Digital Lifescapes

Smart Watches have been around for the last decade. But this wearable computing device has failed to take off for one reason or another. They were unattractive, too bulky, had weak functionality, or the battery life was too limited for extended use. However, over the last nine months a number of new smart watches have emerged that could change consumer perceptions about the value of these devices. Moreover, demand is developing in the marketplace. According to the latest market study by ABI Research, more than 1.2 million smart watches will be shipped in 2013. "The strong potential emergence of smart watches can be attributed to several reasons," said Joshua Flood, senior analyst at ABI Research . Contributing factors include the high penetration of smartphones in many world markets, the wide availability and low cost of MEMS sensors, energy efficient connectivity technologies such as Bluetooth 4.0, and a flourishing software app ecosystem. The wearable computing de...

Demand for wearable computing devices are forecast to grow rapidly over the next year. With a wave of new gadgets set to reach the consumer electronics market, it's very possible that this technology could become commonplace within five years. According to the latest market study by ABI Research, they now forecast that the wearable computing device market will grow to 485 million annual device shipments by 2018. Currently, sports and activity trackers account for the vast majority of wearable technologies shipped. Smart activity trackers are widely available, and this device's trendy and stylish appearance makes them very popular with a broad range of customers. It's estimated that 61 percent of the wearable technologies market is attributed to sport or activity related trackers in 2013. Smartphone compatible watches are beginning to emerge, and it has been reported that Apple may have plans to release a smart watch some time this year. Furthermore, it has been ...