How wearable technology affect developer of web content - Essay Example

HOW WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS GOOGLE GLASS AFFECT DEVELOPER OF WEB CONTENT Introduction The latest change in technology is causing everyone in the technology industry to notice and use wearables. In technology, the term wearable refers to a range of technological devices. According to Ruiz and Goransson, “it fits everything from iPod controls embedded in the sleeve of your ski jacket to intelligent shoes that tell you which direction to turn when you reach an intersection” (2015, p. 4). Rather than just holding technological devices, people today are comfortable wearing them on. Google glass is a perfect example of wearable technology. It is a technological gadget mounted on the head in a similar way as eye glasses, which acts more like a computer with voice activated and capabilities to perform google searches, take videos and photos, look for directions, and a range of other functionalities (Casabona, 2014). The emergence of wearable technology has come with a number of impacts. Among them is a huge impact on web content developers and the world of web design in general. This is especially due to the fact that when it comes to web surfing, modern web visitors are highly dependent on wearable mobile devices. This paper is a discussion on wearable technologies and the effects they have on web content developers. Emerging Technologies and Opportunities for Web Application Development As innovations continue to be made, new technologies emerge from time to time. The emerging and new technologies bring a range of opportunities with them and for the different fields they are applied in. Web application development is an area in computer technology that has been impacted by emerging technologies and where opportunities have grown. Examples of emerging technologies that have brought about opportunities in the area of web application development are Web 2.0, XUL and XAML among others. Web 2.0: In the area of web applications, Web 2.0 has brought a paradigm shift. According to Lee, “with its promise of a more rich, participatory and interactive user experience, Web 2.0 has quickly emerged as a powerful method for both user participations and interactions” (2010, p. xxiv). In the areas of business collaboration, communication and customer relationship management, Web 2.0 has brought new opportunities. XUL: The initials XUL mean XML User Interface Language (Leuf, 2006). It is a language based on XML developed by Mozilla and that Mozilla uses for its application user interfaces like Firefox. Leuf points out that “using XUL and other render components, developers create sophisticated applications and interfaces without special tools” (2006, p. 124). The main advantage of using XUL as a programming language is that it can be used in any web application development setting. XAML: The initials XAML mean Extensible Application Markup Language (MacVittie, 2006). XAML is “Microsoft’s new declarative language for defining application user interfaces” (MacVittie, 2006, p. 3). Trends and Technologies that are providing New Opportunities for Internet Based Applications Over the past few years, the field of web applications development has experienced notable changes. The first web applications had no database access capabilities and the web pages were static only consisting of links to other web pages, graphics and text. Bidgoli asserts that “over time, web applications were developed that were dynamic in nature and could access traditional databases” (2004, p. 25). Gradually, applications capable of enabling business transactions over the internet were developed. All tasks involved in business transactions are possible with these applications. Generally, internet based applications have brought about a lot of cost saving and great benefits in organizations. As organizations advance with advances in technology, internet based applications are getting new opportunities from this. Organisations have the will to expand their web applications base and some of them are already taking steps towards this. Organisations “want to enrich and expand their information systems not only by converting or rewriting their existing traditional client/server applications to make them web enabled, but also by creating new web applications to take advantage of the new opportunities created by intranets and Internet” (Bidgoli, 2004, p. 25). The reasons behind this move by organisations are that they are more productive and enable transactions to be conducted anywhere, at any time and at lower costs. Development of internet based applications has only been possible due to the existence of technology. Since technology keeps advancing with time, the proliferation of internet based applications is going to take some time before it slows down. Internet based applications continue to grow in terms of importance. For this reason, developers and organisations will seek to make them more formal and improve their development. According to Khosrowpour, “in particular, the growing complexity of web applications addressing database connectivity, transaction processing, adaptive systems, and integration with legacy systems is likely to require more formalised methodologies” (2000, p. 33). The Context of Internet Technologies beyond use in Traditional Websites Internet technologies have grown in use and are now applied beyond traditional websites. There are numerous mobile websites today, all which utilise internet technologies. While traditional websites are limited in terms of interaction and personalisation of content, dynamic websites have all these elements. Dynamic websites are created by incorporating dynamic elements in them. According to Ricci, dynamic pages are either server side or client side; for server side, “a page is dynamic because it is created differently every time you call it”, while for client side, “a page is dynamic because some code is executed in the browser in response to user input” (2011). It is the expectation of today’s consumers and businesspeople that websites are personal and capable of offering interactive experiences online. To achieve this, web services, as well as dynamic technologies such as PHP and XML are being used. According to Akamai, “at the same time, AJAX, Microsoft Silverlight, Adobe Flash and Flex are increasingly being used to deliver Rich Internet Applications (RIAs), which enable web applications to present the type of rich user interface people are accustomed to on the desktop” (2008, p. 1). Effects of Wearable Technologies on Web Content Developers As people continue to prefer wearables over other technological devices, web content developers and the world of web design stand to be hugely impacted. For web content developers, context is a new challenge they will have to handle. In this view, context means making applications to suit a wearer, which means different wearer preferences, have to be considered. For this and other reasons, web content developers will have to create applications with the following features in mind: Responsive designs: When a website is designed to be responsive, it means that it can be viewed on any device. According to Bell, “rather than expecting the user to conform to a specific design environment, this approach reverses the relationship by enabling the system or site to respond to the user’s technology” (2014, p. 374). Instant information access: The main reason why people prefer wearing some devices is to be able to access information instantly. To ensure this, web content developers need to ensure that the websites they create can be accessed without delay by eliminating unnecessary elements. This however does not mean sacrificing reliability as supported by Flextronics that “it would behove the engineering community to ensure the basic manufacturing and reliability requirements are not sacrificed on the altar of speed” (2013, n.p.). Complete interactivity: This means that websites have to be dynamic to support interactivity. Buenaflor and Kim point out that “computer as clothing offers a new dimension in ubiquitous computing with the advantage of overcoming obtrusiveness of many devices” (2013, p. 104). Minimal design: For access on wearable devices, applications should have simple and few design elements. A lot unnecessary design content can be overwhelming to users. Large text: Text ought to be large enough for visitors to be able to read it on small screens. The web content developers for Google Glass have done an excellent job on this. Ostracized pop-ups: Pop-ups can be a big bother for website viewing on small screens. In cases where pop-ups are absolutely necessary, large buttons to close them should be included. Intuitive web design: Websites designed for access via wearable devices must be intuitive. It is a fact that “consumers seek intuitive forms of interaction when choosing wearable fashion technology items” (Ching-Han, Chun-Ming, Chen-Hao and Yu-Shan, n.d., p. 7). Conclusion The recent shift in technologies has led to preference and use of wearables by users. This has been mainly driven by their mobility over other technological devices, responsiveness, user intuition, interactivity, instant information access and ostracization of pop-ups. Generally, the field of web application development has grown and this has been driven by trends such as adoption of electronic ways of doing business, learning and offering consultative services among others, as well as emerging technologies such as Web 2.0, XUL and XAML. Due to this recent shift towards increased use of wearables, web content developers have been impacted in such a way that they have to have user needs and the limitations of wearable devices in mind when developing applications. References Akamai, 2008. Beyond Caching: The User Experience Impact of Accelerating Dynamic Site Elements across the Internet. [pdf] Available at: < https://www.ibusiness.de/wrapper.cgi/www.ibusiness.de/files/jb_2532165951_1259489113.pdf > [Accessed 23 February 2015]. Bell, Steven J., 2014. Staying True to the Core: Designing the Future Academic Library Experience. [pdf] Available at: < http://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/portal_libraries_and_the_academy/portal_pre_print/articles/14.3bell.pdf > [Accessed 23 February 2015]. Bidgoli, H., 2004. The Internet Encyclopaedia, Volume 1. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Buenaflor, C. and Kim, H., 2013. Six Human Factors to Acceptability of Wearable Computers. [pdf] Available at: < www.sersc.org/journals/IJMUE/vol8_no3_2013/10.pdf> [Accessed 23 February 2015]. Casabona, J., 2014. Web Designer's Guide to Google Glass. San Francisco Peachpit Press. Ching-Han, K., Chun-Ming, Y., Chen-Hao, H. and Yu-Shan, H., n.d. Decision Making in the Design Process of Wearable IT Products. [pdf] Available at: < design-cu.jp/iasdr2013/papers/1770-1b.pdf > [Accessed 23 February 2015]. Flextronics, 2013. Wearable Technology, Fashioning the Future: A view into the Manufacturing and Reliability Challenges of Wearable Electronics. [pdf] Available at: < http://www.flextronics.com/Documents/White%20papers/WT%20Fashioning%20the%20Future%20-%20FINAL_AE.PDF > [Accessed 23 February 2015]. Khosrowpour, M., 2000. Managing Web-Enabled Technologies in Organizations: A Global Perspective. Hershey: Idea Group Publishing. Lee, I., 2010. E-Business Applications for Product Development and Competitive Growth: Emerging Technologies: Emerging Technologies. Hershey: IGI Global. Leuf, B., 2006. The Semantic Web: Crafting Infrastructure for Agency. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. MacVittie, L., 2006. XAML in a Nutshell. Sebastopol: O’Reilly Media Inc. Ricci, F., 2011. Internet Technologies 5-Dynamic Web. [pdf] Available at: < http://www.inf.unibz.it/~ricci/IT/slides/5-www-dynamic.pdf > [Accessed 23 February 2015]. Ruiz, D. C. and Goransson, A., 2015. Professional Android Wearables. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Read More