Apr 03
gadget, watch
DVICE - Fans of the iPod Nano Watch may want to think about making an upgrade in the near future. Of course, the only trade off is that you’ll have to switch to an Android device.
The Sony SmartWatch is essentially a tiny touchscreen that allows you to control and interact with your smartphone via Bluetooth. In addition to functioning rather well as a wristwatch, the device allows you to read sms and email messages, control your phone’s camera, read calendar appointments, and use services like Twitter and Facebook. In order to use the SmartWatch you’ll also need Sony’s LiveWare app along with the SmartWatch plug-in. Priced at $149, it’s due to arrive in stores later this month.
Nov 07
gadget, health
University of Pittsburg – People attempting to lose weight won’t need to track their daily food intake anymore, thanks to a wearable, picture-taking device created at the University of Pittsburgh. eButton—a device worn on the chest (like a pin) that contains a miniature camera, accelerometer, GPS, and other sensors—captures data and information of health activities, eliminating the need for daily self-reporting. The eButton prototype was the result of research from a four-year NIH Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative grant that ended this year.
The eButton’s reporting extends even further than food and exercise: It can determine the amount of time wearers spend watching TV or sitting in front of a computer screen and how much time they spend outdoors. It tracks where food is bought, how meals are prepared, which restaurants are visited, and what items are ordered.
Retrieving the results of eButton is convenient [...] it’s as easy as transferring pictures from a digital camera onto a computer. To protect participants’ privacy, the data are coded so they cannot be read until scanned by a computer to block human faces.
Oct 15
display, gadget, input, research
Carnegie Mellon University - OmniTouch, a wearable projection system developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft Research, enables users to turn pads of paper, walls or even their own hands, arms and legs into graphical, interactive surfaces.
In other words, there will be no need to find that pen you keep misplacing — or even to dig your smartphone out of your pocket to record a note.
The system employs a depth-sensing camera, similar to the Microsoft Kinect, to track the user’s fingers on everyday surfaces.
This allows users to control interactive applications by tapping or dragging their fingers, much as they would with touchscreens found on smartphones or tablet computers.
The projector can superimpose keyboards, keypads and other controls onto any surface, automatically adjusting for the surface’s shape and orientation to minimize distortion of the projected images.
Aug 02
gadget, software, watch
Engadget – Tablets and smartphones might rule the present, but if you ask the folks at WIMM Labs, the future of data consumption is a one-inch by one-inch square. The Los Altos startup just revealed its new, wearable computing platform, developed, in part, through a partnership with Foxconn, that it hopes will change the way we look at computers. Currently known as the WIMM wearable platform, this new modular device packs a full-color 160 x 160 touchscreen, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, an accelerometer and magnetometer, and runs on good old Android. What’s more, it’s waterproof. Basically, it’s a tiny, multifunctional computer, packed with “micro apps” that can make it anything from a smart watch to a health monitor, from a mobile payment device to an all-in-one remote. As of now, the company doesn’t have plans to market it direct to consumers, but says it has a few partnerships in the works that could bring a WIMM-powered something to market by year’s end; a developer kit will go on sale in the next few weeks for an undisclosed price.
Jan 06
gadget, phone, software
engadget – CES 2010 [...] Here at the Consumer Electronics Show, Looxcie ousted its new streaming service which it has dubbed LooxcieLive. In addition to the Bluetooth video connectivity to your smartphone, the service allows you to beam the vidcast across mobile networks and WiFi to any other dude or dudette on your contacts list that’s got the app installed. Those looking to get started right away will be disappointed — the service is currently unavailable, but will be live within the first half of 2011.
Apr 19
display, gadget, input
Wearable Computing — Christian over at Tailor Made Toys has created a way-cool Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Augmented Reality Headset. The headset is composed of Eye-Trek goggles with the addition of a USB laptop webcam. On his blog, Christian says:
“First thing I should probably say here is that I built this without even thinking what its function would be. I just thought it would be cool to add a cam to the front of my Eye-Trek goggles. As it turned out these where ideal for use with augmented reality applications. I am also working on putting them to use for other software. Such as gps overlays and night vision (like being the terminator, but more scrawny).” [...] “Other idea is to have it on all day and log on to chat roulette, give them that “being john malcovich” feeling.”
Apr 13
gadget, health
TechEye — We don’t know about the rest of everyone in Internet Land but if there was a way to make phone calls from a dog we’d be all over it. Laura Boffi, of the Copenhagen Institute of Interactive Design [and her colleagues: Mary Huang and Li Bian], has come up with a wearable vest for messenger dogs with built-in GPS.
The idea is that the dog is trained to trek around disaster areas, and when they find a stranded straggler, they’ll sit in front of them. When he’s walking around, his jacket will play sounds to make nearby survivors aware of their doggy internet saviour. A hammy sounding American guy will then tell you, from the vest, that this dog is a messenger dog, and guide the rescued through recording a voice or picture message
Mar 31
gadget, watch
the gadgeteer — ThinkGeek
offers a very portable, wearable universal charger they call the Bracer of Battery Life +2. Unlike most charge-as-you-go chargers, this battery-extender doesn’t ruin the sleek lines of your phone, mp3 player, or gaming device, and you don’t need a different one for each of your gadgets. You wear the Bracer on your wrist like a bracelet, and you’ll have a 1500 mAh, 5.5V power source at the ready. The Bracer has a rechargeable lithium ion battery that recharges with the included USB cable. There’s a power button, a power status LED, and a 4-LED power level meter. The Bracer comes with a universal power output cable and nine connectors. You’ll receive connectors for iPhone, Nokia I (3.5 mm), Nokia II (2 mm), LG, Samsung i900, Sony Ericsson, Sony PSP, NDS Lite, Nintendo DSi, and a mini USB connector for Motorola/HTC/Dopod/and many mp3/mp4 devices. It’s $34.99 from ThinkGeek.
Mar 10
display, gadget, input
Google Hosted News — US university researchers have created a portable “sixth sense” device powered by commercial products that can seamlessly channel Internet information into daily routines.
The device created by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) scientists can turn any surface into a touch-screen for computing, controlled by simple hand gestures. The gadget can even take photographs if a user frames a scene with his or her hands, or project a watch face with the proper time on a wrist if the user makes a circle there with a finger.
The MIT wizards cobbled a Web camera, a battery-powered projector and a mobile telephone into a gizmo that can be worn like jewelry. Signals from the camera and projector are relayed to smart phones with Internet connections.
“Other than letting some of you live out your fantasy of looking as cool as Tom Cruise in ‘Minority Report’ it can really let you connect as a sixth sense device with whatever is in front of you,” said MIT researcher Patty Maes.
Maes used a Technology, Entertainment, Design Conference stage in Southern California on Wednesday to unveil the futuristic gadget made from store-bought components costing about 300 dollars (US).
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