Coming: A Wearable Computer!

We may soon be headed for a time when laptops, mobiles, and mobile devices no longer suffice to make us feel 'sufficiently mobile'.

Possibly such a premonition might have led one Andy Fagg from the Computer Science faculty at the University of Massachusetts to embark on his mission of developing a 'wearable computer'. Meaning, a computer that can be worn, like you wear shoes or jackets or watches, and that offers access to information- and communication- resources at any time during walking (waking) hours.
Fagg was quoted as saying that with general computing systems becoming smaller, we're reaching a point at which it's becoming conceivable to don these devices easily.

It's not about being able to write a paper or send an email while you're at the grocery store; rather about having digital assistance as you go about your life, Fagg explained.

Fagg's ultimate objective is to teach the computer to 'notice' a user's routine, and offer information accordingly.

For instance, if you happen to enter a conference room, the computer you're wearing should be able to figure out that you're going for a meeting, and accordingly pull-out appropriate documents, including minutes of the last meeting and related discussions, explained Fagg.

The other example he cited was that of the computer being able to recognize that you're going to cook a certain something for dinner, and being able to know exactly what's in stock in your kitchen cabinet, so that a call may be taken on what else is required, which the computer could then remind you to purchase from your friendly grocery store -- of course when you're passing by it...