Wearable Technology

[J4MES OX4D 10,057]

We are living in a fast-moving and growing technology era with wearable tech being the new gimmick on the horizon. I don't know whether the products in the pipeline are fundamentally essential in day to day life or if they are just status items for people, and companies to demonstrate future possibilities in 'fad' form. Either way; I don't like most of the products that are inching ever closer to mainstream and am finding this sector becoming intrusive along with technology today in general. 

 

Google Glass for me was the first product that caught my eye (no pun intended) and I immediately hated the concept. It looks fucking ridiculous, someone can easily swipe it off your head in a heartbeat and the fact that it can record anything and everything at any time leaves me inclined to the possibility of punching someone in the face that I see operating one. If someone walks down the street with their phone ahoy and filming people; it would make me uncomfortable but someone using GG could easily use the device under the radar for malicious purposes undetected. If you want to record something; use a phone or a recognized mainstream device which is built for the correct purpose. I can't see someone looking a complete twat with these glasses on walking down the street and thinking they need to record something at the spur of the moment. Yeah you might see a nice arse but this could be considered as outraging public decency in the courts. Google Glass could be used to enhance chip and pin fraud by using techniques that have been around since phones were built with cameras but with the glasses, you could be more discreet in your attempts to commit fraud. Football clubs are also greatly concerned at the legal ramifications if someone was to enter a football ground with these devices on and breach TV rights by recording matches. Clubs can be responsible for 60,000 fans and if one dick smuggles in Google Glass with ease which is easily done; they can be severely punished more than the person with the device. 

 

Smart Watches are another buzz word on the technology street. I have a watch, it tells the time; why the fuck would I want a watch that is smarter if the point of a watch is to tell the fucking time eh? Do I really give a shite about my pulse or how many calories I've burned walking around trying to find a bin to put my Red Bull can in? Why the hell would I need to access my emails through a watch if I have a better, more appropriate, compatible device? Seems like they trying to enhance miniaturization or design a needless functionality.  Do I really need to access Facebook/Twitter in such an emergency that I don't have time to pull out my phone out of my pocket? Smartphones have excelled and people can run their tech-dependent lives from one hand but I don't think a watched-based device is going to be rendering them obsolete anytime soon. 

 

The worrying thing is that all the above technologies are unnecessarily networked and no doubt put your privacy at a greater risk. There are watches and wrist devices out there that are standalone and record things like heart-rate but adding the internet compatibility to connect to devices and record your personal information is not required in my opinion. We've already seen fridges that can send spam emails and attack sophisticated PC's this year and last year we saw cars being electronically hijacked. If you leave your house with 4-5 devices; you're treading a fine line for trouble. Fingerprints, voice-recognition, movements, internet; everything is tracked. Hackers will have a field day in years to come too. 

 

I just find future technology concepts very uncomforting and needless. Too many obsessive idiots jump on the bandwagons of these companies to fuel the demand and more claws dig in to the public's rights. I'd rather be secure and protected from crime and surveillance at the expense of 'looking cool' in the public domain.  

[Drifter 851]

Totally agree. Personally I think people these days have lost sight of what life really is about. They feel they need to constantly be "plugged in" to something and that it somehow makes their life better. When in fact they are missing out on life because they are constantly plugged in. You can't enjoy life when you are a slave to your electronic devices. Kind'a like Ferris Bueller's famous line.....

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

 

Personally I have moved in the opposite direction myself over the years. I had a cell phone back around 2000-2003 (back when the only thing you could do was call someone and play "snake" on it for a game) but I ditched it about 10 years ago and you couldn't pay me to have a cell phone these days. I no longer use social media except for once in a very VERY great while, I only use the computer about 25% of the time I use too, pretty much have cut out a lot of the stuff like that and I'm a happier person for it.

[Diddums 4,346]

Meh. Can't be arsed with all that shit either. Just like Facebook and all of that. If I want to throw a sheep at someone I'll drive to Wales, grab one there and whallop Euan with it.

[BO7H B4RRELS 2,453]

Kind'a like Ferris Bueller's famous line.....

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

 

I read an article talking about how people are so quick to pull out their cell phones to take pictures and/or record things in their lives.  It was shown that you're more likely to remember the event if you don't take the time to take your phone out and take a picture.  Too many people are so quick to take our phones to snap picks and post them online to claim they witness such and such or went to this or that place, but they are cheapening their memories of it by doing so.  Just slow down, take in the moment and enjoy it for what it is.  

[Diddums 4,346]

Not only that, but the imagination is a wonderful thing. I'd much rather tell a story and let people's imaginations fill in the gaps than show them a photo, which will detract from the story. 

 

If you're sharing a positive experience, the human imagination will always resort the the most positive image it can think of. For many people, this is the exact situation that would be as positive as possible in their eyes. This situation would be different for different people, which is why i like to leave the imagination to do its thing when telling a story.

 

The imagination is a magical thing, and photos and videos are killing it. 

[J4MES OX4D 10,057]

Agree with Tommy and Dave above.

 

Photos should be reserved for things like births, weddings, sightseeing and special occasions; not for some drunken night at some shitty club of your pissed mate on the floor once again. I hate this social media culture. All my friends if I need them are just a text away - I don't need to publicise anything in status form or feel the need to upload 1,500 photos taken pointlessly over a month. I left Facebook before it practically kicked off in the mainstream and so did a few of my good friends. We get irritated if someone bangs on about it and asks as to why were not on there any more. I think its sites like that along with the net in general that is damaging society.  When I was younger; if I wanted to see my friend, I had to physically go round their house. It was worth the journey for their company. 'Socialising' on social media is not a very healthy experience and not maintaining physical contact with reality I feel can damage mental health.  Also the gossip and bullshit that comes with it I find best avoided. 

 

I was on Twitter a couple of years ago and that more or less turned into a publicity contest. 'Follow me and i'll follow you even though I don't know you'....

 

Just fucking bullshit. I may be pushing 30 but I am so glad I am not 18 again as I don't think i'd be able to cope on a daily basis having to update my life status every hour and take pictures of pointless shite.

 

I love the gaming side of growing technology but the real world tech on the horizon is just cringeworthy. Society is bad enough today and god only knows what tomorrow will bring.

 

Also the word 'Selfie' appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary. I fucking hate the meaning and the word itself. My definition would be 'a picture taken by a loaner in an attempt to raise popularity and self-esteem. Taken in their bathroom usually; the picture offers no merit or point in the world'