Intel takes wraps off its high

SAN FRANCISCO - Chip giant Intel on Wednesday took the wraps off a smart-looking smart bracelet under a partnership with fashion house Opening Ceremony.

High-end retailer Barney's will carry the bracelet, dubbed MICA (for 'My Intelligent Communication Accessory'). No word on pricing. The bracelet will be available at Barney's and Opening Ceremony stores by the holiday selling season.

The cuff-style bracelet opens via a clasp. On the bottom of the wrist is a 1.6-inch curved touchscreen sapphire-glass display. You can get alerts and notifications sent directly to it without the need to pair it with a phone. It has built-in 3G cellular radio, though Intel release carrier details.

Intel first talked about its plans for the bracelet back at the massive CES tradeshow in January, aiming to take wearables beyond the niche realm of sports and fitness enthusiasts.

The MICA bracelet comes in two styles: One features a black snakeskin design, pearls and lapis stones from China; the other is white snakeskin, tiger's eye from South Africa and obsidian from Russia.

The black band version of the new MICA bracelet.(Photo: Intel)

'We wanted something that felt luxurious and modern that could fit into the lives of many different women,' Opening Ceremony co-founder Humberto Leon told USA TODAY. On Sunday, the Intel bracelets will be worn by models as part of Opening Ceremony's New York Fashion Week show

Intel engineered the tech behind the bracelet under a close collaboration with Opening Ceremony on the design.

'This was a very honest, very true partnership,' Leon said. 'We really worked on building this thing together.'

Among other things, the collaboration focused on the curve of the bracelet, with the engineering team working with designers to keep the design profile low - 'pushing the boundaries of the curvature,' he said.

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