Wearable Electronics

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The new Blancpain Women Collection

April 14, 2006 Ever since 1930, Blancpain has been firmly convinced that women are well able to appreciate the know-how and the magic of mechanical horology. The Blancpain tradition of feminine Haute Horlogerie timepieces is thus no recent development, but instead boasts a rich and diverse history. Over the past 75 years, Blancpain’s numerous achievements in this field have included the first ladies’ self-winding wristwatch, the smallest round movement and more recently the world’s thinnest perpetual calendar. From an initial role as a purely functional object, the wristwatch has become a piece of jewellery or an accessory accompanying a particular clothing style. This graceful transformation has proved fundamental to contemporary watchmaking. While the Blancpain ladies’ models created in the past can lay claim to many world firsts, Blancpain has never dedicated an entire collection to women. Accordingly, and for the very first time and coinciding with the arrival of spring, Blancpain is revealing how it has imagined and developed its approach to feminine mechanical timepieces. Far from being mere reductions or adaptations of existing men’s watches, the three first models making up this collection were specifically developed to meet the expectations and desires of contemporary women. The hours of the BLANCPAIN WOMEN collection are exclusively feminine. Remaining steadfastly faithful to its roots in the Vallee de Joux, Blancpain has endowed each of its women’s watches with a meticulously hand-finished and decorated mechanical self-winding movement. Nonetheless, the Manufacture is now exploring an entirely new path by creating a collection that is completely innovative in terms of its aesthetics. Read More

The World’s First Water-Resistant Bluetooth Headset (with 3 weeks standby time)

By Mike Hanlon

February 26, 2006 Sometimes it takes a breakthrough to recognise what you’ve been missing. Would you buy a car that you couldn’t get wet? You don’t need to be a red-blooded, its-only-a-flesh-wound kinda guy to find yourself caught in the rain occasionally … and wanting to talk on the phone at the same time. Well the announcement by French Bluetooth specialist Bluetrek of a Bluetooth headset for extreme conditions makes so much sense that the rest of the headset world must surely follow suit – at least with water-resistant models. The X2 is designed for active outdoor use and its makers claim it has the ability to function in extreme conditions, but in some circumstances, the work and home environments can be just as hostile as the great outdoors. Indeed, the specs of the X2 make so much sense that it immediately becomes the headset to have, partly due to the no-brainer waterproof functionality and partly due to its extended battery power that offers up to 14 hours of talk time and 500 hours (three weeks) of standby time. The X2 will be available inside a few weeks for UKP59 or 79 Euros. Read More

New official Formula One watch manufacturer

By Mike Hanlon

February 24, 2006 For the first time in the history of the Formula 1, a company, the Austrian watch manufacturer Jacques Lemans, has purchased the exclusive rights to use the brand “F1”. The sport Formula 1 watch collection was presented at the massive Inhorgenta International Trade Fair for Watches, Clocks and Jewellery this week in Munich. Not surprisingly, the new F1 multi-functional chronograph models are designed to reflect the myth and philosophy of Formula One and will be manufactured from appropriate Formula 1 materials such as carbon fiber, rubber, Coutchouk, Titanium and ceramics. There will also be ladies’ models in pink with mother of pearl. Read More

CTIA Wireless Fashion Show entries close March 10

By Mike Hanlon

Last year we called it the most visible technology showcase on the planet. This year, although in many respects, CTIA WIRELESS 2006 is already the most important technology event of the year, it will be even better! The CTIA WIRELESS show is the premiere global event representing the complete wireless, mobile computing and wireless Internet industries. CTIA WIRELESS 2006 brings together all industries within telecommunications and all those affected by wireless technology for three days of intense learning and networking. For the past six years, CTIA WIRELESS has conducted the Fashion in Motion show - the HOT technology fashion show that fuses the world of high fashion with the latest wireless technology. This couture style runway show showcases the latest wireless devices and accessories on the market today, as well as the futuristic technology of tomorrow. Now CTIA is taking it to the next level and by offering CTIA Fashion in Motion Scholarships to technology and fashion university and college students from across the globe. If you have an idea or concept or prototype for wearable technology, this is an opportunity to showcase your ideas to the world (entries close March 10). See our extensive photo galleries of the 2004 show and the 2005 show. CLICK HERE to download the CTIA Fashion in Motion Scholarship Program Entry Form. Read More

Bluetooth-enabled Audex jacket with inbuilt speakers

By Mike Hanlon

January 23, 2006 UPDATED IMAGE LIBRARY Motorola and Burton Snowboards have announced the commercial availability of the Bluetooth-enabled Audex Jacket Series. Jointly developed by Motorola and Burton to bring wearable technology to active consumers, the new Audex jacket allows winter sports enthusiasts to experience seamless connectivity -- at the touch of a button -- from one environment to the next. At the center of the Audex jacket is a control panel located on the left-hand sleeve, allowing for simple and easy access to your incoming and outgoing calls, and music selections. Connect a compatible Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone to the panel wirelessly, while hooking up your iPod player via hidden, unobtrusive wires within the jacket. Speakers and a microphone are located in the hood for taking and making calls as well as listening to music. Read More

BlackCoat with integrated iPod controls

By Mike Hanlon

January 16, 2006 Apple sold 14 million iPods in the Christmas quarter of 2005. Which accounts for why there are 700 iPod accessories soon to be wearing Apple’s “Made for iPod” logo – 700 different products which are all iPod accessories - no wonder Apple decided to charge a fee to trade off the success of its iconic MP3 player. As we’ve already noted, the world’s automotive manufacturers are clamouring to offer iPod integration and now the first wave of wearable technology manufacturers are doing likewise. One of the latest announcements is from Kyono which is marketing what it hopes will become the male equivalent to a woman’s ‘little black dress.’ The BlackCoat Work is a lightweight jacket made from water resistant stretch cotton and is scheduled for release in March 2006 at US$179. The BlackCoat Work is one of four new lightweight outerwear designs for Spring 2006 that will include integrated controls for Apple iPods. As with similar MP3-player jackets already released, the BlackCoat Work user hooks the iPod up to the jacket and controls the play, pause and volume controls from the sleeve. Read More

Levi's to launch iPod compatible jeans

By Mike Hanlon

January 14, 2006 Invented in 1873 by Levi Strauss, Levi's Jeans are the original jeans and have long since become the most recognised brand and most widely imitated product in the history of apparel – and somehow it seems entirely appropriate that Levi’s is getting together with the world’s modern day technological equivalent brand – Apple’s iPod - the lowest (figuratively of course, Steve) common denominators are getting together and we expect the synergies to be very powerful. Levi's is planning to introduce RedWire DLX Jeans in the Northern hemisphere autumn of 2006. Designed for both men and women, the jeans will seamlessly integrate an iPod docking cradle built into the jeans and "invisibly" housed within a side pocket. There’s also a special joystick incorporated into the jeans' watch pocket to enable easy operation of the iPod without removing one’s hands from one’s pockets. Read More

MYVU Personal Media Viewer for Apple’s iPod Video - Hands Free, Head-up Access to a Large Virtual Screen

By Mike Hanlon

January 12, 2006 The Macworld Conference and expo regained some of its former sparkle yesterday, with Apple’s star again on the rise thanks to the iPod becoming the high-tech darling of the masses and the announcements of Apple’s new Intel relationship. One announcement that missed prime time yesterday but could be very significant in the near term was MicroOptical’s myvu personal media viewer. The myvu viewer, which comprises eyewear with built in video viewing and audio systems, significantly enhances the way people watch video with an Apple iPod. We’ve previously written up the success of the MYVU in France, where under the Orange brand it is paired by France Telecom with a Samsung D600 cell phone, but when the masses realize they can can have a hands-free, heads-up access to a large virtual screen by connecting to their video iPod, well, cyber serf city will never look the same again. Read More

The TuneBuckle – turn your iPod nano into a belt buckle

By Mike Hanlon

January 11, 2006 There’s always a better way. No matter how clever an implementation, there’s always some improvement to be had and our “bloody marvelous idea” award of the day goes to the TuneBuckle - a unique and innovative way to protect and transport your iPod nano – turn it into a belt buckle. Made from high grade metals (aluminium or stainless steel) and leather, the TuneBuckle comes in sizes 30-46, and will cost US$49.95 when it goes on sale. Read More

Wearable data storage market evolves

By Mike Hanlon

January 7, 2006 One wonders what we might carry with us “digitally” a decade or two from now, with memory and storage capacity getting larger and much more affordable every day. Imation got us thinking about this by showing several interesting concepts for carrying digital files at the CES – the 256 Mb Flash Wristband and the 4Gb Micro Hard Drive. They’re interesting concepts, particularly the wristband, but just think that a decade from now the bang-per-buck factor will have improved by several orders of magnitude. Read More

Shrewd digital and analogue watch

By Mike Hanlon

November 17, 2005 For ubergeeks, and presumably for children learning how to tell the time, the SHREWD is a symbiosis of LED & analogue technology that looks for all the world like a normal stainless steel watch. Press the button though, and a red LED display lights up with the digital time displayed. When the LED display is off, there is no hint on the watch face that this feature exists. There are more features, but that’s the coolest one. Costing US$189.95, the SHREWD can be purchased here. Read More

More wearable electronics: the ‘FAT CONTROLLER’ Snow Glove

By Mike Hanlon

October 16, 2005 O’Neill Europe recently announced the latest addition to the H.2 Series range of wearable electronics with the arrival of the ‘Fat Controller’, a snow glove that incorporates a wireless remote control for Apple’s iPod MP3 players. A limited number of the new gloves will be distributed throughout Europe this coming winter at a retail price of EU139 Euro. The ‘Fat Controller’ uses radio frequencies to relay instructions to a module installed on top of the iPod. Tune selection is managed from a small, thumb-controlled joystick woven in to the top of the right-hand glove that mirrors the behavior of the iPod’s scroll wheel. By nudging the joystick to different points of the compass the wearer can play/pause, adjust volume and skip tracks without having to remove the iPod from the inner sanctums of a snowboard jacket. Read More

New Heads Up Displays enter the work place

By Mike Hanlon

September 13, 2005 Not long ago, we were waxing on about the incredible feat performed by Motion Research in bringing the world's first consumer Heads Up displays to market for motorcyclists, cyclists and auto racers. Now we're equally as enthusiastic about the company's new consumer Heads Up displays, knowing full well that the functionality afforded by the displays could change the face of the modern workplace. VersaVue Heads Up displays are now available for commercial and industrial applications. Read More

The Equaliser watch

By Mike Hanlon

Always edgy, the Japanese design community is producing short runs of digital designer watches using new techniques and computer aided design. A prime example is the "High Frequency" by Equalizer, a watch using LCD/LED displays to create a new era of contemporary watch design. Just as the watch business unfolded in Switzerland, the Japanese designers are hoping their design and production techniques will “revolutionize how watches are made”. Read More

Photonic textiles - fabric becomes an intelligent display

By Mike Hanlon

September 2, 2005 One of the most interesting new developments to go on display at the important Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) 2005 show which opens later today will be Philips demonstrating its developments with photonic textiles—fabrics that contain lighting systems and can therefore serve as displays. With the development of this new and unusual technology, Philips Research is pointing the way toward a new age in the long history of textiles. At first glance, objects such as clothing, towels, upholstery, and drapes would seem unlikely places on which to place intelligent and interactive systems. Yet these low-tech objects figure prominently in our lives. By integrating flexible arrays of multicolored light-emitting diodes (LEDs) into fabrics—and doing so without compromising the softness of the cloth—Philips Research is bringing these inert objects to life. Read More

RAZRWIRE Bluetooth enabled sunglasses redefines hands-free mobility

By Mike Hanlon

July 26, 2005 Motorola and Oakley have announced that the much-awaited RAZRWIRE Bluetooth eyewear will be available in the US in early August at US$300. RAZRWIRE combines Oakley optics with Bluetooth wireless technology so you can listen to a Bluetooth MP3 player or carry on phone conversations while up to 30 feet away from your compatible Bluetooth-enabled cell phone. It also means you can hike, run, row, play or ride a bike, as Lance Armstrong regularly demonstrated over the last month during the Tour de France when he was regularly seen wearing his RAZRWIRE species. Read More

Sleeptracker wake-up device monitors your sleep to make waking up easier

By Mike Hanlon

March 7, 2005 Sleeptracker looks like a wristwatch but it monitors the wearer's sleep patterns to detect the best possible wake-up times. Sleeptracker's alarm then goes off at the optimum moment during a pre-set, customised window of time, so that the wearer wakes up alert and energized. According to Sleeptracker's creator, Innovative Sleep Solutions, during a typical night, most people go through continuous cycles of sleep stages, progressing from deep sleep to almost-awake moments and back again. If their standard alarm happens to ring at an almost-awake moment, the person wakes feeling rested and refreshed. But as the cyclic pattern is only at an optimal state for waking a small percentage of the time, a standard alarm usually goes off during deeper sleep, so that those people wake up tired and groggy. Read More

adidas launches adidas_1, the World's First Intelligent Shoe

By Mike Hanlon

March 7, 2005 Adidas has launched the intelligent shoe it unveiled last year. Known as adidas_1, the shoe provides "intelligent cushioning" by automatically and continuously adjusting itself. It does so by sensing the cushioning level, using sensors. It then calculates whether the cushioning level is too soft or too firm via a microprocessor and adapts with a motor-driven cable system to provide the correct cushioning for the specific purpose at that time. A prime example of the convergence process in which computers are embedded in everyday objects to enable them to play their role more effectively, the adidas shoe is one of a number of intelligent clothing items arriving at market this year. Available now, adidas_1 costs US$250 or 250 Euros. Read More

RAZRWire - fashion sunglasses with a built-in BlueTooth headset

By Mike Hanlon

Fusing high-fashion and high-technology, the new RazrWire sunglasses from Oakley take active-wear to a new level. By embedding a Motorola Bluetooth wireless headset into Oakley sunglasses, RazrWire lets image conscious consumers experience hands-free, cable-free connections to Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones or other compatible devices. Hot on the heels of other Motorola Bluetooth technology announcements adding intelligence to motorcycle helmets, skiiing jackets and beanies, the wireless BlueTooth world is fast approaching. Read More

Bluetooth-enabled proximity dating service

By Mike Hanlon

February 12, 2005 The world of computer-mediated matching services looks set to blossom as wireless technologies become all-pervasive. We've covered two such ingenious matchmaking services in the last twelve months and now a third with enormous potential has emerged. Proxidating's software enables you to recognise potential partners in any environment - if your preferences match and you come within Bluetooth distance (15 metres), your mobile will introduce you. The third new such matchmaking service was introduced this week - the Proxidating locality-based matchmaking service for Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone users, offers an interesting new way for people to get together. Created in France (where else?), the Proxidating service uses Bluetooth connectivity to make the initial contact and with mobile phone usage now universal in many countries, particularly among the young, socially mobile and technology-savvy group, we think it has anormous potential. Read More

The world's most visible wearable technology showcase

By Mike Hanlon

February 11, 2005 The CTIA Wireless 2005 Convention and Expo is one of the most important technology events on the planet. Without doubt the most anticipated facet of the event each year is the "Fashion In Motion" Technology Fashion show - a cutting-edge, high-energy fashion parade incorporating wearable and wireless technology into fashion, lifestyle, health, and security applications. This year there's an opportunity for wearable technologies to participate free of charge in this important event ... but you'll need to be quick. Read on to find out why it is important and to see an array of images from last year's event. Read More

Motorola and Burton unveil Bluetooth Snowboarding Jacket, Helmet and Beanie

By Mike Hanlon

LAS VEGAS 9 January 2005 Next winter, the world's snowboarders will add another "trick" to their repertoire with the ability to switch between their iPOD playlist and incoming calls in mid-air thanks to three new products from Motorola and Burton Snowboards. Launched at the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show, these Bluetooth-enabled jackets, helmets and beanies will provide wireless, high-performance connectivity and playability on the slopes for the 2006 winter season. Read More

Verb for Shoe - very intelligent shoes!

By Mike Hanlon

December 15, 2004, MIT spin-off company VectraSense has announced a new computerised shoe named "Verb for Shoe" that provides on-the-fly computerised shoe adjustments according to the wearer's movements, a wireless link from the shoes to your PC and to other wearers of the shoes (creating an elite and exclusive community) and a software application which continuously and actively monitors the shoe's power usage, air bladder system performance, the user's motion analysis and the shoe's health and alerts when problems occur. Read More

New 'Smart-fabric' inspired by pine cones

By Gizmag Team

November 26, 2004 A new smart-fabric derived from the properties of pinecones has been developed by the UK based Centre for Biomimetic and Natural Technologies. The fabric adapts to changing temperatures by opening up when warm and shutting tight when cold just like a pinecone's scales do in nature, and is just one of the emerging developments in the burgeoning field of "biomimetics". The "breathing" fabric is designed to stop the wearer getting hot or cold by adjusting itself to both internal and external temperatures. The textile is made up of a layer of thin spikes of wool, or another water-absorbent material, that opens up when it's made wet by the wearer's sweat. When the layer dries out, the spikes automatically close up again. A second layer underneath protects the wearer from the rain. Read More

Pervasive computing produces 'smart' handbag

By Gizmag Team

November 14, 2004 A smart handbag has been created that tells the user if they have forgotten their keys or wallet, lights up when it gets dark and can wirelessly download information like weather reports from the internet and tell your umbrella it will be needed. The bYOB (Build Your Own Bag) is a flexible, computationally enhanced modular textile system that also transforms its shape according to your needs. When modules are snapped together to form an object, they communicate with people, other objects and their environment in a 'pervasive computing' network. The current bYOB prototype consists of squares and equilateral triangles approximately 4"x4" and no more than 1/8" thick. Read More

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