Now hear this

This year, the big noise is likely be about wearables that are also “hearables”. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images / AFP

When it comes to wearable technology, our ears may well be the final frontier

This time last year, Google Glass was the tech product everybody wanted to know about. But when it hit the shelves midyear – in limited quantities and with a hefty $1,500 (Dh5,510) price tag – the souped-up spectacles failed to fire the public imagination

While it is the first in a wave of wearable tech products, in its initial incarnation at least, Glass lacks the X factor that makes people want to been seen wearing it. Time will tell whether the same fate awaits the Apple Watch, which will go on sale soon.

This year, the big noise is likely be about wearables that are also "hearables" – tech items that attach to, or sit within, the ear. As business channel CNBC reported this week, a computer inside an ear can do more than play music. It can monitor blood oxygen levels, heart rate and other important health and fitness indicators.

That’s all very well. But if they’re going to sell, they’ll have to look smart enough to suit the fussiest fashionista.