Here's an interesting concept by MIT students. The iBand wearable bracelet seen here allows you to exchange contact information with a simple handshake. Can't remember the name of that hunky guy last week? No problem, just shake his hand and once the LED blinky light goes on, you know you have everything you need to know about him. The purpose of the iBand is to store and exchange information with strangers that you meet (who also wear the bracelet) so you can later evaluate the collected date via a kiosk that will display a list of contacts you've made thought the day. Being that we don't have very good memories, this bracelet helps the wearer remember information about the other users. It would be great at parties, clubbing, or other social settings. Male and females can personalize their bracelet. I think it would be a great idea, if only the bracelet looked less like something one of the Metallica guys would wear.
Here is how it works: (Taken from the site)
Karen and Rob are meeting each other for the first time. Both are
wearing iBands. Karen has decorated hers with sparkles, whereas Rob, being a
successful businessman, wears a sleek gold-plated version. They introduce
themselves to each other as they shake hands. Small lights flash on their
iBands, indicating that an information exchange has occurred. Certain fibers on
Karen's bracelet start to glow, indicating that Rob is interested in business
networking and that she has never met him before. After some initial small talk,
a lull in the conversation occurs. Rob glances discretely at his iBand display,
which indicates that he earlier met a friend of Karen's named Catherine.
Catherine's photo is also displayed. He remembers the conversation he had with
her and mentions it to Karen who is interested to hear about it. After the
meeting, Karen forgets Rob's name, but gets a quick reminder when she looks down
at the display on her iBand that recalls the names of the last ten people she
shook hands with. She can now tell her friend David that he should go over and
talk to Rob without feeling embarrassed that she has forgotten his name. Rob,
meanwhile, uploads the contacts he has collected on his iBand and emails them to
his business development team.
