Wearable computing is coming back into
fashion, with the growing hype around Google Glass and rumors about the iWatch.
Google Glass is a kind of heads-up display – a pair of spectacles that show
video, with sound delivered via bone conduction through the device's legs. The
iWatch is... well, nobody knows. But very likely something that upsets the
people at Pebble, the crowd-funded tech darling of the moment.
The motivation for wearables originated in the military. Fashion designers have sometimes incorporated bits of tech in their clothes too. But if you think about it, we're already wearing technology – in our pockets.
Clothes are as much, if not more, about display than practicality. It's even more so for accessories. The first wristwatch was made for Queen Elizabeth I of England. The clock display was just an excuse for a fancy bracelet - Good Queen Bess had other people worrying about the time on her behalf. These days, your headphones say something about you too.
I think we may see a different kind of personalized, technological future that's more like the scenario in Minority Report. If you remember, in that movie the environment is embedded with intelligence that recognizes and communicates with individuals. There's no need to wear your own display, because your surroundings are constantly morphing around you. Reality and augmented reality are seamless.
The first place we'll see this kind of personalized environment is in the car. I guess you could say you'll be wearing your car. Connected Cars
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