Last week during Avantex, Eleksen introduced new control modules.
There are 5 ‘ready to sell’ functions like: Volume Control (for any audio device with a 3.5mm headphone socket), the Sony Ericsson Controller, the iPod Controller, the iPod+Bluetooth Controller and the new FM Radio module.
You may ask: “what’s the big deal about that?”
To start with, this modules are good news for garment companies because the ‘only’ thing they have to integrate into future clothing is the ElekTex fabric keypad with the standardized connector to the modules. No risk in making too much or less clothing items with the ‘wrong’ function.
The added value = function of the clothing and other accessories is defined by – you, the customer. You choose a Wearable Electronic ready clothing item or bag and buy the control module ..read more
Posted in: ElekTex Smart Fabric, Eleksen
Avantex started off today and Eleksen, the world’s leading provider of touch-sensitive smart fabrics for consumer electronics in apparel and accessories, announced a new product: a module for FM radio.
This new module essentially is a stand-alone FM radio but has also the availability to work with the widely available FM transmitter accessories out there which attach to an iPod or other MP3 player.
Eleksen’s FM radio unit is fully controlled by the new ElekTex fabric sensor incorporating Eleksen’s Common Interface technology. With an ElekTex sensor embedded in a garment or for example bags or backpacks, the FM Radio module forms a complete FM radio solution.
This means for clothing and bag designer that in some cases no textile wires are needed to connect the product like an iPod to the unique electro-conductive ..read more
Posted in: ElekTex Smart Fabric, Eleksen, Trade Shows
Good news for the music and iPod loving business men. According to a business news report on Forbes.com which is based on information from AFX News Limited, Marks & Spencer will sell a new range of Bagir’s iPod suits for men.
MusicStyle as Bagir named their iPod enabled suit released last year, comes complete with a strategically placed pocket for the iPod located so as not to budge.
Discrete loops to hide the earphone wires and soft-touch command controls from Eleksen on the front breast lapel complete the seamless integration of the technology.
The detachable wearable electronics guaranties for easy suit care.
The image on the left shows the ‘old’ model, we couldn’t find photos from the new line of iPod Suits the AFX News report is talking about.
We will watch out for ..read more
Posted in: Belkin, Eleksen, Marks and Spencer, News, Suit, iPod Fashion
Avantex and Techtextil 2007 will open its doors on June 11 for 4 days of highly interesting seminars and exhibitions on the future of clothing and textile innovation.
It is the second time those two events are held at the same time and the same place. Avantex target groups of designers and garment manufacturers, focuses on high-tech apparel textiles and presents developments ranging from the concept to the prototype stages. Techtextil is the world largest Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens.
This almost guaranties a highly charged atmosphere for participants from the industry and businesses but also for the visitors of the exhibitions.
Unlike the Smart Fabrics 2007 in May which was more focused on technologies, the Avantex 2007 is more about consumer presentation. Companies will show on the floor the latest ..read more
Posted in: Articles, CuteCircuit, Eleksen, Fibretronic, Interactive Wear AG, Trade Shows
In our review and outlook of Wearable Electronic, we investigate today the companies that contributed to the recent increase of Wearable Electronic products.
Quite a few companies entered the Wearable Electronic market last year with product launches. Some clothing manufacturers developed their own systems or out-sourced this to their manufacturing partners. Other clothing companies teamed up with companies specialized in providing solutions and know-how in integrating electronic into textiles to enable Wearable Electronic product designs.
It’s those specialized companies we will focus our review today. It’s those specialized companies we will focus our review today. The following 4 companies came up on our radar:
Eleksen
Fibretronic
Interactive Wear
Textronics
Textronics has launched a Heart Sensing Sports Bra in early 2006. The solutions Textronic offers are conductive yarns, interconnection between electronic and textiles and various bio-sensor integrated or ..read more
Posted in: Articles, Eleksen
The Wearable Electronic expert Eleksen did it again ….. surprising the world with a twist to their existing fabric keyboard range: the Double Sided USB Keyboard.This concept, presented by Eleksen during the 3GSM in Barcelona last week has a different set of keys on each side. On the top side is a standard set of QWERTY keys for text entry and whatever work you can do on a ‘normal’ computer keyboard but if you flip the keyboard over, you get the basics of a numeric key-pad, optimized key layout for page navigation and quick access keys for music.
The Douple-sided Keyboard is USB powered what let us assume this keyboard can be used with any device (incl. computer) that support USB keyboards.
A gravity switch in the plastic control module determines which ..read more
Posted in: Accessories, Button/Switch, Eleksen, Keyboard
We reported two days ago about the Fabric Keyboard from Mobis and stated that this is the first distributor of Eleksen’s fabric keyboard.Today, we found on G-Tech’s website that they actually shipping this keyboard already. It can be ordered for US$ 145.- on this online shopping site.
Unfortunately, the price is ‘really’ quite high for a, I must admit, very useful product. Let’s hope that over (short) time, the price will come down a bit to make it a ‘must have’ and affordable item for the ultra mobile road warrior.
The specification is the same as listed in the Mobis review and G-Tech offers also a download of the Bluetooth driver for your Mobile device.
Posted in: Accessories, Button/Switch, Eleksen, G-Tech, Keyboard
Eleksen is one of the first companies that entered the Wearable Electronic market with a commercial product. This product is a textile based sensor called ElekTex.ElekTex is a highly versatile and innovative technology that provides the basis for a soft, flexible, and lightweight interface between users and electronic devices. This unique fabric structure can accurately sense location on three axes – X, Y and to a certain degree Z – within a material that is less than 1mm thick. Therefore ElekTex not only senses where it is being touched (the X and Y axes), but also how hard it is pressed, the Z axis.
The ability to sense the applied pressure is major advantages ElekTex has over technologies, such as plastic touchpads.
The working principle of ElekTex:
ElekTex is essentially a laminate of ..read more
Posted in: Button/Switch, ElekTex Smart Fabric, Eleksen, Textiles
Mobile accessories maker Mobis is introducing the RoKy² Bluetooth-enabled fabric keyboard in Asia.
Powered by two AAA-sized batteries, the RoKy² is water repellent and comes with a stand for mobile phones and PDAs. The power of this two batteries should last for 10 hours continuing typing. That’s quite reasonable usage time considering that typing on such small devices will be usually done only in urgent or emergency situations.
And for such urgent situations, this keyboard gives a great helping hand. Stylus and graffiti input might be good for short notes but writing an email of considerable length / content might be too much for graffiti.
The RoKy² is compatible with most of the current handheld operating systems such as Palm, BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Mobile.
We have posted here some time ago about a ..read more
Posted in: Accessories, Button/Switch, Eleksen, Mobis
Christmas is coming soon – here is a great tip for a futuristic gift for the busy, highly mobile, always connected trend setter: the Wireless Fabric Keypad for BlackBerry, Pocket PC and Smart phones from Eleksen.The unique, cutting-edge technology keypad is made of ElekTex Smart Fabric.
It can be rolled up to take with you anywhere! If unfolded, it’s a full sized standard keyboard. Simply connect via Bluetooth to your smart phone or PDA to type emails, chat or write your reports.
The Fabric Keyboard is available now in different online stores specialized in PDA and mobile phone accessories. The wireless fabric keyboard is attached at one end to a plastic box holding two AAA batteries and the Bluetooth electronics for its wireless data connection to a PDA or phone. The ..read more
Posted in: Accessories, Button/Switch, ElekTex Smart Fabric, Eleksen, Keyboard
