Next In Vogue — Wearable Technology!

Photo by Luke Chesser on Unsplash

Tell me who does not want a life like Tony Stark — the Iron Man from Marvel Comics. It just looks so surreal. But today it’s very much possible. You have an arsenal of wearable technology to choose from. Behold!

Some common examples of wearable technology today include smart jewellery such as rings, wristbands, watches and pins. Smaller devices commonly work in coordination with a smartphone app for display and interaction. Most rely on bluetooth technology.

Any gadget freak will agree that it looks so much cool to flaunt wearables. Gone are the days when a cool smartphone with a funky cover was enough to set you apart as the next generation millennial geeky soul. Now it’s all about wearables. Below are some that tops the list:

• Fitbit Versa 2 Smartwatch
• Fossil Gen 6Smartwatch
• Samsung Galaxy Watch3
• Bose Frames
• JBL Wireless Earbuds
• Apple AirPods
• Google Glasses
• PSVR2 to join PS5
• Apple Watch 6
• Amazfit T-Rex

Also with Alexa as a built-in feature, the new smart watches makes it easier than ever to keep your life connected on the go. When you stay at home the entire day, you need a fitness manger to drive you fit.

The Future — Project Neuralink

The tech billionaire, Elon Musk’s is currently engrossed in a futuristic project called Neuralink, which is working on brain-computer interfacing. Recently he demonstrating Neuralink’s current status, in the form of a chip implanted in the brain of a domestic pig named Gertrude.

Neuralink’s system is more about data collection instead of offering a sort of ultra-simple telekinesis or nerve adjustments. That data can be viewed in several ways like high end graphs and charts. But there is more to it as we explore deeper. Neuralink, currently is able to deliver data in real-time, which is new for an implant of civilian nature. Defence projects could be way ahead but a mutual integration will just take the technology to a whole new level.

Also Neuralink’s system is very low-impact with a wireless bluetooth module, in the shape of a small coin. It is very minute and the pig seems to have a full range of motion and does not suffer from any pain or discomfort. Musk says that the surgery to implant the device is minimally invasive and can be done in just under an hour. Impressive!

This chip taps into a very tiny percentage of what the brain is doing, limited for now to the surface of the brain. Also the data is hard to interpret but time will solve this mystery as more data is analyzed. In Gertrude’s case, Musk showed off that an interaction with the pig’s snout resulted in a lot of brain activity as it involves a lot of nerve endings.

Musk stated that the device could help solve any number of neurological problems, from memory loss to strokes to addiction, or monitor a user’s health and warn them if they’re having a heart attack. Very much possible.

So do you need one!

The answer is simple. You don’t know yet unless you try one. And then it becomes a part of life. Any technology you add to your regimen generally sticks with you. Also the world is moving in that direction. Sooner or later you will align to keep up.

You don’t need to jump in without seeing the trailer. The list below is just a list of typical features that a fitness band provides, for example!

1. Colour Touch Screen. You can choose between LCD and Amoled based on your cost exposure.
2. Adjustable brightness. Most devices have auto adjustment too.
3. Charge fortnightly. Some offer a 14 day charge in one go.
4. Go underwater. A 5ATM calibration is nearly standard.
5. Charging without a cable sounds perfect with built-in port extender.
6. A new watch face everyday with lots of wallpaper to buy online.
7. A continuous heart tracker for your well being.
8. Activity tracker along with calorie burn data.
9. Become cross-fit with multi sport mode.
10. Activity data. Anything you cannot measure, you cannot improve.
11. Notifications on the go. Intrusive but can be disabled.
12. Vibrate alert if you doze off. A great help to people who fall asleep during virtual meetings.
13. Reminders are good if you are a forgetful person.
14. Settings Panel for control freaks.
15. Also a dedicated app. You can sync up with google fit too.
16. Colourful bands to flaunt your mood.
17. Music Control. Saves me from those slow boring songs that somehow intrude my upbeat party songs
18. Weather on watch looks cool.
19. Find your lost phone. A happy feature for unorganised beings.
20. Light weight. At just 13 gms, its lighter than a phone cover.
21. Unlock phone with proximity safe trusted bluetooth device feature.

HONOR Magic Watch

Not enough. This is just for an average Rs 2000 fit bit gadget. Go higher and sky is the limit.

Health Industry

This industry has always led from the forefront when it comes to cutting edge adoption. This is going to be a serious business with technology dominating chemicals. The word bio may just get replaced with techio!

The worse air quality in cities justifies wearables that can offer solutions as to how we can monitor pollution levels and help us with a better idea of the areas that are most toxic. Wearable air quality trackers have existed for long but adoption inn main stream smartwatches tilts the whole balance. We need just intervention.

After heart rate monitoring, we need devices that monitor blood pressure in a truly non invasive way. The first big breakthrough for blood pressure monitoring wearables for the masses could happen anytime soon with companies like Omron exploring it. The price will be high initially till the market stabilizes.

Valencell, the maker of biometric sensors that exists in devices from Bose and Jabra, has been working on blood pressure-sensing earbuds for quite sometime now. The PPG tech is coming into devices you see today. These buds could unlock the ability to be used in conjunction with mindful applications.

A Wishlist!

1. A lovely feature would be to pair your dog so that if he wanders off, the band vibrates.
2. Social distancing rules. Vibrate if someone comes into your personal space defined by a 2m sphere.
3. A chip to record all my dreams. I need to know what my subconscious brain keeps from me.
4. A device to check OCD. Most subconscious behaviors are hard to track and eliminate.

Privacy Concerns

Well how private is our life anyhow. We all divulge a lot just to have peer validation. Most default settings are public and no one actually cares. Also FOMO always trumps privacy!

We want More

Nothing beats more technology. So bring it on as we step into the next era of true virtual world. No more holding back.

Waiting for the next Netflix series on crazy wearables!!!