Apple recruits top software engineer from wearables firm, pointing to iWatch activity tracking features
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ndQmCX8IXM&start=1]
Alex Hsieh discusses progress on the Atlas software (February 2014)
Atlas Wearables chief software engineer Alex Hsieh has been recruited by Apple to work on the iWatch project, according to a change on the developer’s LinkedIn page, as originally noted by Network World. Atlas Wearables is perhaps a bit more obscure than some other wearable tech companies, but the firm focuses on devices that can track users’ physical activity. It seems clear that the Cupertino company has hired Hsieh to work on the firmware for its upcoming iWatch, which is widely expected to be revealed to the public later this year. Perhaps most notably, Hsieh’s work at Atlas included an API that allowed third-party developers to integrate the company’s hardware with their applications, similar to Apple’s new HealthKit framework. Perhaps most interesting here is that Apple hired Hsieh before the Atlas has even hit the market. The device is available for pre-order on the Atlas Wearables website, but as seen in the video above, much of the device’s core features were still lin development as late as February. Apple has hired a host of medical, tech, and fashion experts, and even professional athletes, to help craft its iWatch, as 9to5Mac has previously reported. The device itself will reportedly be available later this year in multiple models with as many as 10 sensors for gathering health-related data.
