Friday, June 7, 2013
Wearable computing has been teased as the newest category
of electronic products that will see an upward trend in the coming
years. Smartphones and tablets have been explored through and through;
they come in all sizes ranging from 3.0 inches all the way up to a whopping 18.5 inches.
Wearable gadgets are being positioned not as independent devices, but
rather as accompaniments to smartphones. Take the Google Glass for
instance — it does not have cellular connectivity of its own but rather
needs to pair with a smartphone over Bluetooth. The Google Glass may be a
novel idea and probably the most in-your-face type of computing we will
ever experience.
Although I do agree that there are certain use-cases that Google Glass will fulfil quite well (like on-body police cams),
I have my doubts about glasses becoming the most suitable peripheral in
the realm of wearable computing. I'm placing my bets on smart-watches
instead as the perfect accessory for the rest of us. Here are reasons as
to why I believe so:
They Don't Make You Look Ridiculous
You don't need to wear a Google Glass to know how nerdy it's going to make you look. The pictures are enough proof of that. Unless of course you fancy looking like Levar Burton in Star Trek. Somebody I know who's actually used the Google Glass told me that focusing one eye on the overhead screen isn't the most natural and comfortable experience. Smart-watches comparatively are very subtle, and can even be passed off as typical watches until you look up close. Looking at them may require the effort of tilting of your wrist, but at least that sounds less painful than the former.
You don't need to wear a Google Glass to know how nerdy it's going to make you look. The pictures are enough proof of that. Unless of course you fancy looking like Levar Burton in Star Trek. Somebody I know who's actually used the Google Glass told me that focusing one eye on the overhead screen isn't the most natural and comfortable experience. Smart-watches comparatively are very subtle, and can even be passed off as typical watches until you look up close. Looking at them may require the effort of tilting of your wrist, but at least that sounds less painful than the former.
They're Cheaper
Google Glass is going to retail at a price of $1500 (Rs. 84,250). That kind of money can fetch you a very nice laptop or maybe smartphones for a family of three. Presumably, the technology behind the Google Glass demands such a high cost; things like the prism display and the bone-conducting speaker that transmits audio to your skull aren't your run-of-the-mill parts. But paying such an astronomical amount for an accessory of a computing product won't be an agreeable proposition for many; even if they have the money.
Google Glass is going to retail at a price of $1500 (Rs. 84,250). That kind of money can fetch you a very nice laptop or maybe smartphones for a family of three. Presumably, the technology behind the Google Glass demands such a high cost; things like the prism display and the bone-conducting speaker that transmits audio to your skull aren't your run-of-the-mill parts. But paying such an astronomical amount for an accessory of a computing product won't be an agreeable proposition for many; even if they have the money.
Smartwatches that exist today
cost a tenth of Google Glass, that is between $100 to $150. I'd say
that's an acceptable price point for an accessory product.
They'll Have Better Battery Life
Early reviews of the Google Glass have echoed in its insufficient battery life. It reportedly lasts for just five hours with average usage, much less if you're recording video. Aren't there already enough devices that we have to keep charging once or twice every day?
Early reviews of the Google Glass have echoed in its insufficient battery life. It reportedly lasts for just five hours with average usage, much less if you're recording video. Aren't there already enough devices that we have to keep charging once or twice every day?
Commercially
available smart-watches like the one from Sony is known to last between
2-4 days depending upon usage. The Pebble Smartwatch, which uses an
e-ink display (like the Kindle), is said to last for a week on a single
charge.
People Won't Have A Problem With You
Google Glasses can cause psychological unrest to the person in front of you. To know how it would sort of feel like, try holding a camera while talking to somebody and see if it makes them uncomfortable after a minute or so. People might fear that they're being shot on video when you look at them.
Google Glasses can cause psychological unrest to the person in front of you. To know how it would sort of feel like, try holding a camera while talking to somebody and see if it makes them uncomfortable after a minute or so. People might fear that they're being shot on video when you look at them.
I am super-excited with the idea of
smartwatches. It will be a boon to avoid removing the phone out of the
pocket every two minutes it vibrates and also complete mundane tasks
with the help of voice input. Imagine riding on your bike and getting
simple navigation directions right on your wrist. Well, that's my take.
What's yours?
