Are Wearables failing those who need them the most?

I am still yet to be convinced by Wearables, so found this a fascinating read, what are your thoughts?

I do agree with the article. Although I do understand that a programmer or company needs to profit from their work, it is sad that they (or should I say we?) don’t think beyond profit, and the good that can be done with their application.

Let’s face it. I don’t know how far a fitness or health control app could do for an old person… or poor. Old people may not trust the technology, and not be willing to learn how to use it… and poor people, well, maybe their mobile phone (if they have it) is not compatible with that technology. So the number of people that may benefit may not be as high as we would like to.

Also, it may be more than challenging for the company that create the app to learn how to work with legacy technologies.

Still, even if just a few can benefit now, many more will in the future so it would be worth a try

I do know if a few startups looking into leveraging IoT devices and wearables for aged care. We shall see where they go.

Time! Component prices have only fallen low enough for economically viable wearables a few years ago. This stuff takes time to evolve. And the elderly are difficult to sell tech to in my experience. Still trying to get my nan to use a mobile phone.

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I agree that old people need to adjust to new technology… and often they don’t…Except when they have a particular interest.

When my mother (unfortunately, she passed away a few years ago) had problems to walk around the house, she bought a laptop. It wasn’t her first one, we did try now and then to get her into our tech world and gave her one as a present. She never used it and gave it to one of her grandsons. But this was the first time she bought one.

She learnt how to use Outlook (sort of) and this and that… but the thing that she learnt really, really well… was how to play Bridge on the Internet :smiley:

She used to go once a week to a card club to play Bridge so being able to play at home, when she couldn’t get out, did lift her spirits quite a bit :smiley:

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Not wanting to take the topic too off-topic, but I am amazed how much ‘older’ people love tablets. I think my Dad uses his more than me!

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Actually it doesn’t surprise me much. I think they are much more natural to learn how to use. Learning to use a mouse for the first time seems to be a massive chore for many older people. And then they tend to find it hard to see where the cursor is, and what they have clicked on.

Simply i can say that these technology are benefits only for current and future generation people not for old generation people.

Thats completely inaccurate!

Not only do some of the older generation adopt these technologies, there is an indirect benefit, through people around them using them, through hostpitals etc using them, and from the purchase of them they fund economic development in the area bringing cheaper and better software and devices which have a knock-on effect enabling better technologies that benefit everyone of all ages.

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