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Abacus ring
This little ring was made in the 17th proving that technology can become wearable. From the China Qing Dynasty era, it is 1.2cm long and 0.7cm wide. It was fully functional despite its size however the beads were too small to be moved with your fingers; instead a small silver rod was used. This wearable abacus is basically the world’s oldest smart ring, GIZMODO, 2014, viewed August 29, 2016, http://gizmodo.com/this-wearable-abacus-is-basically-the-worlds-oldest-sm-1545627562 -
Air conditioned top hat
The air conditioned hat was invented by John Fuller & Co. and was designed to stop men’s head’s from over heating whilst wearing a top hat, which was a big problem at the time. Victoiran inventions, Daily Mail Australia, 2014, viewed August 29, 2016,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2879448/Artificial-leeches-umbrella-portholes-walking-stick-doubles-gun-Amazing-archive-details-Victorian-inventions-DIDN-T-change-world.html -
Calculator watch
“By 1975 the electronics required for a calculator had shrunk so much that it could be shoe-horned into a watch casing. It was the first Pulsar calculator watch made in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA”. This was soon followed by the creation of the LED watch. Pulsar Calculator Watch, Vintage calculators web museum, 2016, viewed August 29, 2016, http://www.vintagecalculators.com/html/pulsar_calculator_watch.html -
Private eye
The private eye was a head mounted display monitor that produced an image comparable with that of a conventional 12 inch display. Head-mounted displays, Tac Anderson, 2013, viewed August 29, 2016, http://tacanderson.com/post/41204775438/head-mounted-displays-the-private-eye-from -
Bluetooth headset
This year the first head set was shipped, it was a mobile phone technology that integrated radio frequency, baseband, microprocessor functions and Bluetooth wireless software. The first wearable telephone device. Bluetooth history, Bluetooth, 2016, viewed August 29, 2016, https://www.bluetooth.com/media/our-history -
Fitbit
Fitbit grew fast, becoming an essential to most sporting persons, it was a wrist wearing item not many were seen without. It tracked all movements and from its first release has grown stronger and stronger. The story of fitbit: how a wooden box became a $$ billioin company, Wareable, 2016, viewed August 29, 2016, http://www.wareable.com/fitbit/youre-fitbit-and-you-know-it-how-a-wooden-box-became-a-dollar-4-billion-company -
Apple watch
With 3 versions to choose from on release, the Apple watch has an interactive surface that has the ability to send and receive messages and calls made to your iPhone. Is this too much technology to have on a person? How the Apple Watch was created, The Telegraph, 2015, viewed August 29, 2016, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/watch/11452455/History-of-the-Apple-Watch.html -
Oculus rift
The rift uses art displays and optics to have a high refresh rate and low persistence display to work together with custom optics to create a wide field of view. Rift, Oculus, 2016, viewed August 29, 2016, https://www3.oculus.com/en-us/rift/
