From a young age I’ve envied the secret agents of the movies for their high tech and often wrist-worn gadgets that they tap and talk to.

What seemed for so long to be a thing of secret agents and often described in sci-fi books and movies as futuristic has finally arrived to the consumer market in the form of wearable technology.

Wearable technology is making waves in the world of consumer electronics leaving people unsure if it will be just another phase of the world or if it is here to stay.

Damon Roth, chief information officer and tech expert for Red Deer College believes we shouldn’t expect wearable technology to disappear anytime soon.

“Wearable technology is technology installed inside smart devices that you wear either as an accessory or an actual piece of clothing,” explains Roth.

“They will do anything from let you know how much you walked that day, to in the medical world giving you complete biometric read outs.”

He explains that by “Having technology embedded in every day items it makes that object more usable,” which he believes is “Going to catch on in ways that most people wouldn’t expect it too.”

One of the first notable promotions of 2013’s wearable technology wave was tech giant Google’s test release of the Google Glasses.

While the glasses are not currently available to the public, a select group of die hard tech fans have forked over upwards of a thousands dollars (U.S.) to Google to become a part of their Glass Explorer Program.

Currently open to U.S. citizens only, the program is designed to be a test of how well the glasses are received by the general public and their function in the users’ lives.

The glasses work as a Bluetooth connected extension of your phone and appears in front of your eyesight via a small projector mounted on the side of the frames.

While the days of Google Glasses being a common thing in our everyday life are far off in the future, many other wearable technologies are becoming increasingly prevalent.

Thanks to companies like Pebble and Google, the smart watch may be here to stay.

Again powered by Bluetooth, the smart watch is a wristwatch unlike any other.

With an interactive display screen, the watch serves a wrist worn extension of your phone that allows you to read text messages, accept or decline phone calls, track your fitness, set alarms, see social media notifications and believe it or not tell what time it is.

It’s ideal for those who don’t want to constantly have their phones in their hands, they can instead wear their phones on their wrists in a stylish, waterproof design.

“I think it will catch on based on the fact that in things like Google Glasses it will project everything that would be on your smart phone right in front of your eyes and you won’t have to be stuck to your phone.”

Other versions of wearable technologies include fitness bracelets, rings, and necklaces that all talk with your smart phone via Bluetooth to help you track your workouts and runs.

The 2014 Consumer Electronic Show held in Las Vegas declared 2014 the year of wearable technology, with over 300 of their vendors boasting their own versions of the sensation.

Canadian research giants, Deloitte, who release their tech predictions annually, have predicted that, “Smart glasses, fitness bands and watches, should sell about 10 million units in 2014, generating $3 billion. Of these wearable computer form factors, smart glasses should generate the most revenues. Smart fitness bands should sell four million units, smart watches should sell about two million units.”

While the future of these once futuristic devices remains uncertain, I find it certain that we will begin to see more and more of these devices from early adapters until they eventually become a mainstream notion.

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for this wearable tech trend.

jswan@reddeerexpress.com