Clothes get smart

The convergence of textiles, chemical engineering, materials and electronics is likely to lead to the evolution of the next generation of smart fibres and fabrics that can genuinely act in an intelligent manner, according to Frost & Sullivan, reports Engineer Live.

A report: `Advances in High Tech Polymer Fibres and Smart Fabrics`, states that ongoing developments in the field of smart fabrics hold out tremendous potential for the concept, promising their use in the likes of healthcare applications, security, and display of helpful data.

Furthermore, the gamut of applications could widen ever further once industry experts enable these textiles to carry data and power. Researchers from the University of Stuttgart, Germany, have developed innovative synthetic fibres that generate electricity when exposed to light. Researchers believe the fibres could be woven into washable clothes.

By 2012, `super 3G` devices will become the largest selling handset type, says Informa Telecoms & Media, according to 3g.co.uk.

The latest edition of Informa`s flagship report, entitled "Future Mobile Handsets", reveals that, while the rate of overall worldwide mobile handset growth will slow from 2008, super 3G devices will account for 35.8% of all handset sales in 2012, up from 1.8% in 2007.

Total handset sales are forecast to pass the 1 billion mark for the first time in 2007, to reach an unprecedented 1 105.5 million.

A new two-button mouse from Casio has a thermal label printer that can print anything in any TrueType font from a PC and eliminate the need for additional desktop label printers, according to Sci-Fi.com.

The mouse plugs in via USB, creates labels for binders, video cassettes, audio cassettes, and weighs 184g.

The Casio USB Label Mouse Printer is available for $29, with three packs of thermal label rolls going for $14.