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## 2. What is a Wearable anyway ?

Well, as it name implies a wearable is a computer you are supposed to wear, actually very few wearables fill this definition. On a more practical point of view one can define a wearable as a computer you can use on the run relying only on its power supply ( see the power supply section for more information ). So with such a definition PDAs, palmcomputers, customized laptops are wearables too. As Wearable computing is a new field, there is no standard definition for a Wearable computer, but you may find Professor Steve Mann's definition very . To me medical devices such as pacemakers too are Wearable computers and they don't fit in Professor Steve Mann's definition ( actually Professor Steve Mann is one of the Pionneers in Wearable computing ) On the Wearcomp website there is also a FAQ trying to define what a Wearable is.

I am not a specialist in wearables, simply I have a very strong interest in nomadic computing and I studying a lot its implementations both from a technical point of view and from the way nomadic computing is going to change our every day life and the way we interacts as we are getting more and more connected.

This text is included in the LINUX DOCUMENTATION PROJECT http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO .

The latest version of this document is available in HTML format at http://infonomade.linuxfr.org/Wearable-HOWTO.html or at http://www.thewearables.com/mirrors/Wearable-HOWTO/Wearable-HOWTO.html

, you can retrieve the postcript format at

http://www.thewearables.com/mirrors/Wearable-HOWTO/Wearable-HOWTO.ps.gz

If you wish to mirror it or to translate it, please contact me.

Lionel, Trollhunter Bouchpan-Lerust-Juéry <trollhunter@linuxfr.org> or at <boucli27@altavista.net>

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