- Title: JAPAN: JAPANESE COMPANY DISPLAYS WEARABLE ELECTRONIC GADGETS
- Date: 1st July 2002
- Summary: (L!3)TOKYO, JAPAN (RECENT) (REUTERS) SCU (SOUNDBITE)(English) WERNER WEBBER, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE RESEARCH AT INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES, SAYING: "We have several ideas of what we will be realising as products not necessarily will the MP3 player be the first product. We think of many more -- there are medical applications, there applications in the fun and sportive areas, and there are applications for the electronic replacement of the bar code. And the later one -- the electronic replacement of the bar code -- would be the first application it looks very likely." WIDE OF PRESS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 16th July 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
- City:
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Fashion,General,Quirky,Technology
- Reuters ID: LVA3K83WASJY7TAI5J731IXEP8NI
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: The latest collection of wearable electronics from one of the world's major chip manufacturers might not be for all fashion-conscious consumers, but it certainly is bound to please gadget freaks.
The promise of wearable electronics has been around for ages.
But now that they've got rid of the chunky wires and cables, it's a step closer to the true catwalks of the fashion world.
At a recent fashion show in Tokyo, Infineon Technologies unveiled its latest collection of sweaters, trench coats and leather jackets all seamlessly -- and more importantly, cable-less -- fitted with an MP3 player.
Commands can sent to the player at the touch of a button integrated in a sleeve or chest pocket.
Though the designs are not the height of fashion in Tokyo, the manufacturers are not known for their taste in clothes but rather in chips.
The breakthrough came when the Munich-based chip maker wove the gadgets wires into the textile of the clothes. That eliminates the need for the wearers to take the electronic gadget apart when washing the clothes.
While it might seem like just a bit of fun and play at this point, Werner Webber, corporate research director at Infineon, believes the sky is the limit for the use of this product.
"We have several ideas of what we will be realising as products not necessarily will the MP3 player be the first product. We think of many more -- there are medical applications, there applications in the fun and sportive areas, and there are applications for the electronic replacement of the bar code. And the later one -- the electronic replacement of the bar code -- would be the first application it looks very likely," he told a media conference.
And with this latest fad, the day when shirt, trousers, and jackets become much more than just fashion statements may just be around the corner. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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