Wearable Technologies

In the recent few years, we have seen a number of developments in this category. Smart watches in this regard were the earliest to be seen. Experts and analysts are still predicting that the wearable technology will prevail in the coming years. This year’s Consumers’ Electronics Show (CES 2014) displayed a range of innovations in the segment of wearable technologies. The most notable among these was Google Glass might become a bit of a laughing stock when it comes to the consumer world; the computing giant is trying to make the wearable tech more attractive to the business world. The search engine giant has recently announced it is working on a host of new applications that are specifically designed for the business world. Earlier this week.


The Glass at Work program involves enterprise level firms that will work on solutions for Google Glass. These companies will also have a co-branding agreement that will have the firms listed on the Google website. During the announcement, Google said that hundreds of developers are anxious to get certified for the program. The number of developers who have applied for the work means that Google can go with a rather large range of industry segments it can work with.
The first partners that have been officially announced include APX, Augmedix, Crowdoptic, GuidiGO, and Wearable Intelligence. The moves by Google seem to indicate that while the average Joe walking the street is starting to wonder how much ridicule they want to subject themselves to, businesses are finding Google Glass quite a bit cooler than they did in the past.
This first round of companies wanting to build and use applications that work with the glasses that look a bit funky means there will likely be a large second round when more “hip” improvements are made to the design. While Google has long been touting the device as a consumer gadget along the lines of a smartphone, corporate interests have already been using Glass for a variety of different reasons. Crowdoptic is one firm that has jumped on the chance to find new uses for the wearable technology.
With fingers in pies such as industrial, retail and medical, it seems as if the sky might be the limit if Google continues its outreach to the corporate world.

Google Glass. 

Following the largest technology event, this device was released for developers in February. The device is now out for consumers to provide a first time experience.
Just a month back, Sony uncovered its latest project, named Project Morpheus. The project is focused on a head-mounted video gaming device that is designed to provide a real time gaming experience. Similarly, Microsoft paid up to $150 million to buy wearable computing IP from Osterhout Design Group.

Application Development for Wearable Technologies

Reaching a breakthrough with innovative hardware is not enough to amuse the consumers. All they need is a diverse range of experiences in their head-, wrist- or foot-mounted device. This could only be achieved through creative software development. Manufacturers have covered their portion of responsibility by providing a platform that can be used to deliver customized and unique experiences. However, the rest of the contribution is to be made by the independent developers.
Developers have already realized the significance of wearables and consumer expectations associated with these devices. These developers can sniff great opportunities in the unoccupied segment of the market. According to Reuters, app developers see wearable devices as the next big thing.
To assist developers in this challenging route, tech giants like Google and Samsung have stepped forward with their tools and support. Samsung is offering a package of Tizen SDK for wearables and Samsung Mobile SDK. These software development kits will help programmers develop specialized apps for Samsung Galaxy Gear. Likewise, Google has made available the Glass Developer Kit (GDK), which is an add-on to the Android SDK. This development kit will let glass developers build Glassware that runs directly on Google Glass.
Innovative developers like Softeq apt to tie together the pieces of hardware, embedded software and front-facing user apps into unparalleled next-gen rapture are closely watching the prospects of application development for wearable devices, and desire to serve the customer needs in this future technology.
Wearable Technology Investment Opportunities
Nothing stands in the way of technological development and getting in the right spot for the next big thing is an addictive thing – capitalising on the opportunity! However, as we saw in the technology boom and bust of the late 1990s and early 2000, all that glistens is not gold. Facebook’s debut left a fair mess on the floor, although its recent resurgence has rewarded investors who have stayed loyal to the stock. Equally, Apple has provided an interesting experience for the longer term holder too, with its stock price moving through a sizeable trading range.
One area of particular interest is Sapphire Crystal. This is a particularly hard form of glass – the sort you find on a decent watch or timepiece – that is very scratch resistant. Apple have been touted as introducing this as part of the fingerprint recognition in their next version of iPhone and this has resulted in a great deal of interest in a previously unheard of sector.
Perhaps this may prove to be a catapult for stocks in this sector, in just the same way that we saw the likes of Lynas Corp roar ahead in the rare earth space a couple of years ago. In the case of Lynas, those glory days of $2.50 (last traded 41c) probably feels a lifetime ago!! Definitely worth a look though as there is something in this!
Technology is certainly a valid component within your investment portfolio and is part of the reason why we also trade the US market. However, it is only a portion, not the entire portfolio. Sometimes, having some more traditional aspects to your portfolio, adds value and shouldn’t be excluded. After all, slow and steady wins the race. Hence why I take the approach I do, and would encourage you to do the same.

Ben Woods
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