Wear your gadget

From wired jackets to a jewellery set that's actually a cell phone... Priyanka Joshi on the technology you can wear.

If you were to compile a list of futuristic technologies that were hyped to the hilt and have just started making inroads, then wearable computers should top that list. The kind of stuff you saw in Star Trek and every Tomorrow's World technology story.

In India, it seems like wearable computing is set to make the breakthrough from quirky innovation to fully mainstream technology. A short walk down your local high street will tell you how many people wander around with a Bluetooth headset clipped to their ear. Not stopping at that, more and more people are warming to the concept of wearing their gadgets like accessories.

Tiffany's and Cartier were challenged by IBM when the technology giant launched a prototype of digital jewellery that could be either be classified as the best thing in nerdwear or one of the most annoying inventions of our time.

IBM offered a sneak peek at a matching set of silver earrings, necklace, watch, and ring that at first glance look like ordinary jewellery. The set is actually a wearable cell phone.

How does it work? "Instead of hearing your cell phone squeal when you get a call, a tiny light starts blinking on your ring. The phone number of the person calling is displayed on the watch. You answer the phone by pressing a button on your watch. Next, you hear the call through your earring, which has a tiny speaker embedded in it. You then speak to the necklace, which has a tiny microphone inside and acts as a mouthpiece," explains an official release.

Agent 99 would have loved it. The price? Alas, on request, like most of the inventory at Tiffany's.

But if IBM can do it, so can Microsoft. All you need to do is fork over Rs 500 per month (right now only in the US) to get news and weather reports from MSN Direct straight to your wristwatch (which, in turn is worth Rs 9,500).

When fashionable brands like Apple and Nike announced the launch of "Nike + iPod" "" a device that helps turn the ubiquitous music player into a personal trainer for joggers "" it immediately became a must-have for most young techno-philes.

A small wireless sensor is fitted into the soles of an adapted range of Nike training shoes, which beams information, such as your speed and distance covered, back to the iPod nano.

The player can then provide audio feedback on your performance and change the music track to a pumping tune if you need an extra spur on the home stretch. And it does not burn a hole in the pocket as the kit is priced sensibly at around Rs 1,500; of course, you will have to buy special Nike shoes (anywhere between Rs 3,500-5,500).

"The only wires in sight are the headphone leads "" nothing that would make you think twice before you stepped out of your front door wearing it," says 27-year-old Sandesh for whom "the appearance of hi-tech fashion is important".

Well, ever since eBay and the other online auction sites happened to mankind, there is nothing that is not shipped to Indian consumers.

According to 32-year-old Dr Ajinkya, wearable computing is one of the better consumer innovations. So when he heard that NYX Clothing was marketing jackets with LEDs sewn into the fabric that display text messages from your mobile phone or PDA, it got his attention.

"It is extremely handy for emergency hospital workers like me and a price of $1,000 (Rs 47,000 plus taxes) was justified." He bought the product online and claims to have saved time spent preening over his PDA while attending to patients.

Levi Strauss is also making pots of money by selling wired jackets with dedicated pockets for cell phones and MP3 players (yes, they can be recharged while on the move) "" and that's just the beginning.

Last September, Levi Strauss began selling the ICD+ line of jackets in Europe. Designed and built in collaboration with Philips Electronics, the jackets come with integrated MP3 players and cell phones. The jackets will sell at a steep price tag of $600. Why? "Integration," says the company, "The phone and player work together; get a call while listening to music, and Beethoven stops so you can carry on a conversation. The earphones and microphone are built into the collar. A single unified "remote" controls everything."

But you will have to remove the gizmos before washing the jacket, although Levi Strauss assures us that the wiring inside the jacket can withstand the rigours of a washing machine.

Future "smart fabrics" could be used in the upholstery of car seats and carpets too. You will be able to integrate sensors into the car seats so that the car can detect how many people are inside.

This might automatically trigger certain comfort and safety features, such as increased ventilation or seat-belt adjustments for different-size people.

And this is just for starters. T-shirts that turn into huge Wi-Fi antennas and clothing that tightens on your body to warn of impending danger are just a sample of the technologies being developed in research labs around the world. Unlike the floating cars, wearable computers are not about to sink without a trace.