Innovation of the week: Google's new internet-connected jean jacket

The latest in wearables

A versatile jacket.

Google has teamed up with Levi's to make the world's smartest jean jacket, said Nikki Ekstein at Bloomberg​. Designed specifically for commuting bikers, the jacket boasts a subtle patch of conductive fibers in the sleeve that allows the wearer to "tap or swipe across its surface and toggle a series of customizable commands," from silencing calls and changing songs to getting directions to the nearest coffee shop.

All of the info is conveyed via audio, so the cyclist won't be distracted, and the metal-based conductive fibers are fully washable. Google plans to eventually make the technology — dubbed Project ­Jacquard — ­available to third-party designers and app developers to create their own connected clothing. The Commuter Trucker jacket will be available as part of Levi's Spring 2017 collection, though there's no word yet on price.

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