Hitachi's Wearable Internet Appliance

Ned Flanders writes "JapanToday is reporting that Hitachi has produced a Wearable Internet Appliance with head mount display (800 x 600) and a pointing device (all at @500 grams total). Smurf the Weib (c) via PHS or wireless LAN on your shinny new wearable SH-4 32Bit RISC processor running Windows®CE3.0. Available February 28, 2002. Launch in US and Japan was Planned for end of 2001." Someday.

MIGHT work... if you can't see it.

[ratajik]

Every wearable computer to date that I've seen won't fly... because it's waaay to visible (See: All the Dork comments). Saying that, from the specs and (small) number of pictures of this one, it might actually be useable. If you can really put that thing in your pocket, and just have the pointer and HUD when you need it... well, maybe. It'd sure be a lot better then lugging around a lap top (at 11 oz and 5x3x1).

I'd like to see people actually wearing it. Is it fairly invisible? Does it look like you should have a helicopter hat on? Something in-between?

-Greg

Not to mention...

[AndroidCat]

Please turn it off while attending movies. And I imagine libraries or court rooms wouldn't be good places to be fragging people in Quake.

Gak! It's bad enough trying to hold a conversation with someone who just has to answer their phone when it rings. Now it's going to be "You've got mail!"

And all those people who get useless calls on the bus. Now it's going to be like being on a bloody Borg ship!

Gotta get me one of those! :^)

Color depth

[suso]

Full color.Color depth is 18 bits, 260,000 colors

WTF? 18 bits?

Gargoyles

[lostboy2]

Countdown to Snow Crash [brown.edu]!

Right now this is Just Another Geeky Toy, but it doesn't seem like it's that far of a leap from the numerous PDAs that people love to carry around.

Personally, I'm waiting for x-ray goggles! ;-)

-- D