What I Don't Want For Christmas

I've adapted quickly to most technology. I sit before a 21-inch iMac. My smartphone is rarely out of reach. My iPad comes with me to most business related activities. But there is one thing you can rest assured you won't see me in anytime soon and that is Google Glass.

Wearable technology is hot. No question about that. Nike's Fuelband debuted in 2012 and continues to be a prototype for innovative marketing and customer engagement. Sony just launched a Smart Watch 2 and rumor is that Apple's iWatch concept will combine Nike Fuelband with iOS Apps.

The latest in wearable tech is the news that  Microsoft is working on the Smart Bra  (yes - you read that right) which uses sensors to measure a woman's emotional state and detect when she might be gearing up to overeat. 

(Note to Microsoft - Fascinating technology but we women generally know when our emotions might be triggering our over eating and an alarm sent to our smartphone is not going to stop it from happening!) 

Now back to those glasses.

I got to try them out when I was at BlogHerPro. 

This is what I noticed. 

They made me dizzy.
Everyone who was wearing them had their eyes rolled towards the ceiling and off to the left where the screen sits.
Consequently no one was making eye contact.
They pinched.
They look ridiculous.

There I said it.
They look ridiculous.

No one mentions the style factor. Everyone is too caught up raving about the technology. But I am here to tell you there is nothing whatsoever fashionable about what someone looks like wearing Google Glass. 

Which is just one of the two big reasons I don't want a pair for Christmas.

The other is that I am too connected for my own good as it is. I have enough trouble keeping my gaze away from my smartphone. I don't need to be wearing the temptation on my eyes. 




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The Most Underused App On Your SmartPhone - Day 8

My smartphone sits next to me as I write. I have over six pages of Apps. I can use it to check Facebook, the Stock Market and the weather in Paris. I can snap a picture, edit it with my Camera+ App and then post in on Instagram. I can read The New York Times and listen to Pandora. I can send a text, write an email and set my alarm for the next morning.

But the thing that used to be it’s primary purpose - before it became so smart - is the most underused App of all. 

According to the IDC Research Study sponsored by Facebook only 16% of smartphone usage is spent talking on the phone !

The phone call has evolved from being "the next best thing to being there" to an intrusion and an infringement of one's precious time. 

Why talk when one can text? 

And email? It's so much more efficient to do business.

Or is it?

Is it a better use of time to watch the phone ring and let voice mail pick up - than to experience human interaction? 

Maybe.

Is it faster and quicker to reply to the phone message with a text rather than doing something rare and what in many circles is still considered polite and call me back?

Could be.

But not always. 

And here’s the reason. 

The sound of another’s voice is a source of human connection. 

Did you hear that?

It’s why radio still endures as a medium in an age of multiple choice. It’s why podcasts are increasing in popularity.

Your voice is a persuasive tool that does not translate in a text message. An email exchange might change the course of a difficult situation - but nothing will measure against the sound of another's voice.

True, it takes more courage to pick up the phone in a world that lets us hide behind our technology. But because it’s used so infrequently these days it also sends this wonderful signal that says the receiver is important enough to actually spend some time and talk with.

What a refreshing thought!

The point of technology is to enhance our relationships - personally or professionally - not substitute. There are plenty of situations where the text or email is the best and quickest route to communicate our message. But not always. 

If you don't believe me, give it a whirl this week and experiment. Let me know what happens.

note: This is Day #8 of a 30 Day Experiment. Here are the details on how it all started.