On Aug 3, 2012, at 7:26 PM, whiterabbit wrote:
>
> The Japanese are always ahead of us in tech. I remember when they first got colored cellphone screens. 2 or 3 yrs later we started getting them.
To be fair, it isn't japanese consumers you are seeing, but Japanese university research.
The same kind that happens in all the other universities, too, but the Japanese seem to do the weirdest stuff first for applications.
No one is very close to producing interesting practical displays on cloth; it might stay as decorative and novelty stuff.
And the jacket Murray might be recalling was supposed to be a jump into electronic camouflage; they didn't seem to notice the color and brightness gamut made it gaudy and obvious.
One interesting idea supposed the hardware could indicate (sound and coarse-grade patterns on the surface) theft or 'unwanted contact' that might deter both gropers (clothing) and grabbers (opportunistic theft).
I don't know who might be doing it, but I can see that going somewhere.
Mitch
