Wearable computers allow you to interact without touching a keyboard or mouse.
Although advances in mobile phones allow you to watch TV or surf the Web from nearly anywhere, mobile phones aren't the same as wearable computers. The theory behind wearable computers is that they are always on and constantly connected to the wearer -- not just activated when pulled out of your pocket. Not yet commercially available, many researchers, such as Dr. Steve Mann of the University of Toronto, have designed wearable computer prototypes.
Wearability
One of the main differences between mobile phones and wearable computers is that mobile phones aren't actually attached to you. You might carry the phone in your pocket or purse for easy accessibility, but you don't actually wear it attached to your body. Wearable computers may be either attached to your wrist or contained in a headband with an eye piece or glasses, allowing you to interact instantly without pulling the device out of your pocket or purse.
Always On
According to Dr. Steve Mann, a top researcher in the field of wearable computers, wearable computers feature "always-on" capability. This means that while you are wearing the computer, you have instant access to it by voice commands or the use of specially designed digital gloves that follow your hands' movements. There's no need to press a button to activate the screen, which is required by many mobile phones. He defines a wearable computer as one that is a continuation of the the person wearing it, not an external device that is activated when needed.
Augmented Reality
Another difference between a mobile phone and a wearable computer is that the computer can augment your reality, enhancing experiences in ways a mobile phone cannot. For example, if you're visiting a historic site, you can access a map of the site on your mobile phone as well as interesting facts. On a wearable computer, such as one that uses eye glasses, however, you can see the map overlaid on the actual scene in front of your eyes with real-time arrows pointing you toward your next destination at the site. It could also project words as you view certain objects at the site, providing historical data on each object that you might miss if you had to access it on your mobile phone.
Reactions
Mobile phones are designed to react to commands you enter. For example, it places a call when you press "Send" or uses a GPS app to map your route when you enter your current location and destination. On the other hand, wearable computers theoretically should react to your location, environment and activity. The wearable computer may monitor your vital signs and notify you if an activity raises your heart rate too high, or it might automatically provide a map overlay on your interactive glasses if you tell a friend that you can't remember where you found that cute restaurant.
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