Are you going to buy an Apple Watch?

The Apple Watch event has come and gone. What's left is a buzz about how beautiful it is, how expensive it is and perhaps how can you justify buying one. Clearly, if the world’s greatest company made it, it must be useful to me, somehow. Steve Jobs always said, that consumers don't know what they want and it is up to companies like Apple to show them what they want. Now that the Apple watch is out, I just need to dig deep and rationalise why I need it and why I have been longing for it all these years. Tim Cook said, "he has been wanting to use the watch to communicate like Dick Tracy did since he was 5 years old". Does this resonate with your thought process? Or have you pretty well made up your mind to either buy it or ignore it? Those of you who are yet to be convinced are probably saying to yourselves and others, "the phone does everything the watch does, so why should I get another gadget which needs to be tethered to my phone to do what the phone already does" ? Its not like you need the watch to tell time. Those of you enamored by the beauty of the watch, and lets face it, it is beautiful, will simply say "its a gorgeous accessory and I am worth it". Those of you seduced by Jony Ive's description of the innovation that went into making of the watch, will say "I am buying an elegant piece of engineering". Now lets take the emotions out of this conversation and decide objectively whether you really need this device or is it a luxury item reserved only for those who love to spend money. The industry consensus is that the watch is not all that useful. So, let’s take a look to see if there is any potential for it being useful down the road. The question for Apple shareholders is whether this will be as big as the iphone or not. After all, Apple has yet to come out with a radically new product category since the Steve Jobs era. Currently, the industry largely perceives Apple as a one product company despite its enormous success. Some of you are probably screaming right about now, "what about Apple Pay". I am of the camp that combined with the lead in fingerprint technology already available on the iphone, this will eventually be a big revenue source for Apple. But that's a topic for another time. Lets get back to the watch. What will make the watch a device that will entice the middle class along with the affluent to buy one today or in the future? 
Lets look at the demographic trend. With the population base getting older in most western nations, the need for fitness and health monitoring will get ever more significant. So, is this the killer app category for the watch. This is one respect in which the watch does what the phone cannot unless you strap the phone to your chest ! 

If you believe that health and fitness related applications will only gain in popularity riding with the demographic trend, then this watch along with the category of such wearables will eventually dominate. What would have been a nice to have device will become a must have device. Tim cook is counting on the fact that Apple has a design lead in this category and with mastery of health and fitness application domains in the future, it will come to dominate this space. As a shareholder of Apple, I hope the promise of this product category holds up and therefore I will watch this space carefully through the passage of time !

At least 40 reasons why Tim Cook is wrong about Google Glass

Apple's Tim cook recently said that he always knew that Google Glass will fail. Is this just wishful thinking or insightful observation on his part?

If you reflect on the recent realignment of the Google Glass project within Google, you would tend to be sceptical as well. After all, Google Glass is no longer being made available to the general public as it once was. So, is it really dead or is it simply ahead of its time? 

Google has repositioned Google Glass as an enterprise product which perhaps was its niche all along. What is the one thing Google Glass can do which your phone, watch, laptop or tablet cannot? 

It can simultaneously allow you to be engaged with your hands and eyes on a task while accessing pertinent information or data in real time.

Having access to critical information while working with your hands and eyes can improve efficiency, increase safety, ensure success and perhaps improve on the way we have traditionally done our jobs.

The type of information you can access via Google Glass can vary from videos, stats, directions, real time data, information, feedback, professional advice, schedules, news, emergency information, checklist, procedures, recipes, references, diagrams, live feeds, contacts to initiating phone calls. Frankly, the data is only limited by your imagination. 

Here are just 40 occupational categories for which the Google Glass can become a must have aid. I am sure you can think of many more.

1. Surgeons (procedures, vital stats)
2. Pilots (vital data, information)
3. Mechanics (how to information) 
4. Cook/Chefs (recipes, photos)
5. Bomb Squad members (real time analysis, visual access to backup)
6. Nurses / Doctors / Vets (access to procedures, symptoms)
7. Teachers (information, checklist, prompts)
8. Lab technicians (procedures, cheat sheets)
9. Utility technicians (information, ability to record) 
10. Scientists (information, procedures, ability to record)
11. Researchers (ditto)
12. Engineers (diagrams, blueprints, information)
13. Architects (blueprints, illustrations) 
14. Day Traders (real time data, flags)
15. Do it yourselfers (how to information, diagrams)
16. Handymen (ditto)
17. Installers (access to procedures, information, contacts)
18. Repairmen (ditto)
19. Home Builders (blueprints, layout, procedures)
20. Traffic Cops (real time traffic information, communication)
21. Paramedics (procedures, communication with remote emergency doctors) 
22. Rescue operators (visual access to situation, communication) 
23. Artists (picture, photo or subject) 
24. Conductors (access to music sheets) 
25. Stage crews (communication, access to script, lights, sounds control)
26. Military and swat team personnels (battle information, real time data, communication, remote visual access) 
27. Policemen (evidence gathering, communication, remote visual access) 
28. Security personnels (security information, breaches, communication) 
29. Drivers (navigation routes, communication, real time traffic data) 
30. Heavy Machinery operators (access to procedures, real time data)
31. Labourers (safety procedures, communications) 
32. Choreographers (visual recordings, communication)
33. Tailors (illustrations) 
34. Event Managers (hands free communications) 
35. Historians (data, information)
36. Art Restorers (techniques, data)
37. Farmers (weather data, commodity market data)
38. Archeologists (data, images, information, communication)
39. Astronauts (communication, procedures, data)
40. Astronomists (data, visual recognition)

It is not hard to imagine that along with our hard hats, lab coats, aprons, bullet proof vests, instruments, paint brushes, telescopes and tools we will count on this powerful new aid - Google Glass as a significant assistant to our daily jobs.

The benefits of Google Glass are not limited to such occupations or jobs. 

Imagine for instance you are running a marathon or are on a bike race. Wouldn't it be nice to see where you are in the race and what the terrain looks like ahead. Get stats on your personal progress, relative progress with fellow competitors etc. Wouldn't it be nice to get your coach, your friends or your family cheering you on without being with you, perhaps through your most challenging moments?

Imagine you want to record a video but don't want to remove yourself from actively participating in the event at the same time. Recording a wedding or a birthday event for example. Instead of busy focussing and framing your picture and looking through a video camera, you simply forget that the glass recording is on and participate in the event. After all, we want to be engaged in our lives and not just be busy recording it.

Imagine you are a soccer player who would like to get a video from your vantage point in real time to access visual of skills, moves and strategy given a developing situation in the field. Imagine the glass instructing you on your options when confronted with the opponent and therefore can be used as a teaching tool.

Imagine what a powerful lesson it would be to find that the recorded video is of you playing soccer is mostly you looking down at the ground and not the field and players around you. It is one thing for the coach to say you need to look up more but it is another to see it first hand from your own perspective and learn from it.

Imagine you are on vacation and would like to not only record what you see but get facts and information on what you are seeing while still immersed in your view and the experience. Imagine how much more engaged we would be with the sights and events with data accessible right when we need it.

Imagine you are learning how to play chess. The glass can be a powerful teacher to accelerate your mastery of the game. It can not only show you how the pieces can move but which pieces to move given the layout of the battle you face on the board. 

Imagine if are giving a speech or a presentation. You can maintain eye contact with the audience rather than looking down at the prepared material. 

Imagine if you are hosting a show, you won't have to rely on a teleprompter. If you are rehearsing for a play, you will never miss a line. Instead of holding the script in hand, you are free to act with your hands while rehearsing.

Imagine if you want to coordinate a community search party to find a lost child. It could be very handy to have a powerful computer assisting your efforts while you are in the field actively assessing the situation.

I think if I wasn't limited by time, I can come up with more examples like these from our personal lives where we can use this device. The device doesn't need to be worn all day and every day but used as a gadget as and when we choose to engage with it.

The need and benefits of this device are unquestionable in my mind. It will improve the quality of our professional and perhaps also personal lives as I alluded to above. I believe the device will inevitably succeed and will significantly improve our lives along the way. We will simply add Google Glass to our toolchest for daily use and when we come across someone wearing one, we would not even bat an eye ! Long term believers and shareholders will be rewarded in my opinion.