Wearables: Now You See Them, Soon You Won’t

May 27, 2015

By Ernest Worthman

May 28, 2015 — From time to time, it is fun to look at what is developing in this industry. Wearables are tethered to smart devices. That is because they use near-field wireless technologies. But, where this is going to hit a speed bump is the sheer number of wearables that will come on line, so much of that data will end up on Wi-Fi networks. Right now we are seeing wearables for the wrist, but, potentially, wearables can be worn all over one’s body. Read on.

And an interesting vector is that wearables of today will turn into the “disappearables” of tomorrow. Fitness bands, medical monitors, proximity sensors, will all become micro-sized in the near future. That means they will be integrated into clothing or accessories, perhaps a bangle or bead – or even something so small it is unnoticeable. There is even talk of inside the body – wow.

It makes sense, though. Today’s wearable are just the first-generation toys for the bleeding edge. The next generation is at the starting gate. Things like DASH, developed by Munich-based Bragi GmbH, which is a wireless in-ear headphone that looks like a discreet hearing aid. Packed inside is a music player, four gigabytes of storage, a microphone to take phone calls – just nod your head to accept – and sensors that monitor your position, heart rate and body temperature. I want that! But wonder about having an RF radiator that close to the brain, with no skull to absorb the rays. One of you readers give me a take on that.