Throwback Thursday: The Rise of Wearable Technology... a Fad or Here to Stay?

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In the past few years, wearable devices have become a household name. Similar to the beginning of the smartphone boom, wearable technology is starting to pop up all over the place. If we take a step back though, we realize that wearable devices have been around for a lot longer than we think. To the right is an infographic (click link to enlarge) about the rise of wearable tech. 

Eyeglasses were one of the first forms of wearables created in the 1200s. Then, in 1907, the creation of the first wristwatch was introduced to the world by Alberto Santos-Dumont. 

These two "old-school" wearables paved the way for today's innovators to enhance them. The invention of eyeglasses and the wristwatch are getting futuristic touches in today's tech inspired world. Now, manufacturers are coming out with smart-watches (Apple) and smart glasses (Google).    

Also, circa 2010, fitness gadgets were invented to help people track their health and activity. These devices then connect to your smartphones, showing all your data on a larger screen making it easier to analyze. Now, wearable devices are becoming a part of the Internet of Everything and being augmented by a Virtual Agent. Click the link to watch a demonstration of how a Virtual Agent helps users experience the Internet of Everything.     

According to the infographic made by Memoto (now known as Narrative), the amount of wearable devices shipped is projected to grow between 39 and 171 million devices in 2016. Some analysts are saying that wearable technology is just a fad, and it won't be as big as people are making it out to be. What is your opinion? Are wearable devices here to stay or is the next evolution of wearable technology embedded in our handheld devices (i.e. smartphones)?

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