Hitachi's Wearable Internet Appliance

Ned Flanders writes "JapanToday is reporting that Hitachi has produced a Wearable Internet Appliance with head mount display (800 x 600) and a pointing device (all at @500 grams total). Smurf the Weib (c) via PHS or wireless LAN on your shinny new wearable SH-4 32Bit RISC processor running Windows®CE3.0. Available February 28, 2002. Launch in US and Japan was Planned for end of 2001." Someday.

Comments

Smurf the Weib?

[Perianwyr Stormcrow]

Yes, sir, you bet. I'll get smurfing right away. Regardless of color.

Look Out!

[RumGunner]

We'd better get a head start rolling out the laws banning using these while driving.

You know some people...

Let's hope the CPU doesn't go in your pocket...

[UsonianAutomatic]

Are you downloading pr0n on your wearable internet appliance, or are you just happy to see me?

This is dumb

[Anonymous Coward]

I really wish I could think of something insightful and witty, but this kind of technology is just dumb.

NEVER has wearable computing EVER taken off. It makes you as dorky as that freak whose parents bought him the calculator watch for his birthday in third grade.

Re:This is dumb

[s20451]

It makes you as dorky as that freak whose parents bought him the calculator watch for his birthday in third grade.

That was you, wasn't it?

Best. FAQ. EVER.

[jgaynor]

The English FAQ, located here, contains some wonderful translations. Here are some examples:

"Therefore, you can get your desk-top PC level of images from PDA size and weight of control unit."

WIA will come with you and present all the images while you are relaxing in couch, sofa, or even in bed.

This device is specially designed for WIA.You will touch the window shining blue on the device, and move the finger to the direction you would like to move the pointer in the screen

You can use it upside down, which is preferable when you read books in bed

Dont get me wrong - this looks like a great product - it just brought back memories of "someone set up us the bomb."

Re:Best. FAQ. EVER.

[Ledge]

All your iris are belong to us. Run forward happy tulip. You will find your own walk path in our prefecture.

Re:Best. FAQ. EVER.

[llamalicious]

Well, if I can sip a refreshing Pocari Sweat while reading the manual full of engrish, then happy man makes me the device which puts the Internet to my body.

Japanese English 1, Slashdot Editors 0

[kvigor]

Amazing! The Japanese promo literature is all correctly spelled, while the Slashdot story has at least three egregious errors. Unless "smurf", "shinny", and "Weib" are meant as some kind of sophisticated humor.

WIA What???

[NOT-2-QUICK]

While this is a quite interesting and intelligent question from the site's Q&A section, I believe that the answer was translated to English by the same people that did the translations for 'Zero Wing' (AYBABTU)...

Q: Do I need to close the other eye?

A: It is not necessary, and keep the other eye open is easy for this particuler display.Because a semi-transparent mirror is used so that the eye looking the displayed image will also see the"real-world" in some extent.Therefore, the display image can be seen just an additional object in the real world.

While mocking a poor translation on the site's Q&A page may seem a bit trivial, I think that this is a valid portrayal of why this will not work well in the US. Not only will they not supply the necessary marketing hype to get this thing off of the shelves and on to peoples heads, but as evidenced by their site's translations they are hardly catering to an English speaking market. Furthermore, in a country whose citizens are as vain about their appearance as Americans are (I know, I'm one of them...), I doubt that walking/driving around with one of these carbuncles attatched to your face is going to catch on quickly...

Obligatory Beowulf Joke

[Skirwan]

Q: Wow, can you imagine a beowulf cluster of these?!

A: Yes I can, it's called a Borg Collective.

--
Damn the Emperor!