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Advancement with Wearable Technology over years

Technology has advanced with continuous change in wearable computers. Wearable technologies are increasingly used in healthcare. For instance, portable sensors are used as medical devices which helps patients with diabetes to help them keep track of exercise related data. [1] Lot of people think wearable technology as a new trend. Although, companies have been trying to develop or design wearable technologies since the past few decades. Whereas, it has recently overhauled the spotlight on these new type of technology which are more focused on making people's life efficient and to be able to adapt the new fad over these devices in the market.

Challenges with wearable technology

Wearable technology being very efficient comes with many challenges, like data security, trust issues, and regulatory and ethical issues. After 2010, the wearable technologies have been seen more as a technology focused mostly on fitness. It has been used with a potential to improve the operations of health and many other professions. With the increasing wearable devices, privacy and security issues can be very important, especially when it comes to health devices. Also, FDA considers the wearable devices as "general wellness products". In U.S, wearable devices are not under any Federal laws, but regulatory law like Protected Health Information (PHI) is the subject to regulation which is handled by the Office for Civil Rights(OCR). The devices with sensors can create security issues as the companies have to be more alert to protect the public data. The issue with cyber security of these devices are the regulations are not that strict in US. Likewise, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a code called NIST Cyber security Framework, but it is not mandatory.

Consequently, not having any specific regulation for the devices, specifically for the medical devices, increases the risk of threats and other vulnerabilities. For instance, few years back Google glass raised a major privacy risks with the wearable computer technology. Congress has investigated on the privacy risks related to consumers using Google glass and how they use the data. The reason it posed a major risk was because exposes people on always being on surveillance which is not just limited to the users of the product but including everyone around them. Wearable technology like google glass breaks into everyone's privacy because it had the power to record anything or anyone at anytime without them being aware. One could be walking on the streets, at the store, or even visiting the doctor and without realizing that their actions are being watched or recorded by an anonymous person with the help of this sort of wearable technology. Nonetheless, all the data captured on the Google glass was then stored on Google's cloud servers which basically means that Google had access to all of our data. It also instigated security rights of women as it gave the power to the stalkers or harassers to take intrusive pictures of women's bodies by wearing the Glass without any fear of getting caught . This is one of the major challenges which comes with all the wearable technologies.

Wearable technologies like these smart glasses can also imply cultural and social issues. Even though, wearable technologies are making our life easier and more enjoyable, but with the adoption of wearable technology, it allows the social conventions to govern human to human communication. Correspondingly, wearable devices like Bluetooth headphones is making people get hang off relying on the technology than the human interaction with the person right next to you. The society thinks of these technologies more of as luxury accessories and the peer pressure of having similar to what the other person has to not feel left out. It raises challenges of social and moral discipline. Wearable devices are seen as objects of discipline and control like it mediates the cultural ideologies. For instance, wearing a smart watches these days can be an act to correspond with standards if you work in a male dominated field and where people are against feminism. Wearable technologies deals with the issues of bio-politics on understanding the fact that wearables dominating the humans and how they act.

Despite the fact of the demand for this technology is increasing, one of the biggest challenges is the price. For example, an apple watch's price ranges from $399 to $1,399 which for a normal consumer is very expensive and can be out of the budget. Apple recently invented a health watch with powerful sensors for a healthy life which can measure your high or low heart rate notifications, irregular rhythms notification, ECG App, and fall detection accelerometer feature which alerts or allows to easily dial any emergency services and if the consumer or specially people over the age of 65 years is unresponsive for about a minute then it will automatically place a call to the user's emergency contacts.