7 Ways Wearables Will Go To Work - InformationWeek

InformationWeek is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them.Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

CIO Insights & Innovation
Security & Risk Strategy
Team Building & Staffing
IT Strategy
Digital Business
Project Management
Programming Languages
Dr. Dobb's
Enterprise Applications
Operating Systems
Productivity/Collaboration Apps
Network Security
Careers & People
Threat Intelligence
IoT
Attacks & Breaches
Application Security
Cloud Security
Endpoint Security
Mobile Security
Perimeter Security
Risk Management
Operations Security
Analytics
Vulnerabilities & Threats
Security & Risk Strategy
Infrastructure as a Service
Platform as a Service
Software as a Service
Cloud Storage
Data Centers
Mobile Applications
Mobile Devices
Mobile Business
Enterprise Mobility Management
AI/Machine Learning
Big Data Analytics
Hardware/Architectures
Software Platforms
IoT
Networking
Wireless Infrastructure
Data Centers
Cloud Infrastructure
Careers and Certifications
Network Security
Government
Healthcare
Wall Street & Technology
Bank Systems & Technology
Insurance & Technology
Industries
Government
Healthcare
Wall Street & Technology
Bank Systems & Technology
Insurance & Technology
IT Life
Careers
Mobile
Mobile Applications
Mobile Devices
Mobile Business
Enterprise Mobility Management
Software
Enterprise Applications
Operating Systems
Productivity/Collaboration Apps
Comments
7 Ways Wearables Will Go To Work
Newest First  |  Oldest First  |  Threaded View
SaneIT
50%
50%
SaneIT,
 User Rank: Ninja
1/30/2014 | 9:04:54 AM
Where I would use wearables
"4. Wearables will revolutionize warehousing and logistics.
Hands-free technologies particularly benefit employees working in warehouses or in logistics positions. Smartglasses allow them to use their hands to lift boxes and packages while gaining access to location data such as where to place the box within a large warehouse, or navigation data for delivering a package."

 

This is something I've been thinking about a lot over the past couple of years.  I know that if I suggested a Google glass like wearable for some warehouse employees there would be talks of spying and micro managing them but if it could be activated with simple voice commands or eye movements this could help greatly for order fulfillment, scanning and taking inventory. It would also cut down on broken hardware since things like barcode scanners get worked hard, banged around and left in odd places.  The glasses would be much less likely to die due to a fall and wouldn't be likely to be placed on the back of a fork truck. 
Susan Fourtané
IW Pick
100%
0%
Susan Fourtané,
 User Rank: Author
1/30/2014 | 4:13:07 AM
Re: Really?
GAProgrammer, 

"Every article written about wearables (the latest fodder for tech journalists) is about two things - making people lazy and keeping them from doing any thinking, much less critical thinking OR about tracking so much metadata about individuals that it makes Big Brother look like a an idiot."

Are you sure you are blaming the right people for making people lazy and keeping them for doing their own thinking? This article is only reporting on what is already in use, or the wearables that could be in use at some point. 

Reporting about something doesn't mean telling people to be lazy, or keeping them from doing critical thinking. That depends solely on people. You don't have to do, or wear everything other people write about, do you? You can use your rational thinking to know what is good for, or what is not. 

I don't think tech journalists are the people to blame here. 

-Susan
WKash
50%
50%
WKash,
 User Rank: Author
1/29/2014 | 9:20:42 AM
Re: The problem with wearables
On the flip side, look at the Go-Pro crowd and you can see a motivation for where people are willing to wear tech to capture what's important to them. So I think the trick for employers is, if it helps the employee, give them the opportunity to experiment w/out a lot of strings attached.  If it only helps the employer, the motivation wont' be there.

 
Whoopty
50%
50%
Whoopty,
 User Rank: Ninja
1/29/2014 | 7:13:34 AM
Re: The problem with wearables
I'd get onboard with that philosophy. I'd find it very difficult to accept a position at any company that wanted to keep so close an eye on me - it doesn't exactly inspire confidence. 
WKash
50%
50%
WKash,
 User Rank: Author
1/28/2014 | 10:31:09 PM
Re: The problem with wearables
I agree with Tom Claburn...and if I had the sense my employer was tracking my every move, I'd be pretty hesitant about working there.
Thomas Claburn
50%
50%
Thomas Claburn,
 User Rank: Author
1/28/2014 | 4:50:24 PM
The problem with wearables
The problem with wearables is that the data seems to be intended to benefit the service provider rather than the wearer. Take location data. I generally know where I am. And when that's the case, location data is mainly meaningful for someone else. That isn't really a compelling value proposition.
GAProgrammer
50%
50%
GAProgrammer,
 User Rank: Ninja
1/28/2014 | 1:27:19 PM
Really?
"Smartglasses allow them to use their hands to lift boxes and packages while gaining access to location data such as where to place the box within a large warehouse, or navigation data for delivering a package."

Really?

Warehouses are already organized and people know where they are putting a package. They can already navigate large warehouses because of - wait for it! - signs, labels, maps and training. You know, using their brains?!

Every article written about wearables (the latest fodder for tech journalists) is about two things - making people lazy and keeping them from doing any thinking, much less critical thinking OR about tracking so much metadata about individuals that it makes Big Brother look like a an idiot.

This is just another article hyping ideas, 90% of which will never happen due to human nature or legislation. I agree we have to dream and think out of the box, but ideas have to be grounded in reality or, like most tech trends, they never reach the goals set out by the dreamers.
Whoopty
50%
50%
Whoopty,
 User Rank: Ninja
1/28/2014 | 12:17:04 PM
Re: Wearables -- Not All Rosy
There's certainly a lot of potential for abuse with wearables, just like there has been with smartphones though - I wonder whether the average consumer would consider the recent privacy invasion revelations as overshadowing the benefits of increased connectivity?
Laurianne
50%
50%
Laurianne,
 User Rank: Author
1/28/2014 | 11:49:54 AM
Wearables -- Not All Rosy
J.P. presents many of the potential upsides of wearbles, but it's not all rosy. Track my footsteps around an office to measure collaboration? Good leaders model and inpsire collaboration.

Re the Disney item: Chris Murphy and I both wrote last year about the potential downsides of Disney's Magic Band plans. Personally, I expect they will use this to further segment guests' experiences based on how much you pay.


State of the Cloud
State of the Cloud
Cloud has drastically changed how IT organizations consume and deploy services in the digital age. This research report will delve into public, private and hybrid cloud adoption trends, with a special focus on infrastructure as a service and its role in the enterprise. Find out the challenges organizations are experiencing, and the technologies and strategies they are using to manage and mitigate those challenges today.
Download Now!
Editors' Choice
Commentary
AI Regulation: Has the Time Arrived?
John Edwards, Technology Journalist & Author,  2/24/2020
News
Fighting the Coronavirus with Analytics and GIS
Jessica Davis, Senior Editor, Enterprise Apps,  2/3/2020
Slideshows
IT Careers: 10 Job Skills in High Demand This Year
Cynthia Harvey, Freelance Journalist, InformationWeek,  2/3/2020
Register for InformationWeek Newsletters
Video
Current Issue
IT Careers: Tech Drives Constant Change
Advances in information technology and management concepts mean that IT professionals must update their skill sets, even their career goals on an almost yearly basis. In this IT Trend Report, experts share advice on how IT pros can keep up with this every-changing job market. Read it today!
Download This Issue!
White Papers
Slideshows
Twitter Feed
Sponsored Live Streaming Video
Everything You've Been Told About Mobility Is Wrong
Attend this video symposium with Sean Wisdom, Global Director of Mobility Solutions, and learn about how you can harness powerful new products to mobilize your business potential.
Sponsored Video
Flash Poll