Wearable Tech means exactly what it says on the tin; technology that you can wear. Be it a wrist band, watch or glasses it consists of some sort of accessory with electronics embedded inside it.
While it is by no means a new trend, it's something that has recently gathered a lot of traction and what with the Apple Watch release on the horizon it's an area that's on the cusp of great expansion. In fact in a new report they have revealed that wearables will have a major impact on our everyday lives over the next decade.
So why aren't I, a female who likes gadgets, technology and fashion, queuing up to get my hands on them? Well I've concluded that it comes down to two things. Design and use.
Let's start with design. First and foremost, there's no beating around the bush with this, what's currently on the market is ugly. I can imagine that in 10 years time we will look at the wearable tech stock lists of 2014 in the same way that we now look at the 80's mobile. I don't want a coloured screen for a watch. I don't want some clear glasses (when have I ever worn clear glasses?!), I don't want a ring that lights up. What I want is the stuff that Topshop, ASOS and Net-A-Porter sells me.
The clue's in the name - technology that is wearable. I take no offence to the design of my remote control or mobile, but that's because I'm not strapping it to my arm and declaring it as a fashion choice. Until wearable technology surpasses the use of our mobiles, it will still remain as a secondary device. Therefore the design of it is paramount for this craze to succeed on the high street. Silicon Valley needs to prioritise the fashionability of these objects over their technological ability in order to appeal to the to a widespread market.
Which brings me to my second point. Use. If smartphones still remain as our primary device, why would I want something similar on my wrist? Of course there's a market of tech enthusiasts who will always buy into these gadgets, but what about your average 20-year old?
For me the answer is to make things simpler. I don't need emails to pop up, alerts to be sent or voice recognition, instead it would be really useful if my ring let me in through my front door, or alerted me to an important notification I was waiting on. When I'm on my 5.2 diet days, I would love my bracelet to seamlessly record the calories I've consumed, or if I had a health issue my necklace could alert me to when I should take my prescription. I know that Smartwatches have the capability to do such things, but they almost are promising to do too much. Wearable tech, at least to begin with, should be streamlined to do one thing and do it well. That way your average high street shopper will firstly see an attractive accessory that so happens to carry out a really useful, life benefiting task.
Simply put, I want wearable tech to be fashionable and a one-trick-pony. Surely that's not so complicated.