Times of India reports that for decades now, medical technology firms have searched for ways to let diabetics check blood sugar easily, without great success. Now, the world's largest mobile technology firms are getting in on the act. Apple, Samsung Electronics and Google, searching for applications that could turn nascent wearable technology like smartwatches and bracelets from curiosities into must-have items, have all set their sites on monitoring blood sugar, several people familiar with the plans say. These tech firms are hiring medical scientists and engineers, asking US regulators about oversight and developing glucose-measuring features in future wearable devices. The first round of technology may be limited, but eventually the companies could compete in a global blood-sugar tracking market worth over $12 billion by 2017, according to research.
These future wearable medical devices would presumably be Internet enabled – so-called Internet of Things - which would mean medical data being transmitted over the Internet leaving it susceptible to hacking or monitoring. Imagine someone wearing a device to monitor e.g. their heart, lung, liver or kidney activity and this medical data being monitored over the Internet by their employer or medical insurance company or anyone else for that matter. With Google, Apple and others getting into all sorts of industries, rather than the Internet of Things, it will be the Internet of Google Things.
SJP (@DigitalAsian)
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