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Jan 1, 1510
Marine Chronometer Pocket Watch
Invented during 16th century Europe, the pocket watch was revolutionary for it's time. Peter Henlein of Germany is widely accepted as being the father of modern clockmaking. In 1510 he created what is now known as the first pocket watch. -
The Abacus Ring
Was this the first wearable computer? The abacus ring acts as a tool for counting and was invented during the Chinese Qing dynasty. -
Hewlett-Packard HP-01 Algebraic Calculator Watch
In 1977, HP performed an incredible engineering feat by inventing a miniature calculator that could be worn on the wrist. With 28 tiny keys that allowed you to perform over three dozen mathematical functions, the watch has become one of the most sought after electronic collectables ever. -
The Digital Hearing Aid
In 1987, the Nicolet Corporation released the first commercial Digital Hearing Aid. Unfortunately for the company, the aid was not commercially successful. This did however start competition between companies to create a more effective aid and two years later the BTE (Behind The Ear) Hearing Aid was released. -
Bluetooth Headset
The year 2000 brought the addition of Bluetooth Headsets as an accessory to the Cell Phone. Worn on the ear whilst speaking to another person via the phone, in their prime Bluetooth Headsets were a fashion statement as well as a device that kept the hands free. -
Microsoft SPOT Smartwatch
The Spot watch (or Smart Personal Object Technology) was released by Microsoft to a lot of commercial excitement. The watch itself offered a lot of good features, and the wearer could pay a subscription fee to sync the device to other platforms like Outlook. -
Fitbit
In 2009, the Fitbit was released to the commercial market and marked the beginning of the consumer trend of wearable fitness trackers. The trackers now sense heart rate, temperature, step count while simultaneously uploading the data to your smart phone and calculating your daily fitness goals. -
Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch
The Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch was released as a companion to Samsung's Smartphones. The watch sparked global interest and added fuel to the ever growing fire that is the competition between the tech companies Samsung and Apple. The watch takes photos and records video, can make and receive phone calls, notify the user of text messages and of course, acts as a wrist watch that tells time. -
Google Glass
Google Glass is an Optical Head-mounted display that displayed smartphone-like information in a hands-free format. The product received criticism due to privacy concerns and Google has since stopped the prototypes production. Google has also said that the Glass product will still be researched and developed so it looks like wearable Smartglasses are still on the cards as a future technology. -
The Apple Watch
The Apple Watch is a Smartwatch device released as a companion to the Apple iPhone. The watch connects to the phone and is capable of answering and making phone calls, sending text messages, tracking fitness and has it's own specially designed apps so the user can customise it to their specific needs. -
Oculus Rift
The Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset allows users to participate in different simulated experiences. Users can play video games, watch movies and use social media. Heralded as the beginning of a revolution, the Oculus Rift seems to have a bright future ahead of itself if the product developers are able to keep up with growing VR competition.
