Archive for Wearable
September 4, 2008 at 10:31 am · Filed under food, Language, Art, Wearable, Society
Anata to wa chigau n desu (”I am different from you”). In the few short days since Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda uttered these words to a pesky reporter after his shock resignation, Japan has witnessed the birth of a new buzz phrase online.
At the end of the press conference following Fukuda’s resignation, a Chugoku Shimbun reporter told the Prime Minister that many people thought he often seemed detached when he spoke, almost as if the problems facing Japan were none of his business. The reporter suggested that Fukuda also sounded distant in his resignation announcement and asked what impact he thought his sudden resignation (which comes just one year after previous Prime Minister Abe suddenly resigned) would have on the country. Seemingly perturbed, Fukuda fired back at the reporter: “You said I sounded detached, but I am able to see myself objectively. I’m different from you.”
Fukuda’s jarringly out-of-character […]
Original post by Edo
August 19, 2008 at 7:03 am · Filed under Animal, Biota, Wearable
The streets may not be ready for Shokotan’s “cicada shell” look, but that doesn’t stop the multi-talented entertainer from decking herself out on occasion.
(Photos from the Shokotan Blog)
Shokotan, who talked about her fascination with cicada molts and showed off part of her collection in a television appearance last year, showed up at a recent concert wearing the insect shells on her head. According to this article on Excite News, the crowd reportedly went wild at the end of her performance when she tossed the crispy shells into the front row.
[Link: Shokotan Blog]
Original post by Edo
August 13, 2008 at 1:42 pm · Filed under Tokyo University, Robot, Material, electronics, Nanotech, Wearable
In a technological advance that opens up new possibilities in the fields of robotics and wearable computing, researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a stretchable, rubbery material that conducts electricity and can be incorporated into electronic devices.
The researchers — led by assistant professor Takao Someya of the University of Tokyo — were able to create elastic electronic circuits that could be stretched up to 1.7 times their original size without affecting performance, thanks to conductive wires made from a new carbon nanotube-polymer composite they developed.
In recent years, scientists have made advances in blending carbon nanotubes (good conductors of electricity) with polymers to make flexible conductive materials, but success has been limited because nanotubes tend to cluster together, causing the composite to harden when too many nanotubes are added. The University of Tokyo researchers were able to overcome this hurdle by mixing the nanotubes with […]
Original post by Edo
June 19, 2008 at 8:10 am · Filed under Safety, Household, Wearable
In an unsettling sign of the times, the new “Smoke Block” emergency mask by Tokyo-based Rescuenow, Inc. is being touted as an effective means of protection against hydrogen sulfide, the trendy “detergent suicide” gas created by mixing household cleaners, which has claimed hundreds of lives across Japan in recent months. The mask has a special three-layer filter that keeps your lungs clean for up to 20 minutes, allowing you ample time to flee from smoke and/or toxic fumes. A full-face mask sells for 20,000 yen ($180) and a half-face version goes for 14,000 yen ($120).
[Source: Iza!]
(99 words, 1 image)
Original post by Edo
May 14, 2008 at 12:53 pm · Filed under Environment, Wearable
Lingerie maker Triumph International Japan has unveiled a new eco-friendly concept bra called the “Solar Power Bra” (太陽光発電ブラ - Taiyoko Hatsuden Bra), which aims to stimulate eco-awareness and promote clean energy.
The green, high-quality cotton bra features a waist-mounted solar panel that powers a small, chest-mounted electronic billboard or any other electronic device you choose to connect. A pair of reusable drink containers attach to the bra pads, allowing the wearer to reduce consumption of aluminum cans and plastic bottles while increasing bust size. When not in use, the bottles can be collapsed and stored in small pockets in the pads.
Read the full post (149 words, 1 image)
Original post by Edo
April 24, 2008 at 11:50 am · Filed under security, Smart Tech, NTT, Sentient Tech, Wearable
NTT has begun selling a device that transmits data across the surface of the human body and lets users communicate with electronic devices simply by touching them, the company announced on April 23.
The new product, called “Firmo,” consists of a card-sized transmitter carried in the user’s pocket. The card converts stored data into a weak AC electric field that extends across the body, and when the user touches a device or object embedded with a compatible receiver, the electric field is converted back into a data signal that can be read by the device. For now, Firmo transfers data at 230kbps, but NTT is reportedly working on a low-cost 10Mbps version that can handle audio/video data transfers.
Read the full post (239 words, 1 image)
Original post by Edo
March 3, 2008 at 8:52 pm · Filed under Smart Tech, Tokyo University, Imaging, Sentient Tech, Display, Wearable
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a smart video goggle system that records everything the wearer looks at, recognizes and assigns names to objects that appear in the video, and creates an easily searchable database of the recorded footage. Designed to function as a high-tech memory aid, these “Cyber Goggles” promise to make the act of losing your keys a thing of the past, according to head researcher professor Tatsuya Harada.
Cyber Goggles are equipped with a compact camera that feeds video to a computer worn on the user’s back. The computer records the footage and relies on ultrahigh-speed image recognition processing software to analyze, name and file the objects that appear in the video. Later, when the user types in a keyword to search for a particular item, the corresponding video plays on a tiny LCD screen attached to the right-side lens, helping the user remember the […]
Original post by Edo
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