Have you ever glanced at someone completely lost in their smartphone and despaired over the insidiousness of modern tech? If so, you may want to sit down for this. The next big thing is going to be wearable computing—and it’s exactly what it sounds like.
It’s an idea that has popped back into the cultural ether recently because of two products, one real, the other only a rumour. The first is Google Glass, a distinctly Star Trek-like idea from the search company that places a tiny screen on the right side of some spectacle frames. The point is that is can then display various sorts of information in the corner of your field of vision. As the much-discussed video above depicts, the aim of Google Glass is to work both as a layer of information atop reality, showing things like the weather or flight status, and also as a way to connect with other people. Imagine being able to share your view of sunset with a friend in another country and you get the idea.
The Glass project can seem like science fiction, but it’s quite real. Though it’s unlikely Google will meet its target of a consumer version in 2014, they are currently seeding $1,500 prototype devices to “creative people” who will start to make apps and figure out what people actually want to do with the thing.
That question of functionality, though, hovers around the other heavily-rumoured wearable device, the Apple iWatch. Though nothing is confirmed for now, there has been a great deal of chatter that Apple is looking to reinvent another product category by making a “smartwatch.” What exactly the purpose of such a device is, however, isn’t exactly clear. It’s quite possible that the minds who made the iPhone will envision new uses for a watch, particularly around the use of sensors that could measure your heart rate, the temperature or your movement. It’s possible it could just be a companion device for a phone or tablet stashed away in your bag, alerting you to emails or calls without demanding you answer them. It could also simply be yet another false Apple rumour.
Still, on first glance, it’s all pretty remarkable stuff. At the same time, it’s interesting how the idea of wearable computing acts as a neat little metaphor for the ambivalence of modern technology. The always-on, mobile nature of something like a smartphone is what makes it so invaluable. There is, after all, a real benefit in being able to instantly send a pic send it to grandparents abroad, or look up a word on the go. The kind of immediacy of both communication and access to information that Google Glass promises can be genuinely inspiring.
On the other hand, computers that almost become a part of us—alerting us to, say, restaurant specials while we’re walking down the street, or buzzing while we are lost in a daydream—are unfortunately symbolic of how marketing, economics and tech can intertwine to encourage particular sorts of habits or lifestyles. As it is, the pulsating nature of the digitized world can occasionally feel intrusive. Soon, we’ll start wearing it upon ourselves. For better or worse however, the reality of modern technology is just this unavoidable conundrum: its immense promise is undeniably real and revolutionary—and so inevitably, comes with a whole host of costs.
