A Look at 'Smart Technology'

The term “smart technology” is far from new. and there are now millions of products that are now “connected”. They include smart forks, smart tortilla makers, and most inexplicably, a smart egg tracker; and, that’s only in the kitchen. For most, the smart tech that they are considering is that of Internet-connected devices that have some day-to-day practical utility. Let's look at some sectors of the smart technology industry that are making good progress as we speed toward a ubiquitously-connected future.

For Your Person
There are lots of smart products that are constructed to help people stay on top of their health. The most identifiable of this technology are wearable devices that function as tools to help measure something specific about a person’s health. Led by companies like fitbit, many of today’s wearables are designed as multi-function physical training tools. Products like health bracelets, watches, and smart fabrics are built to connect to the Internet or to an Internet-connected mobile device.

Each of these devices are built with microprocessors, sensors, and an energy source of some kind. Engineers have toiled over the creation of this technology for over ten years and now, with upgrades in each, products are readily available that interest consumers enough to warrant over 125 million wearable units to be shipped in 2017 alone. Some smart products for your body are listed below:

• Fitness trackers - Even the most uncomplicated ones track steps taken and estimated calories burned, while many also monitor distance traveled, sleep quality, and how fast you go.
• Smart watches - Some have fitness settings, but many modern smartwatches have ecosystems that run on apps. They are capable of many handy functions.
• Smart clothes - Most smart clothes are designed to be worn while exercising. There are self-cooling shirts that trigger when the body temperature rises to a certain temperature, and even yoga outfits that can help you master your form.

For Your Automobile
A lot of work has gone into smart technology for the automobile. There are now cars that offer anything from face up displays that are easy to interact with, to screens that show two different sets of content depending where you sit in the car, to self-driving functions. This just touches on what’s possible for future transportation. At this point, though, we are making headway in what will one day be a sector technology will virtually dominate.

You don’t have to purchase one of these cars to see smart technology working for you. Since 1996, every automobile that has been manufactured has been built with an on-board diagnostic system. This innovation permits mechanics to access data about the vehicle. Today, there are several commercially available diagnostic tools that you can use to comprehend the health of your car without taking it to a mechanic.

Modern smart enhancements reach beyond the actual performance of the car, though; they make the user experience more immersive. Obviously navigation systems, especially those that also provide a simple interface to control the media, temperature, and drive type bring a lot of value to drivers. The utilization of cameras have also made a big difference for the modern driver. Not only do many cars now come with standard backup cameras, there are other cameras some drivers choose to use to enhance the security of their automobile.

The future holds a lot of innovation for the smart car. The addition of increased reality displays on windshields and in rear-view mirrors will eventually become typical technology that will give the inside of your car a whole different look. More is being done by Google and Apple to integrate user’s smartphones with the car’s onboard computer, allowing users to have a static interface that will eliminate the need for anyone to pick up their smartphone while they are driving, a major cause for vehicular deaths in this era.

For Your Home
A majority of smart technology is for utilization in the home. Some devices seem ridiculous, bordering on unnecessary and excessive, but many are designed to help people manage their energy costs. Some of the most popular smart devices for the home include smart speakers. The Amazon Echo and Google Home smart speakers serve many purposes and with a little care and research can control a lot of the other smart products that make up the “smart home”. Those devices include locks, cameras, lights, thermostats, basically anything that you can control digitally, you can now control through applications on your mobile device or via one of these in-house smart speakers.

Many of the appliances that users rely on now come with smart capabilities. Refrigerators, ranges, faucets, washers, dryers, dishwashers, vacuums, and smaller appliances can now be controlled remotely and monitored. Many haters to this type of technology root their skepticism in the practical applications of these connected devices. They will usually make the argument that who needs a vacuum that is connected to the internet? Beyond the novelty, the machine gets smarter. By learning how to do things efficiently, it cuts down on energy costs and provides you with value by keeping your floors clean without you having to physically do it.

Same concept for all smart tech: The smarter your technology is, the more useful it is.

Most of these technologies come with a large price tag, but as the technology becomes more commonplace and demand increases, supply will as well, which will eventually drop the cost to consumers. You can already see this happen as much of the smart tech has notably dropped in price already.

For more information about smart technology or new technology trends, contact our IT professionals at 703-359-9211.