Subject: [NEXTEL-1] iDEN "FROG" In Beta- Forget The i730!

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 05:57:59 -0400

e-wear is sewing up fashion and
function

Monday, August 11, 2003

By AMY SATKOFSKY
The Express-Times
For the past few years, purses
have come equipped with cell phone
pockets. Even some of today's
clothing boasts nifty pockets to
hold commonplace electronics,
including phones and handheld PDAs.

A pattern is emerging.
Consumers want access to
their electronics at all times --
and the clothing and technology
industries are responding.

Some companies call the
apparel and accessories
e-wear, while others have
dubbed the products wearable
technology or smart clothing.

The Consumer Electronics
Association which tracks
electronics trends includes
sessions on e-wear during its
annual conferences. At a recent
association event, Gerard
Kleisterlee of Royal Philips
Electronics described wearable
products as "the next electronic
revolution," according to a news
release from the association.

Anne-Taylor Griffith, an
association spokeswoman,
says market data for wearable
technology isn't available because the products are still emerging.

"Most of these products are still in the R& D phase," she says.
Much of the research that will make wearable electronics possible comes out of the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab.
"They look at things like how you can wire a shirt to play music matched to mood,"
explains Ira Greenberg, associate professor in the art communication design
program at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem Township, Pa. "Concepts like
that aren't too far into the future.  We have the technology to do it now."
A statement on the Media Lab's Web site suggests personal computers, to date, have
not lived up to their name.
"Most machines sit on the desk and interact with their owners for only a small
fraction of the day. Smaller and faster notebook computers have made mobility less
of an issue, but the same staid user paradigm persists. Wearable computing hopes
to shatter this myth of how a computer should be used.
"A person's computer should be worn, much as eyeglasses or clothing are worn, and
interact with the user based on the context of the situation," the statement says.

While many products are still in the development phase, consumers are starting to
see some wearable-styled products hit the market. The available products can hold
today's technologies, protect the wearer from the technologies or incorporate
technology into the clothing. Here are some examples:

( Levi's DockersMobile Pants)

These pants were created for professionals who are constantly on the move. The
pants have invisible storage pockets to discreetly carry gadgets. "Very much
propelled by the busy lifestyles of our professionals, the design of the Dockers
Mobile Pant offers today's professional man the most convenient way of carrying
his mobile phone, PDA, as well as other personal items, such as keys and airline
tickets," says Brandon Wong, brand leader for Dockers, in a news release from Levi
Strauss Inc.

Mesh pocketing replaces standard side pockets, making them deep enough to hold
larger items like a checkbook or airline tickets. A customized stowaway seam
pocket fitted with a hidden zipper at the side of the pant leg is ideal for
carrying bulkier items, like PDAs, according to the company.

Levi's also makes pants with radiation absorbing pockets for cell phones.  Not
available in the United States, the Icon S-Fit pants have been marketed in the
United Kingdom since the start of 2003.

( SCOTTeVEST)

The SCOTTeVEST from Technology Enabled Clothing LLC is a lightweight jacket that
allows users to discreetly hold, conceal and connect multiple electronic devices.
The jacket has a simplified Personal Area Network that holds and connects wires
for personal electronic devices, according to a news release from the company.

The network also allows gadgets to be charged while being stored in the jacket.
The vest has 17 pockets that allow for easy access to the contents. The pockets
are designed to allow users to feel the vibration of a cell phone, according to a
news release.

( Analog Clone MD Jacket from Burton Inc.)

By collaborating with SOFTswitch, a company that makes fabrics touch-sensitive and
interactive, Burton Inc., a snowboard and related gear company, was able to
integrate a Sony Net MZ-N1 MD (mini disc) Walkman Player/Recorder into the Analog
Clone MD jacket.

"For years, riders have struggled with rigging makeshift systems so they have easy
access to their music while riding. With the Burton Analog Clone MD, we have
finally developed a jacket with total sound system control at the touch of a
sleeve," says Greg Dacyshyn, a Burton spokesman, in a company news release.

The technology enables textiles to function as interfaces to control any type of
electronic device, from audio equipment to communication devices. This technology
allowed Burton to place a soft, flexible control pad for the MD player directly on
the arm of the jacket.

There's no wire in the arm of the jacket. Instead, there's a textile data strip
integrated into the fabric of the jacket sleeve which allows the arm keypad to
control the MD player in the chest pocket. Riders simply touch the control pad on
the jacket sleeve to change songs or volume levels, the news release says.

In addition to clothing, there are also wearable electronic accessories. As
wireless technology continues to improve, small, wearable communications gadgets
are close at hand. Some examples include:

( Xelibri accessories from Siemens)

The Siemens Information and Communication Mobile Group has created a new
collection of personal communication devices with wearable designs.  The Xelibri
line is marketed as fashionable accessories.

"Xelibri products are fashion accessories that make phone calls," says George
Appling, president of Xelibri, in a news release.
"Today, most people buy the mobile phone that looks the best, and many have a
habit of showing it off. This shows that mobile phones are potential fashion
accessories like watches, handbags, and shoes. We envisage the scenario where
people will own many fashion accessory phones and wear the one that matches their
mood, the occasion, or their attire," he says.
The wearable phones were launched in Hong Kong, France, Germany, Italy, Singapore,
Spain and the United Kingdom in April. The market is expected to expand to the
United States sometime later this year.

( Keychain Camera from Hammacher Co.)

Hammacher Co. is marketing a $40 mini digital camera that can be carried on a key
chain or worn around the neck. The tiny camera includes the software for uploading
the camera's images to a computer.

With the included USB cable, it can also be connected to a computer to act as a PC
camera, sending live images over the Internet.

( Motorola, frog design devices Frog design inc., an international digital and
product design firm, has teamed with Motorola Inc. to create a family of
fashionable wearable devices, according to a Motorola news release.)

Combining the results of research at MIT Media Lab with Motorola's iDEN technology
has enabled frog to design an array of compatible wirelessly connected devices
from glasses, ear buds, and digital cameras to pens and wrist bands. The devices
each have an independent power source and memory, and are individually designed to
be worn as fashionable accessories, according to the release.

"The wearable wireless fashions designed by frog and iDEN are bundled in a
lifestyle series that will empower the user and eventually encourage seamless
movement of information," says Peter Aloumanis of Motorola.

"The idea is to provide a maximum level of connectivity and security without
interfering with an individual's lifestyle. We want to create a series of
accessories that are stylish, intuitive, and attractive in their form and
function."

Having completed a series of designs, Motorola iDEN and frog design are just
starting the process of user testing.
Amy Satkofsky is assistant features editor for The Express-Times. Contact her at
[email-masked].

http://pennlive.com/living/expresstimes/index.ssf?/base/living-0/106059264487060.xml

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for Your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at Myinks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511
http://us.click.yahoo.com/l.m7sD/LIdGAA/qnsNAA/61FxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/