Tag: wearable devices

Wearable Technology and the Pocket Watch

Wearable technology is quickly attracting attention from people all over the world, but not necessarily the good kind of attention. Many people are criticizing wearable devices because they look unappealing and clumsy. Fashion plays a very integral role to wearable technology, as people will not wear something on their face or body if it looks foolish, no matter how useful that particular thing may be. Wearable devices have been around for centuries, however, and they often go through trends where they are considered ugly by those that would eventually use them.

The pocket watch was the world’s first piece of wearable technology. Clocks began to change the way people perceive time and conduct their daily lives during the medieval period and the technology to keep time quickly evolved into something that people could take with them. When pocket watches first began showing up, they were criticized as being somewhat useless because of the existence of normal, stationary clocks. Over time, however, these watches became a fashion symbol and etched out their place in society. Today, these watches retain some degree of social importance and are often given as gifts.

Wearable technology - pocket watchPocket watches eventually turned into wristwatches, which were also criticized as being somewhat useless and unattractive. During World War I, soldiers began using wristwatches to coordinate attacks in a new way, using time to measure assaults. Suddenly, these wearable gadgets became more popular and the criticism directed at them and became very popular among people throughout the world. Even today, wristwatches are considered to be some of the most fashionable accessories in the world, especially among men.

Watches may not be electronic technology, but the challenges that wearable devices are facing today is almost identical to that which watches experienced in the past. Modern wearable technology may only have modest usefulness, but these devices are likely to become very popular as they begin to be considered fashionable. Being accepted as an attractive accessory could solidify the place that these devices hold in society.

Wearable tech provides mobile payments capabilities at Lollapalooza 2014

The massive U.S. music festival will be able to complete transactions without the need for plastic cards.

The organizer of Lollapalooza 2014 has now announced that it will be issuing wristbands to its attendees that include wearable tech, so that they can use them throughout the event which runs from August 1 through August 3.

These plastic wristband wearables will each contain their own unique RFID chip.

Once the visitors to the festival have entered the grounds, the wearable tech will give them the ability to make mobile payments at various stalls and bars through the simple tapping of the device against a terminal. They must then enter a pin in order to confirm the payment, and this will eliminate the need for carrying cash or credit cards in order to buy items, food, and drinks.

The wearable tech will be set up for the attendees ahead of entering the Chicago Lollapalooza site.

Werable Tech - ConcertAhead of entering Grant Park, where the music festival is held, the participants in the event will be able to use the official website for the festival in order to be able to upload their credit card details. The wristbands will then be issued to the attendees in advance so that the attendees can link their own mobile payments details with their wearables.

On the day of the festival, participants wear the wristbands so that their entry to the event can be monitored and so that they can use the device in order to make the purchases they want, without having to carry cash on them and without having to take out their plastic credit cards every time they want to buy something.

C3, the company that is behind the organization of the Lollapalooza festival – as well as a number of other concerts and events – believes that it won’t be very long before using wearable tech will become the norm not only among the festivals that they organize, but among others, as well. The practicality, traceability, and convenience of the technology provides important benefits to organizers, sellers, and attendees in a highly cost effective and user friendly way.