Google Glass, Samsung Galaxy Gear, and the rumored Apple iWatch have turned up the hype-o-meter on wearable tech to deafening levels. You'd think they were the only players in the game. But such powerful gadgetry isn't the future of wearables, only a part of it.
At least that's the thinking from Christian DeFeo, e-supplier manager at Newark element14, an electronic design community for engineers and a component retailer. Instead of wearing $1500 Google Glasses that delivers a sci-fi experience, he says, you're more likely to slip on an affordable ring equipped with near-field communications (NFC) technology that unlocks your car door.
An NFC ring is seeking Kickstarter funding. "Google Glass is kind of an elite product that's only for a select few," because of the expected sky-high retail price, DeFeo says. "We see wearable technology being much more democratized than that."
Unlike the Green Lantern's glowing superpower ring, the NFC ring won't try to do everything. It won't act like a minicomputer delivering services like a smartphone, rather it will be an invisible yet practical tool in our everyday lives. And it certainly won't run into giant obstacles that can trip up more ambitious projects, like Google Glass and smart watches.
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