Wearable technology is electronic devices worn on the body. Smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses, and hearables are examples. They monitor health, display notifications, track location, and augment reality. They are always on, always with you. The body becomes the interface.

Wearables pack sensors: heart rate, accelerometer, gyroscope, GPS, temperature, and more. They connect to phones via Bluetooth. They run apps. They collect data. Some are medical devices. Some are fashion. Some are both. The category keeps expanding.

Types of wearables

• Smartwatch: notifications and fitness
• Fitness tracker: steps, sleep, heart rate
• Smart glasses: AR and camera
• Hearables: earbuds with sensors
• Smart clothing: fabric with electronics
• Medical: insulin pumps, ECG patches

Wearables raise privacy questions. They collect intimate data. Who owns it? Who can access it? Insurance companies and employers may want it. Users may not realize how much they are sharing. The device is on your body. The data is in the cloud. The rules are still catching up.