Google Glass. Apple Watch. Ringly. Jawbone’s Up. Fitbit. I could go on. The wearable tech trend is skyrocketing, with no end in sight. The quality of the data is continuously improving and technology is monitoring everything from our fitness goals, vital signs and sleep patterns to our GPS locations, daily habits and the phone calls we make. Wearable tech has even made its way onto the runway, alongside fashion’s elite.
Just last week, designer Rebecca Minkoff debuted her take on “smart fashion” at New York Fashion Week. A discreet gold chain-link studded bracelet that sells for $120.00 and is Bluetooth compatible and syncs with your phone. The bracelet alerts wearers of phone calls and text messages, according to a recent Forbes article titled, “Designers Are Jumping Into The Wearable Tech Space This New York Fashion Week – Should We Care?”
Minkoff isn’t the only one pouncing on the trend. We recently interviewed Christina Mercando, CEO and founder of a startup called Ringly, developer of a new high-tech cocktail ring. It’s a fabulous little bauble you wear on your finger that subtly vibrates and lights up when you receive calls, text messages and meeting reminders.
“I continued to miss calls and texts because my phone was buried in my purse and I hated leaving it on the table while out,” said Mercando. “I started to realize that a lot of my friends were having the same issue so I thought to myself, ‘why not make my jewelry smart?’”
She began work on an initial prototype a few years back. Similar to Minkoff’s bracelet, Ringly features a Bluetooth chip that allows users to pair their ring to Ringly’s iOS or Android app. You can then customize your notifications and create alerts for specific contacts, including your spouse, babysitter or boss. There are a total of five semi-precious stones to choose from and four different vibration patterns to customize your alerts.
“The idea isn’t to get everything that comes in,” she stated, “but to get only what is important to you.”
Makes sense to me.
With opportunities for these types of devices virtually endless, it got me thinking about the larger implications of all this data and technology. Where is it going and who’s wearing who? Are we really wearing wearable tech or is it wearing us?
With the health and fitness industry pioneering much of the wearable tech innovation, we sat down with Derek Flanzraich, CEO and founder of Greatest, an online media outlet serving up ‘round-the-clock health and fitness news, to get his take. We asked him what the future looks like and if brands will continue one-upping each other with the anticipated “wow” factor.
“I think the future looks a lot like it does today. While the wow factor might be the main driver right now, my guess is that the type of data will be much more important to people in the future, and how that data is used,” he said.
Greatist has covered several articles on wearable tech, including the success of Jawbone, a growing producer of consumer technology and wearable devices. Jawbone recently caught some flack for data it captured from wearers during the South Napa Earthquake. The data was so intimate that it showed when people awoke, if they woke and if they stayed awake during the quake.
People obviously had mixed responses to the published data. Wearers argued it was invasion of privacy, while others commented people who wear a tracking device should assume they are being tracked, always.
I get it. I wear my Fitbit all day every day, but I’m not sure I want my personal data in the news. I suppose we need to think about these implications more than ever before as the trend grows and technology improves. The interest in gathering people’s data, learning behaviors and understanding actions is going to continue. Should we now assume we are sacrificing our own privacy when we choose to track our steps, heart rate or incoming calls? Is the convenience these devices provide worth it to us in exchange for our personal information?
No matter what your take is on the wearable tech trend, experts agree, it’s here to stay. Health and fitness trackers continue to innovate. Just look at the anticipation of the iPhone 6 and all its health-related bells and whistles. I embrace it. But, I also recommend taking a second look at that wearable tech you’re currently wearing and determine who’s wearing who.
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