Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smart watch is set to hit U.S. stores this week. The 1.6-inch, $300 watch will be able to make calls, take pictures and send texts. One can now wear a powerful computer in millimeters of fabric, a weightless monitor of one’s location, heartbeat, physical habits and moods. There is even a way to discover allows parents to monitor their infant’s temperature and even when the baby has rolled over with their smart phones.
Samsung’s Galaxy Gear collects massive amount of data. Consumers are being lured into uncharted territory that will compromise their privacy due to the sensitive nature of the data and the uncertainty about how the information will be used.
A privacy and information policy consultant Robert Gellman said “The word ‘privacy’ does not appear in” the FDA’s rules. The Federal Trade Commission has said it will study the growth of Internet-connected sensors, which can appear in products as headsets, refrigerators, watches and medicine bottle caps. But privacy advocates are concerned about this industry.
Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy said that the mobile device is a digital Trojan horse for privacy, that allow marketers to know both our exact location and where we spend our time. We’ve entered a world where a customer is recognized, analyze, tracked and targeted nearly about 24-7.”
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) will begin selling its Glass headset next year that will allow users to take pictures, record video and read messages. Samsung is now testing the waters with its smart watch. Analysts say that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is expected to jump into the wearable market in near future. The company’s new iPhone 5 already includes a movement chip that can automatically detect when a user is walking or driving, it will provide map instructions.
Analysts have forecasted that the market, which already generates about $3 billion to $5 billion per year, could grow tenfold over the next three to five years.
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