h+ Magazine

Parvus is taking portable computing devices to the next level with the Zypad Wrist Wearable Personal Computer (WWPC). Light weight (250 grams) and designed for hands-free operation, the Zypad is secured with a wrist strap and can be run using either the Windows CE or Linux operating systems. It features a mini keyboard, a touch screen, USB port, 400MHz processor, and permanently connected wireless internet utilizing Bluetooth and GPS technology. A built-in “accelerometer” with a tilt sensor allows the wrist computer to determine whether its user is moving or motionless, and to supply global positioning data in real time to someone connected via wireless.

While the Zypad is not currently available in America, Parvus, a U.S. subsidiary of the Eurotech group, is testing the wrist computer for several potential job site uses involving fields such as emergency services, health care, shipping and logistics, wilderness safety, law enforcement, and military. Health care uses could involve transferring patient data to doctors in real time. Forest service workers and park rangers could use the WWPC to track animals and help with wilderness rescue. The military could use the wrist computer to communicate precise information about troop movements and control machines remotely during combat. And, of course, this mini computing technology could eventually become as ubiquitous as popular portable devices palm pilots or PSPs, employing many of the same features of mobile devices like the iPhone or Blackberry, but with greater processing power and more durability.