Wearable computers gaining mainstream interest?

[astcell]

You are not old if you only remember that stuff form ten years ago. You are old if you bought it ten years ago and could afford it! (/me remembers paying $1500 for a 286/12)

[converge]

shatter: true, but size decreases, technology improves, feasability improves as costs drop... have to admit it is more of a spiral that will eventually suck the masses in. it just seems like a really ripe thing to tinker with, considering the increase in applications outside of basic manufacturing environments and the growing diversity of technology for solving common problems with a wearable

[KeLviN]

shatter: true, but size decreases, technology improves, feasability improves as costs drop... have to admit it is more of a spiral that will eventually suck the masses in. it just seems like a really ripe thing to tinker with, considering the increase in applications outside of basic manufacturing environments and the growing diversity of technology for solving common problems with a wearable

so if i wait long enough, they'll be omnipitant and free?

[spahkle]

I remember about 10 years ago when wearable computer were all the rage.

Portable 486 procs with HUD's opr monocle interfaces. Neat.

I've got pics floating around somewhere of some industrial modles that were pretty slick. Wrist mount with a palm mounted bar code scanner for warehouse inventory, all running to a 800MHz uplink network.

I think the original issue of Wired had a segment on them.

Everything repeats itself. I'm still waiting for my visor/goggle mounted VR to become common place dammit. Power gloves are dope as hell. They need to make a come back for MMOPRG's.

Ya. I'm old. Fuckoff.

It's the not the age that matters, it's how you... use.. it...

hmmm, something doesn't seem right...

[DISINGENUOUS]

I still want TommEE to rig me up with a fiber camera to record the various things that happen while I'm running arond defcon dealing with shit, putting our fires, etc.

Yes, I have a secret desire to be a gargoyle (a la Snowcrash)

I think what I'd really dig woul be a cell phone with monocle and ear piece. Total HUD, wired into a voice net at all times, and you get your information display in view at all times. Time, date, incomming calls, callerID, pda functions, etc.

I'm really surprised nobody has come out with the earpiece only phone. Holding teh phone traditionally with cell is becomming passe'.

shatter: true, but size decreases, technology improves, feasability improves as costs drop... have to admit it is more of a spiral that will eventually suck the masses in. it just seems like a really ripe thing to tinker with, considering the increase in applications outside of basic manufacturing environments and the growing diversity of technology for solving common problems with a wearable

[octalpus]

I'm really surprised nobody has come out with the earpiece only phone. Holding teh phone traditionally with cell is becomming passe'.

You mean like the T-mobile Sidekick?

[astcell]

The goon-cam! :D It can have it's own channel on Defcon TV. We can watch the script kiddies getting tossed in the pool. I love the idea.

As for the phone, I like it big enough to push buttons, so I have a Jabra bluetooth headset, and it sounds better than just a cell phone.

[DISINGENUOUS]

You mean like the T-mobile Sidekick?

Yes, but it doesn't have teh heads up display mounted to the side of my head.

I remember one display idea I saw worked on way back (again, 10 years ago when I was heavy into the TeleComm market, when PCS was originally called PTS) they had a conecpt of a display that sat on the microphone end of a cell phone, and used a small lcd projector that would scan the info directly into your eye.

While a narrow beam of light fired at 186,000 miles/sec into your retina doesn't sound fun, I'm still likeing the idea, and shoulder surfing is right out (sorry siviak, no codes for you!)



Something like this, but without the helmet (though kevlar helmets are überindustrial)

Mount to glasses for blank lenses are perscription (if needed). That way you could wrap some white tape on them for geek points (tm).

Just have everything n one easy mount: Monocle, Bone induction speaker (two for stereo, duh) and small boom mic. Everything simple, ubiquous, and ergonomic.

Once we have that, Ghent and I will present you all with the working version of the Akira bike (right after we perfect cold fusion)

[astcell]

I like the small displays from micro optical corp, like this one.

[converge]

I like the small displays from micro optical corp, like this one.

It is certainly prettier and cleaner than the more obstructive ones, but considerably less functional. I would lean more to seeking out a similar package if it did 640x480 and had at least 12bit color depth.... otherwise I would revert to the slightly more bulky HMD; of course the HMD being the more pricey portion of the wearable and also the more static of purchases because of cost... seems important to get something you will continue to like, or get soldering :)

-- as an afterthought, going bluetooth could be quite liberating... altough expensive at the moment

[DISINGENUOUS]

I like the small displays from micro optical corp, like this one.

Your links have made me hard. Aroused.

Damn that's sexy hardware. I was looking for pics lik ethat but the grunt was teh best I could find on google quickly.


*droooooool*

[mfreeck]

well, being able to pattern search for specific events, unless those phd folk have tech I don't know of, would be quite scifi still.

(Yah, I know it's an old thread, I've just been gone that long).
Some folks actually were talking about annotation of data collected. One person had the idea you could take accelerometers and program to record data around a specific physical event (such as during a handshake, etc). Another is a Video Diary, where data can be (mostly manually) indexed by: user's location, real world objects, keywords, and story of the day. I haven't read this paper recently, so I can't sum it up better than that at the moment. There were also other folks working on this idea. Wish I could be there this year to see which ideas have developed and how.

[mfreeck]

Your links have made me hard. Aroused.

Damn that's sexy hardware. I was looking for pics lik ethat but the grunt was teh best I could find on google quickly.


*droooooool*

Don Papp took the M1 engine and mounted them similarly inside glasses. The difference is the M1 only does b/w qVGA, and the product he made was $800 instead of $5,000. Unfortunately, he has not been back up since his website got hacked. Shame, he does some good work, and last I heard, he was working on "the poor man's eyetap." Eyetap, now *that* is to drool for. :) Discreet, bright, full color, and I did not have to alpha test a unit that paints laser light on your retina.

[Kry0NiK]

Wearable computers are about as practical as a tv watch.

[mfreeck]

Wearable computers are about as practical as a tv watch.

It depends how much you like being stared at.