When Apple introduced the iPad 2 in 2011, it laid out a noble goal for the future of technology.
"Technology alone is not enough," an Apple ad proclaimed. "Faster, thinner, lighter, those are all good things, but when technology gets out of the way, everything becomes more delightful, even magical. That's when you leap forward."
With the iPad, the notion of technology getting out of the way meant designing a computer so easy to use that the apps took center stage. But the result was in some sense counterproductive; we've become so sucked into our phones and tablets that technology is actually getting in the way of the real world.
It's not going to be like that forever. In talking to leaders from some of the most innovative companies in consumer electronics, it's clear that the next five years will represent an attempt to bring us back to reality. This may seem paradoxical, but a proliferation of wearable devices, smart-home gizmos, smart cameras, and augmented-reality systems will exist largely to save us from our screens.
Wearables Return to the Real World
The cynical way to view wearable technology is as yet another intrusion—another set of screens to keep us separated from the physical world. But Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's corporate vice president of devices and studios, doesn't see it that way. He believes these devices, more than ever, will help technology fade into the background.
Mehdi gives a basic example that applies today: Instead of sounding an alarm, many fitness trackers can wake you with a gentle vibration to avoid disturbing your spouse. It's a seemingly minor feature, but one that takes the focus off the device itself and onto the people around you. "That's an interesting thing where people are taking a personal device and saying, 'Well, the win is for my spouse, not for me,'" Mehdi says.
Curious about more trend predictions? Read Fast Company Technology Reporter Jared Newman's complete article.
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