Wearable

I have to admit that Google's Project Glass makes me cringe. It's not that it's ugly (which it is), or that it marks the slow creep of computers into our brains (which it does).

What troubles me is the idea of a population of people with streaming-video cameras dangling off their faces. How could that not create a cultural chilling effect? Even if Google disabled all the cameras -- it's just unnerving having one pointed at you.

Gah! Just thinking about it makes me want to craft my tin foil hat and move off the grid. … Read more

Google developer advocate Timothy Jordan envisions Google Glass, pardon the pun, as a way for people to distance themselves from technology. This seems a bit oxymoronic, however, considering it's a device people would wear on their face.

Jordan expounds on this idea and explains more about Google's wearable augmented reality project in a new video released today (see below). The video is a recording of Jordan's presentation at last month's South by Southwest Interactive conference.

"Project glass is about our relationship to technology. It's about technology that's there when you want it but … Read more

The world is moving very quickly.

And where it's moving very quickly to is a place where we'll all look quite ridiculous and talk seemingly to ourselves as we walk down the street.

This is the heaven envisioned by Google, with its fascinating Google Glass. Yes, the glasses that make people look like no one's idea of a dinner date on the subway.

Many questions have emerged since these glasses invaded the public gaze. "Should one ban people wearing them while driving?" was one question. "How will Newt Gingrich look when wearing them?" … Read more

China's top search engine, Baidu, is working on wearable tech similar to Google's Project Glass device, according to the Chinese media.

Unnamed sources told news site Sina.com that Baidu is testing a prototype called Baidu Eye.

The device has an LCD display, voice-controlled image recognition, and bone-sensing -- the same technology Google is deploying to allow for voice control functions on its Google Glass eyewear. Baidu Eye wearers will be able to make phone calls, search the Web, and use gestures to take and send photos, according to the report.

The device also will have an open … Read more

Does the world really need an Apple iWatch?

Probably not, but the only thing I'm sure of is that I've been consistently wrong when it comes to guessing what people will buy. I still remember when Apple launched the iPad and I was absolutely certain that the name "iPad" was a kiss of death. I also remember believing in my heart that the Microsoft Zune would eventually win people over.

If Apple does release a smartwatch this year (and the jury's still out on that one), it would have to solve a number of problems … Read more

Injecting new technologies into cultures can be tricky.

When the telephone was first introduced in the 19th century, people had major concerns about health risks as well as fears that unwanted ears would be listening in on their conversations. Some people avoided using the telephone, believing the new device would adversely impact relationships in their community or that they could contract diseases through the telephone from parties breathing on the other line.

Nearly 100 years later, the first cell phone, which weighed in at 2.5 pounds and cost nearly $4,000, was greeted with skepticism, concerns about health risks, … Read more

"I am killing you."

So said the tired foot to the head.

This is just one scenario I envisage with the latest -- and perhaps most imaginative -- product coming out of Google.

Not content with suggesting that you should put on a pair of tasteless glasses in order to get Martha Stewart's latest pierogi recipe, Google yesterday unveiled an even more sensational wearable product from its magic hat.

As Engadget reports, the company peopled its Google Playground with a man holding a pair of Adidas sneakers that talked.

It makes the self-driving car seem like a … Read more

SEATTLE -- Technology giants such as Google and apparel makers such as Nike are pouring millions into wearable computing, betting that it's one of the next untapped frontiers in consumer electronics.

Runners slip sensors into their shoes to track how far they've gone. Insomniacs wear wristbands to monitor their sleep habits. Skiers don goggles with heads-up displays to see how fast they're moving.

But wearable computing remains a niche business. Even as the cost and size of the sensors the devices use has dropped, and the ability to transmit the data those sensors collect to smartphones has … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--At MWC 2013, much of the buzz was predictably about new smartphones, tablets, and mobile operating systems. Behind the scenes though, another movement stirred. Gear that places humans and sophisticated technologies in extremely tight proximity, almost approaching the cybernetic, was everywhere.

The trend of people integrating computing technology into their daily lives has been with us for decades, but it's only within the last few years that we've really seen a groundswell of these cybertech products. A flood of smartwatches that link to smartphones via wireless Bluetooth connection, many born on Kickstarter, have begun to finally ship. … Read more