Big news yesterday as Apple shows the world how it's done. The results? A (free) U2 album on iTunes; a larger screen; paving the way for mobile payments; and, of course, the long-awaited iWatch.
Jury's still out on exactly who wants to watch their watch. Wearables is an exciting topic and is bursting with promise on many levels, especially health and fitness and the productivity glass wearables could have in business, sports and entertainment.
One intriguing thing about the #iWatch is the #IoT connection. The next big battle will be who, or what manufacturer, controls your connected/smart home. Will it be appliance makers like LG? Media folks like Time Warner Cable? Google's Nest? or Apple -- with your iWatch as the display-of-choice for checking to see if you remembered to close your garage door.
At the Apple event Tuesday CEO Tim Cook mentioned how the latest product, the Apple Watch, would be able to open doors with a swipe and help control your lights and thermostats. Both lighting control company Lutron and Honeywell were mentioned as partners. The example of unlocking your door was being demoed at a Starwood hotel in Cupertino, California earlier this week.
Internet of Things and connected everything -- homes, cars, cities, businesses -- is the new BIG THING. Like all new things, it's important to jump out and stake your claim early. The Wild West prevails in disruptive technology and now's the time to grab yours. And Apple's banking on you watching your iWatch as the window to it all.
Beverly Macy teaches The Business of Sports & Entertainment at UCLA Anderson School of Management. She is the author of The Power of Real-Time Social Media Marketing and she writes about the convergence of the Internet of Things, big data, social media, and the cloud.