Gadgetory

you know it's kind of fun these days telling folks about Google glass and smartwatches because they give you that look like what is wrong with you then I wait for the Dick Tracy jokes to subside and then tell them how smartwatches could have a real shot at ubiquity if they succeed in making our increasingly chaotic mobile devices simpler and more personal just a moment I just got a message so you can put it up to your ear like this and take calls privately swipe down to activate the built-in camera which lets you snap still images and 10-second videos all the uses could be taking a picture with your phone remotely or checking your group while you're on a run or controlling the volume of your music agenda swipe picture from one feature to another going back is as simple as swiping down from the top bezel camelus research predicts some 5 million smartwatches could sell in 2014 nobody really knows but even that gold could be awfully lofty if smartwatches as a group don't nail three things first look good this is fashion not just tech but how many tech companies do you know are actually good at fashion Apple is Sony was Google Microsoft not really and startups like pebble they do have a certain new cachet but not an established style language second makes sense not just making it clear how to use a SmartWatch but why I would use one though makers who get that done first I think will win first getting across the message that a SmartWatch can thin out and surface the important stuff on our increasingly busy and vertical phones and tablets in other words play the hits of digital living on my wrist and third measure me the market for Fitness wearables is for real think of Fitbit flex Nike FuelBand a jawbone up those overall will sell some 80 million units in 2014 over 200 million by 2018 and yet I don't think most people are gonna want to wear both if they don't have to so here's a place where smartwatches could eat a lot of lunches if they can roll up that body metrics piece that fitness piece as well