Is Style winning over Substance, or is Wearable Tech here to bring us flawless experience and ease? Interestingly, Wearable Tech\u2019s relevance and application has today gone beyond mere fashion\/sports accessories. Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016, world\u2019s largest and sought after gathering for the mobile industry, showcased some of the hottest trends in the Wearable Tech space.<\/p>\n
For instance, at the recently held MWC 2016, some leading tech channels and portals specifically hand-picked a portable device that could fit on a cow\u2019s leg and help farmers to gauge the cattle\u2019s fitness level and address the medical issues before they get chronic. This proved to be a major cost-saver for the farming fraternity, showcasing how technology can empower not just humans, but major sectors at large.<\/p>\n
Likewise, Wearable devices are being designed and tested in organizations to help improve sitting postures, concentration, and productivity amongst employees. A research done by Goldsmiths, University of London found that using Wearable devices in office premises could help boost productivity up to 8%..<\/p>\n
Alternately, a study that analyzed around 120 employees at a media company for a specified period revealed that using Wearable tech reduced the alertness by 9%, but at the same time the job satisfaction levels increased by 3%.<\/p>\n
A smart watch that can give you feedback on you morning jog, a sleep tracker that can help you sleep better, a fitness tracker for your pet dog, or a heartbeat tracker that can determine your overall health, Wearable Tech is engaging on every front. <\/strong><\/p>\n In a recent episode, BBC Click showcased some chic Wearable gadgets like key rings, phone cases and bracelets\u00a0with payment chips, a ring wearable that goes with your outfit and syncs in with your iOS or Android device to alert you on calls, messages, emails, or any kind of social media notifications that you might miss if you happen to forget your phone.<\/p>\n As we gauge from these examples and the way the inventions are headed, everything revolves around the intrinsic needs of a human or a living creature. For instance, a dainty looking device designed for women to track stress levels, sleep and overall lifestyle related health issues. This further intensifies the need to strategize and execute a thorough testing effort to ensure flawless experience.<\/p>\n These gadgets are further supposed to sync in with your portable mobile devices to display the required results. Fitbit Alta, is a hot selling fitness band that tracks the steps, the running time, calories burnt, and all titbits related to the body\u2019s fitness. The band has to not just sync in with the jogger\u2019s pulse rate, but also with the Android that you are carrying to display the required results.<\/p>\n The concern is, you have spent a fortune on developing a gadget with all required features and then you realize that it is unable to sync with your Android or iOS. So, testing is not just applicable for the gadgets, but also for the Apps that orchestrate the overall impact.<\/p>\n Is Wearable Tech ready for the marketplace? Is the question to ponder over.<\/span> <\/strong><\/p>\n At present, the marketplace for Wearables is all gung-ho and flooded with innovative attempts to make it work with the end users. Considering this scenario, there is nothing streamlining the industry and how it should evolve in terms of performance VS commercial viability.<\/p>\n There are some fundamental questions raised:<\/p>\n The solution and the only answer to these popping concerns is Load \/ Performance testing the applications synchronously with the devices. However, the challenge is that there is no decided or standard platform to test these devices and applications. It is still evolving, as the market evolves. <\/strong><\/p>\n While established players like Nike+, Jawbone, and other fitness devices like Fitbit continue to provide strong reference points, there is a universe of devices in the market that mandates thorough scrutiny. And this further adds on to the challenges and nightmares of the developers and testers. Let\u2019s check out some key challenges.<\/p>\n Connectivity and interoperability across devices is a major area of focus, as most of the Wearable Tech depends on Internet connection or a shared Wi-Fi connection to give the desired results. So, during the development of the application and device, requirements related to data connectivity should be considered. Additionally, Wearables might also impact the performance of the mobile device. It would be a tricky situation if the mobile device is connected to 5 wearables and is receiving information at the same time from all of them.<\/p>\n Can it really take on the load?<\/p>\n With no definite way, what are the most effective ways of Performance Testing the Wearables and while designing specific applications?<\/strong><\/p>\n With over 10,500 athletes from 206 countries and numerous medals to grab, Rio Olympics 2016 saw many athletes using non-conventional means to build efficiency. Tech portals reported that some Olympic athletes were considering a new wearable called Halo Sports, a pair of headphones to boost their efficiency. Wearable Tech can be found across any or every category and are coming up every day without serious monitoring and vigilance, thus, reinforcing the need for testing performance.<\/p>\n\n
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