Intel buys manufacturer baseband promises smart clothing

Well, it's official. In a bid to boost its wearable clout, Intel confirmed today that it bought Basis Science, the

startup behind the fitness-friendly Basis bands. The deal reportedly cost Intel a cool $100 million (according to TechCrunch, anyway), which neither company was keen to mention aloud. According to a post on the official Basis blog, the team will join Intel's Devices team to help flesh out the chipmaker's wearable future.

There's no word on what exactly they'll be working on in there, but we already know Intel is keen on tracking your vital signs and Basis' tech is very, very good for that. The original Basis B1 could monitor your heart rate, blood flow, and heat dissipation -- all potentially valuable data for the sorts of responsive gadgets Intel seems so excited about. 

We may well see some of Basis' tracking tech baked into the smartwatch (or something like it) Intel showed off at this year's CES. Fear not though, fans: the Basis activity tracker you know and wear won't disappear into the night. The team says they'll continue to sell and support the existing Basis band in addition to working on products in the pipeline.

VIA TechCrunch

SOURCE Basis, Intel