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You’ll be wearing your computer… as early as next year.
Forbes reports Google has partnered with denim maker Levi Strauss & Co. to “wire” our clothing. Their joint venture—called Project Jacquard—weaves conductive yarn into everything from jeans to jackets.
The result is a “swipeable” fabric.
It’s similar to the faceplate of your smartphone or tablet. You’ll run your finger along your sleeve or pant leg to dim your house lights… or call a friend on your phone… or change the TV channel.
A small sensor the size of a button will use Bluetooth connectivity to sync your clothes with your smartphone. If you’re having a hard time picturing—or believing—this, watch the two-minute clip below (from 2:07 to the end).
Google partnered with Levi’s because it didn’t want to create a separate wearable computer… it wanted to leverage the existing clothing “infrastructure.” And Levi’s massive production capabilities make the idea 100% scalable to a global consumer base.
The “connected” clothing will begin hitting stores next year.
The news won’t surprise regular Daily readers. We’ve spilled a lot of ink talking about the Internet of Things (IoT). The Internet will cease to live on your computer… instead, you’ll live inside the Internet.
Humans will attach cheap sensors to every conceivable object… connecting them to each other via Wi-Fi and the Internet. (Amazon’s already doing it with the Dash Button.)
An astronomical number of “connected” objects will result. In this case, picture every article of clothing in your wardrobe. Imagine all of that clothing wired to the Internet. And now imagine that for every human on the planet…
It’s why the IoT will see $17 trillion enter the space in less than five years.
Mega Trends Investing Editor Teeka Tiwari calls the IoT “the largest mega trend we’ll ever see in our lifetimes.” He created a series of special reports showing the five best ways to play the explosive growth now unfolding. One company owns the patent rights to the only 100%-integral smart chip. If the IoT is a house, these chips are the bricks.