Presentation given to 10 year olds in Dublin, Ireland. Opening young eyes to computing and technology possibilities. Older eyes should also view. Emphasis on #STEM and #diversity importance but also entry vehicle to world of technology via wearables, building and making things, using MineCraft and Lego, and more. I used a Pebble watch, Google Glass and Necomimi ears live and passed them around class, displayed screencast of Glass on class screen via MacBook Pro. Check out the Youtube video on Disney Glow with the Show too - it covers wearables very well and is fun! Password on request.
First up is the Ora by Optinvent. Rather than use a screen, these Android KitKat-based specs beam the Android interface directly onto your retina. While that sounds terrifying, I managed to escape with my eyes unscathed and was actually quite pleased at the transparent heads-up-display effect.The Reemo by Playtabase works alongside power socket hubs that allow you to turn any of your household electricals on and off by waving at them. As more home devices become "connected" (such as the Nest thermostat), Playtabase reckons that the Reemo will be able to interact with those, too.Google’s Android Wear Program: http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/18/googles-android-wear-a-nexus-program-for-smartwatches-debuts-with-the-lg-g/Google has announced a new smartwatch platform called Android Wear, which offers it a way to help OEM partners come up with hardware to get users into wearable devices. Among the first such devices will be the LG G Watch, a device which will launch next quarter based on the new platform. It showcases key features of the Android UI extension, including always-on voice commands that respond to the now-familiar “Ok Google.” Other partners will debut hardware later this year, Google says.The Xensr (pronounced "sensor") captures all kinds of 3D motion information. It's going to work its way into trackers on snowboards and similar sports where it'll be able to tell you the height of jumps, how many spins you achieved and how fast you get down the mountain. Hopefully it will give you a score indicating how much of a certified badass you are on the slopes.
Brain Computer Interface on KickstarterBrain controlled UI: http://www.fastcodesign.com/3025041/a-diy-platform-for-building-products-you-control-with-your-mindSony Wig patent:, is seeking a U.S. patent for “SmartWig” hairpieces that could help navigate roads, check blood pressure or flip through slides in a presentation.The wig would communicate wirelessly with another device and include tactile feedback, Tattoo Motorola Patent: http://techcrunch.com/2013/11/07/motorola-patent-points-to-electronic-neck-tattoos-that-double-as-microphones/The idea is that an “electronic tattoo” nestled on a wearer’s neck could directly capture sound “emanating from a throat” and transmit it to a smartphone (or a similar computing device) by way of a Bluetooth, Zigbee, or NFC connection, thus eliminating the awful background noise that mars many a phone call.Google Contact Lenses: http://theconversation.com/googles-glucose-contact-lenses-could-transform-diabetes-care-22358Google has teamed up with researchers at the University of Washington to create a contact lens that can measure blood glucose levels in a person’s tears and display the reading on their mobile phone. If this smart contact lens project is successful, people with diabetes may be able to stop drawing blood to measure their sugar levels.Want smart shorts too? The MBody shorts by Myontec contain heart-rate monitors and sensors that detect electrical activity in your muscles, designed to tell you exactly how much work your muscle groups are doing during a workout -- if it's not balanced, you'll know to change your workout style.