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Wireless Networking Communications Hardware Technology

Wearable Cell Phones Are Here 190

Posted by timothy from the disguised-as-a-car dept.
An anonymous reader writes "BusinessWeek Online just ran an article on wearable cell phones. A cell phone in a powder case? In a wrist watch? Inside your earring? Sure, why not. And these phones could make it into the U.S. in the next year."
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Wearable Cell Phones Are Here More

Wearable Cell Phones Are Here

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  • ...is in my ear. I hate telemarketers enough as-is, but to have them that close to me 24/7? I'll stick with my normal phone, thank you.

  • Tin foil hat... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by cbrocious ( 764766 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @02:05AM (#9492378) Homepage
    You gotta wonder if these will be small enough to be able to be given to people as presents to spy on them. "Wow, these are beautiful earrings! Thank You!" "No, thank YOU!"

    Perhaps a privacy concern for the future.

  • Yeah (Score:5, Funny)

    by ParticleMan911 ( 688473 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @02:06AM (#9492382) Homepage
    My Cellular Thong is already on pre-order.

  • From the article (Score:5, Funny)

    by PaintyThePirate ( 682047 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @02:08AM (#9492391) Homepage
    That could change soon. NTT DoCoMo, a pioneer in wireless services, is developing a technology called FingerWhisper that uses a hand's bone structure to make a wrist watch phone easier to manage and operate. Here's how it works: When a call arrives, the phone sends vibrations through the bones in the index finger. When the finger is slipped into the ear canal, those vibrations turn into voice. The technology also would allow users to dial phone numbers or send text messages by tapping their palms in certain ways. And the technology doesn't seem to pose any health risks, says a DoCoMo spokesperson.

    And you thought the taco-shaped side-talking N-Gage was embarassing...

    • Re:From the article (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Punto ( 100573 )
      When the finger is slipped into the ear canal, those vibrations turn into voice.

      This is actually one of the coolest designs for cell phones I've ever seen, and the worst thing is that they've been reporting [slashdot.org] this for years now (the oldest mention of it I can remember is from before 2000), and still no sign of it on this side of the pacific (or at least not on this side of the ecuador).

      I can't wait for them to arrive here, so I can finally have an excuse to get a cell phone, and join in on the annoyan

    • *fap* *fap* *fap* (Score:5, Funny)

      by Suchetha ( 609968 ) <suchetha@@@gmail...com> on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @03:44AM (#9492752) Homepage Journal
      The technology also would allow users to dial phone numbers or send text messages by tapping their palms in certain ways.

      oh.. *pant* *pant* *pant* sorry.. *pant*pant* wrong number... *click*

      Suchetha

    • Re:From the article (Score:5, Funny)

      by kcorporation ( 653500 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @04:13AM (#9492833)
      When the finger is slipped into the ear canal, those vibrations turn into voice
      I think I speak for all of us when I say, "Go, go, Gadget Phone!"

    • Re:From the article (Score:5, Funny)

      by AndroidCat ( 229562 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @07:38AM (#9493436) Homepage
      "Yes, Bob is here, but no, I won't pass the phone to him."

  • Star Trek (Score:5, Funny)

    by Entropy248 ( 588290 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @02:09AM (#9492397) Journal
    Aw shit... Here come those damned communicator pins. On the show, they seemed really cool. In an age with cellphones with speaker phone (or even worse, the dreaded BLEEP walkie talkies), they now seem like the rudest invention of all time. I've always thought the best compromise was an in-ear implant, but I suspect we're years away from those. Plus the three tone error message would officially hurt like hell. (We're sorry, the number you have reached has been disconnected. But, you won't hear this message because you're now deaf.)

    • Re:Star Trek (Score:3, Funny)

      by gunnk ( 463227 )
      I don't know -- they could be a real improvement.

      The rudest thing about cellphone conversations currently is that the conversation intrudes upon you, but you are excluded from participating because you only hear half the conversation.

      At least with communicator pins you hear both sides and can "contribute" with your own comments...

  • Now I get it (Score:5, Funny)

    by k_killmore ( 731490 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @02:09AM (#9492398)
    All those guys on the subway talking to themselves weren't crazy, they were beta testers.

  • Great!!! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Unknown Poltroon ( 31628 ) * <unknown_poltroon1sp@myahoo.com> on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @02:09AM (#9492401)
    Now, how about some decent service? I mean, having a phone in an earring is great, but it would be nice if the damn thing worked half the time. Maybe if they spent some money on the damned plans and cell towers, instead of on the latest new candy coated pice of crap phone id be impressed.

    • Re:Great!!! (Score:2, Interesting)

      by WhiteDeath ( 737946 )
      Wow, I just bought this new cellphone that's only the size of a button and clips to your lapel... and look they give you this free screen/keyboard thingy so you can operate it... and I pooh-pooh'ed this bluetooth thing...

      This might be OT, but how many people out there have access to both a GSM and CDMA phone network?
      In Australia, we now have most metro areas with both networks, but for the last few years all new installations are CDMA only.

      For several years I used a couple of different GSM mobiles - a ch
    • Uh, the companies that make the phones don't make the towers. They make phones, and it's a cutthroat industry. Cell phone manufacturers cell in bulk to cell phone companies, not direct to consumers, so they sort of have to do whatever they can convince the cell phone company will attract people...which means smaller phones with a nicer look and wild new features, not better reception. Feature sets on new phones push the sales of long term calling plans which in turn is supposed to put up new towers.

      Of c

  • Beam Me Up Scotty (Score:3, Interesting)

    by keefey ( 571438 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @02:09AM (#9492403)
    There were reports on The Register, concerning wearable media: Motorola Showcases Watch Phone [theregister.co.uk] and Unix on a wristwatch [theregister.co.uk]. How important is functionality on your arm to the general public? Note, on your arm it becomes useable with only one hand. How much info could realistically be displayed, and how functional would a phone in a watch actually be?

    All those sci-fi shows show people talking at them in the style of a video - where is the privacy? It's all well and good when you're on Omnicron-8, but on the train, heading towards Slough, it's going to be a bit of a piss-take.

    Gimme the 6600 any day, I don't care if it is a brick, I can get my fist-like fingers to press the buttons!

    • Re:Beam Me Up Scotty (Score:5, Insightful)

      by isorox ( 205688 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @02:21AM (#9492458) Homepage Journal
      where is the privacy?

      HELLO! I'M ON A TRAIN! I'LL BE HOME AT EIGHT!

      Yeah, plenty of privacy nowadays.

      How important is functionality on your arm to the general public? Note, on your arm it becomes useable with only one hand.

      What functionality do you need in a phone. I rarely use my actual phone, my bluetooth earpiece has one button that answers when it rings, hangs up when I'm talking, or activates voice dial when I'm not talking. Say the name of someone and the call connects. One finger to initiate the call, one finger to end the call, just as much privacy as a normal cell phone.

      A phone built into a watch would simply replace the current time with the calling name. Bluetooth means you can program it from your PDA or laptop, or some credit-card-sized keypad you can keep in your wallet.

      Really, what does a phone do? The only major function I use aside from phone calls is SMS, which I'd rather do through my PDA anyway (full keyboard for starters)

      • Re:Beam Me Up Scotty (Score:2, Interesting)

        by keefey ( 571438 )
        Ah, but doesn't it just smack of those 80's calculator watches that everybody seemed to have simply because they could? It seems to be the opposite direction of the way the current trends are going anyway - basically phones are having more and more functionality added (Symbian for a start), whereas this wearing lark seems to be stripping it out. I'm not complaining, it's nice to see some diversity in the market.

        • Re:Beam Me Up Scotty (Score:3, Interesting)

          by utlemming ( 654269 )
          Although some functionality is nice, these watches seem geared towards people who just use cells to talk. I have played with SMS, but personally I find it annoying and an invasion of my privacy. In the last two weeks I have got Porn and "Find out dirty secrets about your Friends" text messages. I bought a phone so that I could get a hold of people when I wanted to. And the thing has proved its value. But at the same time I haven't used my "vision enabled" crap. No need to. The thing that I have wanted for a

      • Re:Beam Me Up Scotty (Score:5, Interesting)

        by obeythefist ( 719316 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @03:23AM (#9492689) Journal
        I have a smartphone. My PDA is my phone. My web browser is my phone. My camera is my phone. My MP3 player is my phone. One 266MHz device, one battery, all that functionality.

        Remember, the gist of the actual article has little to do with wrist phones per sei, rather that these devices are now small enough to be used in such a way, or in wearable clothing, purely to make them more convenient so you don't have to lug as many gadgets around with you.

        Of course if you use a PDA and a cellphone for sending SMS's, you probably fit into the 80% of people who are going to keep carrying a lot of baggage and a lot of different batteries for every gadget you have. So basically in order to have the same level of functionality you get from a single handset, you're carrying your handset, a bluetooth headset and a PDA?

        Which is fine of course, each to his own, but I'm very happy with the way convergence lets me carry all that functionality in one device.

        • Re:Beam Me Up Scotty (Score:3, Interesting)

          by isorox ( 205688 )
          a phoen sucks as a PDA. Aside from the tiny screen, there is no decent way of inputting anything. Compare to a PDA with a built in keyoard (quite small admitably) and handwriting recognition that fits in your shirt pocket.

          One battery is great, but I'd rather know my phone will last 3 days then have a PDA-cum-phone-cum-mp3 player that lasts 12 hours.

          I typically carry 3 gadgets with me at any one time, phone (with built in camera, calander etc, none of which I use - I used the camera 4 times when I first go

    • It's all well and good when you're on Omnicron-8, but on the train, heading towards Slough

      Slough? You live/work in Slough? You don't work at Wernham-Hogg [bbc.co.uk], do you?

  • Great. (Score:2, Interesting)

    by SocialEngineer ( 673690 )
    Thieves may now start ripping off peoples' earrings hoping to nab a cellphone.
  • Now only if they could make wearable clothes...

  • In a suppository? (Score:5, Funny)

    by john_smith_45678 ( 607592 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @02:18AM (#9492447) Journal
    Just wondering, because I've seen bumper stickers like this:

    "Would you drive any better if i shoved that cell phone up your ass?"
  • then when u feel like punching the lights out of some a-hole who doesn't practice cell-phone ettiquette, u bust their lip and their phone....two birds with one punch.

  • Can I... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Myrmi ( 730278 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @02:27AM (#9492476)
    "Can I borrow your phone? I need to make a really important call!"
    "Sure!"
    *Removes phone from ear*
    "Uh.... never mind..."

    • Re:Can I... (Score:2, Funny)

      by dhalgren ( 34798 )
      Or perhaps worse, for the bone-conduction model:

      "Can I borrow your phone? I need to make a really important call!"
      "Sure!"
      *Sticks finger in ear*
      "Uh.... never mind..."

  • Aww great... (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Just what I need, more people making those stupid thumb in the ear "I'll call you" signs.
  • An alternative to these Star Trek-like technologies is voice recognition. Motorola has developed something it calls the SmartButton. The user pins the device onto a lapel, then taps on it and, using voice commands, dials a number and holds a conversation.


    The author has evidently little knowledge of Star Trek!
  • Is it just me, or do these articles seem less exciting WITHOUT PICTURES?

  • Big on the inside (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @02:48AM (#9492557)
    From the article..."A phone stitched into clothing or wrapped around a wrist could allow women to forego a purse."

    That must be some damn good phone for a woman not to need her purse...I guess it also holds tampons, 5 lipsticks, lube, etc.
    • I don't know what kind of women you've been dating, but I want their numbers.
      • You ain't lived until you've asked a woman for her driver's license in order to accept her check and she pulls a bottle of Chianti and a one pound jar of Vaseline out of her purse while she's looking for it.

        KFG
    • The phone could have vibrate mode, which would replace at least one of the heavier items from said purse.

      So maybe we couldn't eliminate the purse entirely, but at least size it down a bit.

  • Just what we need... (Score:3, Funny)

    by penginkun ( 585807 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @02:49AM (#9492562)
    Like we don't have enough moving hazards out there on the streets as it is. Now we're going to have women putting on makeup AND talking on the phone at the same time? Lord have mercy on us all.

  • Uh... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by SinaSa ( 709393 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @03:00AM (#9492593) Homepage
    Doesn't this strike anyone else as pretty, well..useless?

    Cellphone in a wrist-watch? How do I dial a number when I want to make a call? Or did someone suddenly decide the caclulator digital watch was a good model to follow?

    Or is there some attachable keypad you use to dial the number? Wait. You mean like a current phone and some handsfree earpieces, a speakerphone, or even a bluetooth headset?

    Inside ear-rings? Sorry, but I've seen the photos of that corporate executive lady who spent three or four hours on her cell every day. Nice cancerous ring around the ear section of the skull.

  • A Powder Case Is Wearable? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Jameth ( 664111 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @03:00AM (#9492596)
    I think the subject line is kinda all I had to say.
  • Other wearable technologies coming soon: *Thigh mounted popcorn popper *Foldable stomach mounted TFT screen for my ass mounted, slim line nix box. *Bicep Juicer

  • probably won't happen... (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Geak ( 790376 )
    ... because the F*cking Communications Commission would have to approve it. We all know it takes forever for that to happen. I can already hear them screaming - NO YOU CAN'T!!! YOU'LL BE CLOGGING UP THE EARWAVES!!!

  • That boring "vision thing" (Score:5, Insightful)

    by ites ( 600337 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @03:16AM (#9492660) Journal
    Anyone else bored with designers trying to sell us their "visions"? What happened to asking people what they want and then making that cheaply and well?

    (I guess this would eliminate 75% of the mobile phone industry at a stroke, no more 3G, WAP, MMS, UMTS,... just free SMS and cheap voice)

    Mobile phones...? OK, here is what _I_ would like to see:

    1. Cheap, cheap, cheap. The damn things get lost and stolen too easily. If they cost $25 that'd be OK.

    2. Pretty in pink. Make them colored, even better, make it possible to print phone sheaths on an inkjet. Why the boring grey?

    3. Standardised: one single battery standard for all phones. One single micro plug for all phones. One single power supply for all phones. One single range of car kits, etc. Let's see Nokia and Sony-Ericsson and Siemens define a new standard "base" that frees us from having to keep separate chargers for each and every phone we buy. (Nokia has done this for its own phones, but that's not enough)

    4. Extensible rather than overpackaged. If I want a digital camera, MP3 player, PDA, let me add this to the phone. It'd be a lot easier if mobile phones had standard connections and some kind of docking system.

    Let me propose a new, radical design for mobile phones. First replace SIM cards with "core" modules that are the size of a phone battery pack. These cores conform to an industry standard and have the SIM card embedded in them, along with the bulk of the GSM electronics.

    The core can then be "sheathed" with anything from a $2.50 cover that provides just a keypad and headset jack, to a $2500 cover covered with diamonds.

    The development of a standard core will allow the cost to come way down and spawn an entire industry of add-on manufacturers, which is where the mobuile phone industry will make money again.

    Now if I, a simple Slashdotter, can come up with a plan to revolutionize the mobile phone industry, either I'm a genius, or the experts reviewed in this article are bumbling idiots, or both.

    Now I need another coffee. Make way!
    • 1. Well, cheapest phones cost around 50$ new here, unsubsidized.

      2. Done, Nokia 3200 has that, you can print your own cover.

      4. Done, look at all the various accessories for nokia/ericsson. They even have RC Cars
    • In Europe, at least, most of your wishes seem to be coming true.

      1. Cheap, cheap, cheap. The damn things get lost and stolen too easily. If they cost $25 that'd be OK.

      Yes, but only as long as you don't want MMS, UMTS, Bluetooth, etc. See below.

      2. Pretty in pink. Make them colored, even better, make it possible to print phone sheaths on an inkjet. Why the boring grey?

      Most phones can be bought in a range of colors and/or have interchangeable skins.

      3. Standardised: one single battery standard for all
    • Forgot a couple things:
      1) Durable, so they don't fall apart. No little knobs or antennas sticking out so you can slip it into your pocket and go.
      2) Good reception. Make it work everywhere. Guarantee coverage in urban areas in buildings. Last time I checked most people like to use phones *inside*.
      3) Software that can detect random keypresses and stop input, so that if you put it in your pocket and forget to lock the keys, you won't end up calling your parents from the strip club. Uh... not that that happe
    • I'm pretty sure a significant number of people are saying "Give me something I don't fumble for in my purse when I get a call." (Otherwise stated as: "The damn things get lost or stolen too easily," to quote a wise person I once read...)

      Wearable phones are an attempt to answer that request from users. Yes? And the "vision" is when the designers try to figure out how to do it.

      Your general "standardised" and "extensible not overpackaged" points are what you'd call "creative tensions" across basically all

    • Smart (Score:2)

      by mfh ( 56 )
      > 1. Cheap, cheap, cheap. The damn things get lost and stolen too easily. If they cost $25 that'd be OK.

      That would be great for my use. They don't have to be ultra expensive for my tates... they just have to function properly and be remotely good.

      > 2. Pretty in pink. Make them colored, even better, make it possible to print phone sheaths on an inkjet. Why the boring grey?

      Foldable, printable phone sheaths. I think you just made a million dollars.

      > 3. Standardised: one single battery standa
  • And these phones could make it into the U.S. in the next year.

    Holy crap! You mean they have been in Europe for the last couple of years?

  • Seems like a good idea (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Dizzle ( 781717 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @03:21AM (#9492681) Journal
    The idea of putting a finger in your ear would improve audio quality, would it not? I mean, when you plug your ear with your finger, it blocks out everything but low frequency sounds for the most part. Couldn't that make conversations, even in loud places, quite feasible?

    Just a little sidenote: what answer is that stupid guy expecting to his question? "Nope, can't hear you now." That's like saying "Whoever's not here, raise your hand." or "Are you asleep?"
    • The important question is whether or not you'd walk around in the mall with your finger in your ear.

      And what do you do when someone else wants to talk to whoever's on the phone? Or borrow your phone?

      I think i'll just stick with my Ericsson T100 for now.
  • I think somebody already has prior art:

    Wearable cell phone [thejokeline.com]

  • A New Age of Etiquette (Score:3, Funny)

    by blueZhift ( 652272 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @03:34AM (#9492722) Homepage Journal

    With all of these tiny cell phones and people broadcasting their lives to the world as they talk, I'll have to wear my iPod all of the time just to be polite and respect their privacy! Oh well, at least I won't be able to hear the panhandlers...

  • Free and Competitive Markets (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Detritus ( 11846 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @03:38AM (#9492735) Homepage
    It doesn't matter how cool or technically advanced a cell phone is, the wireless carriers in the United States have a chokehold on the market. They want to force their subscribers to buy their phones only from the carrier's limited list of "approved" phones. This gives the carrier's marketing drones vast power over what phones and features are available. You don't buy a phone with the features that you want, you buy a phone that may have been crippled so that it fits in with the carrier's marketing strategy.

    The FCC needs to require all cellular carriers to activate any phone that meets the technical standards for their network.

    • The FCC needs to require all cellular carriers to activate any phone that meets the technical standards for their network.
      More to the point, the FCC needs to put an end to phone locking. (ending contracts would be nice, too) Any technically capable phone should be able to be used on any compatible network.

  • Part way there already (Score:5, Interesting)

    by panurge ( 573432 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @04:20AM (#9492857)
    I have artilleryman's ear, and I use an in-ear hearing aid. I use a neck microphone (under my shirt) on my cell phone with an inductive loop, so phone speech comes directly into my ear. Unlike a Bluetooth unit, the battery life is weeks. Because the hearing aid is music grade, the sound quality is vastly better than you get with the tiny speakers on cell phones. The result is that I can answer the phone and talk with no visible phone at all. I still derive minor pleasure from the shock of some people watching this madman talking to himself, but the fact is, it works extremely well. The microphone is shielded and has good noise rejection, and on the T setting I can block out external sounds and hear perfectly in very noisy environments. The one thing I would really like is an external keypad I could velcro to a jacket, or a better voice dialing system than the (frankly crappy) Nokia 6310 the company provides.

    There are few benefits of middle aged deafness, but this is one of them.

  • Evil Phones!! (Score:4, Interesting)

    by iR-Corp ( 790386 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @04:23AM (#9492873)
    This is a MAJOR problem with privacy, these things are so small you could slip them into a handbag or wallet even and record an entire conversation, and if they have the SUPA COOL video FONE then the Ped's will go ballistic. Screw small phones, i lose mine enough as is. Respec.

  • fashion disaster (Score:4, Insightful)

    by RocketRainbow ( 750071 ) <rocketgirl@Nospam.myrealbox.com> on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @04:56AM (#9492985) Homepage Journal
    when will you tech boys learn? I have dozens of pairs of earrings! Now supposing I switch to the earring phone: this means I have to buy dozens of phones! And they'll still be dodgy looking if current phone design is anything to go by. So when I go out, I wear my ordinary earrings, and now I have to carry a phone anyway. More phones! Any wearable technology suffers from this limitation: I have 3 watches, 7 handbags and even a couple of wallets. Oddly enough, since I practically live in my Mary Janes, perhaps a shoe phone is in order...? "Hello.. Chief?"

    • Already happens (Score:3, Informative)

      by phorm ( 591458 )
      I actually know quite a few girls who have bought new cellphones because the old one is, well, older, and not as cute as the new design. No, the reception isn't better, and they don't use any of the bazillion extra features, but they wanted a cuter phone.

      Cellphones are part of a fashion trend... I know the parent was a joke but it wouldn't be unheard of for people to buy newer phones that are "in fashion"
    • when will you tech boys learn? I have dozens of pairs of earrings! Now supposing I switch to the earring phone: this means I have to buy dozens of phones!

      And you think the cell companies won't want to sell you dozens of phones to go with all of your outfits?

      Congratz, you broke the code!

  • Touchdown!! (Score:2, Funny)

    by slumpy ( 304072 )
    Maybe now I won't feel so weird about using my Sports Illustrated shoe phone.
  • Reliance Infocomm [relianceinfo.com] a CDMA cellular provider from India has introduced one such wearable CDMA based mobile phone Telson TWC 1150 [relianceinfo.com]. This mobile is also supported by Supports unique RUIM Card that can be used in a GSM handset for International Roaming.

  • A cell phone in a powder case? In a wrist watch? Inside your earring?

    First 'Dick Tracy' Reference Post!

    A cell phone in a powder case? In a wrist watch? Inside your earring?

    In your jeans! In your cheeseburgers! In your Nutty Buddys! Cellphones are EVERYWHERE!

    Michael J. Fox has no cell phone in him...

  • Maxwell Smart was ahead of his time (Score:3)

    by cervo ( 626632 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @08:30AM (#9493668) Journal
    He had a shoe phone all those years ago and people could always tell him as "the agent with the shoe phone". Well now everyone has shoe phones so all the agents will have them. It just took all these years to catch on, he was a man ahead of his time :)

    So all of you go watch reruns of Get Smart again keeping in mind that you too can have a shoe phone just like Agent 86. I don't think it was a cell phone though, but it was the first wearable phone I ever saw and it was pretty cool for coming so early.

    I wonder what other technologies dreamed up as fiction in the old days are reality today that we take for granted.

  • Borrow the phone (Score:3, Funny)

    by $exyNerdie ( 683214 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @08:45AM (#9493766) Homepage Journal

    *Can I borrow your phone?*

    *Uh Yeah, here you go* ::Sticks his finger in her ear::

  • Like on Knight Rider! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Random BedHead Ed ( 602081 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @09:54AM (#9494331) Homepage Journal
    Wow, I've been waiting for this since the 1980s. Just pull my left wrist up toward my chin and speak loudly into my watch: "KITT, I'm in trouble!"

  • I can't keep up (Score:3, Funny)

    by Mannerism ( 188292 ) <keith-slashdotNO@SPAMspotsoftware.com> on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @11:35AM (#9495384)
    Look, I just stopped wearing a wristwatch because my cell phone has a clock in it. Now you want me to stop wearing a cell phone because my wristwatch is going to have a phone in it. Make up your damn minds.

  • Do people really use this stuff? (Score:3, Funny)

    by SIGALRM ( 784769 ) * on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @12:25PM (#9496053) Journal
    ...uses a hand's bone structure to make a wrist watch phone easier to manage and operate. Here's how it works: When a call arrives, the phone sends vibrations through the bones in the index finger. When the finger is slipped into the ear canal, those vibrations turn into voice

    "No, I'm not flipping you off, my phone is ringing..."

    ..U.S. consumers, always behind the Old World in most things wireless, have been left out.

    The mental image cracks me up. I can't imagine walking by someone talking with a finger in their ear and not chuckling to myself. Do people actually use this stuff?

  • Dear citizen - (Score:3, Funny)

    by Tandoori Haggis ( 662404 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @01:15PM (#9496704)
    We trust that you have been enjoying the benefits of your Eartrans 5.2 implant. You will no doubt have received a message from OCS Non-industrial requesting backpayment for use of patents without permission.

    We wish to assure you that we will continue to fight these claims so that you may avoid the surgery required for a firmware downgrade.

    Faithfully

    B. L. Owngasket (acting chairman)

    P.S. Please contact us if you would like to take advantage of a special offer on our new 5.6 beta
    implant. This device offers similar performance with reduced running costs, subsidised by irregular broadcasts from our new sponsors:

    Igo Tcha marketing - a subsidiary of OCS Non-industrial.

    Be seeing you!
  • They used to call us geeks when we told them we thought those touch-pins were cool! Give it some time, and all the "in-crowders" who called us geeks will be using them.
    I guess geeks are just ahead of their time? Bust out the pocket protectors boys, it's time for some brie and fondo :)
  • Ask several people who didn't turn off their cell phones in movie theatres, restaurants, etc. but instead made some dismissive gesture while continuing to shout into said phone in an inappropriate place.

    Purists will argue that "rectally implanted" is not the same as "worn" but as far as *I* am concerned it's poTAYto, poTAHto...

  • Is this really any better than bluetooth headsets? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Simon Spero ( 10945 ) on Tuesday June 22, 2004 @02:52PM (#9497927)
    I've had people mistake my Motorola HS810 [motorola.com] headset for jewlery before

    Leaving aside a few bugs in Motorola's bluetooth implementation, it seems to me that there's not much difference between a true wearable and a phone that you never have to take out of your pocket.

    Simon

    of course, I wear a lot of cargo pants, and I only got the V600 because my nokia 9290 died and I couldn't get hold of a 9500, so I'm probably not a good test case

  • ...well, some of us anyway...

    is that given this new ability to have phones built into every day items:

    1. We may have more than one "on" at a time
    2. We'll want the ability to decide which one is active at any given time
    3. We'll need the ability to set the phone # for each "device" so we can use different ones at different times
    4. We'll loose these phones and break them more easily than we do the regular ones

    My understanding is that in Europe/Asia, their phones already use a SIM card or something to more easily

  • Yeah I got a wearable cell phone. I put it in a pouch which I can wear on my belt. That's wearable, you stupid fock.

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