Levi and Google have partnered together to
create a “Denim Smart Jacket”. While the release date of this smart jacket has
been pushed to late fall, this jacket will go on sale for 350 dollars. According
to Google, this jacket uses “conductive fabric to turn a standard article
clothing into a connected device of sorts that can send instructions to your
smartphone, like pausing or skipping songs” (Statt 2017). This jacket is meant
to function very similarly like a smartphone, but more stylish. While
this innovation seems like a “cool” innovation, has it gone too far? Do we
really need to be even more attached to technology more than we already are? Furthermore, it will be really interesting to see how this affects Apple and their recent release of the smart watch.
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ReplyDeleteInteresting how Google is trying to head back into the wearable space (besides smart watches https://store.google.com/?srp=/category/android_wear) after Google Glass was a large failure. But, as a fan of wearables, I think there have been some really cool technological inventions emerging. Some solve great problems and disrupt current solutions. For example, my friend Alexa's startup, Penta Medical is healthcare wearable technology that uses sensing and tracking to actively heal soft tissue injuries.
ReplyDeleteThere are others that don't solve as important problems, but still are very popular such as Ringly, ring and bracelet wearables that connect to your phone via Bluetooth that let you receive mobile alerts through vibration and colour-coded light.
Personally, I think this Denim Smart Jacket has gone a little too far, but I do think there are some really innovative tech that has merged with the fashion world. Fashion designer, Rebecca Minkoff has been using tech to enhance the in-store retail experience and has even had custom Google Cardboard VR headsets at one of her runway shows for attendees (https://www.fastcocreate.com/3041516/master-class/mirror-mirror). She is an example of someone who wants to disrupt fashion with digital innovation.
I agree with Danielle, in the sense that the smart jacket really hasn't added anything that other wearable devices do. I think that wearable technology can be used for a variety of things more important than being stylish. For example some companies are looking into wearable clothing to help athletes better track their training as well as personal details. The military in places around the world are beginning to advance technology and their gear integrating gas sensors to help save lives. All in all wearable tech has so much potential and as technology advance, especially screens and interactive devices, it is only going to be easier to integrate into our day to day lives.
DeleteThe more we keep advancing, the more we become dependent to technological artefacts. Having this smart jacket is just one of the many means that these tech companies use to make us want to keep up- the more they make us attached and dependent to our devices, the more demand there'll be for whatever product they create to enhance the dependence. There is going to be an advancement in a 3 dimensional world, where we will have to use devices to help navigate our lives and activities and companies like google are trying to get a head start.
ReplyDeleteI think this product doesn't really offer anything particularly new, besides tying technology even more directly to fashion. I agree with Ayomide, that it could simply be seen as another sign of companies looking to capitalize on our increasing dependency on technology. However, just like the Google Glass, I could see this product failing in the market for very similar reasons.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with what everyone has previously stated, that this new product doesn't seem to add anything new to the market, and that there appears to be much more effective and beneficial ways of incorporating wearable technology into society. Google's innovative smart jacket seems to be their way of doing something different that hasn't been done while attempting to advance technology and the user's daily interactions with their smartphone. However, I think this technology and innovation should be put towards a better and more productive use. As it was previously mentioned, wearable technology has the ability to benefit athletes' training and healing tissue injuries. A smart jacket innovation could be turned into something more meaningful and useful than simply for entertainment purposes!
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