Wearable Electronics
Back in 2009, the Kopin Corporation’s Golden-i headset promised a hands-free, natural-speech-recognition interface for wireless remote control over a range of devices including mobile phones, PCs, company networks and wireless systems, but it was also little more than a concept. Four years on, the company is marketing the wearable, hands free computer interfacing devices for heavy and light industries, professionals and first responders. The Golden-i headsets allow the user to send and receive audiovisual information from multiple platforms by means of both voice and motion control while leaving the hands free to get on with the job. Read More
It’s been a staple of science fiction for decades, but now the idea of augmented reality (AR) enhancing our lives by way of hi-tech wearable glasses is finally becoming a reality for consumers. Google's Project Glass may be getting the lion's share of attention, but prototypes and new ventures abound with any number of goggle-like devices offering immersive 3D gaming through to simply capturing your everyday life for sharing online. Now a start-up called meta has joined the fray, partnering with Epson to create AR glasses that allow virtual objects to be controlled in 3D space using hand gestures. Read More
Google files patent for bone conduction audio in Project Glass
A USPTO patent application suggests that Mountain View is planning to use bone conduction audio with its Project Glass headset. The patent describes how the tech might work with the headset and includes a number of images seen in previous Glass filings. Read More
As technology becomes more integrated into our lives, it's reaching a point where the only fodder left for electronic enhancement will be the clothes on our backs. For design group Machina, that notion represents a world of possibilities for how we interact with each other and even create art. The team of anonymous designers recently developed the MJ v01 MIDI Controller jacket, which conceals a variety of sensors that sync to iOS and Android devices to produce electronic music through the wearer's movements. Read More
"Loading..." watch concept will keep you waiting forever
Loading screens are never a welcome sight, whether they're interrupting a video game or informing you just how long you have to wait for a new program to download and install. Imagine having one permanently displayed on your wrist; one that never actually reached 100 percent. You could do, if this particular Tokyo Flash concept design gets turned into a real wristwatch. Read More
Fitbit debuts Flex activity and sleep monitor
Fitbit has added to its catalog of activity and well-being trackers with the Flex – a wireless wristband monitor which made its debut at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this month. Read More
Though e-ink watches have been around for a few years now, most, like the Touch Time, tend to follow the same form factor as their LCD-screened cousins, which are themselves based on analog ancestors. The patent-pending CST-01 from Chicago-based Central Standard Timing is a different proposition altogether. Claimed to be the world's thinnest watch at just 0.8 mm thin, yet still managing to squeeze in a rechargeable battery, it makes use of segmented (rather than pixel-based) e-ink technology, has no buttons or knobs and has only one function ... to let its wearer know what time it is. Read More
With Google's Project Glass gaining plenty of attention in recent times, it's safe to say that the era of augmented reality eyewear is almost upon us. At CES 2013 we had a chance to strap on the M100 Smart Glasses from video eyewear specialist Vuzix to get at least a partial taste of what this AR future will feel like. Read More
Gadget-friendly clothing firm SCOTTeVEST showed off a new concept smart-coat at this year’s CES. Looking like a standard windbreaker from the outside, the SCOTTeVEST TEC Jacket 2.0 actually contains serious technology in the form of adapters, accessories, and enough pockets to safely house the majority of mobile devices. Read More
