Innovation of the week: Google's new internet-connected jean jacket
The latest in wearables
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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
Political cartoons for October 27Cartoons Monday's political cartoons include improving national monuments, the NBA gambling scandal, and the AI energy vampire
-
Donald Trump’s week in Asia: can he shift power away from China?Today's Big Question US president’s whirlwind week of diplomacy aims to bolster economic ties and de-escalate trade war with China