Tag: wearable devices

Wearable devices may be nothing more than novelty

Wearable technology has become the new craze of the tech field, with a range of big-name companies developing smart watches, augmented reality glasses, and other such high-tech gadgetry. These devices may have a great deal of potential, as they have already managed to attract the attention of consumers around the world, but whether or not the interest surrounding these devices is nothing more than hype is somewhat questionable.

While few wearable devices are currently available to the public, future devices promise to change the way people interact with one another and their surroundings in significant ways. AR glasses, for instance, could literally change the way people see the world as their technology becomes more advanced. This same technology is already being used as a way to improve sight in the vision-impaired. Smart watches may have a role to play in mobile commerce as the economy continues to become more reliant on technology and these devices are already being used to traffic digital media.

For many, wearable devices are seen as an exciting new step forward in the technology world, but these devices may be little more than another passing fancy.

Years ago, 3D technology began seeing a swell in attention that is quite similar to what wearable technology is seeing today. The same can be said for virtual reality, which has evolved to become augmented reality technology to some degree. Both 3D and virtual reality became quite popular, but failed to find ultimate success among consumers it did little in the way of innovating daily life.

Both 3D and virtual reality are high concept, low impact and their use beyond the field of entertainment is limited, if not verging on non-existent. Even in the entertainment field, these technologies continue to struggle to find support. 3D found some resurgence in its popularity in recent years in the film industry, but the movies that have made use of this technology have failed to impress. Many people claim that 3D in films is nothing more than an annoying gimmick that is used to provide some cheap thrill.

Wearable devices may not make use of 3D technology, but their potential novelty may end up leading them down the same path toward obscurity.

These devices, in their current state, offer little in the way of practical value, but some are high on entertainment potential. This is particularly true of augmented reality glasses, whose primary role will likely exist within the entertainment field, whether that involves gaming or other forms of digital media.

Seemingly innovative technology is often relegated as novelty because it does not actually innovate anything. Wearable devices could be in danger of fallen prey to this problem, because despite their allure, they are unable to accomplish anything that has already been accomplished by “old fashioned” smartphones and tablets.

The telecom is the next among many companies to jump into the wearable technology market.

At a time in which it feels like every week comes with the unveiling or the launch of a new Smartwatch, AT&T also seems to be jumping on board the wearables bandwagon and will be releasing its own version of the device later on this year.

This technology news was made when an executive from the company, Glen Lurie, made the announcement.

Lurie is the AT&T president of emerging devices. He pointed out that the company would be bringing its own smartwatch into the mix and that “I think you’ll see wide-area, high-bandwidth [smart]watches this year at some point.” The telecom has a team located in Austin, Texas, that is working on thousands of different potential prototypes for wearable devices. Moreover, it is also looking into the certification of third party devices that can be used on the company’s own network, explained Lurie.

It is AT&T’s feeling that the smartwatch will be the center of all wearable technology for the first while.

Lurie stated that “a majority of stuff” that consumers will be seeing within today’s wearables marketplace will be in the form of a wristwatch. But he also pointed that this will be the start of a sector that is still very much in its infancy. He said that if the use of those devices does become popular, “and we believe it can”, then these wearables could easily become the center of all forms of wearable technology computing.

At the moment, LTE capabilities are lacking in wearable tech, which causes them to be primarily reliant on other mobile devices – mainly smartphones – in order to be able to provide notifications and download and use apps. However, when these gadgets are developed with mobile broadband connection capabilities, then it will be possible for them to become their own “independent device,” explained Lurie.

He stated that it is quite important that wearables become their own stand-alone devices in order to make them truly practical and appealing to consumers.

His company and Filip Technologies already jointly released the Filip child tracker, which is like a wristwatch and that allows the AT&T network to be used for a parent to call a child. While that product could be improved, it is just that type of idea that the telecom is hoping to bring to market in its own smartwatch models.