Right on, Dude!
This guy is awesome, and an inspiration.
...Though, no offense, hopefully I'll pull it off a little prettier :)
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6.25.2008
Hmmmm
Right on, Dude!
This guy is awesome, and an inspiration.
...Though, no offense, hopefully I'll pull it off a little prettier :)
6.20.2008
Enter Geordi Laforge
One of the first things that come to mind when one thinks of 'Wearable Computing' (besides the dorkiness of the person wearing one) is the Head Mounted Display.
The HMD is central to the 'NetWear Philosophy' (another term I just made up) in that it's always there. You don't have to take it out of your pocket- the info you need is right in your field of vision.
I've read up on alternate methods of "display", like audio cues and such, but I'm a visual person and I'd like to see my Data laid out in front of me, even if it is an outdated paradigm that's due for a shift.
With HMD's today, you have two options when buying one- pay a lot, or pay A LOT.
First off, as this will basically be an external computer monitor, VGA resolution is important. That narrows down the options, as most commercial HMD's are 320x240. I found the perfect full VGA monocle display over at TekGear.com. Unfortunately, it's $6,500- a little outside my price range.
Next up is the VR1 over at VRealities.com. It's a lot more bulky, but is "only" $1,299- expensive, but doable with my income if I budget it and save for a couple of months. If my El Cheapo solution doesn't work, this will be my backup choice.
So finally I decided on the recently released Myvu Crystal. Myvu has made video goggles for iPods for a couple of years now, and the Crystal is one of their newest releases, featuring a 640x480 VGA display. I'm going to give this one a shot, as they feature a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee.
Another plus is the supposed "Glance Down" technology that the Crystal uses, ensuring you maintain some awareness of your environment. In other words, the design is such that it doesn't completely block your field of vision- useful when you're, say, crossing a street.
At $300 it's not exactly cheap, but still a bargain in the HMD market. If it doesn't work, I'll return it and start saving up for the VR1.
As the Crystal accepts Composite inputs, I'll also need to buy a VGA to Video adapter, something I found for $70 over at SVideo.com.
Hehe, I'm pretty excited. Science!
The HMD is central to the 'NetWear Philosophy' (another term I just made up) in that it's always there. You don't have to take it out of your pocket- the info you need is right in your field of vision.
I've read up on alternate methods of "display", like audio cues and such, but I'm a visual person and I'd like to see my Data laid out in front of me, even if it is an outdated paradigm that's due for a shift.
With HMD's today, you have two options when buying one- pay a lot, or pay A LOT.
First off, as this will basically be an external computer monitor, VGA resolution is important. That narrows down the options, as most commercial HMD's are 320x240. I found the perfect full VGA monocle display over at TekGear.com. Unfortunately, it's $6,500- a little outside my price range.
Next up is the VR1 over at VRealities.com. It's a lot more bulky, but is "only" $1,299- expensive, but doable with my income if I budget it and save for a couple of months. If my El Cheapo solution doesn't work, this will be my backup choice.
So finally I decided on the recently released Myvu Crystal. Myvu has made video goggles for iPods for a couple of years now, and the Crystal is one of their newest releases, featuring a 640x480 VGA display. I'm going to give this one a shot, as they feature a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee.
Another plus is the supposed "Glance Down" technology that the Crystal uses, ensuring you maintain some awareness of your environment. In other words, the design is such that it doesn't completely block your field of vision- useful when you're, say, crossing a street.
At $300 it's not exactly cheap, but still a bargain in the HMD market. If it doesn't work, I'll return it and start saving up for the VR1.
As the Crystal accepts Composite inputs, I'll also need to buy a VGA to Video adapter, something I found for $70 over at SVideo.com.
Hehe, I'm pretty excited. Science!
6.17.2008
More Power!
*Insert Tim "The Toolman" grunt here*
There I am, showing my age again.
So during my research of the Asus EEE 701, I discovered the nifty 901 model, which will include an Intel 'Atom' processor running at 1.6ghz, as opposed to the 701's 800mhz.
Not only is it more powerful, but the power efficient chipset, among other changes, is also supposed to substantially lengthen the battery life to an Asus estimated 7.8 hours for certain uses.
The form factor is still pretty small, and I think it would be marvelous as the center of my little set up.
Two Caveats, though. One, it costs a couple of hundred more dollars. And two, it's not out in America yet.
So in the meantime while I save a little extra and wait for this beauty to hit our shore, I'll use my Macbook Pro in the prototype. Yeah, it's bigger and heavier, but like I said before, I'd like to get a working Proof of Concept done as quickly as possible.
Besides, a "Wearable Mac" would be pretty cool in it's own right.
There I am, showing my age again.
So during my research of the Asus EEE 701, I discovered the nifty 901 model, which will include an Intel 'Atom' processor running at 1.6ghz, as opposed to the 701's 800mhz.
Not only is it more powerful, but the power efficient chipset, among other changes, is also supposed to substantially lengthen the battery life to an Asus estimated 7.8 hours for certain uses.
The form factor is still pretty small, and I think it would be marvelous as the center of my little set up.
Two Caveats, though. One, it costs a couple of hundred more dollars. And two, it's not out in America yet.
So in the meantime while I save a little extra and wait for this beauty to hit our shore, I'll use my Macbook Pro in the prototype. Yeah, it's bigger and heavier, but like I said before, I'd like to get a working Proof of Concept done as quickly as possible.
Besides, a "Wearable Mac" would be pretty cool in it's own right.
6.10.2008
It'll take Money. Lots of Money.
As I mentioned, timelines with projects like these always seem to get pushed back further and further. I'm the kind of person who keeps a spreadsheet that budgets out my income for the next year, which helps me visualize my cash flow.
After coming back from Thailand I found myself in a heap of bills, and unfortunately when you're poor like me, the Real World takes precedent over the abstractions of Scientific Progress and Innovation. Otherwise I'll be homeless and unable to build this thing anyway.
As of now, I see the construction phase beginning at the end of July. I COULD get started in Mid July, but then I wouldn't be able to upgrade to the new iPhone!
Well, I've always found the planning stages of a project to be the funnest anyway, when you can let your imagination run wild.
After coming back from Thailand I found myself in a heap of bills, and unfortunately when you're poor like me, the Real World takes precedent over the abstractions of Scientific Progress and Innovation. Otherwise I'll be homeless and unable to build this thing anyway.
As of now, I see the construction phase beginning at the end of July. I COULD get started in Mid July, but then I wouldn't be able to upgrade to the new iPhone!
Well, I've always found the planning stages of a project to be the funnest anyway, when you can let your imagination run wild.
6.04.2008
Step 1. Open Mouth Step 2. Insert Foot
I spoke too soon about thought control being years away. A quick search through Slashdot has brought up this little wonder- The Neural Impulse Actuator- a "Brain Mouse"!
I slapped my forehead. Of course! I remember reading months ago in the Chronicle about a company coming out with a thought controlled controller for game consoles.
Further research shows that these devices seem to read minute muscle movements rather than actual Thought, but it would still be rather handy to have a mouse curser controlled by eye movement then hand when using NetWear.
I slapped my forehead. Of course! I remember reading months ago in the Chronicle about a company coming out with a thought controlled controller for game consoles.
Further research shows that these devices seem to read minute muscle movements rather than actual Thought, but it would still be rather handy to have a mouse curser controlled by eye movement then hand when using NetWear.
6.01.2008
It's all about Control, Baby
Besides the Display, controlling a NetWear device is also a hurdle to it's widespread incorporation into our daily lives. As the mouse, along with it's graphical operating system, helped spread the appeal of the Personal Computer, so to will NetWear devices need a revolutionary control scheme.
I believe that the best method is some sort of "thought control", but that is many years down the line.
As I don't quite live in the future yet (unfortunately), I looked at the relatively inexpensive options available to me to use today.
Chorded Keyboards (wiki) take practice that most people won't want to invest in. Voice Control is inaccurate and cumbersome when controlling all the tasks of a computer.
With my device, I was originally going to use a Frogpad. It seemed compact and portable enough, and even though I knew there was a steep learning curve, I had resigned myself to it.
That was until I discovered this little gem- The Half Keyboard from Madias. It seems to fit my needs perfectly, and since I'm already a touch typist, I believe it will be much easier to learn than with the Frogpad.
For Pointing and clicking, I eventually want some sort of "Air Mouse" with the keyboard built in along the handle. Perhaps at some point I can modify the Half Keyboard into a custom unit. But in the meantime, I've decided on a basic Trackpad, the same technology built into most laptops.
I will mount the two on a small cradle that will hang on the front of my left thigh, allowing me to control the computer while sitting and standing.
Even though I mentioned Voice Control above as being innefficent as the sole control mechanism of the NetWear device, I will still connect a microphone so that small tasks can be controlled by voice. Notably, launching applications and perhaps some speech-to-text operations.
I'm told that Voice Recog on Linux isn't quite up to the same level as a Windows computer, buy I am currently researching this.
I believe that the best method is some sort of "thought control", but that is many years down the line.
As I don't quite live in the future yet (unfortunately), I looked at the relatively inexpensive options available to me to use today.
Chorded Keyboards (wiki) take practice that most people won't want to invest in. Voice Control is inaccurate and cumbersome when controlling all the tasks of a computer.
With my device, I was originally going to use a Frogpad. It seemed compact and portable enough, and even though I knew there was a steep learning curve, I had resigned myself to it.
That was until I discovered this little gem- The Half Keyboard from Madias. It seems to fit my needs perfectly, and since I'm already a touch typist, I believe it will be much easier to learn than with the Frogpad.
For Pointing and clicking, I eventually want some sort of "Air Mouse" with the keyboard built in along the handle. Perhaps at some point I can modify the Half Keyboard into a custom unit. But in the meantime, I've decided on a basic Trackpad, the same technology built into most laptops.
I will mount the two on a small cradle that will hang on the front of my left thigh, allowing me to control the computer while sitting and standing.
Even though I mentioned Voice Control above as being innefficent as the sole control mechanism of the NetWear device, I will still connect a microphone so that small tasks can be controlled by voice. Notably, launching applications and perhaps some speech-to-text operations.
I'm told that Voice Recog on Linux isn't quite up to the same level as a Windows computer, buy I am currently researching this.
5.30.2008
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee PC
Well, today's my last day in Bangkok before I fly back home to San Francisco tomorrow, and hopefully I'll make it there safely.
Concerning the central unit of the NetWear device, I narrowed it down to two options:
A custom made unit
or
A laptop.
The pros of a Custom unit would be designing my own form factor. Using the newest micro computer tech I could probably design something the size of a few cigarette packs. However, designing and building a computer, especially that small, has it's own set of unique challenges to be overcome.
So I have decided to go with the Laptop option, and will relegate a custom computer to Stage III. I believe getting a proof of concept up and running is the main goal.
With that decided, the choice of laptop was fairly easy. An Asus EEE PC is currently one of the smallest, cheapest units available and I believe that, with some slight modifications, it will fit this application rather well. The EEE has a large, active modding community, which I believe will also be useful.
Concerning the central unit of the NetWear device, I narrowed it down to two options:
A custom made unit
or
A laptop.
The pros of a Custom unit would be designing my own form factor. Using the newest micro computer tech I could probably design something the size of a few cigarette packs. However, designing and building a computer, especially that small, has it's own set of unique challenges to be overcome.
So I have decided to go with the Laptop option, and will relegate a custom computer to Stage III. I believe getting a proof of concept up and running is the main goal.
With that decided, the choice of laptop was fairly easy. An Asus EEE PC is currently one of the smallest, cheapest units available and I believe that, with some slight modifications, it will fit this application rather well. The EEE has a large, active modding community, which I believe will also be useful.
The "Plan"
Here's my trusty Moleskine, showing the first sketch of the NetWear prototype. Yeah, I know I'm not Da Vinci, but as long as I understand it that's good enough for now.
I split the project into different sections- or "Stages", if you will.
"Stage" "Roman Numeral One" is to get the main Unit up and running. This includes the PC, Control Mechanism, and Output. Being the Heart of the project, this stage will probably take the longest to put together, and will be the most expensive.
Also, during this time, or "Phase", I will begin practicing with the Control Mechanism, most likely a Chorded Keyboard (wiki), to bring up my typing speed, or "Words per Minute", aka "W.P.M."
"Stage" II will consist of getting Mobile broadband up, so I can connect to the Internet away from a Wireless router. As this will increase the mobile usefulness of the device along with its energy usage, this "Stage" also includes more power options, probably consisting of a couple of external battery packs.
And finally, "Stage" III will last the life of the unit, and includes adding functionality, or "Upgrades".
There you have it, a Three "Stage" plan to World Domination, er, Wearable Computing. I estimate beginning Stage I in Late June, with Stage III beginning sometime in August. Of course, as with any project of complexity, that figure can, and probably will change.
5.29.2008
What is NetWear?
Well to be honest, it's a word I just imagined while signing up for this blog. Doesn't seem to be many entries on Google that aren't typos- though someone HAS registered netwear.com
Bastards.
I'm lying down on a stiff mattress in Bangkok recovering from surgery, with nothing much to do but read 'Wired' and scribbble into my graph paper Moleskine. I've decided to embark on a new project, and I decided to start this blog to document it, and quench my boredom.
Yes, it bodes well for the future of this thing, doesn't it?
So, my just made up definition: NetWear is a wearable item that connects one to the Internet.
Hmm, I suppose that definition could include those horrible SPOT watches Microsoft makes (made?) so I'll expand the definition to include the "real" internet, not the stripped down version on most portable devices.
Modern PDA's and Cellphones are currently the dominant mobile internet devices, but I don't include them in the NetWear category because you still have to take it out to look at the screen. The information should be always there, readily accessible- perhaps even Augm3nT1ng uRe r3al1tieZ.
Well, enough foreplay. Allow me to Geek Out for a moment and I'll come out and say it- I want a Wearable Computer.
Ah, Wearable Computing. It ranks up there with Virtual Reality in the Buzzwords of the Early 90's category.
On paper, it looks like a fine idea: Look at all the marvels the PC has brought to our lives by introducing them into our homes- just imagine if they were with us 24/7! With a wireless broadband connection, we'd basically have the answer to any fact at hand. Instantaneous news, Streaming Music and Video, Maps, Skype- the list goes on and on.
Of course, the reality is computers are still cumbersome. You'd need to power it all day, a major challenge in itself. Not to mention an unobtrusive method of input/output would be needed.
The "solutions" to these problems are monstrosities that haven't even caught on with the most hardcore of the nerdiest.
Well, I may not look like a typical NetWear aficondo, being absolutely gorgeous and all, but inside, I'm all Geek. And I am prepared to don the extremly hardcore equivalent of a Pocket Protector in exchange for the access to information I'll be granted.
The time for NetWear hasn't yet come. But, being an Aquarius, I've always been a little ahead of my time. Like I said above- I want one.
But since a device with my demanding specs doesn't yet exist, I'll just have to build one. It's going to take time. And money. A whole lot of money. But in the end, it will be mine.
Oh Yes, it will be mine...
Bastards.
I'm lying down on a stiff mattress in Bangkok recovering from surgery, with nothing much to do but read 'Wired' and scribbble into my graph paper Moleskine. I've decided to embark on a new project, and I decided to start this blog to document it, and quench my boredom.
Yes, it bodes well for the future of this thing, doesn't it?
So, my just made up definition: NetWear is a wearable item that connects one to the Internet.
Hmm, I suppose that definition could include those horrible SPOT watches Microsoft makes (made?) so I'll expand the definition to include the "real" internet, not the stripped down version on most portable devices.
Modern PDA's and Cellphones are currently the dominant mobile internet devices, but I don't include them in the NetWear category because you still have to take it out to look at the screen. The information should be always there, readily accessible- perhaps even Augm3nT1ng uRe r3al1tieZ.
Well, enough foreplay. Allow me to Geek Out for a moment and I'll come out and say it- I want a Wearable Computer.
Ah, Wearable Computing. It ranks up there with Virtual Reality in the Buzzwords of the Early 90's category.
On paper, it looks like a fine idea: Look at all the marvels the PC has brought to our lives by introducing them into our homes- just imagine if they were with us 24/7! With a wireless broadband connection, we'd basically have the answer to any fact at hand. Instantaneous news, Streaming Music and Video, Maps, Skype- the list goes on and on.
Of course, the reality is computers are still cumbersome. You'd need to power it all day, a major challenge in itself. Not to mention an unobtrusive method of input/output would be needed.
The "solutions" to these problems are monstrosities that haven't even caught on with the most hardcore of the nerdiest.
Well, I may not look like a typical NetWear aficondo, being absolutely gorgeous and all, but inside, I'm all Geek. And I am prepared to don the extremly hardcore equivalent of a Pocket Protector in exchange for the access to information I'll be granted.
The time for NetWear hasn't yet come. But, being an Aquarius, I've always been a little ahead of my time. Like I said above- I want one.
But since a device with my demanding specs doesn't yet exist, I'll just have to build one. It's going to take time. And money. A whole lot of money. But in the end, it will be mine.
Oh Yes, it will be mine...
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