Expedition into the wilderness ---of self and others

How I dealt with ‘years of myself’ in the Gobi desert

I am just back from a week in the Mongolian steppes and Gobi desert. With 12 countrymen, twelve motorbikes, and a Kazakh woman. Being a chronic solo traveller, this expedition had presented huge risks with thirteen people whom I knew almost none, had no idea on their experience of travel or life for that matter. I been immersed into creating a completely new business past eight  months in a new continent with a new team, probably eating up every ounce of risk taking, creativity, persistence, ambition and perseverance that existed in my veins. I been flooded with an adrenaline rush since November last year, getting up to a new day every day where every second every move every player had to be contemplated and executed from scratch. So how did this physical strenuous activity in mongolia that involved people I didn’t know and extreme conditions fit to that state of mind?

My Tech Republic’s article about Wearables and fashion: Blending the two will be a key to succes

Wearable devices are still trying to gain a solid foothold with consumers. The concept is already boring some, so manufacturers are scrambling to figure out how to appeal to the masses. 

The wearable device market is evolving as tech manufacturers try to figure out what it will take to appeal to a broad audience. The connection between fashion and tech wearables is getting stronger as manufacturers recognize that people want to not only wear something that works well, but looks good, too.

Face it. Putting on a wearable makes a statement, whether it's to tell someone that you are into health and fitness, or that you're a techie and you want instant access to texts and emails.

"We're at the very beginning of wearables. People are finally waking up to the fact if you're going to be on someone's body, you have to at least be not unfashionable. With Shine, we were trying to be not unfashionable," said Sonny Vu, founder of Misfit Wearables, which developed the stylish Misfit Shine fitness tracking device.

Making wearables appealing

There is a problem with the drop off rate once someone buys a health and fitness wearable. A previous TechRepublic article focused on an Endeavour Partners survey that revealed more than half of the people who bought a health and fitness wearable had stopped wearing it, and a third of those had put it aside within the first six months of receiving it.

Dan Ledger, principal at Endeavour Partners, said that the appearance of a wearable is one of the key things that keeps someone wearing the device.

With this in mind, wearable manufacturers are looking toward the fashion industry to add style to their tech products, including Ayse Ildeniz, vice president of the new devices group and general manager of strategy and business development at Intel Corporation.

"What we have seen are the technology companies taking the lead on the wearable domain, and we believe it is time the fashion companies take the lead. They should be defining what a wearable aesthetic should look like and the kind of functions it should provide. There's a larger sensitivity in the industry toward that," Ildeniz said.

Fashion is an important consideration when designing a wearable. And yet, many of the wearables on the market have a uniform look that doesn't draw people into wearing them daily.

#WGSNHANGOUT: Fashion & Wearable Technology

I spoke at the "Challenge or Opportunity" event

United Nation’s 58th Commission on the Status of Women

I will speak at the United Natrion’s 58th Commission on the Status of Women in New York on March 12.

The Commission on the Status of Women “CSW” is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It is the principal global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women. Every year, representatives of Member States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and women's empowerment worldwide.This year’s theme is challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

TurkishWIN Presents: Challenge or Opportunity

I will speak at the "Challenge or Opportunity" event, here are the details;

Turkish Women  's International Network of New York Wednesday, March 12, 2014 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (EDT) & New York, NY

Event Link:http://www.eventbrite.com/e/turkishwin-presents-challenge-or-opportunity-tickets-10563231911