Wearable Tech : The Next Phase

So, how would you describe your relationship with technology, if suppose someone were to ask you? Or, let's put it this way, how much do interact with technology in your day to day life?

You talk on your mobile phone, listen to songs maybe.

You take pictures with your camera.

You use the internet and watch videos on your PC or laptop.

Or you do all these on your smartphone instead and then some more, like playing games and using your GPS for maps etc. Of course talking of technology, some of you might have a gaming console, an intelligent TV, fridge or washing machine which is programmable according to your needs. But we are not going to talk about these things. The focus today is something else.

You see, even as we stay dazed with the flabbergasting amount of new phones which get launched these days with speeds faster than your dream car and super super clear and rich displays and touch and capabilities that only stop short of making your morning coffee, some of the top technology companies have already jumped onto the next stage of technological evolution. And boy, is this next stage exciting. 

Google Glass

Wearable technology is the next big thing that is going to, and I am pretty confident, completely change how you communicate and do other related stuff everyday. I may sound like an advertising agent here but that's how it is going to be, and you'll just have to wait and see it happen. And you won't have to wait much either, if you go by the flurry around these things.

So, what exactly are these things? Well, right now the two most awaited products in the scene are from Apple and Google, no surprises I guess. And while the watch form-factor gadget from Apple hasn't been confirmed by the company itself, sources have revealed that a whole lot of people there are indeed working on it. In contrast, Google is already out with it's try-out version of it's eye-wear device called Glass. And the first question that comes to your mind when you see it work is 'isn't this too futuristic and early?'

Here, have a look at a video uploaded by Google two days ago to see how it'll probably work. I might not have to explain about what it'll do, then.

Now since Apple hasn't announced anything yet, so there is no photo or design which could be referred to and it's all still speculative right now. But one thing that most people expect is that the iWatch, as many people are calling it, would be a lot different from say, the Nike+Fuelband or Jawbone UP which although track your health 24/7, that is including when you are sleeping, and can even wake you up a little early if you had a good deep sleep during the night, they need a smartphone to connect to and show you the progress. iWatch on the other hand, would be something which could do these and others like send and receive mails and messages, serve as a compass and some new things which won't take the limelight off the iPhones. 

Anyway, that is yet to be seen and enough of the tech itself and what it could do. The thing that still remains is, would you be as excited to use this new generation of technologies as I am among many people. And if not, how long would it take for them to become as mainstream as phones are now and make you change your decision?

There could be many reasons why people would not like the Glass particularly, but one that I see and which would I think, be talked about as its biggest drawback in the near future is the privacy issue. Since it'll always be with you, wherever you go and whatever you do or see, it would be hard to keep your privacy in check. And given the 200 page long terms and conditions agreement that organisations these days normally have, you won't be able to figure out with whom your information gets shared and anyone(read government) could then spy on you or use you as a walking surveillance camera. Which is not good at all.

But since this is, as hopefully other future technologies and products would be, such great innovations, people won't bother much with the drawbacks and would most likely come up with workarounds around potential drawbacks. Presently, let's not jump the gun and make statements and conclusions. Let's leave that for when it releases.