Get ready for a new word to enter your vocabulary. Well, maybe an old word with a new meaning.
It happened with the word "swipe." It used to mean "to steal," now it's an action of sliding your credit card through a little card reader. "Tweet" was something a birdie did, not people. A "cell" was where a prisoner stayed, not part of a phone system.
In the past if someone said "wearables" your brain would make the leap to clothing that was comfortable, easy to launder, durable, and so versatile you could wear it for any occasion. But you'd be wrong. A wearable is a medical device that monitors a bodily function like heart rhythm, temperature or blood pressure. Some devices communicate directly with the doctor or the hospital, some are just for the wearer's information.
Apple has the iHealth wrist monitor. There's the Jawbone, the Pebble, and the galaxy Gear. Nike has the Fuelband, Adidas has MiCoach. There's the Fitbit and I'm Watch. And those are just the best recommended for the health conscious individual.
According to the Institute for Health Studies, "Wearable Technology - Market Assessment, roughly 50 million wearable units will be sold in 2014, and more than 180 million are predicted to sell in 2018. Wearable devices create new ways for businesses to connect with customers and employees – and wellness, healthcare and medical categories are forecasted as the top applications. Based on these figures it is no surprise that life sciences companies are showing a keen interest."
Just when we thought there was nothing new under the sun...an entirely new industry comes along.
It happened with the word "swipe." It used to mean "to steal," now it's an action of sliding your credit card through a little card reader. "Tweet" was something a birdie did, not people. A "cell" was where a prisoner stayed, not part of a phone system.
In the past if someone said "wearables" your brain would make the leap to clothing that was comfortable, easy to launder, durable, and so versatile you could wear it for any occasion. But you'd be wrong. A wearable is a medical device that monitors a bodily function like heart rhythm, temperature or blood pressure. Some devices communicate directly with the doctor or the hospital, some are just for the wearer's information.
Apple has the iHealth wrist monitor. There's the Jawbone, the Pebble, and the galaxy Gear. Nike has the Fuelband, Adidas has MiCoach. There's the Fitbit and I'm Watch. And those are just the best recommended for the health conscious individual.
According to the Institute for Health Studies, "Wearable Technology - Market Assessment, roughly 50 million wearable units will be sold in 2014, and more than 180 million are predicted to sell in 2018. Wearable devices create new ways for businesses to connect with customers and employees – and wellness, healthcare and medical categories are forecasted as the top applications. Based on these figures it is no surprise that life sciences companies are showing a keen interest."
Just when we thought there was nothing new under the sun...an entirely new industry comes along.
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