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from the nothing-up-my-sleeve...-oh,-wait. dept.
Google and Levi's have designed a "smart jacket" with a touch-sensitive cuff that can control a smartphone:
More than a year after it was announced and two years after we first saw a demonstration of touch-sensitive fabric, the Levi's jacket with a smart sleeve is finally going on sale. I've been wearing this Levi's Commuter Trucker jacket for a few days now and it's very nice. It fits well and looks great. And by swiping or tapping the fabric on the left cuff, I have been able to control my smartphone.
Whether those things add up to a $350 value — the price of this jacket — is entirely a different question. It's targeted at people who commute by bike, and I think the only people beyond that target market are going to be a few techies and people who just really like jean jackets. It works with both Android and iPhone, by the way. A standard Levi's trucker jacket costs $148, though Levi's has been quick to point out that designer denim jackets can run well over $400. I'm no fashion critic, but I can tell you I'm impressed with the fit and look of this one.
When you talk to both Levi's and Google, they're very eager to tell a design story about this jacket, not just a technology story. It comes out of a partnership between the clothing company and a small division of Google dedicated to experimentation. We've seen lots of weird projects inside Google's ATAP, but most of them (like the ill-fated Project Ara) have ended up getting scuttled.
According to Google, the jacket can only be washed "up to" ten times:
This might be more of an interesting notion to think about if you watch the promotional video for the new piece of smart clothing as it's referenced as being washable as long as you remove the smart tag which connects to the fibers and to your phone through Bluetooth. This is also mentioned in the official blog post about the jacket when it was announced as being available this week, so you might think that removing the tag would be all that's needed, but if the wash limit is correct than[sic] any customers who pick this up might have to be a little more careful with what they spill on the jacket to ensure it stays as clean as possible.
It's also noted that the wash limit is merely "up to" ten times, with it being stated that the experience could vary from user to user, with various factors like wash cycle and usage playing a part in how many times the jacket can be washed.
Also at Google's Blog, SFist, and 9to5google.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Friday September 29 2017, @03:14PM
Screwed up my own joke, ugh. hat band, the thing that wraps around the outside of the hat that would be touch sensitive on a smart hat, combined with hipsters always proclaiming allegiance to niche indie bands you've never heard of it? Get it? Eh forget about it. I thought it was funny; better get some sleep now.
I'm not sure, in science fiction, if a "smart hat" has ever appeared. Helmets with augmented reality and stuff, sure. Smart clothing in general, sure, think of shoes with phones built in them or the classic wristwatch phone. I've seen baseball caps offered for sale with battery powered fans on the brim but that's pushing the limit of "smart" hat. A smart hat could tell what direction you're looking and yell audio directions at you for navigation based on where you're looking like the best backseat driver ever. "Hey you, look at the freeway exit to your right, yeah that one, the one I see you're looking at, take that one." I suppose a big ugly forehead mounted go pro camera mount would be mandatory for the smart hat. As would a battery bank for phone charging with a solar panel on the top. On the back make space for the mandatory "coexist" sticker or maybe a hillary sticker. I think we got a product that could sell to hipsters here...