MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Wearable health and fitness trackers are set to boom over the next 5 years, with an estimated 700 devices to ship worldwide, according to a report from ON World.

The study, based on interviews with consumers, manufacturers, developers and suppliers, suggests that "fashionable devices" with sensing capabilities will create a market worth nearly $50 billion by 2019.

"Hardware will make up the majority of the revenues during this period but monitoring services, mobile apps and subscriptions will grow faster," according to the report. "Consumer wearables markets such as smart watches, smart glasses and personal sensors will surpass sports/fitness in 2014 and make up two-thirds of the revenues in 2018."

 Scientists work on re-starting insulin-production
Researchers are studying cells in the gut to see if they can be retrained to produce insulin in patients with Type I diabetes.  
Read more

 Philips ditches lightning to focus on healthcare
Philips (NYSE:PHG) announced this week that the company plans to spinout its lighting business, putting more resources toward its healthcare division and high-end lighting.
Read more

 Are estimates of NFL TBI too high?
A new study published in Sports Health suggest that current estimates of traumatic brain injury among football players may be too high.  
Read more

 Why healthcare is missing out on Big Data
Lack of interoperability between systems and inaccuracy in reporting are just some of the issues curbing the potential of Big Data in healthcare.
Read more