“In the beginning was Apple. All things were made by it; and without it was not anything made that was made.” If technophiles were to write their own Testament, these might be the opening lines. Apple’s ability to redefine the appeal of whole categories of computing has attracted the unerring faith of millions of followers. Apple has popularized existing technologies four times: with the Macintosh computer in 1984, the iPod in 2001, the iPhone in 2007 and the iPad in 2010. Recently the faithful have prayed that Apple will pull it off again with its smartwatch. Many firms already make wrist-based devices that measure sleep patterns and exercise, but so far the category has remained a niche plaything for geeks and athletes.
On March 9th the firm gathered its flock to share details about the Apple Watch, which will go on sale next month. Tim Cook, its boss, called it “the most advanced timepiece ever created”. In addition to telling the time, it can respond to voice commands, measure its wearer's heart rate, act like a credit card at payment points and provide alerts for incoming calls and e-mails. It can display many of the apps that are popular on smartphones, such as those of social networks, without the hassle of having to pull out a phone.
The launch of the Apple Watch points to a broader story: high expectations that wearable technology will soon take off. Some 21m wearable devices were sold last year, according to IDC, a research firm; wrist-worn wearables, including watches, were the majority.
Wearables have so far lacked the elegant design and ease of use that helped smartphones ring in such success. Even the fashion models who were hired to demonstrate Google Glass struggled to make it look stylish. Most companies are focusing on the engineering challenges in front of them and paying too little attention to the “cultural engineering” that needs to happen for wearables to become accepted. Apple has hired fashion-conscious executives from luxury brands like Burberry and Yves Saint Laurent to make its watch attractive, but it is not yet obvious that it has cracked the cool code. But the biggest challenge facing wearables is the absence to date of a “killer app”. Watches do not yet provide much more than smartphones currently do, and some models offer far less. Moving beyond phones’ capabilities will take time. It will also depend on getting developers to build apps that will make the most of wearables’ possibilities.
1. The author listed the Macintosh, iPod, iPhone and iPad to_______.
2. The underlined part in Paragraph 1 means_______.
3. According to Paragraph 2, Apple Watch cannot be used to_______.
4. What can we learn from Paragraph 4?
5. What is the current status of wearables?
