Apple continues to redefine technology with the development of new products and software. Apple is hoping to help redefine the relationship between fashion and functionality with the new Apple Watch, and some of the potential innovations are surprising.
One of the most surprising roles that the Apple Watch could play is a key role in the energy efficiency movement. Apple has already unveiled HomeKit, an app that can control the energy usage of items in the house such as lights, and televisions. BMW has already developed an app that can check the charge of a BMW electric vehicle and unlock the vehicle remotely. Other third party companies are developing similar apps.
BMW i app http://www.bmw.nl/nl/modellen/bmw-i/i3/showroom/connectiviteit.html
In her blog, Yee Ting Fok (https://blogs.ubc.ca/tinafok818/) mentioned that one of the reasons that electric cars were becoming so prevalent was the development of more efficient battery storage. Tesla has been a forerunner in developing efficient batteries that have the potential to not only power a car, but also to eventually power a home. Brendan Lancaster (https://blogs.ubc.ca/blancaster/) discussed the advantages of Tesla becoming open sourced and the fast progress that will result. As companies such as Tesla develop efficient energy storage, energy from renewable energy sources will be able to be accessed when necessary and saved when unnecessary.
With the development of the Apple Watch and massively powerful batteries from companies such as Tesla, consumers should eventually be able to control a home energy storage device from a small display on their wrist. Through acting as an accessible control interface for third party devices, the Apple Watch will help facilitate the proliferation of renewable energy.
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