Wearable Computer As the name suggests, wearable computers are electronic devices which you can wear on you like an accessory or apparel . It can be a pair of gloves, eyeglasses, a watch or even a suit. The key feature of wearable UI is that it should keep your hands free and will not hinder your daily activities. In other words, it will serve as a secondary activity for you, as and when you wish to access it. (Image Source: sonymobile.com ) Think of it as having a watch that can work like a smartphone. Sony has already released an Android-powered SmartWatch earlier this year that can be paired with your Android phone via Bluetooth. It can provide notifications of new emails and tweets. As with all smartphones, you can download compatible apps into Sony SmartWatch for easy accessibility. Expect more wearable UI in the near future as microchips bearing smart capabilities grow nano-smaller and be fitted into everyday wear.
Tangible User Interface (TUI) Imagine having a computer system that fuses the physical environment with the digital realm to enable the recognition of real world objects . In Microsoft Pixelsense (formerly known as Surface), the interactive computing surface can recognize and identify objects that are placed onto the screen. In Microsoft Surface 1.0 , light from objects are reflected to multiple infrared cameras. This allows the system to capture and react to the items placed on the screen . In an advanced version of the technology (Samsung SUR40 with Microsoft PixelSense), the screen includes sensors, instead of cameras to detect what touches the screen . On this surface, you could create digital paintings with paintbrushes based on the input by the actual brushtip. The system is also programmed to recognize sizes and shapes and to interact with embedded tags e.g. a tagged namecard placed on the screen will display the card’s information. Smartphones placed on the