PEAK SUBSCRIPTIONS
Like many I’ve become somewhat overwhelmed by the rising tide (and cost) of subscriptions to various apps and services.
I know these things have to be paid for somehow – obviously – but I also feel that the current situation is unsustainable.
There are so many video subscription services now available that I struggle to keep up with them, never mind afford them. And of course, every one has a couple of much-watch shows and films – Netflix has The Crown and there’s more Stranger Things on the way, for example. How could you miss those?
The streamers have to keep upping their fees as they keep splashing the cash on making that one blockbuster show to drive new sign-ups. It’s not a healthy situation for anyone.
The solution, I suspect, may come naturally – as prices continue to rise, the customers will have to decide which apps and services are worth it… and which are not.
WEARABLES
As progress is made in miniaturisation, wearables will become more powerful… and useful.
We’ve already seen this work begin in smart watches like the Apple Watch, and more recently smart rings like Oura and the unique AI Pin from Humane. The convenience of wearables – as an object that you don’t necessarily have to get out of your pocket to use – is obvious, and watches and rings will continue to gain in popularity in 2024.
We’re all used to paying for things with our phones now – paying for something with a smart ring will be even more compelling.
There are, of course, smart wearables that can already do some of this stuff, but imagine a world in which a ring can monitor your health in the way a watch can now. Imagine a ring that can go further and, say, monitor your blood glucose on the fly.
That’s a life-changer for millions and we are not too far away from it becoming a reality.