One of the most fascinating branches of the Internet of Things is wearable computers, because they will have such an effect on our personal lives.
From the increasingly ubiquitous Fitbit, Fuelband, and Jawbone UP fitness monitors to potential lifesavers such as the Peeko onesie to ward off SIDS or slippers that detect a change in a senior’s gait in time to notify caregivers and avoid a fall, they are
Jawbone UP
likely to become woven into the fabric of daily living. Juniper Research predicts that sales of wearable devices may be near 70 million by 2017.
Bloomberg News did a wrap-up on the potentially $6 billion market today.
Companies already making apps for smartphones and tablets may find capitalizing on the new market will basically be found money:
“For many companies already making apps for smartphones and tablets, the cost of developing wearable apps would be incremental. Modifying an existing smartphone app to run on a device like a watch might only take ‘a couple of hours,’ said David Kincaid, founder of San Diego-based Mobile Software Design LLC, the maker of the FreeCaddie golfing app.”
