Scott E. Jordan
02-21-2006, 12:27 PM
:o
http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=15508&hed=Era+of+Wearable+Tech+Dawns§or=Regions&subsector=Americas
Era of Wearable Tech Dawns
With portable electronics everywhere, companies find ways to build bulky devices and ugly wires into clothing.
January 29, 2006
iPods. Cell phones. BlackBerrys. Handheld video game systems. Millions of portable electronics around the world keep people connected and entertained, but transporting all these devices, their connector cables, and power supplies is anything but entertaining.
As consumers become increasingly annoyed with having to schlep around all these gizmos and wires, companies are seeing a market by coming up with ways to make it easier for consumers to wear them.
The so-called “iPod economy” has spawned a host of companies focused on just making accessories for the 42 million white and black music players. The cottage industry built around cell phone add-ons is even bigger.
Indeed, wearable technology is a growing market, with consumers poised to carry at least one or two devices on their person at any moment, said Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director at JupiterResearch. The trick, of course, is keeping the tech-bearing apparel from looking too dorky.
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“The ability to integrate technology into clothing becomes more and more important,” said Mr. Gartenberg. “The trend is… not just to integrate devices from a technical standpoint, but from a fashion standpoint as well.
Sunglasses to Jeans
Motorola is just one of the companies jumping in. Earlier this month, the cell phone giant unveiled a new line of Bluetooth sunglasses called O ROKR, which feature a wireless module and dual earbuds to take advantage of the built-in support for streaming music. It was just one of several sunglasses with capabilities reminiscent of what James Bond would wear (see Motorola Headset Dons Shades).
In early December, Motorola said it was working with Snowboard maker Burton to produce a line of jackets, dubbed Audex, featuring Bluetooth and iPod integration (see Snow Jacket Boasts Bluetooth).
“Motorola has set out to target these active lifestyle spaces,” said Scott Martin, senior director of global marketing for Motorola’s companion products, in reference to the people who might be interested in the Oakley sunglasses or Burton snowboarding jackets. “This is the beginning of a new segment.”
Meanwhile, Oakley announced in October 2005 the Thump 2, a pair of sunglasses with a built-in digital music player, which features more memory and support for additional music formats than the Thump.
In that same month, the European division of snowboard glove maker O’Neill rolled out its “Fat Controller,” which features a small joystick on the back of the left glove designed to control the iPod. When combined with a wireless module attached to the music player, the wearer can use the glove to play, pause, skip tracks, and change volume.
And earlier this month, denim icon Levi Strauss said it plans to sell iPod-compatible jeans later this year (see Levi’s Tries on iPod Jeans).
Licensing to the Big Brands
Another company that’s trying to cash in on wearable tech is Scottevest, which makes apparel with a patented system of pockets that include access to internal passageways for wires—termed a “personal area network.”
Scottevest currently sells some 25 items billed as “Technology Enabled Clothing,” ranging from jackets and pants to shorts, T-shirts, and vests, all designed to help the wearers carry extra stuff.
Scott Jordan, the founder and CEO of the four-year-old company, likes to think of his clothing as “the new beige box,” he said. “It’s the container in which you put all of the components needed by the mobile workforce.”
Besides selling clothing, one of Mr. Jordan’s goals is to license his technology. When potential customers see the TeC logo, he said, “they will know it’s designed to accommodate their electronic devices.”
Still Too Early
Despite the buzz, officials agree that the market is at a very early stage.
“Some of the stuff people have experimented with before was way ahead of its time,” said Mr. Gartenberg. “We’re really just coming into a market at a time where the technology is becoming ubiquitous.”
Company officials paint rosier pictures.
Mr. Jordan says his company’s sales have jumped 40 percent over the past year, adding there is a real market for the products.
“We’ve shipped out everything we can,” said Motorola's Mr. Martin in reference to the Burton jackets, at the same time admitting that the products are not for everyone.
Clothing with technology built in doesn’t come cheap. The Audex snowboard jacket, which features a music player control panel on the sleeve and removable speakers in the hood, fetches $600.
But that price tag doesn’t seem to deter everyone. Sean Harkins, who works at Shoreline Snowboards in Nevada, near the Lake Tahoe ski area, said the jacket was a hit with at least one customer.
“One guy we sold one to says he loved it,” Mr. Harkins said, adding, “[he said] the people on the chairlift loved it. The music was loud enough that everyone could hear it.”
For geeks in search of techno-savvy clothing, your time may have come.
http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=15508&hed=Era+of+Wearable+Tech+Dawns§or=Regions&subsector=Americas
Era of Wearable Tech Dawns
With portable electronics everywhere, companies find ways to build bulky devices and ugly wires into clothing.
January 29, 2006
iPods. Cell phones. BlackBerrys. Handheld video game systems. Millions of portable electronics around the world keep people connected and entertained, but transporting all these devices, their connector cables, and power supplies is anything but entertaining.
As consumers become increasingly annoyed with having to schlep around all these gizmos and wires, companies are seeing a market by coming up with ways to make it easier for consumers to wear them.
The so-called “iPod economy” has spawned a host of companies focused on just making accessories for the 42 million white and black music players. The cottage industry built around cell phone add-ons is even bigger.
Indeed, wearable technology is a growing market, with consumers poised to carry at least one or two devices on their person at any moment, said Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director at JupiterResearch. The trick, of course, is keeping the tech-bearing apparel from looking too dorky.
- ADVERTISEMENT -
“The ability to integrate technology into clothing becomes more and more important,” said Mr. Gartenberg. “The trend is… not just to integrate devices from a technical standpoint, but from a fashion standpoint as well.
Sunglasses to Jeans
Motorola is just one of the companies jumping in. Earlier this month, the cell phone giant unveiled a new line of Bluetooth sunglasses called O ROKR, which feature a wireless module and dual earbuds to take advantage of the built-in support for streaming music. It was just one of several sunglasses with capabilities reminiscent of what James Bond would wear (see Motorola Headset Dons Shades).
In early December, Motorola said it was working with Snowboard maker Burton to produce a line of jackets, dubbed Audex, featuring Bluetooth and iPod integration (see Snow Jacket Boasts Bluetooth).
“Motorola has set out to target these active lifestyle spaces,” said Scott Martin, senior director of global marketing for Motorola’s companion products, in reference to the people who might be interested in the Oakley sunglasses or Burton snowboarding jackets. “This is the beginning of a new segment.”
Meanwhile, Oakley announced in October 2005 the Thump 2, a pair of sunglasses with a built-in digital music player, which features more memory and support for additional music formats than the Thump.
In that same month, the European division of snowboard glove maker O’Neill rolled out its “Fat Controller,” which features a small joystick on the back of the left glove designed to control the iPod. When combined with a wireless module attached to the music player, the wearer can use the glove to play, pause, skip tracks, and change volume.
And earlier this month, denim icon Levi Strauss said it plans to sell iPod-compatible jeans later this year (see Levi’s Tries on iPod Jeans).
Licensing to the Big Brands
Another company that’s trying to cash in on wearable tech is Scottevest, which makes apparel with a patented system of pockets that include access to internal passageways for wires—termed a “personal area network.”
Scottevest currently sells some 25 items billed as “Technology Enabled Clothing,” ranging from jackets and pants to shorts, T-shirts, and vests, all designed to help the wearers carry extra stuff.
Scott Jordan, the founder and CEO of the four-year-old company, likes to think of his clothing as “the new beige box,” he said. “It’s the container in which you put all of the components needed by the mobile workforce.”
Besides selling clothing, one of Mr. Jordan’s goals is to license his technology. When potential customers see the TeC logo, he said, “they will know it’s designed to accommodate their electronic devices.”
Still Too Early
Despite the buzz, officials agree that the market is at a very early stage.
“Some of the stuff people have experimented with before was way ahead of its time,” said Mr. Gartenberg. “We’re really just coming into a market at a time where the technology is becoming ubiquitous.”
Company officials paint rosier pictures.
Mr. Jordan says his company’s sales have jumped 40 percent over the past year, adding there is a real market for the products.
“We’ve shipped out everything we can,” said Motorola's Mr. Martin in reference to the Burton jackets, at the same time admitting that the products are not for everyone.
Clothing with technology built in doesn’t come cheap. The Audex snowboard jacket, which features a music player control panel on the sleeve and removable speakers in the hood, fetches $600.
But that price tag doesn’t seem to deter everyone. Sean Harkins, who works at Shoreline Snowboards in Nevada, near the Lake Tahoe ski area, said the jacket was a hit with at least one customer.
“One guy we sold one to says he loved it,” Mr. Harkins said, adding, “[he said] the people on the chairlift loved it. The music was loud enough that everyone could hear it.”
For geeks in search of techno-savvy clothing, your time may have come.