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Chic Gear to Suit Net Generation
Roland Piquepaille writes "In this article, BBC News Online says that fashion specialists and engineers are preparing the next generation of wearable computing fashion accessories. Current ones are too conspicuous and expensive. Joseph Dvorak, a researcher at Motorola US, predicts the computers and technology we wear in four or five years time will not draw attention to ourselves. And Dr. Dianne Jones from textile company SOFTswitch, maker of the Burton Amp jacket which integrates an Apple iPod, thinks that the wearable computing industry will grow rapidly. She says that in ten years, 20% of our clothes will incorporate some kind of electronic components. This summary contains more details and references."
On a related note, the International Symposium on Wearable Computing is being held this October 21-23 in White Plains, NY.
One of these days I'll attend one...
--The more you know, the less you know.
Can it be worn in the rain?" (or snow)
They do show a jacket with an embedded iPod for use by snowboarders so the answer is "yes" in that particular case.
The Design group @ Phillips have been thinking about wearable electronics for a long time. Check out their webpage for it: http://www.design.philips.com/what_we_do/research_ projects/wearable_electronics.asp.
They published a super-cool book called New Nomads a few years back where they propose some interesting ideas. The book is reeeeeeally hard to find, [you have to order it directly from 010 Publishing from the Netherlands], but the ideas in it, as well as how it is made is way interesting... It even has a soft, thick, deep purple color... Those crazy designers!
In general though, Phillips Design do great stuff with ubicomp, wearable comp, and other cool futuristic ideas, trying to put those things in a social perspective [lots of S&TS and HCI stuff here].
RTA- wrong Dvorak.
The Dvorak (Joseph) in the article works for Motorola, while the Dvorak you are referencing (John Dvorak) writes for a PC mag.
I bought a ScottEVest and I have been immensely happy with the purchase. The only way it looks real geeky is if I am wearing it in the summer with shorts or using it as a vest and even that is not bad. When the sleeves are on it is great. Very non geek. The PAN conduits are a great idea. Almost every pocket has a hole for the pan. Some pockets can be 2 pockets or one pocket depending on your use. My one pocket in the front of the jacket holds both my Walkman (for radio) and my MP3 Player. There's a strip of velcro sealed and it separates the two and prevents them from clanking together. When I want to switch, I pull out the one I want to plug into and pull the plug out of theon still in the pocket, Plug the headphones in, start it and put it back in. I am using regular headphones until I find some COMFORTABLE ear buds. Most buds are either too small or to big. I have found none that are adjustable.
:) It would be VERY hard to make those and have them look non geeky! :)
:) IN any case, judging from the general public's opinion of the ScottEVest when I was in DC at the International Spy Museum (Very cool place.....check it out if you can...even the store is cool), I'd say she's right. The couple who was in the store in the same section of the store as I was saw the jacket when I was poking at the pockets and such and when I showed them the pan that the guy could hide his earbud for his cellular the WIFE thought it was great! Not just the guy! People want to be able to take their MP3 Player with them but they are leary of belt clips and other accoutrements to hold these. A pocket in a jacket or pair of pants is a much more secure method of carrying around these things. Backpacks all over the place now have holes for the headphone cable to come out of. Until bluetooth comes down to a decent price, cables are the way and some people will STILL want to use the cable because it sounds better or is cheaper. Even then you'd want pockets. Most conventional jackets have like 3 pockets. Only one of those somewhat sealed. People don't want to lug a bag and guys definitely don't want to carry a purse or risk an expensive device flying off the belt clip. The Scottevest and those Levi Dockers with teh extra pockets are very appealing...not just to geeks either. Case in point, the burton amp jacket is just too cool....too bad I don't own a iPod!
For my GPS, I have a Radio Shack digitraveler and I run it's cable from the pocket near the sholder to the pocket on the front. When I need to use it, all I have to do is pull the iPaq out of the same pocket and plug it in.
There are so MANY pockets that so far most of mine are empty. I have the storage to take almost everything I want with me all of the time except my laptop and I don't always need it. Now all I need is ScotteShorts for the summer!
Now my question for Slashdotters is why are you TRYING to hide taht your a geek? To me, either you are or your not. You can't alter your appearance much to hid eyour tech obsession. That GPS watch just gives it away!
Gorkman