by Leigh Goessl

Created on: February 26, 2013

Smartwatches are one of the latest ideas in innovation that is coming to fruition. As the world continues to go digital with an emphasis on "connectivity", developers are finding ways to integrate the Internet with everyday items.

• What is a smartwatch?

A smartwatch is somewhat like an ordinary watch, however its function goes far beyond the usual timekeeping. This device is actually a mini computer, built in the form of a wristwatch. It can do all of the things a mobile phone can do, from apps to checking messages.

• Growth of mobile

Mobile technology is experiencing an unprecedented level of growth. At the pace things are moving, mobile devices are destined to outpace the number of human beings in the world. According to some reports, this may even occur by the end of 2013.  Portable devices, such as cellphones and tables, are already dominating the consumer market. Many speculate the age of the personal computer is almost over.

However, technology as an industry steadily progresses. The question of "what next" begs asking and the answer may be found in "wearable computers".

• "Wearable computers"

As indicated above, the rapid pace mobile is growing is explosive. Consumers tend to gravitate to what's new and hot on the market. Once laptops were the "next big thing", and devices have only gotten smaller and even more portable since the advent of the portable computer.  Smartwatches takes mobile to the next level in a new generation of computing, called "wearable computers". 

• Is 2013 the year of the smartwatch?

This year at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) highlighted a few different models of smartwatches, including innovations from I'm S.p.A., Toshiba, ConnecteDevice Ltd and Pebble.

While not all of these newly unveiled mobile time-telling devices were the same in design, what was in common is the concept of a wearable Internet connected device. Also, worthy of mention is that these devices were not made by the typical brand names you'd expect to hear, although the "big names", such as Sony and Apple, are also working on smartwatches.

For example, just this past week Apple filed a patent, indicating the technology giant is going down the smartwatch path as well.

Smartwatches appear to possibly be "the next big thing" as technology continues to evolve and integrate with daily living. As technology progresses, it is highly probable that the interaction between humans and technology will become more and more seamless. Smartwatches are a progressive step towards this closer connection between man and machine as the lines between the two continue to blur.

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