wearable computer
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TshirtOS is web-connected, programmable, 100 percent cotton (video)
An LED display, camera, microphone, speaker and accelerometer all packaged into a t-shirt and controlled via your smartphone? That's the concept behind tshirtOS, a wearable platform for "self-expression" that currently only exists as a prototype. It can show off tweets, play music videos, capture belly-height photos and send them off to Instagram, and pretty much do anything except play percussion. CuteCircuit, which came up with the idea in cahoots (inexplicably) with Ballantine's whisky, says it's about to conduct product tests and will mass produce the smart-shirts if enough folks register interest. There's no Kickstarter page, definite specs or pricing for any of this, but based on CuteCircuit's history and the video after the break we're inclined to believe TshirtOS is more than just viral marketing stunt for the sake of a dram -- click onwards and judge for yourself.
Google patent application could give Project Glass one true ring controller to rule them all
Let's face it: right now, the head nods and other rudimentary controls of Google's Project Glass are mostly useful for looking good, sharing photos and not much else. A US patent application submitted last September and just now published, however, raises the possibility of more sophisticated control coming from your hands. A ring, a bracelet or a even a fake fingernail with an infrared-reflective layer would serve as a gesture control marker for a receiver on heads-up display glasses. Having this extra control would give the glasses-mounted computing room to grow by learning gestures, and it could even depend on multiple ornaments for more sophisticated commands -- at least, if you don't mind looking like a very nerdy Liberace. We can imagine the headaches a hand-based method might cause for very enthusiastic talkers, among other possible hiccups, so don't be surprised if Project Glass goes without any kind of ring input. That said, we suspect that Sauron would approve.
Gabe Newell: Valve is excited about wearable computers, open hardware
Finally, we have a concrete reason for the eternal delay of Half-Life 2 Episode 3: Valve head Gabe Newell is more interested in wearable computing. OK, that's not directly why Valve hasn't announced a new Half-Life title, but wearable computing and hardware development are definitely something Valve is interested in, Newell told Penny Arcade Report.Wearable computers -- think Star Trek communication badges, wrist-bound touchscreens or SixthSense -- are seeing a resurgence, and Valve is doing its own research into how they might function as gaming devices. Wearable computers now are "way higher resolution, way lighter weight, much better battery life," and Valve is doing its own research into this technology through biometrics, and is excited to see where it goes, Newell said."So we're thinking of trying to figure out how to do the equivalent of the [Team Fortress] incremental approach in software design and try to figure out how would you get something similar to that in the hardware space as well," he said. If Valve were to produce hardware, it would be something easy to iterate so customers don't have to buy 10 million devices, Newell said. Of course, that's if."Well, if we have to sell hardware we will," Newell said. "We have no reason to believe we're any good at it; it's more we think that we need to continue to have innovation and if the only way to get these kind of projects started is by us going and developing and selling the hardware directly then that's what we'll do."No company is safe from irrelevance, as far as Newell sees it, and even Microsoft and Sony can suffer the same fate as Atari and Commodore if they continue to create closed systems and don't innovate. "As soon as Valve stops doing interesting, innovative work we're gonna be left behind," Newell stated, unfortunately missing the "left for dead" pun opportunity.
inPulse and WIMM One: the tale of two smartwatches (video)
We're no strangers to watches here at Engadget, but smartwatches -- tiny wearable computers capable of running apps with SDKs to match -- are still a rare breed. The best known examples are probably Fossil's Meta Watch, Allerta's inPulse Smartwatch and WIMM Labs' WIMM One, all of which are primarily targeted at developers. We recently had the opportunity to spend some quality time with both the inPulse (over the holidays) and the WIMM One (during CES), and despite some similarities, each smartwatch takes a completely different approach to running apps on your wrist. While neither product is quite ready for prime time, both show promise as "fourth screen" devices, even for those of us who don't normally wear a watch. So go ahead -- hit the break and find out how these wearable computers stack up.
Hands-off with the Golden-i head-mounted computer
Until now we've only seen the Golden-i shown off as a concept, but now it's actually shipping. The wearable computer (manufactured by Motorola, using technology licensed from Kopin, running software created by Ikanos) has 512MB of RAM and a TI OMAP under the hood. Currently it's a series 3 with a maximum clock speed of 1GHz, but the next iteration should move to a 1.2GHz 4 series CPU. Instead of relying on a touch screen, keyboard or mouse you control the Windows CE machine using voice commands and by moving your head, thanks to the six axis accelerometer and dual mics which provide rather impressive noise cancellation. (Neither of the two demo units had any trouble understanding us on the crowded show floor.) It also packs WiFi N and Bluetooth radios, and there's talk of a forthcoming 4G dongle from Verizon. The display is on an arm which not only pivots and tilts, but can also easily be popped off and moved from one side to the other. It's meant to just sit just out of your line of site, but you do have to keep it somewhat in your peripheral vision to clearly focus on the interface. We found that the units were a little overly sensitive to our head motions, but we were able to quickly adjust and (as an Ikanos and Kopin rep were quick to point out) the units weren't calibrated for our use -- they were simply pulled out of the box and popped on our domes. That's particularly impressive considering that, in the roughly 20 minutes or so we spent barking commands at the Golden-i, the Nuance-based voice-control system only balked once (and, of course, it wound up in the video after the break). The system is available now, but the $2,500 asking price is sure to make even some of it's industrial and security targets pause. Dana Wollman contributed to this report.
Apple reportedly working on wearable, Siri-compatible devices
If you watch enough Sci-Fi movies, you'll start to crave technology that lets you talk to your device and say things like "Computer, make me a cup of coffee." An early implementation of this voice control is the Bluetooth headset which lets you make calls by speaking to your phone. Now we have voice assistants like Siri and TellMe that give you control over features besides calling. Companies are aware of the potential for voice control and are working hard to develop and improve the technology says a report from the New York Times. The report provides initial details on futuristic, wearable devices that would interact with Apple's Siri voice assistant. One example is a glass iPod nano-like device that you would wear on your wrist. It would interact with your iPhone and let you share information between the two devices. According to the New York Times, a "very small group of Apple employees" are working on Sir-enabled prototypes that you wear as part of your everyday clothing. These wearable devices would establish a network of sensor-filled devices that send and receive information from your smartphone. Everything will connect to your smartphone, and it will become the center of your digital existence. It's not hard to imagine a hands-free system that would track your activity level, start your coffee pot and read you the morning news using sensors embedded in your sneakers and shirt.
Eurotech's Zypad WL1500 wearable computer won't let you forget you're wearing a computer
Eurotech's Zypad series of wearable tablets may all look like props from mid-1990s sci-fi movies, but we can't help but admire them just a little bit for that very reason -- even if we wouldn't be caught dead wearing one. The latest is the "faster" and "lighter" Zypad WL1500, which packs a 3.5-inch QVGA display (resistive, naturally), a Marvell PXA320 processor, a whopping 128MB of flash storage, and some 3G connectivity in addition to WiFi and Bluetooth -- not to mention Windows CE 6.0 for an OS. If you haven't figured it out by now, this one isn't exactly intended for consumer use, but Eurotech is still targeting a fairly broad audience of professional users, including folks in everything from law enforcement to transportation to medical fields. Look for it to be available in the second quarter of this year for a yet to be disclosed price.
Universal Display ships eight wrist-worn OLED displays to military, too late to help Noble Team
We had a little fun with Universal Display Corporation's flexible OLED display at CES a few years back, ruggedized and militarized and destined for Army wrists of the future. Little did we know that future would be so close. The company has just confirmed that it has delivered eight of the 4.3-inch, 320 x 240 screens to the US Army for "military evaluation and testing" and, while it doesn't sound like there's a specific purpose in mind at the moment, we're pretty sure they'll come up with something to do with them. We know we sure would. Update: We got a new picture of the current version above, and a second picture below of it being tortured on the rack.
BeagleBoard finds new purpose in DIY wearable computer
We've already seen the small and flexible BeagleBoard used for a couple of different DIY projects, but few quite as impressive as this wearable computer built by Martin Magnusson. In addition to complementing any outfit, this rig runs Angstrom Linux, uses a modified pair of Myvu Crystal video glasses (and some stylish shades) for a display, and simply relies on a Bluetooth keyboard for input and a tethered iPhone for internet connectivity. Of course, if the shoulder strap isn't your thing, Martin has also demonstrated that the rig can discreetly fit in a standard CD case -- check it out after the break, and hit up the source link below for a look at the complete build process.
Motorola shows off Kopin Golden-i wearable computer
Our dreams of an actually useful wearable computer have still yet to materialize, but the second-generation Kopin Golden-i concept -- now inconspicuously Motorola-branded -- is an interesting attempt. It's based around a head mounted, magnified SVGA LCD that is meant to be "glanceable" while the user remains aware of their surroundings. The Windows CE-chugging, OMAP3530-powered computer onboard is voice controlled and also motion sensing (for cursor control), and can hook up with other devices over Bluetooth, WiFi and USB. Of course, it remains to be seen if software can make something like this truly usable, but it certainly looks like the hardware is all there -- and the form factor isn't pure tragedy either. Check out the Charbax-infused video demo of the device after the break.
SpecOps WC2 wearable computer gets upgraded with iKey keypad
We've already seen a few of iKey's own wearable, nearly indestructible keyboards, but it looks like the company isn't above sharing its creations with others, and it's now announced that its working with SpecOps Systems on a new keypad-equipped version of the company's WC2 wearable computer. While there's no details on any updates to the computer side of the system, the keypad used is iKey's KYB-170-OEM model which, as you can see, is simply a number pad (with an added Force Sensing Resistor pointing device) -- meaning that any text entry will have to be done cellphone-style. No word on pricing or availability just yet, but several models are apparently now undergoing testing "in theater and stateside."
Kopin's Golden-i wearable microdisplay demoed, Francisco Scaramanga unavailable for comment
Wondering what Kopin was going to do with that .34-inch SVGA display? It's wedged one into a working prototype of the Golden-i, a wearable computer that sports Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity on a full Windows CE 6.0 device built into the headband, with up to 6GB of memory and support for microSD storage. Navigation is performed with head movements and voice commands, the latter of which aren't particularly effective at this point according to The Inquirer, which was able to take one for a test run at the ESC event in Boston. But, Kopin's engineers were quick to indicate they'll have that issue addressed before the device's eventual release. The price isn't particularly extreme, under $2,000, meaning you shouldn't have to hijack any secret military satellites and blackmail the world to afford one. But, don't let us step on your evil mastermind plans.
DIY wearable computer: now you don't have to go to MIT to look like a total nerd in public
We admit it: despite our general disregard for the benefits of higher education, we've always harbored deep jealousy for those incredibly intelligent jerks at MIT's Media Lab, traipsing around Massachusetts in their incredibly great wearable computers. Well, now that a MicroPCTalk forum member has built his very own wearable computer from a few spare parts lying around the house, we can finally put aside those futile dreams and get to work on our very own nerd-badge-of-honor. Mr. Fiveseven808 took a VAIO UX, Myvu Crystal wearable display, a bevy of Bluetooth peripherals and a iDEN i425 handset for connectivity. Sadly, his UX has since died, but there's more UMPC where that can, and those elitist MIT types can't keep us down forever.[Via SlashGear]
Symbol Technologies WT4000 series wearable computer
We wouldn't exactly call this wearable computer svelte, in fact, calling it a strap-on is more apropos wouldn't you say? Still, it's pretty much what we'd expect from a company that specializes in ruggedized handhelds. So no surprise to find Symbol Technologies targetting this third generation, WT4000 series of mobile computers and scanner attachments for use in extreme environments. No, not that extreme, more like warehouses and distribution centers where handsfree operation comes as a boon. Worn on the hip or wrist, the device brings an IP-54 sealing rating and can survive drops to concrete from as high as 4-feet (1.2-meter). The device itself runs WinCE 5.0 Pro on a 520MHz Intel XScale PXA270 processor and packs-in 802.11a/b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 1.2, and 2.8-inch QVGA display with backlight. Fortunately, it weighs a relatively light 11.2-ounces (320.3-grams) with battery to keep fatigue to a minimum. Yeah, it still looks damned bulky but never fear you fork-lift fashionistas, in just a few more months Symbol will have access to those Motorola designers -- we hear pink is the new Schlitz. Expect pricing and a drop date when these go on display at Post Expo in Amsterdam October 10th.
