Experts describe the current state of computing$$the third wave$$as ubiquitous computing or pervasive computing. The first wave was identified by mainframe computers, the second wave by personal computers, and the third wave by small computers embedded into many devices used daily$$cellphones$,$ cameras, watches, and so forth. Because people usually carry these devices around, the term $$wearable$$ has been coined to describe them. Wearable computers are also used in medical monitoring systems, and they can be helpful when people need to use computers$$to enter text, for example$$while standing or walking around. There are many platforms and several players in this market. The following are popular examples:

Google Glass$$Displays information in a hands$-$free format; can communicate with the user and the Web in a natural language

Fitbit$$Tracks physical activity and is designed to help you become more active

A new type of wearable computer with ingestible sensors and implantable chips, now used in Sweden, may soon become common. A tiny microchip about the size of a grain of rice is implanted under the skin. These devices can be used to collect information about what is going on inside a person$$s body. They can be used for treating chronic illnesses and could assist the medical community in coming up with more suitable drugs faster. At the same time, these devices may create some legal issues. For instance, they could reveal that someone has a particular illness, which could result in higher insurance rates. The devices could also store critical information such as financial information, health data, and access codes. Their advantages include never getting lost, providing easy access to a patient$$s health data, and allowing users to automatically control many of their devices, including access to building or computer facilities. They are relatively safe; however, security experts caution about privacy and security risks.

Apple Watch is the dominant player in this fast$-$growing market. The popularity of wearable devices continues to grow. In $2018,$ United Healthcare announced that it will offer free Apple Watches to customers who meet walking goals$$for example, walking $10,000$ steps per day. This could help bring the device to more of United Healthcare$$s $20$ million members.

What are the benefits and risks of wearable computers?