Bluetooth, MP3 jacket has keyboard on sleeve

GIANT SEMI firm Infineon has delivered on its threat to produce wearable computer systems by announcing the introduction of a Rosner combo MP3 Bluetooth jacket that includes a textile keyboard on the sleeve.

Infineon said the product is intended for "technologically progressive, fashion conscious men" and said it will be available for sale in just a week or so.

The "mp3blue" jacket is made of woven electrically conductive fabric connecting to a textile keyboard on the left sleeve, to headphones, and to a microphone built into the collar.

The memory module built into the jacket has 128MB of memory, a Bluetooth gateway for mobile phones, and a rechargeable eight hour battery.

When a "fashion conscious man" wants to make a phone call, the stereo system becomes a headset and the music pauses.

You can wash the jacket but you must remember to take the electronics module out of its holder.

Infineon is very optimistic about electronic clothes. It said that it expects a global turnover of €1 billion by 2007 for the intelligent textiles market. µ

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