Computers come in all shapes and colors. The ENIAC (Chapter 1) looked more like an equipment room than a computer. Offices often have beige boxes sitting on every desk. The iMac computers come in soft shapes and a rainbow of colors. Notebook computers look like small briefcases or even make-up cases.
But the whole idea of what we mean by a "computer" is changing quickly. Small devices like the Palm Pilot or Vision are small computers that can fit in your pocket. Even your cellular phone acts like a computer. This trend will continue until all our cars and appliances are at least part-computer.
Part of this trend is making computers that people can wear. Several companies have already shown jackets with built-in cell phone and web access. Eyeglasses that serve as tiny monitors were introduced several years ago as part of virtual reality games (Chapter 3). Some people see this trend continuing until computers aren't just worn by us, but become part of us. Small chips already control pacemakers for people with bad hearts. Soon chips will be controlling and enhancing the functions of other organs in our body. Not too far in the future, many of us will become part cyborg, just like in the movies.
Questions
appliances - machines used in the home (TVs, refrigerators, toasters, etc.)
briefcase - formal bag used to carry documents to and from work
built-in - designed to be part of a product as a single unit
cyborg - half-robot and half-human
device - machine or tool
enhancing - (enhance) make better
equipment - special tools, materials, or clothing for a specific purpose
make-up - cosmetics
If you were sick or injured, which of these organs would you allow to be replaced by a computer?
finger arm heart kidney eye ear brain
The MIT Wearable Computing Web Page http://wearables.www.media.mit.edu/projects/wearables/
Visions of wearable Internet ware http://www.cnn.com/2000/STYLE/fashion/06/26/wearable.computers/index.html
Private Eyes. If you can imagine a computer that acts almost like an auxiliary brain and can be worn as easily as a pair of eyeglasses, you'll be intrigued by the work of Thad Starner and his Wearable Computing Project shown on this story. Following the premier of the Scientific American Frontiers Special Inventing the Future, Thad, a self-styled cyborg, answered viewers' questions as part of an Ask the Scientists panel. Read viewers' questions and his answers. http://www.pbs.org/saf/3_ask/archive/qna/3271_tstarner.html