“Sony has filed a patent application for “SmartWig”, as firms jostle for the lead in the wearable technology sector,” BBC News reports. “It says the SmartWig can be worn ‘in addition to natural hair’ and will be able to process data and communicate wirelessly with other external devices.”
“According to the filing, the SmartWig can help navigate roads and collect information such as blood pressure,” The Beeb reports. “‘Wearable gadgets are definitely going to be one of the big areas of growth over the next two years,’ Andrew Milroy, an analyst with consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, told the BBC. ‘And Sony – which is trying to regain some of the sheen it has lost in recent years – clearly understands that and wants to play a major role in the sector.'”
“The Japanese firm said the wig could be made from horse hair, human hair, wool, feathers, yak hair, buffalo hair or any kind of synthetic material. At the same time, the communication interface and sensors placed in the wig are at least partly covered by parts of the wig in order to be hidden from sight during use,” The Beeb reports. “Sony listed various potential uses of the SmartWig in its filing, including helping blind people navigate roads. It said that a small video camera or a sensor on the wig could help to provide the position and the location of the wearer.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Too late to save his job, but finally a double-barreled cure for Ballmer!
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Mac” for the heads up.]
In other news Microsoft files for MicroMerkin patent …
LOL… Genius!!!
It must be April Fool’s Day right?
Actually, this could have some niche market appeal. Not everything has to be mass-market and the comments about it being useful for blind people are interesting, to say the least.
Stetson better get with the program; you could fit a new Mac Pro in a ten gallon hat.
MDN nailed it on Ballmer. Sadly, that would be the on smart device he would have- unless he decides to carry an iPhone too.
MacDailyNews Take: Too late to save his job, but finally a double-barreled cure for Ballmer!
Great Take!
And Ballmer could use something smart in that general area. 🙂
That is the stupidist concept I have read about in a long time.
Too much sake in the planning room. The wearer could advance slides in a presentation by raising his/her eyebrows. They have got to be kidding.
…better stay indoors when the next hurricane comes along…maybe version 2 could have chinstraps?
Sony innovation — head and shoulders above the rest.
But only by a hair.
A new kind of ephemeral technology — hair today, gone tomorrow.
I hope its got a stable OS . . . I wouldn’t want anyone to wig out.
When the OS does crash, it’d be called a Wig-Wam.
Next week is December 1st not April 1st.
I’m waiting in line for a yak hair smart wig that will navigate, Right, Sony, this will save your bacon. OBTW, pig bristles can be very soft.
Wow, as if cell phones were not risk enough, let’s wrap our heads in an EMF generating device and see what happens.
I happen to be using a test model right now, and I feel fine. I feel fine. I feel fine.
Maybe it will have a layer of tin foil built in?
Perfectly Ballmery idea. Gee Sony why not call it Hairman RT?
I can understand a smartphone but a smart wig? What smartass thought up this dumbass idea?
Smart wigs! Its just not for bald guys with high blood pressure anymore!!!
“is that a SmartWig, or are you just happy to see me?
Gives the term “Bigwig” a whole new meaning.
‘And Sony – which is trying to regain some of the sheen it has lost in recent years – clearly understands that and wants to play a major role in the sector.’”
Almost worthy of the Beeb’s Rory Cellan-Jones that one. Whatever it shows the last thing is that they understand the market.
I think a SmartMerkin would be much better.
WTH??!! Did I just spontaneously time-travel to April 1??!!
Wow. I read a snippet about this yesterday and thought it was a joke. Who in their right mind would want to wear radio transmitters on their head? Might as well move to Japan and get an apartment near Fukushima.
well, if it’s successful, Sony will have to file a hirsute against Samsung for pategiarism.
Aside from all your political bullshit I must say your joke about hirsute against samsung really did get me going
Brilliant.
I’m holding out for yak hair “and” feathers
I’m holding out for the JockStrao version.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict that Apple’s wearable computing solution will be less batshit crazy.
You can wear your SmartWig while listening to your Sony Bean mp3 player!
Only available in colours black and white
A shaggy blog story, little more than that
Holy hell, this is a REAL patent? Totally thought this was a piece from the Onion and was chuckling the whole time. Feathers? Are you freakin kidding me? If you’re gonna file a patent at least make it sound real…
Put it in a baseball cap and capture the Android users hook, line and sinker.