Razer Nabu Beta Program announced for 500 hardcore Razer fans; beta testers can purchase a Razer Nabu at US$1.
LOS ANGELES (E3 2014) – Razer™, the world leader in entertainment devices and software, is now shipping limited units of the Nabu Developer Edition to developers who have qualified for the Nabu Developer Program.
In addition to the Nabu Developer Program, Razer has announced a new Nabu Beta Program which is open to dedicated Razer fans only.
The Razer Nabu is a “smart band” that combines the notification capabilities of a smartwatch with the sensors of an advanced fitness band. It is also designed as an open device, giving developers the opportunity to build integrations with existing and new mobile applications. The Nabu was first announced in January at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2014 in Las Vegas, where it was voted the Best of CES “People’s Choice” winner.
Developer Program:
The Nabu Developer Program puts the power of the Nabu and its open Software Development Kit (SDK) in the hands of developers. The SDK is completely free and open to use via a newly launched portal at http://developer.razerzone.com/nabu This SDK will only work in conjunction with a Nabu device.
Interested applicants can sign-up now to qualify as a Nabu developer on the Developer Portal, which guarantees them the opportunity to purchase a Nabu Developer Edition, shipping now at US$49.99 each.
The Nabu Developer Program already has over 30,000 developers signed-up to date.
Beta Program:
The Nabu Beta Program is a one-off event giving hardcore Razer fans the chance to stress test and provide final feedback to the Razer Nabu. 500 beta testers will be selected from a pool of applicants, and provided with a code to purchase a Nabu Beta unit for just $1USD.
Selected Nabu Beta testers will be required to provide hardware and software feedback directly to Razer’s engineering team.
Interested applicants can enroll in the Nabu Beta Program at www.razerzone.com/nabu Nabu Beta Editions will be shipping on July 10th.
“We’ve had an array of Nabu Alpha units out to early testers and partners for the past few months, collected extensive feedback, and we’ve finally nailed-down the design of the Nabu Beta,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director. “We’d like to open-up the Beta Program to the wider public and our most hardcore fans, to garner more feedback towards the product’s final release later this year. Meanwhile, we already have developers hard at work building app integrations with the Nabu. We’re excited to see what fun stuff they come up with.”
New Design:
The beta design of the Nabu, showcased at E3 this year, features a single OLED private message screen that sits on the underside of the user’s wrist and is programmed to activate only when the wrist is turned. This actuation feature helps preserve battery between charges. This private message screen is able to deliver any notification received from a smartphone including calls, texts, social media alerts and more.
More about the Razer Nabu:
The Razer Nabu is an innovative wearable technology that delivers notifications from a smartphone right to one’s wrist and logs activity data. More impressively, it is also an open platform that third-party applications can exploit to create novel experiences for users.
The Razer Nabu Beta Edition is an early-exclusive look at Razer’s wearable platform, and as such, software and hardware engineering tests and development are still in progress internally. With feedback from testers, Razer aims to create a device that encompasses most of what users seek in next-gen wearables.
Availability: Razerzone.com – July 10, 2014
Product features:
- Compatible with: iOS devices – iPhone 5, 5S, 5C; Android 4.3-and-up devices
- Lithium-polymer battery with 5 – 7 days battery life
- IP54 water resistant
- Currently only available in one size (large): 81.04 mm (l) x 63.44 mm (h) x 13.60 mm (w)
Displays and sensors:
- Private message screen: 128×32 pixels
- Accelerometer
- Altimeter
- Cylindrical vibration motor
Software:
- Pairing via Bluetooth® Low Energy
- Utility for Nabu app for notifications, data, and other settings
- Fitness for Nabu app for activity logging demo
For more information on the Razer Nabu and to sign up to the Beta program, please visit www.razerzone.com/nabu
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