Andy's Wearable Computing Notebook » phone

LooxcieLive enables mobile-to-mobile stream viewing

admin — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 01:11:32 +0000

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.

Kisai Escape C – the Bluetooth ‘fashion accessory’

admin — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:42:41 +0000

gizmag – Hands-free calling using Bluetooth earpieces has become – shall we say – controversial over the years, as we’ve all seen that annoying guy at Starbucks trying to close the deal as he orders his cappuccino. But the latest receiver from Tokyo Flash, the Kisai Escape C, might just have enough features to offset the Bluetooth [geek] factor.

As with most receivers, yes, you can pair the Escape C with your mobile phone to make and receive calls hands free. But the earpiece looks much like a normal earbud, so if you decide to take your phone conversation public the only giveaway is your voice. The microphone is integrated into the Escape C which can be worn around the neck like a necklace.

By pairing the device with your mp3 player you can also get your favorite music in stereo sound. The Escape C also has control buttons on its body that you can use to skip ahead or adjust volume if necessary.

One awesome CES gadget

admin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:49:25 +0000

What’s Your Tech — There’s one cool little product that has garnered quite a buzz following the CES show — rather than during it. It’s called the O.R.B. Wireless Earpiece Finger Ring, and it’s an example of clever convergence that fuses fashion with function — and works with a product you already own.

When you’re not using your smartphone, the O.R.B. slips onto your finger and resembles a modern-looking ring. But this piece of jewellery has a unique twist: an e-ink display with caller ID. Therefore, using Bluetooth wireless technology, will show you the name and/or number of the person calling you. Therefore, you can decide to answer or not.

The O.R.B. (”Orbital Ring Bluetooth”) will also show you text messages and calendar reminders on its diminutive screen that wraps around your finger — and will vibrate to let you know about an incoming call or message. But as informercial guru Ron Popeil says, “But wait, there’s more!” When a call comes in you want to answer, the ring twists into a funky-looking Bluetooth headset that fits on your ear for hands-free communication. As a wireless headset, the O.R.B. works up to 30 feet away from your phone. Despite its small size, the O.R.B. utilizes bone-conducting technology, licensed from NXT Sound, to deliver high-quality audio, even though the device isn’t inserted deeply into the ear.

LG Watch Phone at CES 2009

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:08:04 +0000

cnet — Quite possibly one of the biggest buzzes at CES [2009] so far has been about the LG Watch Phone, which we reported on yesterday morning. It’s no wonder; it fulfills every geek’s fantasy while still satisfying the cool quotient with its sleek styling and touch-screen interface.

We had a sit-down with LG earlier today at its booth in the Central Hall, and got up close and personal with the phone. LG wouldn’t let us touch it, but we did get a good look at how the transitions work between each tap of the finger. It looks quite intuitive, and the tempered glass on the surface apparently works as a capacitive touch screen, making it as easy to use as the one on the iPhone. We were surprised at how easy it seemed to dial numbers on the tiny dial pad, even though the screen only measures 1.43 inches diagonally. According to LG, texting will be done in a similar manner with a virtual T9 keypad.

A watch to measure your stress

admin — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:30:29 +0000

ZD Net Blogs – Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the University of Pittsburgh are using a wrist-mounted watch to measure stress. This watch, which is in fact a wearable computing system, contains several sensors that gather information about the user and his environment. Now it will be used to conduct 3-minute interviews of its wearers every 45 minutes for 5 days (even during their sleep?). It will ask them questions such as ‘Working hard?’ or ‘Happy?’ and wirelessly transmit the answers to a central computer. The study, which is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is expected to reveal correlations between environmental factors that we encounter every day and which may increase the risk of certain diseases such as heart attacks or strokes.