The concert and festival audience is simple. They want to show up, listen and rock out. It doesn’t matter if you’re stone sober or out of your mind, everyone at a show is basically doing the same thing. So, why would you want technology to change that? Learn some of the awesome things technology is trying to do in the music scene.
The Google Glass Failure
Google Glass is probably the most innovative and uncool piece of technology this decade. It is a piece of wearable tech you wear like regular glasses, but it aims to enhance everything you do, including watching movies, baseball games and live music. The biggest problem, though, one that Google blindly didn’t account for, is that Google Glass isn’t cool. It doesn’t look like a regular pair of glasses, but rather more like something worn in Star Trek. So, what could have been a righteous aid for festivals became the butt of a joke to anyone seen wearing them.
Wearable Tech Round Two
Now, Silicon Valley is having another go at wearable tech, but it is moving tech from your face to your wrist with smartwatches. The same function points are there, but now there finally is some style. From a distance, most smartwatches really look like regular wrist watches. And since they’re also sporty looking, smartwatches like the Samsung Gear S don’t look out of place alongside casual festival clothes. In fact, it looks more like a wearable fitness tracker than a Rolex.
Smartwatch Functionalities
What does a smartwatch do in the context of a show? One benefit is the integration with iBeacon, which is more or less a signal tower that uses Bluetooth to communicate with devices like smartphones, or in this case smartwatches, to deliver information. For example, you could use an iBeacon signal at a baseball game to read up on stats or game info.
Furthermore, carrying your phone at festivals can be a pain, especially for the ladies. But, a smartwatch is a great way to get updates and notifications at a show. Imagine being at Coachella and always tuned into where and when everything is happening. This means you’ll never mess a moment.
What Does the Future Hold?
No one quite knows what smartwatches could do in the next five years. While most smartwatches are tethered to phones for calls and texts, future watches could function 100 percent on their own. Smartwatches could also hold digital tickets inside. So, instead of wearing a Coachella band for three days, everything could be stored right inside your watch. You could even digitally sell your ticket to another person. The possibilities for the tech are nearly limitless. But, the reason smartwatches will continue to succeed where Google Glass failed is because smartwatches keep getting cooler and more fashionable.
So, if you want some gadgets for a show but aren’t into looking like a Trekky, then smartwatches could be the next big thing for you to buy. And, anything that doesn’t go on your face has to be a big improvement.
