CES, biggest consumer technology show in the world, has been and gone, giving us the products that will define and shape our 2014.

CES, biggest consumer technology show in the world, has been and gone, giving us the products that will define and shape our 2014.

Many technology sites have dubbed CES 2014 as the year of the 4K TV, however, at Somo we always pay more attention to the large, disruptive, new technology trends that are likely to have a far greater impact on consumer markets, than small iterations on an established market - what CES 2104 was really about is the rise of wearable technology.

Wearable mobile technology takes many forms, from health-focussed fitness tracking wristbands, to augmented reality Google Glasses, to rings that act as a secure digital password based on your heartbeat’s unique pulse. It is essentially down to the fact that technology has become small enough, and portable enough that we can enable all matter of inanimate objects to become ‘smart’, or communicative, with the addition of miniature electronics.

The rise of the machines

It’s widely acknowledged that wearables are due to be big business. Juniper Research has predicted that wearables will represent a $19 billion industry over the next four years – even big-name venture capitalist Mary Meeker specifically called them out as a major area for growth in the era of the internet (now). CES 2014 marked a big moment for wearable tech as there were numerous wearables showcased at the conference, from established manufacturers through to newcomers, from expensive through to dirt-cheap, showing us a taste of what’s yet to come and what we can tell about wearable trends already.

You gotta have style

The Pebble Steel was announced at the show - a grown-up second iteration of the smartwatch. Whilst the technology of the Steel is largely the same as the first version, what is majorly different is the aesthetics - Pebble has acknowledged that in order for their product to attain mainstream success, it needs to look good. Now is the time for fashion retailers, brands, and designers to start collaborating with wearable tech companies and create technology that looks good enough to wear.

The death of ‘dumb’

Intel launched Edison, a computer the size of an SD card designed specifically to power wearable technology products. The example given was a baby’s onesie called Mimo that features a turtle-shaped sensor monitoring the baby’s vitals. The status would then be displayed on a smart-mug, and can trigger events such as starting the bottle warmer when the baby is sensed to stir (and therefore wake soon).

Intel have backed wearables in a huge way by designing a computer designed specifically for them and they have openly said they hope that Edison will be used by small manufacturers to make their products ‘smart’. I would certainly look at how technology like Edison could be used in any new product development.

A new platform

The Razer Nabu is a bracelet that seems like a standard fitness tracker bracelet. However, it is being opened up to developers to do what they will with the sensors. So whilst this is a bit of a leap at the moment, the Nabu theoretically can be used for such wild implementations like having product information being sent to a shopper’s phone (via the bracelet) once they pick up a specific product – so if you pick up a handbag, the product story and in-depth details or video can be sent to your phone for perusal later, allowing retailers to deliver tailored content to shoppers they know are interested.

Hurry up, the future

The aforementioned products are a just a tiny taste of the new wearables on show at CES. Whilst none of these products are going to have a monumental impact for mainstream retailers in H1 2014, they represent the direction and trends for products and consumer experiences coming for us all - many sooner rather than later.

Joel Blackmore is senior innovations manager at mobile agency Somo.