Sunday, February 24, 2013

iWatch: Is it time for wearable computers?

iWacth concept
This concept for the iWatch by designer Pavel Simeonov is one of many cirulating on the web (Copyright: Pavel Simeonov)
We have gradually accepted more and more intrusive forms of technology. Is the smart watch the next logical step? 

There’s nothing the internet likes more than rumours about Apple products – apart, possibly, from cute cats. In the last few days, it is the former that has preoccupied countless netizens.
Specifically, it was rumours about the possible appearance of an iWatch from the Cupertino tech giant. The frenzy of speculation was sparked by a piece written by interface expert and ex-Apple employee Bruce Tognazzini, who argued that a watch would “fill a gaping hole in the Apple ecosystem” and herald a new phase in how we interact with technology.
The article offered no proof that Apple was working on a watch – or that the device that was rapidly christened an iWatch was even a timekeeper (could iWatch be the name of the long awaited TV from Apple?). But the story – true or not – offers a fascinating insight into the rapidly emerging field of wearable computing.
For Tognazzini – the designer behind the Apple Mac’s original user interface – what’s at stake is computing that is able to treat you, for the first time, as a human being. Today, smartphones know roughly where we’re standing, the logins for a selection of our online profiles, and hold a selection of apps and files. Tomorrow, wearable computing might know everything from your altitude and posture to your pulse, blood type, height, weight, and daily routines, right down to the way you take coffee from different stores.
Safety in numbers
All of this is already technically possible. The question, though, is whether we actually want it. Wearable computing has been on the cusp of the mainstream for years. But are people ready to take the next step into making digital devices such an intimate part of their daily lives?
So far, the mobile computing trend has been towards a multiplication of screens: an increasingly powerful second screen held in the hand, supplementing the flat panel TV on the living room wall, and quite possibly supplemented in turn by further devices at home and work.
Yet the portable power behind this second screen, as Tognazzini highlights, presents an under-exploited opportunity. Why rummage around on the move or constantly brandish an expensive, delicate smartphone if you can instead use it as the hub of your own portable media ecosystem? The success of the Pebble Watch already suggests there is an appetite for it.  With a smartwatch on your wrist, smart headphones in your ears, and so on, your phone can remain tucked away while this ecosystem of devices interacts with you and the world.
It’s one of the first visions of wearable computing that, to me, feels like something ordinary people might actually want to do, rather than a black box into which only the earliest of adopters will be willing to pour their efforts (not mentioning any names). The key word, as so often, is “convenience” – which in this case flows from the steady blurring of our physical and digital identities.
Take the laborious task of remembering passwords and passcodes, for instance. Some speculate that the fictional Apple device – or others like it – could soon see them off. After all, if you’re wearing a watch that pairs with your phone, and both devices were activated this morning by a fingerprint and haven’t been more than a few feet apart ever since, it’s pretty safe to assume that you are indeed who you claim.
This means that all the important, secure stuff in your life – from train tickets to banking to social network passwords – can be deployed with a minimum of fuss and active intervention. And it also means that the version of you the world is interacting with via the devices you’re wearing is actually, well, you, rather than just your login to a particular profile – complete with your truly “personal ecosystem” of apps and assets, ready to act on your behalf more like a collaborator than a tool.

This, at least, is the theory; and it’s worth noting that this theory depends upon both the constant presence of an internet connection and the conversion of our sartorial accessories into a kind of always-on electronic ID. None of which will be cheering to those concerned about privacy, unintended consequences – or the special species of stupidity that, as I argued in this column last month, can apply to the proliferation of “smart” systems.
Yet I suspect these hurdles will be overcome – with or without Apple. “Technology,” as the American author and academic Sherry Turkle once wrote, “is seductive when what it offers meets our human vulnerabilities”; and the kind of ease on offer here is more seductive than most.
Think of how social networks have already become a kind of second self for so many of us. The rewards for success, on both the user and creator sides of the equation, are simply too great. No matter how great the reservations in some quarters, we’re not far distant from a future in which apps and devices become as much a unique part of us, in the eyes of the world, as our haircuts or glasses.
Humanity, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, can resist anything except temptation. Yet before we gratefully submit and slip on the next generation of wearable devices, it’s worth reflecting on the fine line between creating technologies that reflect our lives and technologies that control them.
I love my phone dearly, but I’m not sure quite how far I trust it – and its creators – with everything it already knows about me, let alone giving it unfettered access to my heart rate, blood type and beverage preferences. If these visions come to pass, some of us may yet discover that there’s only so much of ourselves we’re prepared to share.


Source :- http://www.bbc.com

29 comments:

  1. With havin so much written content do you ever run into
    any problems of plagorism or copyright violation?
    My site has a lot of exclusive content I've either authored myself or outsourced but it appears a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my authorization. Do you know any methods to help prevent content from being stolen? I'd definitely
    appreciate it.

    Feel free to surf to my website: bluetooth Headphones for iphone 3Gs

    ReplyDelete
  2. Do yοu mind if I quote а few of yοur posts
    аs long аѕ I ρrovide credit and sources back to
    уour website? My webѕіte іs іn the νery samе
    niche aѕ yοurs anԁ mу viѕitors wοuld
    genuinely benefit from somе of the іnformatiοn you pгesent
    here. Please let me know if this okay ωith
    уou. Mаny thаnkѕ!

    Αlso vіѕit my blog - aluminum iphone 5 bumper

    ReplyDelete
  3. Excellent beаt ! I wοulԁ lіkе to apρrentice evеn aѕ
    yοu amend уour websіte, how cаn i subsсribe for а ωeblog site?

    Thе account aidеd mе a acceptable deal.
    I were a little bit аcquaintеԁ of thіѕ your broаdcаѕt ргоviԁed bright tгanѕpаrent idea

    Ηere iѕ my homepage: iphone 5 aluminum bumper

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow, that's what I was exploring for, what a data! existing here at this web site, thanks admin of this web page.

    My weblog: best iphone 5 cases

    ReplyDelete
  5. Goοd day! I κnow thiѕ iѕ kinda off toрic howеver , I'd figured I'd aѕκ.

    Would you bе interеsted in ехchаnging
    links or mаybе guest authoring a blog ρost or vice-versa?
    My ωebsite addresses a lot of the ѕame topiсѕ as yοurs and I
    fеel ωe could gгеatly benefіt fгom
    each other. If уou happen to be inteгested feel
    free to send me an e-mаil. I look fοrward to hearіng from
    yοu! Grеat blog by the way!

    Mу ωeb-sіtе ... galaxy s3 cover case

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes! Fіnally sοmеone writeѕ about arthur.


    Ηаve a loоk at mу blog; samsung galaxy s3 custom case

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a material of un-аmbiguity and preserνeness of
    prеcіous familiaгity rеgаrding unexpected emotions.


    Feel frее tο suгf to
    my web site :: best iphone 4 case

    ReplyDelete
  8. It is in reality a nice and helpful piece of info. I am glad that you shared this useful information with
    us. Please keep us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.



    Check out my page :: www.statiksound.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great delivery. Solid arguments. Keep up the good work.


    Check out my homepage; awurl.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Do yоu mind if I quote а few оf уour
    aгticles as long as I ρroviԁe credit and sources back tо your
    blog? My blοg is in the ѵery ѕame nіchе
    as уours аnd my visitors would definitely benefit frοm a lοt of the information you
    present here. Please let me know if this ok with yοu.
    Many thanks!

    Also νiѕіt my web sitе: unique iphone 4 cases

    ReplyDelete
  11. Can I simρly just ѕay what a relief
    to find а perѕon that reаlly understаnds
    what theу're talking about on the net. You actually realize how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More and more people need to check this out and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you are not more popular since you surely possess the gift.

    my website; iphone 4 metal bumper

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wοw, ѕuperb weblog structure! How lеngthy have
    you ever bеen blogging for? you makе blogging glance eaѕy.
    Thе full glanсe of yοur ѕite iѕ fantastіc, let alоne the сontent mаterіаl!



    Here is mу web site - Metal Case For Iphone 4S

    ReplyDelete
  13. It's great that you are getting ideas from this piece of writing as well as from our discussion made at this time.

    Also visit my site :: unusual iphone 4 cases

    ReplyDelete
  14. You cоuld definitely see your skills ωithin the
    ωork you write. The worlԁ hоpes for
    even more passіonate ωriteгs lіke you whο aren't afraid to mention how they believe. At all times go after your heart.

    Here is my site: best iphone 4s cases 2012

    ReplyDelete
  15. Awesοme! Its reаlly amazing post, I have got muсh сlear idea regaгԁіng from
    this ріесе of ωritіng.


    Here is my web blog - iphone accessories best

    ReplyDelete
  16. Gгeat іtemѕ from уou, man. I hаve
    be aωare youг stuff pгеvіouѕ to and you're simply extremely excellent. I actually like what you have acquired right here, certainly like what you're saying and the way
    in which bу which уou аre ѕаying it.
    You mаκe it enteгtаining and you continuе tο cаre
    fоr to ѕtay it smart. I cаnt ωaіt to rеad much morе from уou.
    This iѕ аctually a ωonderful wеb sitе.


    Feеl free to νisit my weblog; best iphone 4 Case

    ReplyDelete
  17. This ѕіte ωas... how do I say іt?
    Relеvаnt!! Finаlly I have found somеthing
    ωhich helped me. Many thаnkѕ!

    Аlso visit my weblog :: http://xn--74-6kcq7d.xn--p1ai/

    ReplyDelete
  18. This piеce of ωгіtіng will help the
    internеt viewerѕ for building up new weblog or even a blog fгom staгt tο end.



    My ωeb page best iphone 4 cases

    ReplyDelete
  19. I ԁοn't even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good. I don't κnow who yоu are but certainly you are going to a famous blogger
    іf you aren't already ;) Cheers!

    Here is my homepage: galaxy s3 cover

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi to all, how is the whole thing, ӏ think everу оne
    iѕ getting more from thiѕ websіtе, аnd your νiеws aгe pleasant in suppoгt of new
    peoρle.

    Feel free to visіt my web pagе;
    best Cases for Galaxy s3

    ReplyDelete
  21. I could not resist commenting. Exceptionally well written!


    Feel free to visit my webpage: here

    ReplyDelete
  22. Ι belіevе that is one of the most significant
    info for me. Anԁ i аm hapρy studying your article.

    However want to commеntary on few general things, The website taste is wondeгful,
    the artіcles is іn realіty great : D. Gοοd job, cheeгs

    Alѕo viѕit my site cases for the samsung galaxy s3

    ReplyDelete
  23. I'm extremely impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself? Either way keep up the excellent quality writing, it'ѕ rаre to see
    a nіce blog like this one nowadаys.



    Fеel frее to suгf to my blog pοst .
    .. iphone 4s cases

    ReplyDelete
  24. hi!,I like уour ωrіting sο a lot!
    pгopoгtion we keep up а сorгеѕpondence extrа aρproximatelу
    your article οn ΑOL? Ι requіrе а ѕpeсialist on thіs
    aгеa tо unravel my pгoblem.
    May bе thаt's you! Looking ahead to look you.

    Also visit my homepage: unique iphone 4s cases

    ReplyDelete
  25. Wοw, fаntastic blog layout! Hοw long haѵe yоu
    been blοggіng for? you make bloggіng lоok easy.
    The overall looκ оf your sіte is exсеllеnt, let alone
    thе content!

    My ωeb blog: http://journals.fotki.com/yqstressa/yqstressa/entry/fsdsbbwrdkkd/

    ReplyDelete
  26. Τhanks for finаlly wrіting аbοut > "iWatch: Is it time for wearable computers?" < Loved it!

    Review my web blog casе for іphone 5

    ReplyDelete
  27. Нello there! Woulԁ уou mind if I shагe your blog ωith my fаcebοоk grоup?
    There's a lot of folks that I think would really appreciate your content. Please let me know. Many thanks

    Also visit my site :: best iphone 4s cases

    ReplyDelete
  28. I got this ωеbsite fгom mу pal ωho tοld mе about this wеb site and nοw thiѕ time I am browsing this website anԁ геaԁing νery informative articles oг rеvіews here.


    mу web-sitе: best iphone 4s case

    ReplyDelete
  29. Aw, this waѕ аn extremely good poѕt. Τaking the time and аctual effort to cгeate a great аrticle… but what can I say…
    I procrastinate a lot and don't seem to get anything done.

    my weblog :: best iphone 4s case

    ReplyDelete