There are a lot or people generating a lot of heat about Google Glasses and “smart watches.” The rumored Apple iWatch, not a real product (yet), has a lot of people claiming it an inevitable failure.
And yet, these same people, friends of mine included, don’t seem to realized that they already have, use, and love wearable computers.
A computer in your pocket, on your belt, or in your bag, is by its very definition, wearable.
A smartphone like the iPhone is very powerful computer, far more powerful and capable than most of the computers that I’ve used in my lifetime (and far more powerful than most people realize). With it in my pocket I’m equipped to do amazing things. I can find out facts, locate places, and take amazing photos and videos. I can create, write, compose, and illustrate. I can connect.
Is there really that much difference between that and having something on my wrist, projected before my eyes, or plugged into my ear?
The future of computing interfaces is uncertain. I have a particular vision that I think would be interesting, but I’m not so arrogant that I believe that it’s the only way for us to use computers. There is one thing that I do believe, however. It’s that computing will become ubiquitous, everywhere, and completely natural for people to use. It may not need to be implanted for that to happen (and I would prefer that it not be). But for it to be everywhere and natural to use, it will PROBABLY be wearable in some form.
Wearing technology is just one prototype of the future. It may or may not work for many people But I think that it will be very interesting to try.