[Miscellany] Some reflections from my use of technology

When technology works well, we don't think about it. We take it for granted. But some recent “technology failures” have led me to reflect on its role in my life, and how it impacts on how I see other human beings and the world. So much more than a watch My Apple Watch stopped working. … Continue reading [Miscellany] Some reflections from my use of technology

What’s the problem with personalisation, anyway?

Recently, Google announced that it is buying Fitbit, the fitness tracker company which, not long ago, was the leader of the fitness wearable devices market. This acquisition gives Google a foothold in the large, growing and lucrative smartwatches / fitness band arena, which was lacking from their product portfolio. Most importantly, for Google, it gives … Continue reading What’s the problem with personalisation, anyway?

Apple Watch Series 4 will appeal to older customers; and that is a great marketing move

At its latest event, on 12thSeptember 2018, Apple announced a new version of its smartwatch. The Apple Watch Series 4 includes features such as a display that has 30% more usable space than the previous versions, a fall detection mechanism which sends out an alert if the user remains immobile after the suspected fall, and … Continue reading Apple Watch Series 4 will appeal to older customers; and that is a great marketing move

Using wearables is all about control. And so is not using them.

The short video below presents two extreme cases of attitudes towards using wearables. On the one hand, we have Thomas who monitors multiple aspects of his daily life, from food intake to movement, and even built a wearable to track his sneezes. On the other hand, we have Emma, who firmly rejects using wearables even … Continue reading Using wearables is all about control. And so is not using them.

Jawbone bows out of fitness wearables market – reasons and lessons

One of the first players in the fitness wearables market, Jawbone, is leaving the market. After struggling with hardware and software problems, and a dwindling market share, the company has bowed out. I wrote an article for The Conversation unpicking the reasons for Jawbone’s failure, and highlighting some lessons to be learned. You can read … Continue reading Jawbone bows out of fitness wearables market – reasons and lessons

Would providing financial incentives to use health and fitness wearables work?

In recent years, there have been suggestions that doctors should prescribe the use of health and fitness wearables to get people moving and to fight rising obesity levels. Others have suggested that employers and insurance providers should incentivise the use of wearables, for instance by funding their acquisition, or by reducing insurance premiums. These … Continue reading Would providing financial incentives to use health and fitness wearables work?

Wearables aren’t just for Christmas

Health and fitness wearables are likely to be on many people's list, this Christmas. This is great because it means that we are all trying to improve our health and fitness. Move more. Run faster. Sleep better. Eat more healthily. And we want to monitor how well we are doing. Image source Widespread use of … Continue reading Wearables aren’t just for Christmas

I say wearables, you say apps and stuff

The general definition of wearables in the industry literature, is that they are machine to human devices, embedded with internet connectivity, and with the capability of collecting, storing and transmitting data. In the health and fitness arena, this includes fitness trackers, smartwatches, skin patches and certain types of smart clothing. This definition is focused on … Continue reading I say wearables, you say apps and stuff

August and September 2016 round-up

August was taken up with conferences and time off with the family, so I decided to skip the usual monthly round up post and merge it with September’s. And, then, September flashed through, as well, with back to school matters, and dealing with various cold viruses and man-flu in the house. Here are the highlights. … Continue reading August and September 2016 round-up

March 2016 round-up

This month felt very much like a Mad Hatter tea party, with quite a bit of nonsense, and weirdness, and twists and turns. At least there was a lot of tea. And cake. These are my highlights for the month that was. Tell me yours, in the comments below. Researching I worked on a … Continue reading March 2016 round-up