Tag: wearable tech

Medical experts warn that wearable devices could be dangerous to a user’s health.

The arrival of wearable technology may be exciting for many consumers, but some doctors and scientists are not as thrilled about the idea of this technology becoming popular because, according to Fox News, some medical experts say that those who wear these devices are putting their health at risk.

The concern is that wearables will increase a person’s exposure to radio waves.

Due to the fact that it is likely that those who use wearable devices, such as health monitors, fitness trackers, smartwatches, smartglasses, etc. are already using other mobile devices like tablets, smartphones or laptops, at the same time, this can increase their exposure to radio waves.

The director of the Center for Family and Community Health at the UC Berkeley Prevention Research Center School of Public Health, Joel M Moskowitz, Ph.D, said that “Wi-Fi is very similar to cellphone radiation. You definitely don’t want to put these devices near your head or near your reproductive organs” for long periods of time.

Wearable technology is more likely to result in sustained RF exposure despite Bluetooh technology.

Since many scientific studies have already alerted consumers and industry leaders to the fact that various devices emit microwave radiations, the majority of tech companies have resorted to using Bluetooth technology in an effort to avoid health risks. Bluetooth emits lower radiofrequency (RF) levels in comparison to other gadgets that heavily rely on Wi-Fi and most wearables use this technology.

According to Cloud Tweaks, a leading Cloud informational portal, the chairman of Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Hugh Taylor, noted that even though most wearables utilize Bluetooth tech, which has decreased radio waves, the energy emitted from the devices can still build up in the body.

Taylor said that “I worry that wearables may increase our total exposure.” He added that “All that radiation will be adding up. Wearables are something more likely to keep on your body, so you’re more likely to have a sustained exposure.”

In spite of the concern medical experts may have regarding wearable technology and the potential health threat they pose in regard to increased RF exposure, further study is needed.

The search giant sees a big future in Magic Leap.

Google and other firms, such as KKR, Andreessen Horowitz and Legendary Entertainment, have invested in the augmented reality (AR) company Magic Leap, and the $542 million the startup recently raised in a funding round led by Google, indicates that among some of the biggest tech companies, there is a large and growing interest in firms that provide 3D wearable tech.

Magic Leap hopes to one day replace smartphone and computer screens with VR interfaces.

The Florida-based startup was established in 2011 and is developing technology that functions like virtual reality (VR) glasses. When the technology is activated, computer generated images are displayed over what the wearer would typically see.

The company’s primary aim is to develop augmented reality technology in a way that will blend real-world images with three dimensional images, instead of submersing the wearer of a VR headset in an alternate reality. The company has created digital lightfield technology, which it claims mirrors biological processes, assisting the brain in making sense of the images it sees. According to an article in the New York Times, the company’s tech projects 3D images (“light sculptures”) onto the retina of the viewer.

In addition, patent filings have revealed that part of Magic Leap’s technology could involve the use of cameras, ultrasonic sensors and infrared sensors, which could help the technology sense the environment around the user and recognize gestures.

That said, beyond what has been gleaned from patent filings, what the company has indicated in the blog on its official site, and speculations from experts, it is not publicly known exactly what products Magic Leap is working on or what the company has up its sleeve.

Google isn’t the only big name investing in augmented reality devices.

Back in July, Facebook, the largest social network in the world, closed a $2 billion deal for Oculus VR, a company that creates head-mounted AR goggles. Likewise, Samsung is in the process of developing its own AR device, as is Sony.

As for Google, Magic Leap is only one of the company’s investments in augmented reality technology. Google launched a do-it-yourself cardboard kits for creating VR goggles out of smartphones in June and has also demonstrated Tango, an initiative that attempts to provide mobile devices with 3D sensing and mapping capabilities. Some speculate that while Magic Leap’s technology will come to market as a wearable that the tech could also be integrated with Google Glass.