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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.
Yes, sir, you bet. I'll get smurfing right away. Regardless of color.
What we call folk wisdom is often no more than a kind of expedient stupidity.-Edward Abbey
It will happen some day...
We'd better get a head start rolling out the laws banning using these while driving.
You know some people...
Are you downloading pr0n on your wearable internet appliance, or are you just happy to see me?
Do not use while operating heavy machinery. May cause drowsiness, dizziness, and occasional disorientation.
etc.
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
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.
Why does anyone need this other than the simple reason "because we can have it"?
What is Hitachi WIA?
Portable Internet Appliance Powered By
SVGA Full Color Wearable Display
Small but Powerful Control Unit
Wearable display
View Angle: 30 deg (Equivalent to 13"monitor at 2 feet)
SVGA(800 x 600), 18bits Color
Weight Less than 80g (2.8 Oz)
Hands-free viewing of screen
Forehead-support achieves safety and image stability
Wearable with eye glasses
Control unit
Fit into pockets
Light Weight
Instant Power ON
Without HDD - reliable
Type II CompactFlash(TM) Slot
USB Port
Additional external battery achieves longer
Battery life: About 5.5" x 3.5" x 1.0"(preliminary)
Weight: This prototype weighs about 10.9 Oz (310g).
Devices insideCPU,Memory,etc.): Hitachi SH-4 32bit RISC processor, 128MHz, 230MIPS.ROM:32MB, RAM:32MB, VRAM:2MB.
Interfaces: Direct I/F to Wearable Display x 1, CompactFlash Type II x 1, USB x 1, Stereo Audio Headphones jack x 1, Cellular phone data port I/F x 1
... already reported here?
Lets just copy and paste the comments from there, ok?
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."
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.
Smurf the Weib (c) via PHS or wireless LAN on your shinny new wearable SH-4 32Bit RISC processor running Windows®CE3.0
Shinny? Do you wear it on your leg or something?! What am I missing!!
i hate pansy republicans
This is the same thing that was posted a little while ago. It's being sold in the U.S. by Xybernaut.
this looks just like the xybernaut poma?
poma
feints within feints, wheels within wheels
Some people use @ to mean 'approximately'. Sane people use ~. Intel chip designers use =.
--
the strongest word is still the word "free"
Every wearable computer to date that I've seen won't fly... because it's waaay to visible (See: All the Dork comments). Saying that, from the specs and (small) number of pictures of this one, it might actually be useable. If you can really put that thing in your pocket, and just have the pointer and HUD when you need it... well, maybe. It'd sure be a lot better then lugging around a lap top (at 11 oz and 5x3x1).
I'd like to see people actually wearing it. Is it fairly invisible? Does it look like you should have a helicopter hat on? Something in-between?
-Greg
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...
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. -- Benjamin Franklin
Or at least, I believe it is. It's been mentioned here before.
The Xybernaut Poma is their OEM version of the direct-from-Hitachi model. Fifteen hundred bucks US gets you delivery before the end of Q1 2002.
It runs Windows CE, has no audio inputs, and I don't think anyone on the wearables mailing list has actually gotten one yet to see what development will be like, but it's very interesting, at least.
Excuse my lack of Windows CE knowledge, but don't the vast majority of CE applications run on StrongARM processors instead of SH's? I thought SH-x's for WinCE were somewhat obsolete?
Oh, and seeing as how it hasn't been asked yet...
<Slashdot> Can we put Linux on it?
"[T]he single essential element on which all discoveries will be dependent is human freedom." -- Barry Goldwater
Here's a quick translation of the Japanese news release:
------
Industrial-use wearable Internet appliance launched in Japanese market
Hitachi, Ltd.'s venture company, Net-PDA, (CEO: Matsuoka Shigeru) will begin shipping the WIA-100NB wearable Internet appliance, with head-mounted display, from February 28.
Mobile computing needs are increasing with the spread of wireless communication infrastructure and Internet access from mobile phones.
The company completed an OEM licensing contract for wearable Internet appliances with the U.S. Xybernaut Corp. in June of 2001, and has conducted marketing in Japan. As a result, it judged that wearable Internet appliances are an effective solution for work environments such as clean rooms and machine rooms where printed materials cannot be used, as well as for hands-free viewing of blueprints and Internet/intranet access via PHS [a Japanese form of mobile phone] and wireless LAN.
The WIA-100NB, in order to meet these needs, weighs 310 grams for the main body, with the head-mounted display weighing a mere 80 grams, and the total package weighing less than 500 grams even with the addition of a pointing device. By rubbing the pointing device's optical sensor with a thumb, it is possible to move the cursor on the head-mounted display, allowing the operation of the unit in any position.
Used as terminals for improving work efficiency, wearable Internet applicances are predicted to form a major part of the market for portable information devices. The company aims to develop this valuable market further.
-------
Then it lists the specs, and where to buy it (here, but you'd better know Japanese).
From the Q&A on the website:
Q: Does it have focus adjustment?
A: It is not necessary. Screen image will be presented at 2 feet from your eye. To see it is exactly the same as you see real objects at 2 feet from your eye. If you need corrective eye glasses or contact lenses, you can use them while wearing the display.
Obviously the display is not 2 feet from your eye, i.e., sticking out from your forehead by two feet. So there must be some optic gimmick to make it appear 2 feet from your eye. What kind of gimmick is this that would never need focus adjustment for any reason, such as, oh I dunno, I have a big protruding forehead so my display is further from my eye than the next guy's? Can someone familiar with optics shed some light on this (no pun intended)?
"...running Windows®CE3.0."
And where did they put the Reset button ?
Gak! It's bad enough trying to hold a conversation with someone who just has to answer their phone when it rings. Now it's going to be "You've got mail!"
And all those people who get useless calls on the bus. Now it's going to be like being on a bloody Borg ship!
Gotta get me one of those! :^)
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
embedded devices aren't going to run the same types of applications as your average desktop for the near future. they're designed for totally different markets. this device is not going to be a consumer-level device at first: it's going to run very customized software for customized work environments.
additionally the PIII/4 are lousy processors. yes, they'll run pretty damned quickly, but they need to be clocked to rediculous clock speeds to do so. the only reason that the Pentium series is still a leading processor is because Intel is pouring billions of dollars into its development! if they were to pour that many dollars into a well-designed RISC processor, the results would be even more impressive. there will aways be more life in the x86 family, but those improvements come with huge development costs because they're tacked onto an infrastructure that really wasn't meant to do it.
on a related note, if you put a PIII in a device like this and wore it on your belt you'd probably get third degree burns on your hips. the PIII was never meant for embedded applications. it's all about using the right tool (or chip) for the job
but anyhow, i'm ranting. but still, i don't see why x86 has to be everywhere. there are better processors for these types of environment, and hanging onto this archaic backwards compatibility is seriously hampering development. embedded devices should use embedded processors, and hey, maybe it's even a chance to help break the WinTel monopoly: Linux runs perfectly well on every embedded processor I've worked on. eventually you have to give up, and move to a new architecture that's better designed for the task at hand. embedded devices are a great place to start this change.
so do yourself a favour and start looking into the PowerPC, MIPS, SuperH and other embedded processors. the x86 is not the be-all-and-end-all of microprocessors!
I, for one, am delighted to see this announcement. This appears to be very nearly the device that I have been saving my pennies to purchase. I had not actually expected to see one, though, so I was preparing to buy one of the Linux-based Sharp Zaurus thingies.
The fact that this dream device is being pre-announced is obviously a move to keep me from buying a Sharp in the immediate future. So that means that Hitachi must have found out that the production release of the Sharp is going to happen any day now.
So HOORAY! The Sharp is on the way!!!
Or not.
DONE!!!
not sure about the whole shinny thing though...
Oh god, that woman is John Romero!
Manufacturers expect consumers to wear these devices -- often for hours at a time -- but no substantial testing has been done for health risks.
Nobody knows what the long term effects of wearing a tiny screen a few inches away from your eye might be, and nobody has bothered to find out. This is characteristic of the technology sector, though. No one considered the risks of keyboards until people started losing the use of their hands. No one asked if monitors were healthy until people started going blind.
I am not anti-technology, by any means. However, it is ridiculous to destroy one's body for whatever short term gains you may be pursuing. Ultimately, it is an individual's responsibility to assure their own safety, but callousness of manufacturers is appalling. Until congress forces a change, though, I doubt health considerations will be taken into account when designing a product.
So now I can read slashdot everywhere I go, and won't have to ever be without it for more than 10 minutes. Maby I can get some first posts in too...
First off, for those who mentioned this looks like the Xybernaut Poma, you are correct.
From the main english Hitachi page: FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA, July 18, 2001 - Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT) and Xybernaut Corporation (NASDAQ: XYBR), today announced that Hitachi has entered into a license agreement under Xybernaut's broad patents for wearable computing and communications to develop a Wearable Internet Appliance (WIA) for the consumer market.
That said, I played around with one of those for a little bit when I visited the Xybernaut booth at Comdex. My thoughts? They are ok items. The screen projection is not too bad. Until you can focus one eye on the screen and simultaneously focus the other eye on faraway objects, you'll still only either chew gum or walk...if you know what I mean. The screen does flip up so both eyes can be used to focus on the task at hand when needed.
Someone asked about the input device. The one I played with (and you can see in the photos) has a hand-held input device. It has a touch screen which you move your finger (or rather thumb) around on to move the mouse pointer. I don't remember a keyboard, but I think another model might have had small keyboard you strap to your forearm. Otherwise, I think the model I played with had an on-screen keyboard you can bring up and tap out virtual keystrokes with the mouse pointer. This of course was some what a pain in the arse for me...but I guess YMMV.
This will be fairly useful in warehouse situations. Maybe on an assembly line: you can work on your task, and if computer assistance is needed, just flip the screen down and look up a part number or whatever. These still aren't the best for long-term computing sessions.
-A non-productive mind is with absolutely zero balance.
- AC
Q: Wow, can you imagine a beowulf cluster of these?!
A: Yes I can, it's called a Borg Collective.
--
Damn the Emperor!
Think about it; are you going to walk around the with this high-tech eyepatch on? And do you really need to be viewing /. in full color while away from your computer? I just can't see any practicality in these type of devices.
Sure, they look cool, but I won't be buying one anytime soon. Besides, I would probably have to stop paying rent just to afford it anyway... I'd be kicked out of my apartment, but at least I can browse the interet with a headset!
Full color.Color depth is 18 bits, 260,000 colors
WTF? 18 bits?
Someday (hopefully in my lifetime!) high-speed access will be pervasive, affordable, and not require constant hand-holding when used by ordinary people. When that happens, the IAs will come thick and fast. Until then, they're just another way to fritter away VC cash.
Countdown to Snow Crash!
;-)
Right now this is Just Another Geeky Toy, but it doesn't seem like it's that far of a leap from the numerous PDAs that people love to carry around.
Personally, I'm waiting for x-ray goggles!
-- D
now the excuse can go from:
"Sorry officer, I didn't see that other car, i was too busy shaving and drinking my coffee..."
to...
"Sorry officer, I didn't see that other car, i was too busy checking my e-mail and reading the latest stories on slashdot...."
I played around with the MA IV and found the curved silvered mirror to be comfortable and easy on the eye. I don't believe the light source could get to the "dangerous" level. I'd be happy to use the head display for an extended period of time, but the MA IV was heavy in the vest we wore. Since the company has moved on to smaller devices the weight might not be relevant now.
Must be the newest cadillac...
http://hitachi-magic-wand.com
Don't forget your G-Spotter Attachment Accessory!
Recently divx was ported to the Dreamcast (see the pocketdivx forum at http://forums.projectmayo.com) i wonder what kind of graphics chips this uses (i know the dc one uses the pvr in the dc for yuv overlay double buffering stretching soon flipping and a bunch of other complex things that would eat up a lot of cpu time)
Now you can be a lonely isolated loser out in public!
you`ll be laughing at this in a few years!
`Check this one out! Check your email on the move!! Yeah, but wait until you get home before you can reply!`
Surely the future of communications is speech, not converting what you would normally have said into words, and then typing them in?
As if listening to cell phone conversations wasn't annoying enough, now we'll be listening to AIM conversations as well.
"...I love you. Smiley face. Ok, I've got to go. I'll see you tonight. Wink smiley face."
"No, you log off first. No, you first..."
Blah!
This isn't a MS bashing comment or anything, but WinCE seems to me like the wrong OS to use for a device like this... The only consumers who are going to be interested in this device are, well, Geeks! Geeks would much prefer a Linux or BSD based OS for this type of device.. something that can really be played around with.
I don't see many applications in a corporate setting either, and even if there was, corporations can pay people to develop apps on whatever OS they want.
Either way.. it's probably way too early on for this type of device to catch on.
I don't want to put anything that transmits radio waves near my body. These corporate fools who create this technology never bother to test its effects on people. Or no, I should say they do know now that cell phones are dangerous; that's proven. So why should I put some Hitachi piece of junk on my hip? Wanton lust for technology will not make me do it.
I was just wondering whether this is the kind of
device Bill Gates hides his face behind when he
appears as a
slashdot icon from time to time...
But with out a hatachi brand name...
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
I always have to carry around an extra toothpick to reset my WindowsCE device. It only locks up about 1 time every 6 months.
Why not just use the stylus?
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
you'll be the last person picked to play in a dodge ball game
Only because most geeks are sedentary. At my school, dodgeball players were picked based on the performance that they had demonstrated, not on any character stereotype. Sure, the agile geek might get picked near the end before the first couple games, but that can change quickly.
See also "Recess." (Yes, I know Di$ney is evil, but still...)
Will I retire or break 10K?
I thought I could only get so much internet porn a day. Now, I can get it while I drive, go to the bathroom, and attend church. Technology is so great. I thought I was going to have to sign up for the playboy service that sends dirty pictures to your cell phone to get my daily fix, this is gonna be great.
If your not cheating your not trying. If your not trying your not winning and if your not winning why play?
Oh god oh why?? why WinCE 3.0??? it has to be the single worst oparating system (mobile or otherwise) since the dawn of mankind. _Any_ OS is better. Its devoid of even the most basic functionality and features. Its unstable, its full of shit, and just to top it off, its made by them... Just look at the Pocket PC user sites, the most popular programs are just utilities that add basic things like being-able-to-switch-and-close-tasks... why would they leave this out of such an OS? were they in a big rush to finish the entire thing in under a week? because thats what it looks like. But seriously, could someone please tell me why it is so crap?
This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
so when I see something cool, I can SHOW someone else instead of just describing it. also, with the video stream being captured to a more powerful machine, I could teach it to recognize stuff, so I could ask "where did I put my keys?" and it would respond by showing the last captured frame with my keys in the picture. Add some face recognition stuff and I don't have to remember names anymore, they'd just automatically show in my status bar when someone approaches.
it'd be nice to change the focus to make the image appear farther out so you could walk and have GPS sensors point out items of interest as you go....
I wonder how well this thing would capture video and audio from a USB cam and transmit it to a remote machine on a wireless lan?
"The Most Fun Possible on 4 wheels" is at SunBuggy in Las Vegas
Yes, I know there are geeks out there who would have a display adapter wired directly into their brains if they could - but we're talking minority.
I just don't see what is so wonderful about a wearable computer. Yes, there are probably niche applications where they will be cool like someone who needs computer access while doing work with their hands, or some other type of function. Handicap accessibility, yup - great. But again, we're talking niche here. As an IT technician, do I really want to walk around to people's desks with a wearable PC on my head just to pull up reference docs? Nah - I'll take a laptop.
I know people swear one day we'll all talk to our computers or 'think' commands into them - but I sincerely doubt it. I for one think wearble headset computers with retinal displays will be the thing of sci-fi movies for ever except in niche areas. Me? My 3lb laptop is just fine. Just because we can doesn't mean we should.
Top Most Bizarre/Disturbing Error Messages
A slashdot headline which is actually correct and meaningful, even though it sounds like a Japanese motherboard manual telling you to get excited about an upcoming auction.
Why is Grand Theft Auto a much more serious crime than Reckless Driving?
If whitey-tighties make it uncomfortable for your sperm, just imagine what a Pentium 4 in your pocket will do.
Is it possible to intall some decent OS on it ? It would be nice to compile a kernel while jogging in the forest ;-)
-- javaDragon is an instance of JavaDragon.
do I wear my cell phone? do I wear my PDA?
Well, yeah, not so much PDAs but you see people with their cell phones clipped onto them all the time. Not a very good troll!
- Chuq
Then we could frag our way to/from school on the bus. You get come home to see that the bumpy ride home threw you off the ngWorldStats top 100, wait hell you can check that while your backtracking home because you missed your stop.
flak cannon = UT weapon immune to bumpy rides
:-d.... I do think this is a pretty damn awesome piece of tech... except for the "winCe" bit... horrible OS.... But how hard would it be to seperate the display from the CPU. etc...? As for usefullness... i think this is probably the first usefull piece of tech ive seen in years... er the first significant advancement... of course the first few versions are gonna be trial and error crap... but i dont think it would be too hard for people to change the OS or to make user adjustable display elements.... such as transparency / display on-off / depth /distance...etc.... i dont think thats a problem at all...
Can you imagine if APPLE got it hands on this tech? That would be one heck of a computer.
--Idiots, Every single one of YOU, A flaming mass of conglomerated morons, hey wait a second, isnt that how RAID works?
Anyone know the expected retail price?