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On Wednesday, June 12 at 11 a.m. PST/2 p.m. EST/7 p.m. GMT, @eWEEKnews will host its sixth Tweetchat event. The topic will be “Sizing Up the Impact of Wearable Computing.” It will be moderated by yours truly, who serves as eWEEK’s editor of features and analysis.
Some quick facts:
Topic: “Sizing Up the Impact of Wearable Computing”
Date/time: June 12, 2013 @11a.m. PST/2 p.m. EST/7 p.m. GMT
Hosted by: @eWeekNews
Moderator: Chris Preimesberger: @editingwhiz
Tweetchat handle: Use #eWeekChat to follow/participate in the chat
Chatroom link: http://tweetchat.com/room/eweekchat
Wearable technology has become one of the most important trends in the mobile industry, due mainly to the excitement generated by speculation surrounding Apple’s iWatch and Google’s Glass. The two companies have shone a relevant light in a marketplace that has, for the last several years, been trying to get into the spotlight.
The attention that Google and Apple have received has also revealed that a number of smaller wearable device makers, such as Pebble, are trying to demonstrate that this is a viable market. But with wearable technology starting to reach the market so people can see what these devices can do, some people are thinking about which devices they would consider buying. After all, most folks haven’t spent much time analyzing wearable technology, and finding the kind of products that would make them more productive and maybe even a bit cooler with their friends isn’t as simple as one might think.
Now more than ever, people are talking about wearable computer technology and how it might impact their lives, and companies operating in the space are starting to believe that their niche market might actually grow into something quite large.
Naturally, there are issues, as with any new disruptive IT. The potential impact on personal privacy is already becoming a major debate in the halls of Congress. For example, should wearers of Google Glass be required to turn them off — or take them off completely — in situations that could compromise personal privacy? Standing in line at an ATM, using a public restroom, having a private conversation in a restaurant — all of these common situations change when someone nearby is wearing a video/audio recording device like Google Glass.
Google Glass is on the minds of just about every technology nerd out there. The device, which is worn like a pair of glasses, allows users to do everything from snapping photos to recording video. Google Glass is designed to replace cameras, smartphones and perhaps other devices as the primary form of communication and data transmission on an individual’s person. According to Google, it’s the next logical step for wearable technology and will entice quite a few customers to buy it.
But what if Google Glass doesn’t actually succeed in attracting customers? Is it actually an instrusive device? As nice as the idea might sound, there are still a number of market barriers that could cause Google Glass to stumble at the starting gates.
What are your takes on this and other wearable computers? Let’s discuss today in the eWEEKchat.
For a bit of background, here’s how a Tweetchat works:
Who: All those interested in the topic who also have a Twitter ID.
What: A Tweetchat is an online conversation held at a prearranged time following a specific hashtag. In eWEEK’s case, we will be using #eWeekChat for all or most of our Tweetchats. Chatroom link: http://tweetchat.com/room/eweekchat
When: Wednesday, June 12 at 11 a.m. Pacific Standard Time/2 p.m. EST/7 p.m. GMT.
Where: The chat can be followed on Twitter using the hashtag #eWeekChat. A link to the recap (so you can see a record of what everybody Tweeted) will be posted on this blog the following Friday, June 14.
Why: The whole idea is to facilitate additional industry dialogue and provide a forum for questions, idea sharing and problem solving. We also want your input on what you’d like to discuss during future chats, so please leave a comment on this post or tweet @eweeknews with topic ideas.
Participants will be able to ask questions of eWEEK staff members and special guests or simply add their thoughts to the conversation. The only restrictions are that we stay on topic and that you say what you need to say succinctly (140 characters).
You may not have participated in a Tweetchat previously. They generally move pretty fast, but you can learn a lot. We’ll also post a record of all the comments so that you can refer to it afterward. Here’s the Storify page containing all of our previous eWEEKChat compilations.
Please note that to maintain a semblance of order, please prefix your question or comment with the number of the question we are currently discussing. As an example, the moderator may post: “Q1: When you’re in the bathroom and someone walks in wearing Google Glass, would you be offended and ask him/her to please take it off?”
To which you might answer: “A1: No. Any publicity is good publicity.” Or you might not answer that way.
eWEEK’s first five Tweetchats all were both resounding successes, with an average of six to seven Tweets per minute during each 60-minute time frame. If you do the math, that’s about 350 tweets in the single hour. The action is fast, but lots of good information invariably is contributed.
A Tweetchat is a venue that is easy to use on any type of device, too. By the way, did you know that eWEEK is the only mainstream IT trade publication that has specific apps for Android and iOS devices?
Hope to connect with you June 12, and use your collaboration network to tell your friends. Let’s have fun with this.