The wearable tech industry had a breakout year for 2014 with notable fashion brands such as Rebecca Minkoff and Diane von Furstenberg joining the movement to make tech more glam. The union of fashion with tech birthed chain-linked bracelets with Bluetooth compatibility for Minkoff, and a successful collaboration of Google Glass designer frames for DVF. As the techno world evolves at lightning speed, fashion designers cling at its heels to develop the latest in accessories that artfully lace these techno-driven components.  

  The wearable tech trend was undoubtedly a thing and commanded much presence in 2014, prompting Forbes to publish an introspective set of pros and cons concerning the rapidly developing industry. Using statistics by research firm IDC, Forbes spotlighted that for 2014, 19.2 million wearable tech items were estimated to have shipped worldwide, which almost tripled last year’s sales alone. By 2018, wearable tech sales are predicted to reach well over 112 million, further prompting the boom. Despite such impressive figures, experts’ eyebrows remain raised as to the sustainability of this industry, citing limited market potential and the creation of "gimmick" products rather than those that are manufactured for prolonged use. While we tend to agree that some wearable tech devices seem completely far-fetched, we were nonetheless intrigued when we received wind of the latest in tech-meets-style hybrids named Dorothy. With this latest innovation by iStrategyLabs and a unique twist to an old Hollywood fave, escaping from a bad date is as simple as clicking your heels three times.  

  Dorothy is a date’s best friend – providing an easy out of a not-so-pleasant situation by virtue of a miniature device named Ruby (pictured above) that slips into the shoe. The device links to a mobile Dorothy app downloaded on your phone which if prompted by three clicks of your heels, can either summon an Uber, trigger a phone call, or send out an emergency text to friends. Is it us or are we no longer in Kansas anymore?  

  Currently, Dorothy is still pending its patent and remains under further technological developments, so you may not be off to see the wizard just yet. Even so, widespread media attention is ushering this latest development to the forefront much faster than originally projected. While our gut leans towards the “gimmick” category for this newest in wearable tech craze, we are still fascinated with this futuristic development. Albeit the latest releases in techno-fashion doesn’t have us quite ready yet to proclaim “Beam me up Scottie,” we are feeling like at any moment, we’ll be living in an episode of The Jetsons – fully equipped with our own personal Rosie and a wealth of robotic inventions. What are your thoughts on wearable tech items? Are they useful or just for show? We welcome your comments below, with extra added bonus points for any pictures you may have sporting the latest in these designs.   Images credit, Google Glass and iStrategyLabs.