I've Asked it Before...

[forsyth]

But seriously. Why the hell, in the 21st century, is the global information and pornography network confined to my desk?

(Okay, besides because I'm poor. I know that one. But I want internet capable glasses which can overlay reality with a minimap, or an arrow showing me the turns to take, plus let me access information I need to know, like Now.)

Comments

[frustratedpilot]

In theory, HUD glasses can be an output from a portable GPS receiver/GPS-capable cell phone. Frankly, I'd rather just have a HUD on my car's windshield--and even then, a not-too-graphically- sophisticated one. No video. That would be too distracting and possibly a risk of induced motion sickness.

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

Prototypes are being worked on. There are even basic versions of exactly what you want, although they're still running off a couple of kilos of backpack or belt gear. Presumably, commercial versions would be lighter.

There are five issues to address.

The HUD system, which is pretty much solved on some of the expensive top-end commercial gear.

The sensors to determine where you are so the overlay matches (GPS is a good starting point, but it's not nearly accurate enough down on the street level).

The processors to run all the client-end software - these are available in portable/wearable form, but they're still quite bulky because they're general-purpose systems, usually cut-down PCs.

The wireless broadband - this is available in several areas, and spreading to others, but it's not yet quite pervasive enough to sell millions of these systems to private consumers.

The software to tie it all together - being worked on, but the last I heard it was still in that phase where everyone brings their one-purpose app or beta-navigator code to the table and says "So, what do people actually WANT from this thing?"

Googling "wearables" or "reality augmentation" gives a lot of useful hits. Personally, I wonder if it might not be an idea to build a basic hardware and software pack, make it extremely expandable, flexible and programmable, put together code repositories, wikis etc, and hand them out to well-known tinkerers in Silicon Valley and a number of major universities.

It'd also help if the system could interface with and make use of a wide range of commercial batbelt gear, especially cellphones, PDAs etc, and even laptops and portable media players. This would mean its capabilities could be vastly expanded without requiring extra hardware. Throw in Bluetooth, IRDA, WiFi and HID radio chips, add USB and swappable video-out ports, and let the programmers go nuts.

[forsythferret.livejournal.com]

"Batbelt gear" Heh, I like that.

The glasses, at least, could easily just be a display system. I know they have things like it, but don't know how far they've gotten on the various ones. Yes, in theory there could be eyeball tracking cursor control and that sort of thing, but just a monitor that could plug into a thin wifi net client should be easy enough to fit in something the size of an Ipod or so. It'd have more battery demands, with the wifi, and I don't know how much storage space you'd need, but ideally all of that could be upgradable with off the shelf components. Like the same kind of memory cards cameras use, that sort of thing. Things are so much cheaper and more useful when there's standards instead of each company setting their own that doesn't communicate with any other brands.

And we should so have broadband more places, but the stupid phone and cable companies want to control it, and how you use it. Evil.

[gwalla.livejournal.com]

I'm starting to feel like a "gargoyle" (see Snow Crash) what with my cell phone and iPod. I'm actually looking for a pair of ear hooks for the iPod that also act as a Bluetooth headset for the cell phone, so that I could hear rings through them and pressing a button on the cord would both pick up a call and pause my music. I saw them for sale online, but lost the link, and Google is coming up empty.

A friend of mine has his car rigged with a computer with GPS so he gets directions as he's going. It's pretty sweet.

[forsythferret.livejournal.com]

I want Spider Gerusalem's shades. Those aren't too much to ask, are they? :)

But honestly, technolog to enhance people shouldn't have to be ugly or the faux-sci-fi glossy silver and/or black that it tends to be now. That's one of the insights of the Ipod, I guess. The best technology is so subtle you don't even notice it's there. (Well, until it stops working, but that's another story)