The Best of Wearable Technology Must Know
If you thought technology and fashion were far removed from each other, think again. Models are strutting down the runways sporting Google Glasses and Pebble smart watches. Fashion shows are being streamed live on electronic billboards across the world. 3D technology is changing the way we view catwalks. Clearly, the fashion industry is embracing the digital age.
A few years ago, tech-integrated fashion was an alien concept. But it has evolved to a great extent in a very short span of time. Wearable tech is all the rage now, and if the latest trends in the tech industry are anything to go by, wearable technology is only going to get bigger and better in the years to come. So what exactly is wearable tech and who are the key players, that is to say, leading products in this field? Let’s take a look.
In the age of Smartphones and tab devices, it comes as no surprise that technology has invaded apparels and accessories as well. Wearable tech, also known to tech-savvy people as tech togs or fashion electronics, is fashion that employs advanced electronic technologies.In the 1980s, calculator watches were quite the rage among young and old alike. In the 21st century, we have taken things to a new level.
Google Glass is the first name that comes to mind when rounding up the biggest brands in the field of wearable fashion. It’s a way to display information in a hands-free format, just like smartphones, albeit on an eye gear that you wear like you would a normal pair of glasses. You can use normal voice commands to communicate and connect to the Internet as it runs on voice commands, but it also has a touchpad on its right side. What can it do, you ask? Receive calls, send mails, access maps, take pictures and a lot more. In a nutshell, it’s a wearable computer!
An increasing number of brands are joining the wearable-tech bandwagon. At this rate, looks like the day is not far when smart watches would wipe out the concept of regular watches. So what is a smart watch? It is a watch that tells you so much more than just the time. To understand it better, let’s have a look at some of the top smart watches and what they can do.
Any smart watch list in incomplete without the mention of the popular Pebble Smartwatch. The Pebble Smartwatch brings all your mail notifications and important applications to your wrist. So you can access all your critical stuff on the screen of your smart watch. You no longer have to rely on smartphones for voice navigation or tracking your fitness or controlling music as a smart watch strapped to your wrist can do all of that. Its battery life is also worth-mentioning here—charge it once and it will last for 5 to 7 days. Pebble was earlier only available for iOS but has finally come to Android mobiles as well.
Samsung Galaxy Gear is a yet another popular smart watch designed for Samsung mobile phones. The Galaxy Gear is an extension of Android mobiles. It is a smart watch that is compatible with all Galaxy Android mobiles and tablets and enables you to receive or ignore calls, all from the face of your watch. However, the Galaxy Gear received mixed reviews due to poor battery life and limited number of apps available. Then came the Gear 2 Neo, and Gear 2 that is equipped with an in-built camera—720p video recording and FHD stillshot. This improved piece of wearable tech came with a refined look—wider range of colours, changeable coloured straps and customizable themes for the screen. It not only supported seamless connection with Samsung mobile phones but also included access to many 3rd party apps.
Now if smart watches are catching on so rapidly, how could Sony stay behind? It came up with Sony Smart Bands, a recent addition to the list of wearable technology. This technology is limited to Android mobiles and helps connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth and the Lifelog app. It doesn’t just keep track of your calls and mails, but also how much you’ve been jogging, cycling or walking and helps you set daily fitness and activity goals. What else? Well, it’s waterproof and comes in eye-catching colours, making for a very presentable wearable tech product.
That’s not all. The list of wearable tech products doesn’t end here. There’s Huawei TalkBand B1, which comes with both iOS and Android support. However, it sits rather awkwardly on your wrist and has a very small screen. On the upside, however it is cheaper than the Galaxy Gear or the Sony Smartwatch. And it’s called ‘TalkBand’ for a reason. It has been called the world’s first ever hybrid smartband. It is a fitness tracker that can also be used as a Bluetooth earpiece. So you can talk as you track your activities. A 2-hour charge can last for 6 days. Along with its impressive battery, it also has the benefit of durable construction.
Last but not the least, we have Moto 360, Motorola’s answer to the growing smart watch market. This is true tech-integrated fashion as the Moto 360 looks stunning. We wouldn’t blame you for mistaking it as a classic analogue timepiece at first sight. It features quite a traditional look, as opposed to the sci-fi looks of some of the wearable tech products out there. It responds to your voice, keeps you on time, helps you stay connected and sends you subtle notifications. Also, it’s supposed to function on just the twist of your wrist. It does all of that, while still looking like a crisp, regular watch.
The evolution of such high-tech products just goes to show that fashion and tech’s love affair is not going to end anytime soon. Technology is enriching and, in fact, revolutionizing the way we look at accessories. Not just tech giants, but an increasing number of leading fashion houses are also pushing the envelope to fit into the modern times by being more tech-savvy. A tasteful mix of fashion and technology makes for a promising combination and it looks like it is only going to get better over the years.
