This may be the worst, least informative technology website I've ever seen – and that is a high (low?) bar. It fails the "what is it?" test with spectacular aplomb. And never have I learned less from a "learn more" page. “Music should keep you moving, not make you look at your phone.” Um, yeah, ok, thanks for that helpful information.
Agreed. I did find this on one of the pages however:
"Tiny electronics contained in the flexible snap tag connect the Jacquard Threads in the jacket’s cuff to your mobile device. The snap tag lets you know about incoming information, like a phone call, by giving you light and haptic feedback. Inspired by a strap that you would see on a cuff, it looks and feels like it’s a part of the jacket. The tag also houses the battery which can last up to 2 weeks between USB charges."
In collaboration with Google Inc., Levi's® has reimagined their iconic Trucker Jacket to create an interactive, connected garment that allows wearers to access a variety of mobile services tailored to the needs of an urban commuter. Control music, get your next direction, and screen your calls & texts by swiping or tapping the jacket sleeve. Touch and gesture data is wirelessly transmitted to mobile phones or other devices through the Jacquard snap tag.
It’s a jean jacket with a touch sensitive left sleeve cuff that talks to your phone via a tiny BTLE dongle that snaps onto the jacket. Requires Android 6.0.1 and a supported phone.
Couldn't agree more. It took me multiple clicks before arriving at a video that was too long, had no words (except the phone responses), and was mostly made up of fancy fast video cuts. I had to watch the whole thing before I understood how the jacket could interface with the phone. There's was no information about how the jacket or tech works. I spent spent several more minutes trying to find technical details. Like how long until the jacket runs out of battery, assuming it has one... But, I did confirm that the jacket is washable, so there's that.
Have you thought that maybe you're not the target audience for that page, and that most people in the world are not interested in the technical details as you are?
I feel like we are pushing this wearable tech thing too hard. Pushing all the cool ways we can put stuff into things (ordering pizza from your shoes, snapchatting from your glasses) but they ALWAYS boil down to "You can touch XYZ instead of your phone to pause your music".
When we will get some decent applications, instead of enhancing the form
One way to look at wearable tech is as an extension of the surface of your smartphone. If you can interact with your phone throughout your clothing, there could be a lot of room for (warning, buzzword!) innovation there.
Yeah I don't really get it either. Why not sell the sensor on its own so that I can wear it on anything I want? What's the added value of having it sewn to your jacket? It's not like it's particularly small or discreet.
That was my reaction as well. It is just bluetooth headphones, expect you need to use your own ear buds (probably come with a pair thou). And instead of buttons it has swipe gestures.
2040 startup idea: body-identity-based micro-credit. "You forgot your wallet, but you look fairly legit. For a 5% surcharge, we'll give you that coffee now. Pay this IOU online later. In case of nonpayment, you consent to nationwide tracking by our network of facial recognition drones."
Ironically, this mostly depends on you. If you lose the sense of vehicles and people around you, your music/navigation is up too high.
Even with the best isolating headphones (around 25db; most non-IEM models offer much less isolation), you can still hear ambiant noises (unless your hearing is damaged to the point where isolating headphones do make you deaf). And with the standard set of Apple style headphones, they won't dampen the outside world at all.
Losing the ambiant noises will only occur when you overwhelm them out with your music, podcast, or navigation.
There are some augmented reality headphones which can filter out some sounds but not others, so you might be able to listen to music but still hear preferentially hear certain sounds like tyres, engines, etc, or perhaps human conversation. A bit like listening to a podcast on your phone, but having it pause or fade out when the a satnav app wants to tell you to take a turning. Although I think they're still a bit of a work in progress, at the moment the microphones pick up too much wind noise to be able to use them while cycling, but maybe something for the future.
I hate that the video encourages wearing headphones while cycling. I have a phone holder on my handlebar and turn up the volume on my phone, works great.
Seriously. Is this something that's already commonplace, and tech like this jacket can make less distracting? Or does this kind of stuff just enable humans to do more stuff with a fixed budget of risk? (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_compensation)
I dig it. Ever since 'smart watches' started I've felt like grown men wearing digital watches is a bit awkward. I'd prefer more subtle things like Google Glass or tech woven into clothing fabrics.
We definitely need to get beyond smartphones and into more ubiquitous form factors so we don't evolve into creatures with our upper backs and necks contorted downwards.
One of the things about watches though is that you can wear them with any outfit. Having functionality built into my shirt is only useful if it is in all my shirts. Otherwise I'm coupling how I want to look with what I can do.
Why get this denim jacket when you can get an iPhone and an Apple Watch?
Jacquard only puts limits on you as it's stuck on that specific denim jacket. Apple Watch on the other hand works with any jacket. You don't even need a jacket with Apple watch, you can wear whatever you want, whenever you want, and it would still work compared to Jacquard which wouldn't.
If you're listening to music on the go, you're probably wearing headphones or earbuds, right? Why not just build the controls into that and then you don't need an expensive jacket to handle input?
To answer my own question: because then you can't sell an expensive jacket that does what's already possible without it.
> Jacquard by Google transforms clothing. It’s an entirely new take on wearables that lets you do more than ever with the things that you love and wear every day. With Jacquard technology woven into the very fabric of your clothes, you can connect to your digital life instantly and effortlessly. With a literal brush of your cuff, you can navigate your life while living it.
I can't tell — is this some sort of late or early April Fool's joke? Or have I finally just become such an old fogey that I'm yelling at those goshdurn kids to quit sequencing their nanites on my lawn?
Basically, you can make various gestures on the jacket cuff to control things like playing/pausing music, having an incoming sms read aloud to you, etc.
Maybe useful if you're riding a bike, or other situations where interaction with a screen isn't practical?
On that, if you aren't familiar, the name refers to the Jacquard Loom, one of the first "programmable" looms, perhaps most famous for giving us punched cards! Cute name for a project tying computing and fabric goods!
"The Jacket is designed to withstand up to 10 washes with the Jacquard snap tag removed but your experience may vary by usage and wash conditions"
"Note: You can wear the Jacket in the rain, but if the Jacket becomes too wet it may not reliably detect gestures. Allow the Jacket to dry and resume using. The snap tag is resistant to rain and splashing, but it is not fully waterproof"
Sure it's really "Specifically tailored with the urban cyclist in mind"...that's one wet, smelly, denim jacket after a few rides in the UK.
Joseph Marie Jacquard was a genius [1]. Google should not use his name and implicitly appropriate his invention without proper acknowledgement. It bothers me that Google hijacked Jacquard's name for their own project, especially with such emphasis on looming.
With decency, they could at a minimum have acknowledged his creations, influence, and inspiration. Their about page [2] does not acknowledge Jacquard's existence. Even worse, Google has trademarked the name "Jacquard", to appropriate that name in relation to tech-infused weaving [3].
Contrast with the Pascal programming language -- Blaise Pascal was honored explicitly when this language was named after him; the creator, Niklaus Wirth, never dreamed of using this name without explicit tribute, since the naming was intended as a tribute.
I'm not seeing the use case here, and that's probably why the marketing is so vague. There just isn't a solid one.
There's really no need for this to control music. AirPods now have touch and voice controls built in. Smart earbuds are a much better solution for audio control than smart clothing that controls dumb earbuds.
And if you're getting turn-by-turn directions you'll probably have your AirPods in as well, and you can just ask Siri for updates. That's so much more flexible -- you can ask for so much more than you could via preprogrammed swipes.
That pretty much just leaves the use case of haptic notifications for people who don't want to wear a watch / wristband. I think if you care about this you'll at least put on a fitbit during your commute. And that works with all clothing.
I find the gesture choices interesting and suggestive of future directions for interaction with wearable devices. Their help article on gestures lists the four supported gestures with GIFs. One detail worth noting: "We recommend using four fingers when performing gestures. Note: To avoid unintentional activation, the jacket will not respond to gestures performed with a single finger."
The fabric is more or less just metal threads woven into the cotton, isn't it? Not so different from a bit of shiny styling. The tag is a normal bit of consumer electronics like a smartwatch or an activity tracker.
I'd be curious what the plan for recycling these fabrics is going to be. Microfibers from artificial fabrics are really a problem in watersupplies now. What will this bring?
If they can't even make the product good enough for people to want to buy it without making the sensors stand out as a conversation piece, then what's the point?
[+] [-] StefanKarpinski|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jamestimmins|8 years ago|reply
"Tiny electronics contained in the flexible snap tag connect the Jacquard Threads in the jacket’s cuff to your mobile device. The snap tag lets you know about incoming information, like a phone call, by giving you light and haptic feedback. Inspired by a strap that you would see on a cuff, it looks and feels like it’s a part of the jacket. The tag also houses the battery which can last up to 2 weeks between USB charges."
[+] [-] js2|8 years ago|reply
In collaboration with Google Inc., Levi's® has reimagined their iconic Trucker Jacket to create an interactive, connected garment that allows wearers to access a variety of mobile services tailored to the needs of an urban commuter. Control music, get your next direction, and screen your calls & texts by swiping or tapping the jacket sleeve. Touch and gesture data is wirelessly transmitted to mobile phones or other devices through the Jacquard snap tag.
https://support.google.com/jacquard/?hl=en
It’s a jean jacket with a touch sensitive left sleeve cuff that talks to your phone via a tiny BTLE dongle that snaps onto the jacket. Requires Android 6.0.1 and a supported phone.
[+] [-] agotterer|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] 8ig8|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] fixermark|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ucaetano|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] SurrealSoul|8 years ago|reply
When we will get some decent applications, instead of enhancing the form
[+] [-] fizx|8 years ago|reply
Things take a while to converge.
[+] [-] misterbowfinger|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] digi_owl|8 years ago|reply
Frankly most of what people do on "smartphones" today that is not work related could be done on featurephones a decade or more ago.
[+] [-] colorincorrect|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] simias|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nextlevelwizard|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Eridrus|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] alexasmyths|8 years ago|reply
A: Sorry, I forgot my jacket
C: Oh, we have some convenience nike bio-gloves if you want ...
A: Not biosynced to me.
C: Oh. Uhmm ... face scan?
A: I'm not American, I'm not in your DB.
C: Bitcoin?
D: No jacket.
C: What do we do then?
D: Do you take cash young robot?
C: You mean like paper? No, it's 2040. Paper cash is unhygienic.
D: So no coffee?
C: I guess not. Sorry. Next.
[+] [-] shimon|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wiradikusuma|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] falcolas|8 years ago|reply
Even with the best isolating headphones (around 25db; most non-IEM models offer much less isolation), you can still hear ambiant noises (unless your hearing is damaged to the point where isolating headphones do make you deaf). And with the standard set of Apple style headphones, they won't dampen the outside world at all.
Losing the ambiant noises will only occur when you overwhelm them out with your music, podcast, or navigation.
[+] [-] steveadoo|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Brakenshire|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] chickenfries|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] shimon|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] firasd|8 years ago|reply
We definitely need to get beyond smartphones and into more ubiquitous form factors so we don't evolve into creatures with our upper backs and necks contorted downwards.
I always liked this UI from Mission Impossible 5: https://imgur.com/6H1dJ2n
[+] [-] TeMPOraL|8 years ago|reply
A fun feature it had that I would love to have on real clothing - you could pop up a slider and change the color of the suit.
EDIT: here's a video of its various features:
https://vimeo.com/64120587
[+] [-] jdbernard|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nijynot|8 years ago|reply
Jacquard only puts limits on you as it's stuck on that specific denim jacket. Apple Watch on the other hand works with any jacket. You don't even need a jacket with Apple watch, you can wear whatever you want, whenever you want, and it would still work compared to Jacquard which wouldn't.
[+] [-] 0xFFFE|8 years ago|reply
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QNiZfSsPc0
[+] [-] nkrisc|8 years ago|reply
To answer my own question: because then you can't sell an expensive jacket that does what's already possible without it.
[+] [-] zeveb|8 years ago|reply
> Jacquard by Google transforms clothing. It’s an entirely new take on wearables that lets you do more than ever with the things that you love and wear every day. With Jacquard technology woven into the very fabric of your clothes, you can connect to your digital life instantly and effortlessly. With a literal brush of your cuff, you can navigate your life while living it.
I can't tell — is this some sort of late or early April Fool's joke? Or have I finally just become such an old fogey that I'm yelling at those goshdurn kids to quit sequencing their nanites on my lawn?
[+] [-] tyingq|8 years ago|reply
Basically, you can make various gestures on the jacket cuff to control things like playing/pausing music, having an incoming sms read aloud to you, etc.
Maybe useful if you're riding a bike, or other situations where interaction with a screen isn't practical?
[+] [-] pmulv|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] neom|8 years ago|reply
No clue how to pronouce Jacquard btw. :(
[+] [-] maximswim|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] TFortunato|8 years ago|reply
EDIT: Link - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacquard_loom#Importance_in_co...
[+] [-] fancy_pantser|8 years ago|reply
/ˈjakərd/ https://ssl.gstatic.com/dictionary/static/sounds/20160317/ja...
[+] [-] umanwizard|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ringaroundthetx|8 years ago|reply
a gaff, bad marketing, or dead on arrival?
[+] [-] forkLding|8 years ago|reply
I'm kind of more interested in clothing that doesn't collect my data.
[+] [-] nextlevelwizard|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] addedlovely|8 years ago|reply
"Note: You can wear the Jacket in the rain, but if the Jacket becomes too wet it may not reliably detect gestures. Allow the Jacket to dry and resume using. The snap tag is resistant to rain and splashing, but it is not fully waterproof"
Sure it's really "Specifically tailored with the urban cyclist in mind"...that's one wet, smelly, denim jacket after a few rides in the UK.
[+] [-] mkempe|8 years ago|reply
With decency, they could at a minimum have acknowledged his creations, influence, and inspiration. Their about page [2] does not acknowledge Jacquard's existence. Even worse, Google has trademarked the name "Jacquard", to appropriate that name in relation to tech-infused weaving [3].
Contrast with the Pascal programming language -- Blaise Pascal was honored explicitly when this language was named after him; the creator, Niklaus Wirth, never dreamed of using this name without explicit tribute, since the naming was intended as a tribute.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Marie_Jacquard
[2] https://atap.google.com/jacquard/about/
[3] https://www.trademarkia.com/jacquard-86643715.html
[+] [-] abalone|8 years ago|reply
There's really no need for this to control music. AirPods now have touch and voice controls built in. Smart earbuds are a much better solution for audio control than smart clothing that controls dumb earbuds.
And if you're getting turn-by-turn directions you'll probably have your AirPods in as well, and you can just ask Siri for updates. That's so much more flexible -- you can ask for so much more than you could via preprogrammed swipes.
That pretty much just leaves the use case of haptic notifications for people who don't want to wear a watch / wristband. I think if you care about this you'll at least put on a fitbit during your commute. And that works with all clothing.
[+] [-] clizzin|8 years ago|reply
https://support.google.com/jacquard/answer/7537511?hl=en&ref...
[+] [-] jweir|8 years ago|reply
Many products create a waste burden that is an after thought. Clothing has a good disposal path - reuse, recycle or just throw out.
But what about wearable clothing? Since it is fashion it will have a short life cycle.
[+] [-] Brakenshire|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ucaetano|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rootedbox|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] titzer|8 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Alex3917|8 years ago|reply