also be dangerous. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1739867/pdf/v057p00649.pdf" target="_blank">One study from 2000</a> showed that if someone is kept awake longer than usual, at around 3 or 4 in the morning their cognitive performance is actually lower than it would be if they were <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/drinking-alcohol-before-bed-help-sleep-2016-9" target="_blank">over the alcohol limit to drive</a>.</p><p>"Someone driving at 5 in the morning or you know performing surgery, they might as well be drunk," Facer-Childs said. "Which is pretty crazy when you think of it that way."</p><h2>The biological clock vs. the social clock</h2><p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2650188-next-big-thing-sleep-science-is-becoming-the-nfls-secret-weapon" target="_blank">According to Bleacher Report</a>, at least a dozen NFL teams have recently explored some kind of sleep monitoring program, with the use of wearable devices like Fitbits and apps. They also report that many NFL veterans have strict sleep routines, including Tom Brady, who goes to bed at 9 p.m.</p><p>Unfortunately, sleep can be overlooked, especially when our biological clocks are competing with the social one. Ideally, Facer-Childs says, these clocks should be in time, but this rarely happens when we're so easily governed by the 9-5 schedule.</p><p>Maybe we should take a leaf out of Usain Bolt's book and try and get a few more hours a night. Nobody's expecting you to suddenly run 100 meters in less than 10 seconds, but you might be surprised at the benefits you feel.</p><p>"We tend to think of sleep as more of a luxury in our day and age with our 24 hour lifestyle, when it's probably the most important behavioural and physiological process that we go through," Facer-Childs said. "Actually understanding and having more awareness of this research area could help psychologically, not just physically, by understanding your athletes or your employees and knowing what fits them."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iter-international-thermonuclear-experimental-reactor-fusion-reactor-revolutionize-energy-2016-10">Countries around the world are pouring billions of dollars into France's revolutionary nuclear fusion reactor </a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="UzdXJtNjE68LzAO5pBreaw6EILRulu0S" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

You Searched For "Leaf Wearables" and got 12 results

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Buying Guides

You Searched For "Leaf Wearables" and got 12 results

This startup, which accompanied PM Modi to Silicon Valley, is making smart necklaces and a security app for a 'SAFER' India!

Anushree Singh

​ Made in India wearable technology platforms are beating Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi

BI India Bureau

8 of the best scents to wear this summer, according to professional perfumers

Amena Ahmed

The best pieces of smart jewelry you can buy

Malarie Gokey

We flew a drone over the changing fall leaves in New England - and the footage is spectacular

Graham Flanagan

Temporary Tattoos that can control your smartphone

Gaurav Sangwani

Apple's massive pyramid of dirt has disappeared

Kif Leswing

CULTIVATED: Traders are piling into bets against cannabis stocks, and the CEO of a lucrative dispensary chain dishes on what he owes to Starbucks

Jeremy Berke

Cash starved startups feel gloomy over proposed ‘equalisation levy’ on online ads

BI India Bureau

CULTIVATED: Layoffs hit Canndescent, KPMG rakes in millions from cannabis companies, and more.

Jeremy Berke

I tried the high-tech ring that lights up when you get a text, but it didn't live up to the hype

Megan Willett

Early birds and night owls are better at sport at different times of day

Lindsay Dodgson

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides

Made in India wearable technology platforms are beating Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi