The Apple fans are all abuzz with excitement as Apple is filing for a trademark on the iWatch name. The speculation is that Apple will set the work on fire with their new and revolutionary smart watch. Sadly Apple could be a little late to this particular party and if their recent iPhone rut is any measure it is unlikely that their iWatch will be anything to crow about either. Apple also faces an interesting market where the concept of the smart watch is still being determined. This gives them both an advantage and a disadvantage. On the one hand they can try and develop something new and unique; on the other they are not known for creating “new” ideas. Apple has always been best at taking existing products/ideas and making them better.

In our second installment on wearable computing we will talk about why the timing is right for a new class of device and the steps that have been taking to bring them to the market. As we mentioned in part one we have been moving toward more portable yet functional forms of mobile computing. Along the way we go through a two distinct steps while these products get smaller. Step one is the companion or connected device and step two is the move to make these smaller product stand on their own.

Wearable computers have been a dream of many for a long time. The idea of this type of device goes much farther back than the computer itself and can been seen in comics and science fiction movies and books. Some examples of the gadgets are Dick Tracy’s two-way communicator wrist watch, Michael Knight’s Communicator/Computer watch from the TV Series Knight Rider and of Course Buzz Lightyear’s wrist computer. Ok so that last one was not really a good example, but you can see that there is no shortage of examples out there. Still, even with these examples we have not really reached the level where we have true wearable computing; we are getting close and some of the devices that are out on the market are impressive, but we are not there just yet.