It needed quite a long time that the gaming industry - a market now bigger then cinema - developed new stuff for the gaming experiance. These days of course wearable electronice comes into play. I had the chance to test the Phillips equipment presented in the following article. It was fun and works with your mind while concentrated on the game - even if it seems a bit dump... ;-)

But there is much more to come. A whole new market as we will see the next 2 years... Just look at the HMD and you know what i mean...

The air blast is part of a game system from Philips Consumer Electronics - the amBX system comes with a wrist pad that rumbles and lamps that flash to simulate thunder and lighting or other special effects from the on-screen world in the real one.

Via Nashuatelegraph.com: Business

I had a similiar story last year: the police uses hightech bracelets to find people. Last year it was about people who drink to much to often, this year it makes more sense. The police uses bracelets with a transmitter to find mentaly challenged people who get lost.

The project is called LifeSaver and looks for money to buy bracelets that are around 250$ plus 7$ a month.

"With more than $17,000 in donations in hand, he announced last week the first 11 bracelets are being worn by people in Lycoming County who have autism, are mentally challenged or have memory problems."

Via Police push bracelets to help locate missing- PennLive.com

Sometimes revolutions start with such little messages. Sensatex announced the first product. A T-Shirt that is able to measure your health related data simple while you wear it. And yes - it just looks like a T-Shirt and not like a robot cover...

Our first product, the Sensatex SmartShirt is a patented wearable Smart Textile unisex T-shirt designed to acquire physiological information and movement data from the human body.

Originally developed and patented by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and funded by DARPA, the primary research and development arm of the Department of Defense, the SmartShirt is made using any type of fiber. It is woven or knitted incorporating a patented conductive fiber/sensor system designed specifically for the intended biometric information requirements. Heart rate, respiration, and body temperature are all calibrated and relayed in real time for analysis.

The next entry about personal healtcare computing (PHC) today. Will the trend start to reach new hights? Just imagine a usual t-shirt that alerts your doctor automaticly when your data becomes critical.
With such a shirt complete new options for tele-medicine will arise. Even if your not ill at all you can work on your body health - just think about all the people that move not enough. Now you can see every day what your lifestyle means to your health.

How about to build a counter inside? This counter could count down the days until you day. The number increases after healthy food and sports but decreases after a fast food party... You would start to see your life with different eye's, would you?

Via Sonic Residues - Sensatex

Sensatex is here

Maybe your lifestyle is a bit like Triple X and you often thought about making a movie about your life and become incredible famouse and rich? Ok - mount this tiny thing around your head and "action"!

The small camera will supposedly capture all your freshest moments with its 192 degree rotating lens, twin laser alignment, "fine line" compression engine, and shockproof, splashproof aluminum enclosure.

Via Engadget

Like said before - Healthcare is one of the big things in wearable and the future of IT. Personal computing and personal healthcare grow together like never before. IBM starts a project together with the university of florida (UF) that reminds me to the Personal Health Assitent - the PDA for your health:

The technology creates the first-ever roadmap for widespread commercial development of "smart" devices that, for example, take a person's blood pressure, temperature or respiration rate the minute a person steps into his or her house - then transmit it immediately and automatically to doctors or family.

It's definitive not the "first roadmap" - just search for "Zurich" at this blog - but it's an impressive sign to the market:

"It's really a change of mindset."

yep

via From UF and IBM, a blueprint for 'smart' health care

and smartmobs

Often enough we learn from army technology - why not when it comes to personal safety and personal information. Often enough people aks me whats with security and wearable etchnology? Maybe this new army jammer could work as an example:

The CREW jammer has lots of new features, most of which are secret. Terrorist groups have tried to find ways around the jammer, but have been unsuccessful.

Just jam every wireless field around you except the ones you trust...

Via Electronic Weapons: Wearable IED Jammers

It's the old convergence topic in a complete new "look" ;-) - the first magazine published as or on a t-shirt was announced:

T-Post is the world's first wearable magazine which costs around $36 and gets updated every 6 weeks.

Based on a unique news event the T-shirt will get designed by them and send out to you where you can read an article that is printed on the inside of the T-shirt.

Remember all the new smart displays we will see the magazine redable
and with updates every minute...

via Product Reviews Net

I'm a bit late with this entry but I saved the site in my browser because it's that damned cool.. A display so thin that you can even wear it. The technology is electroluminescent.

"In the future, it could get wrapped around a lamppost or a person's wrist, even worn as clothing. Perhaps it can be put up like wallpaper."

All the walls in your appartement can be a display and show whatever you feel right in the moment. Is it a forest or the sea. With all the climate change going around (and today is "Live Earth") at least at home you'll see a perfect nature...

But if you'll have to pay this technology and your hightech wallpaper with advertising it may become hard...

via Wear your TV as a t-shirt - Styledash

One of the big questions for wearable computing is how to market products. This needs innovation as much as the ability to understand the market and it's real needs. Thats the reason I post this entry from the Kyono Blog. It tells us a lot about the fact that Japan became the titel "most innovative country" and even more about the cultural background.

"Okay, there are major impediments to creativity and innovation in Japan (authoritarianism, less meritocracy, homogeneity, discrimination, etc.). That said, there is no question that Wah has its advantages in terms of getting ideas that add value to market. Japan Inc. is unequivocally one of the best at commercializing innovations globally and I am not surprised they were voted #1 by the Economist Intelligence Unit."

Via The most Innovative Country - Japan. Wah?

A little idea that can be used in many different cases: part a is close to part b -> nothing happens. Part b moves away from part a -> any kind of alarm starts. This version is for people who love sailing. If you fall off the boat the alarm of part a rings that loud so other crew member can save you.

The LifeTag starter system, which retails for $685, includes two LifeTags, which have Lithium batteries with a lifetime of 2,000 hours, wrist straps, an alarm module, a base station, and a power cable. If the boat has RayMarine instruments, you'll be able to integrate the LifeTag system into the SeaTalk network and send COB data to all chartplotters and displays.

Via Sailing World

Another version of an interface for a digital diary - one of the application i think would be useful for wearable electronics and / or computing. This tiny camera or handy piece of jewelry is the result of a Kodak sponsoring for the search of the future of wearable technologies.

To capture a moment, it can be as easy as tapping the camera while in the closed position, or opening it up for a more classical photo composition with the LCD screen before shooting.

Pretty cool idea, is'nt it?





Via Kodak gets fancy � Coolest Gadgets

Looks like gadget holster become more and more fashionable at all. Here is a new line that is more female and comes in 10 different styles:

According to the maker, the curved design is extra comfortable on the leg. It can be worn over skin, socks or boots and the large pouch holds a pack of cigarettes. The electronics carrier holds a phone up to 4-3/4 inches tall, and the wallet holds cash and credit cards.

more here: geeksugar

Fibre2fashion published a huge report about fibres in the 21st century written by Prof. T.K.Sinha, Yogita Agrawal, Rupa Mohanta and Rupali Kapoor. The whole thing is really comprehensive. Here is the summary:

As we enter 21st century, technical advances are dramatically influencing the world of fibers, fabrics and textiles. Today, technology can provide us with fabrics that imitate and actually improve upon nature's best fibers. In the next millennium, textiles will not just be an extension or simple alternatives to natural or synthetic fibers, but will provide superior functionality in broad and emerging sectors of the economy from space to super conductivity and agriculture to geotextile.

Picture: Soybean protein fiber

Read the whole thing here: fibres of 21st century

The Emotional Wardrobe is a London, UK, based project for research about what I call the "Social Interface". They differ between three dimensions of the topic:

The three themes we have identified are emotional connection, human connectedness and customisation and creativity.

Cause the project is simple cool I just quote some statements to make you hungry for more ;-)

In our vision of ubiquitous computing, digital systems will extend to clothing (and other everyday objects) via smart textiles and materials, meaning that fashion will become a mediator of technology.

Clothing is an emotional medium; it can serve to reflect, hide or generate mood. Currently, clothing products apart from visual and in some cases tactile stimuli are dumb and are not responsive to people and/or their moods.

Clothing is a communicative medium. The marriage of design and technology in the 21 st Century will require designers to design interactions , between people, places and information .

Clothing is an expressive medium; it facilitates individualistic expression, allowing individuals to differentiate themselves and to declare their uniqueness.

Satisfy your hunger: The Emotional Wardrobe