Information Tool, or Information TOOL! - Your Choice

If you listen to Apple, Sony, Samsung, or IMS Research, you would think that in the next couple of years every American will be wearing either an iWatch or Google Glass.  IMS alone predicts a 6 billion dollar industry in less than 4 years, and although popular in the lab environment, for Healthcare companies alone purchased more than 30 million wearable devices in 2012, ABI Research found.   There will also be 485 million wearable devices shipped in 2018, ABI estimates. Now to be fair, many of these devices are access badges, etc... Not exactly relevant to this discussion. 

What is relevant to the major retailers is that huge consumer market that they are targeting.   Well, Wasabi Roll looked into this and pretty much came up with the opposite.  Basically, the adage, “If you build it, they will come… “Really only works with corn fields in Iowa.  In fact, don’t take our word for it, Opinion Research Corporation recently polled 1,011 Americans 18 and older found that only 34% of those polled who make $100,000 or more a year would consider buying or wearing a consumer-grade smart watch or smart glasses.  For those with a significantly smaller income, $35,000 annually, the percentage of those interested in the technology increases to 47%.

College graduates are also least likely to buy wearable technology, according to the survey. College grads interested in wearable technology was no higher than 37%, but the interest level rose to 45% for those with a high school degree or less.

Overall, for all ages, incomes and education levels, 42% of Americans said they would buy or wear a smart watch while the number dropped to 39% for smart glasses.

"I thought [wearable technology] would resonate more with those making over $100,000, especially because they tend to be technically savvy and will buy the latest iPhone when it comes out," said Matthew Ripaldi, senior vice president of Modis, a large IT staffing company. 

Modis commissioned the survey, which was conducted by Opinion Research Corp.; partly to gauge how much demand IT operations will face from workers who want to use smart watches and smart glasses at work. In most cases, the wearable devices would connect via Bluetooth to a smartphone. Or, IT shops might need more staff to write applications for coming wearable devices, Ripaldi said.

The survey helped convince Ripaldi that consumer-grade wearable devices are not going to create a short-term demand for such jobs. "Is there short-term demand [for wearable technology] and will we need more talent trying to get ahead of it? I don't think so. There's still a ways to go for wearable computing," Ripaldi said.

Ok, so the reason?  No one wants to look like a tool, unless you really are one.  This is what happened to the Bluetooth headsets, fanny packs, pocket protectors, or anything else that is ergonomically over engineered.  If you think about it, even talking on your cell is frowned upon, remember that loud guy yapping away oblivious to his surroundings, yah that guy.  Anyway, texting is the preferred method, because it doesn’t intrude on others, where walking around talking to yourself… well… TOOL!

So what would be the quintessential seal that you are an unmitigated, card carrying, clod patted, bovine, TOOL?!!!  Google glasses.  As for iWatches, really?  Hasn’t anyone told you that watches themselves are virtually gone, or haven’t you noticed anyone under the age of sixty doesn’t wear them anymore?  Why, because your phone provides the time.  So iWatches… TOOL!

ANuff sed…

Source(s):

• http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9240535/Most_Americans_don_t_want_wearable_tech_like_iWatch_Google_Glass
• http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=772&doc_id=264906

So “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;”

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About Rick Ricker

An IT professional with over 21 years experience in Information Security, wireless broadband, network and Infrastructure design, development, and support.

For more information, contact Rick at (800) 399-6085 x502