I’ve always been fascinated by the next big thing. I still slap myself for missing the boat in a major way three years ago.
It was the BlackBerry and the iPod that initially ushered in the age
of mobile devices. As hardware gets smaller and grows more powerful, the
devices are now bred in another form. These new devices are sleeker,
better-designed and offer more practical methods of improving our lives.
They can help us track our habits, improve the way we feel, and offer
more control in our lives.
The most bizarre part is a lot of the new technology take the form of
accessories. Let’s look at some products that are bringing about the
rise of fashionable, wearable technology, firstly by examining the most
practical of fashion functions: clothing.
Improving Clothing Function
The essence of clothes, in addition to fashion, is to protect wearers
from the elements. Japanese company Fast Retailing has focused on using
technology to improve their garments functionally. In comparison to
typical
fast fashion companies
(Zara and H&M), which manufacture small batches of items to follow
trends extremely quickly, Fast Retailing’s primary subsidiary UNIQLO
maintains its low prices by manufacturing large batches of clothes up to
a year in advance.
Because UNIQLO is known for its basics, demand for its items are
forecastable and stable, and UNIQLO is able to continue manufacturing in
large batches. UNIQLO’s offerings resonate well with consumers because
it weaves technology into its items. This includes technology like
HEATTECH, a technology used to generate and retain heat in its fabric,
and AIRism – the counterpart of HEATTECH – UNIQLO’s cooling fabric. This
technology allows UNIQLO to create basic articles of clothing that
stand the test of time.
Fashion and technology are starting to converge. While fashion
companies like UNIQLO are making it happen, there are even stronger
catalysts coming from the other side of the field: technology companies
are churning about gadgets disguised as fashionable accessories. How
will these changes improve our lives?
Altering the Real World
Google’s
Project Glass
has made a strong statement in 2012. This concept device connects to
your smartphone via a set of glasses, and displays information on a
screen built into the lens. You can have your text messages, emails and
media beamed into your field of vision, or summon them via voice
command. Google Glass also has a built-in camera, which means you can
snap photos and video clips hands-free (and inconspicuously).
Project Glass is one of the harbingers of augmented reality; as this
video demonstrates, in addition to integrated communication, it can
overlay your world with maps, reminders and all sorts of neat additions.
Glass holds some serious implications for the way we communicate with
others, the way we interact with our environment, and the accessibility
of information.
Despite riding the cutting edge of technology, Google Glass has been
embraced by the fashion world. Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg
armed her models with several pairs for a
fashion show that took place a few months ago. “It’s a very important component of making technology desirable and compelling,” said Google co-founder Sergey Brin
in an interview. “It’s got to be stylish and fashionable.”
Tracking Biometrics
While a device like the Google Glass is capable of adding on a layer
to our visual reality, other devices are dedicated to bringing more
clarity to a less visible aspect of reality. Wearable technology and
audio device manufacturer Jawbone recently launched the second version
(after a disastrous first) of its biometric bracelet,
UP.
The Jawbone UP’s premise is built on the principle of changing habits:
the first step to improving your life, and building better habits, is
tracking and dissecting your current habits.
The Jawbone UP primarily tracks three types of information: activity
(such as steps throughout the day, which then measures calories burned),
sleep (hours spent, and how much of it was deep sleep), and the types
of food you eat (either through scanning a barcode, or manual input via
UP’s food glossary feature).
The Jawbone UP syncs to users’ iPhones via a headphone jack, and the
measurements are then compared to the goals they had set for themselves.
This gives users insight into where they can improve most in their
health, and how much they must adjust their daily routine in order to
reach their personal goals.
In addition to its tracking ability, the Jawbone UP also has an
outstanding built-in alarm clock function. Built on its abilities to
measure user sleeping patterns, the UP also has the ability to wake
users up with a gentle nudge while they’re in a lighter form of sleep. A
review on
The Verge claims that this function makes waking up a lot easier.
Giving Watches Superpowers
In addition to telling the time, watches have doubled as a fashion statement. The
Pebble e-paper watch goes beyond these two functions by connecting wirelessly via Bluetooth to users’ iPhones or Android smartphones.
The Pebble is built using a high-resolution e-paper display (similar
to a Kindle), which makes its image readable even outdoors. The use of a
digital display means that the watch face can be customized according
to user preference; it can display time digitally or as a traditional
analog watch face.
The killer feature of the Pebble is its ability to run apps. The
Pebble watch is connected to your phone, which means that it can act as
its remote control and display (i.e. change music while you’re on a run,
measure speed with its accelerometer if you’re a cyclist, or display
text messages and alerts). Pebble’s team makes its product expandable by
allowing third parties to develop apps, and so the watch comes with an
open SDK.
The possibilities for Pebble apps are incredible. For example, its
built-in vibrating motor (I unsuccessfully tried to find another way to
say that) combined with its connectivity to users’ phone means that it
can serve up reminders based on user locations. If a user needs to buy
milk today, it could display a reminder when he’s near a grocery store.
The concept of the Pebble is simple enough; it builds on the power of
current mobile devices. This next piece of fashionable technology builds
on the power of something everyone already uses every moment of their
lives: the brain.
Opening up the Mind
The InteraXon Muse is a headband that measures brain waves. It has
four sensors: two in the front, and two behind the ears. InteraXon
founder Trevor Coleman
likens it to a pulse reader for the mind.
“The same way taking your pulse will tell you how your body’s doing
during physical exercise, this’ll tell you how your brain’s doing during
mental exercise,” explains Coleman in an online fundraising campaign
video.
Its initial application is based on tracking brainwaves. Users will
be able to look into how certain activities are affecting their minds.
Is the yoga class truly relaxing? Is the new promotion too stressful? Is
the memory-training class they’re taking working?
Within 10 years, InteraXon believes that Muse will be able to control
other computing devices and toys, match users up with other individuals
of similar brainwaves, and stay alert on long drives. This is huge – it
could potentially extend to other connected devices, which holds
enormous implications not only from a science-fiction telekinetic
standpoint, but an extremely practical one for the bedridden or the
paralyzed.
Breeding Further Change
Nike has consistently been on the forefront of technological change.
They were one of the first to leverage the power of mobile technology
with the original
Nike+iPod equipment, which connected with earlier variants of the Apple iPod and iPhone to measure exercise performance.
The Nike+ service evolved to take the form of a bracelet, similar to the Jawbone UP. Dubbed the
Nike+ FuelBand,
this product similarly measures physical performance (without the sleep
or diet aspects that the UP tracks). While its feature set is more
focused in scope, it is connected to devices via Bluetooth and served as
a much more reliable product than Jawbone’s first variant of the UP
(which received complaints as
UP bracelets randomly stopped working).
Recently, Nike announced a collaboration with
TechStars
to launch their own accelerator and help entrepreneurs bring their
ideas to reality. It is focused on companies that plan to build software
on the Nike+ platform.
The benefits of having entrepreneurs join the Nike+ accelerator is
access to the extremely impressive TechStars network, which ranges from
powerful investors to experienced mentors. The accelerator also helps
with funds – in exchange for supporting each company with $20,000,
TechStars will be taking 6% of each company entering the Nike+
accelerator.
Data has been huge when it comes to making decisions in corporations,
and has been crucial to improving bottom lines. Now, these devices,
platforms and applications mean that data can be accessed by consumers
to improve their health, well-being and quality of life.
While the main function of technology has always been to make life
easier, the importance of design used to be overlooked by most
companies. Now, the fact that technology is becoming more fashionable
simply means an even quicker permeation into mainstream culture.
While apps have made a huge dent on our world in an extremely short
amount of time, their effects will pale in comparison to what
fashionable, wearable technology has in store.
Herbert Lui is passionate about entrepreneurship, art, and technology.
In his spare time, he covers technology and startup news for
Techvibes. If you want to connect (or heckle), please feel free to reach out on
Twitter.
