Update: Wearable Technology

Last month I wrote how I tried it all - FitBit (various models) as well as the Apple Watch.  I've been "wearable" device free for over a month.

Guess what?  I have not gained weight, I have continued to exercise and eat well.  And I have felt liberated not to be connected all of the time.  Interestingly enough, a friend of mine sent me this article last month from the NY Times.  The article claims that wearable technology does not end up on your wrist in the long run.  Like many other things in our homes, it ends up in the junk drawer.

Another article recently released claims that  smart watches will overtake fitness bands.  I do think it will be interesting to see how this market evolves and if it has staying power.  If anything, at least it is making many Americans far more aware of monitoring their health, exercising more, and hopefully making better decisions with their diet.

On another note, I recently bought a new car - I upgraded from my 2007 Ford Explorer (which I loved but killed me on gas and started having continual problems) to a 2015 Nissan Rogue.  The Rogue was brand new - nobody bought it from this dealership in 2015, so I got a great deal, given that the 2016's are out now.  The technology that now exists in vehicles blows my mind.  I do like the ability to answer the phone or read a text without touching my phone.  The satellite radio and navigation system is amazing.  The backup camera is unreal.  But I also see many of these things as distractions.  I've been arriving at destinations and not remembering how I got there.  The backup camera is a huge adjustment - I am still more comfortable turning my head and looking around.  The "blind spot" sensors are cool, but the moment I get into my wife's car or daughter's car, I am going to have to re-adjust.

One of my mentors once told me that the only constant is change.  He was right.  I think back to the first brand new vehicle I bought - a 1994 Ford Ranger.  Standard cab, no power steering, no air conditioning, no power windows.  $7999.  I was 23 years old.  My stepson is 24 years old - just upgraded from a 1998 Ford Ranger to a 2014 GMC Sierra with every feature one can imagine.  He couldn't believe it when I told him about my 1994 Ranger.  But it was mine and I was damn proud of it.  My, how times have changed and we have become a "spoiled" society.  Somebody once said, "Less is more."  That person may have been right.