Elisberg Industries
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Products
    • Books
    • Movies
  • About Elisberg Industries
    • Our Corporate Board
    • Information Overstock
    • Elisberg Industries Entertainment Information
    • Elisberg Statistical Center of American Research
    • Consultancy Service
  • Contact
    • How to Find Us
  • Kudos
  • Good Things to Know
    • The BOB Page
    • Sites You Might Actually Like
Decent Quality Since 1847

Wear, oh, Wear are the Customers?

7/14/2014

0 Comments

 
You've no doubt seen a lot a ads about the Next Great Technology, which would be Smartwatches.  As I've written here and in my tech columns, I remain very skeptical about them for the time being.  Among two of many reasons, they require also owning a mobile phone, and duplicate what a mobile phone does, but not as well. When that dynamic can be changed, perhaps Smartwatches have a chance.  Importantly, they are the centerpiece of an entire new field of technology, called "wearable" (of which the most prevalent are perhaps wrist devices for measuring your health during exercise -- and the big push for Google Glasses).  And they haven't kicked in yet either -- not for the same reason, but for a similar one.

And last week there was an article about a group of tech experts who feel largely the same.  What makes this group different, is that it wasn't a bunch of luddite naysayers -- it was attendees and speakers at the Wearable Technologies Convention.

As this sub-headline here of an article on CNET notes, "Revealed at the Wearable Technologies Conference in San Francisco: the 'dirty little secret' of activity trackers and smartwatches is that they're still not worth it."

One of the most damning quotes heard at the conference was, "I wore a [Nike] FuelBand for the requisite three or four months and then I abandoned it."  The thing is, that wasn't something overheard in a lobby -- it was sat by Kip Fyfe, CEO of the wearable company 4iii Innovations, who was speaking at the time on a panel.

One issue is that most companies seem to think that "wearable technology" only means on the wrist, though that isn't the reality, and some products have had success thinking that way, even they too drew pointed comments about the hurdles faced.

"The No. 1 shipped wearable device in 2013 was the heart rate monitor chest strap" -- which hasn't changed its form factor in almost 40 years -- "How about that for a technological revolution for you?" This wasn't from a snarky reporter, but industry leader Liz Dickinson, president and CEO of Global Mio, which sells devices to Adidas. She was on a panel and went on more bluntly, asking.  "Why on Earth would 12 million people buy these devices last year?"  After all, as the article explains her point, the device is "perhaps the most uncomfortable consumer wearable device you can buy today" -- but no other product provides enough value.

But the most spot-on comments about what it will take to actually make "wearables" the Next Big comes again from Kip Fyfe.  He said:  "You have to find something or some things that people can't live without. The reason people like these devices in our hands," he said, holding up a smartphone, "is because people cannot live without them." 

How "can't live without" are we talking about?  A recent study by Bank of America and USA Today show that not only could half of Americans not go without their Smartphone...but more to the point, a third of them would go back home if they realized they'd left without it,

One of the big issues that help push a technology into the "can't live without" lane is the "cool factor."  Being the latest to adopt something doesn't make you a geek, but cutting-edge and hip.  How many out there reading this think that prototype of "light therapy" glasses make this attractive young woman -- or any mortal -- look cool?
Picture
Yes, I know.  Picking one product.  And a prototype at that isn't fair for judging an entire field.  Nor is it intended to.  It's meant to point to the hurdle that all such products far.

Though "can't live without" is the hurdle facing all wearable technology, it's a problem felt most immediately by Smartwatches which have been running commercials about a product that's here now and getting a major push how cool they are, and the wave of the future, here today.  They may well be the wave of the future.  Google Glasses may, as well.  It's a field that does open itself to huge potential.  But right now, Smartwatches in particular -- and most current wearable technology -- are just niche gadgets, which do nothing more than something you already have, just not as well.  They may find big niches, but that's vastly different than the Next Big Thing.

And when the leaders of that industry are tell themselves that -- not just yammerers like here -- you can take a leap of faith that there's some truth to it.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Elisberg Industries gets a commission if you click here before shopping on Amazon.
    Picture
    Follow @relisberg

    Author

    Robert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. 

    Elisberg is a two-time recipient of the Lucille Ball Award for comedy screenwriting. He's written for film, TV, the stage, and two best-selling novels, is a regular columnist for the Writers Guild of America and was for
    the Huffington Post.  Among his other writing, he has a long-time column on technology (which he sometimes understands), and co-wrote a book on world travel.  As a lyricist, he is a member of ASCAP, and has contributed to numerous publications.



    Picture
           Feedspot Badge of Honor

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Animals
    Audio
    Audio Land
    Books
    Business
    Chicago
    Consumer Product
    Education
    Email Interview
    Entertainment
    Environment
    Fine Art
    Food
    From The Management
    Health
    History
    Huffery
    Humor
    International
    Internet
    Journalism
    Law
    Los Angeles
    Media
    Morning News Round Up
    Movies
    Music
    Musical
    Personal
    Photograph
    Piano Puzzler
    Politics
    Popular Culture
    Profiles
    Quote Of The Day
    Radio
    Religion
    Restaurants
    Science
    Sports
    Tech
    Technology
    Tech Tip
    Theater
    The Writers Workbench
    Tidbits
    Travel
    Tv
    Twitter
    Video
    Videology
    Well Worth Reading
    Words-o-wisdom
    Writing

    RSS Feed

© Copyright Robert J. Elisberg 2023
Contact Us    About EI    Chicago Cubs
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Products
    • Books
    • Movies
  • About Elisberg Industries
    • Our Corporate Board
    • Information Overstock
    • Elisberg Industries Entertainment Information
    • Elisberg Statistical Center of American Research
    • Consultancy Service
  • Contact
    • How to Find Us
  • Kudos
  • Good Things to Know
    • The BOB Page
    • Sites You Might Actually Like