Category: Hardware

Fabric Switches and Keyboards

SOFTswitch Electronic Fabrics – Applications – Wearables

As fashion and technology converge, SOFTswitch is providing the enabling fabric interfaces to allow electronics to function within clothing. From wearable audio and computing to mobile phones and personal healthcare SOFTswitch enables the portability and softening of traditionally large hard plastic devices.
Employing wireless connectivity SOFTswitch enabled clothing can also interact remotely with electronic devices in your home, car or workplace.

Computer games that involve excersize

GETUPMOVE.COM – Story Mode
From the site:
I started playing Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) at the age of 17
with the very first version that was released to the United States, DDR Version 1.5. The first time I saw the game was at Gameworks arcade in Seattle, where tons of people were crowded around the DDR machine to watch different players dance. At this time, I was a senior in high school and weighed about 235 lbs. Four and a half years later, I now weigh close to 140 lbs and I would’ve never guessed how much that trip (OR a video game) would affect me with my health/weight, and in growing to be a better, more self-confident person.

Robot journalists

BBC News | SCI/TECH | Robo-reporter goes to war

From the article:
A robotic war correspondent that can get to places even veteran correspondent John Simpson cannot reach is being developed in the US.
The Afghan Explorer looks like a cross between a lawnmower and a robotic dog and has been designed to travel to war zones to provide images, sound and interviews from hostile environments off-limits to human reporters.

Another article: “Robot reporter puts a new spin on things” available at http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/03/27/1017089547673.html

Thanks to Hans for the links.

Interesting ultra-portable (somewhere between a pda and a laptop) computer coming this year (2004)

oqo: hardware: basics

From the site:
The OQO computer has all the functionality of an ultraportable notebook computer, with a 1GHz processor, a 20GB hard drive, 256MB of RAM, color transflective display (for easy indoor and outdoor viewing), 802.11b wireless, a removable lithium-polymer battery, and FireWire‚Ñ¢ and USB 1.1 ports. For input and navigation it includes thumb keyboard with TrackStik‚Ñ¢ and mouse buttons as well as digital pen and thumbwheel.

This is the phone I want…

Nokia 6620

The Nokia 6620 imaging phone offers advanced messaging capabilities. The integrated camera lets users record video clips as well as capture VGA (640 x 480-pixel) images. The ability to share images and messages via Multimedia Message Service (MMS), e-mail, infrared, and Bluetooth makes the Nokia 6620 phone suitable for both mobile lifestyle and business applications.
Developers will also appreciate the Nokia 6620 phone’s use of the latest in mobile technology, including support for Java‚Ñ¢ MIDP 2.0 applications, MMS, XHTML content, and high-speed content (over EDGE). The Nokia 6620 phone is a tri-band device developed for the Americas market; data carrier support is CSD, GPRS, EGPRS, and EDGE. Note that messaging functions, Java application downloads, XHTML browsing, and high-speed access all require operator and network support.