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Ultra-Cool Wireless Wearables

Posted by chrisd on from the eye-candy dept.

moonboy writes "I just saw this story linked to from Ars Technica. Motorola and Frog Design have recently released information about some awesome new prototypes for wearable computing with wireless capability using Bluetooth technology. The wearables group will include a WDA (Wearable Digital Assistant) which will serve as the communications hub, the Wristable, Goggles, Digi-Cam, Comport, Radio-button, and the Intelli-pen. Very cool stuff!" Prototype seems a strong word....

15 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. I want one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    WDA's are sOOOOO much cooler than PDA's ;)

    1. Re:I want one by Blaine+Hilton · · Score: 3, Interesting

      What happens though if I forget to charge the batteries? Will I still be able to use my clothing? If we put computers into everything, everything just might start crashing, at least if it has anything to do with MS. Pass me that linux tie!

  2. As if geeks aren't fashionably challenged enough by ErikTheRed · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I guess these are the next steps to full-on gargoyle mode (everyone on Slashdot has read Snow Crash, right?)...

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  3. The singlasses are the real cool part by cbreaker · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I've been waiting for something like the glasses to hit the marked for a long time. They've been showing them in commercials and stuff forever.

    My only fear is that when they do eventually hit the market, they will be outragously expensive ($2,000 is my guess..)

    I'd also hope that they would have some less "fashionable" models.. Those are ugly as sin. And perhaps some that aren't sunglasses at all, but simply a HUD.

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  4. what would be really good is if the pesky things by wadiwood · · Score: 5, Interesting

    worked on the bus. Or the plane, or train or long haul travel when you want to look out the window as well as read a book.

    they might even be good to cut down the building wide phone PA paging that used to interrupt me so much that I cut the speaker cable in my desk phone. It could ring (flashing light) but it couldn't speak.

    It might even be useful in hosptital if it didn't interfere with the life support.

    I think a heads up street map might be handy. Especially in my town, where street signs seem conspicuously absent.

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  5. Augmented reality by broothal · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The goggles look really cool, and with a 800x600 display I can think of numerous applications.

    Imagine going to an art museum and instead of borrowing a tape-recorder that tells you what you are looking at, you borrow a pair of goggles and information pops up next to the item.

    Or - you're trying to find your way around in an unknown city. Large arrows directing you in the right direction will emerge (based on your GPS)

    Last, but not least, I can go online with my GPRS phone and follow all my favorite IRC channels while skiing ;)

    1. Re:Augmented reality by TGK · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Or you could take a tip from the Kennedy's and try playing football while sking.

      Seriously. Wearable computing has its place. That place is generaly not in athletics. Sure, there are some devices that could be usefull, but for the most part those devices will incorporate low profile displays with minimal data so as to allow you to concentrate on what's important.

      In the case of skiing, that would be the Blue Spruce you're plumeting towards at 55 MPH.

      Frankly I don't need to know that the Blue Spruce is a member of the Picea Genus, Species Pungens. Nor do I need to know the average height, density, and, and chemical compositions of the trees wood. I need to be able to see the damn thing so I don't hit it with my face.

      On the other hand, being able to read a novel on the chair lift, or being given small unobtrusive guidance to the trail I select would be great.

      To me a cell phone isn't a leash. I'm more than happy to put it in total silent mode and not pay it the slightest heed when it rings. My cell is there for my conveniance, and not anyone elses. If I don't want to be reached that's my priority. They've no idea if it's just low on battery power, still in the car, or if I left it in my breifcase in vibrate mode.

      "Sorry I missed your call"

      The same applies with wireless wearable gear. You don't have to treat it like a leash. Granted, the world will probably not be a better place when the cell phone chatting ditzy blondes at the supermarket are replaced by Soap Opera watching ditzy blondes. At the same time, the ability to access information in as much depth as the user desires at all times would be invaluable. With decent GPS and image recognition technology the possibilities are vitualy limitless.

      Just please don't go sking with this on, or the Ski Patrol will be be removing the USB port from your nostrils with a pair of tweezers.

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  6. Why both with a tethered shutter button? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    "Digi-Cam: Digital Camera This is a mini-digital camera that is Bluetooth enabled. It has a clip that allows it to be worn on any piece of clothing. Tethered to the digi-cam is the shutter button. After an image is captured, it is immediately sent to either the WDA or the wristable."

    Why on Earth would you bother with a tethered shutter button when the camera's already Bluetooth enabled? Just put the shutter interface on the WDA and have the WDA tell the camera to take a picture whenever it wants, on a schedule, timed, whatever. Wireless good, tether bad.

  7. Postulated in 1945, in retail outlets by 2005 by chathamhouse · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Vannevar Bush thought of a lot of this in his July 1945 article to Atlantic Monthly As We May Think .

    Now, we may have it. Of course, he wasn't really a gadget man per se, nor were technology and gadgets his driving force. Founder of the NSF, he saw technology as an enabler to furthering the human condition, improving it's access to information, ultimately making us smarter...

    Will this do it? No, but we'll be able to walk around for a bit and show how cool it is to have a $2000 wearables rig strapped to us that doesn't overfill a fanny pack.

  8. User interfaces by sachachua · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Be careful what you wish for. =) The windows-menus-icons-pointers (WIMP) paradigm we're used to on the desktop requires far too much concentration on a wearable, according to WIMP Considered Fatal. There are, however, people trying to find alternatives. You might want to check out the links and archives on wearables.blu.org, and Google for papers related to wearable computing.

    Personal thoughts: I got an M1 head-mounted display, but I found it to be too cumbersome (heavy on the head) and it distracted other people. Not a hardware hacker, so I haven't done any of the covert mods. Anyway, I switched to a monaural headset (just a single earphone+mic, looks like a handsfree kit) and am using Emacspeak for sound output. I still occasionally get confused, but it's pretty decent. I use a Twiddler for key input. The whole thing is pretty unobtrusive. I look like I'm listening to music and/or texting.

  9. Startrek reference by nicotinix · · Score: 5, Interesting

    OK, I'm as much a geek as the next guy, but you won't catch me anytime soon strapped to one of those things. The cell phone and the laptop are enough. And contrary to most people here, I do make liberal use of the OFF SWITCH and am not bothered too much by being on an electronic leash.

    In the end, most people would prefer something like on Startrek. Unintrusive devices like the computer you can talk to. The PAD. The communicator. I think that's all I want.

    On the other hand, manufacturers will introduce these things and see what sticks. I do reserve the right to change my mind later on.

  10. Bio-magentic fields? by tenjah · · Score: 0, Interesting

    Bet if you wear all of that at once you'll play havoc with yours,

    Sounds cool though

  11. Fashion trend? I think not. by psoriac · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why is it that the terms "ultra cool", "wearable", and "computing device" always seem reasonable to string together until you actually see someone wearing this stuff, and then you realize it's not?

    Call me when you can implant the HUD emitter on the inside of my iris, the input device under the skin of the inside of my forearm, and the speech synthesizer in my earlobe. =)

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  12. Just another distraction by !Freeky2BGeeky · · Score: 2, Interesting
    OK. Let's have a reality check here. As cool as these things are (and yes, I'd like the goggles too, for gaming), the last thing we need is people walking around with this stuff on, bumping into people on the sidewalk, or walking into traffic while reading the latest news. Worse yet, as if cell phones aren't distracting enough while driving, imagine the accidents waiting to happen when new mail notifications pop up on the freeway!

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  13. The set is uncomplete by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 2, Interesting

    First, I think the watch is obsolet, a bit to clumpsy. Better to have only a PDA and wear it somewhere in your jacket or even in bag or rucksack.

    What is missing is a ring like device which is "seen" by the googles and used as mouse ersatz or gesture recognizing device.

    It seems to passive to just have googles ... the PDA should be able to route its display to the googles and instead of working on the PDA screen use gesture.

    angel'o'sphere

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