First, my life story- My interest in wearables is strictly to simplify my life. I am, however, one of those people that will spend several weeks learning, customizing, or programming if necessary to save a few minutes a day on a routine or annoying task. I bought a Newton to have a mobile, digital data source and found it too large to carry and too time consuming to flip open, power up, and write down notes while on the move. So, naturally I became interested in a more persistent remembrance agent and became drawn to wearables. More concerned with simplifying my life than programming face recognition routines I have very narrow desires for a starting wearable. Mainly I want to combine the following modern day encumbrances: 1. A mobile phone 2. A walkman- a necessity in my view. 3. Organizer 4. Address/phonebook 5. Maps 6. Memo pad Now for my world vision- Beyond my own selfish concerns I believe the above list represents the closest, realizable amalgam of consumer products that will constitute a real platform for wearable computing. The other existing attempts- computer watches, computer phones, etc... have no growth room. I have been surprised that the wearable community has not yet spawned the wearable equivalent of the Apple II- simple, cheap, expandable in purpose. Where is the startup company working on this product? The above device wouldn't require much more than a combination of a Star-tac phone, a PMCIA card slot, a Voice-It memo recorder, a touch sensitive interface, and a cpu capable of playing mp3 files and java apps. Presently, these devices altogether can't weigh more than 2 lbs with all the redundant plastic casing and unconsolidated circuitry and each device has a near day long battery life. Why java? I picked java because it is the most inviting language to the novice computer enthusiast, its got the PR for the most network-exploitablilty, and unless I'm misinformed it was designed originally for small appliance-type devices. Why the mp3 (or pick another comparable digital music format) capability? More people own walkmans than phones, computers, or organizers. We need to be seeding wearables into the hands of youthful gadget enthusiasts to gain a following and robust developer community. As I see it, the emphasis on HMD in the wearable community is stifling the emergence of this crucial product. I don't know many people that are dependent on a camcorder all day long. Sure, I would love an unobtrusive, nonstop visual data feed all day. I would love to video conference with my wife while shopping, but that is a wish presently, and not a need in most peoples minds. Finally, please don't take my comments the wrong way. I am always glad that someone is thinking 10 or 20 years ahead. I'm just frustrated that what should be here now isn't. If anyone knows of a good startup company that is working toward this ideal, please send me some info. -- Bill Nordstrom University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center 5323 Harry Hines Blvd. Dallas, TX 75235-9039 W:214-648-9227 Fax: 214-648-8694 emailCooltalk: 129.112.20.190
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