{"id":646119,"date":"2013-03-11T04:44:17","date_gmt":"2013-03-11T08:44:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/betanews.com\/?p=135439"},"modified":"2013-03-11T04:44:17","modified_gmt":"2013-03-11T08:44:17","slug":"is-there-anything-more-annoying-than-a-pair-of-talking-shoes-probably-not","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/646119","title":{"rendered":"Is there anything more annoying than a pair of talking shoes? Probably not"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Art, Copy & Code<\/a> has partnered with artist Zach Lieberman, Google, and interactive collective YesYesNo to create what it calls a smart talking sneaker with personality.<\/p>\n

The Talking Shoe, which Google has been showing at the South by Southwest (SXSW<\/a>) tech conference in Austin, Texas, includes an accelerometer, gyroscope, Bluetooth and other everyday technologies, that combine to \u201ctranslate the wearer\u2019s movements into funny, motivating and timely commentary\u201d. In the video that shows off the sneakers, example phrases include \u201cThis is super boring\u201d (when you\u2019re just sitting around), \u201cI love the feeling of wind in my laces\u201d, \u201cAre you a statue? Let\u2019s do this already\u201d and \u201cCall 911 because you\u2019re on fire\u201d.<\/p>\n

Apparently what the shoes say can be posted to Google+ by the user, sent to real-time ad units, or broadcast to the world via onboard speakers.<\/p>\n

The shoes are a very early prototype (the design, which includes a fat speaker and a circuit board on the tongue, wouldn’t look out of place in Back to the Future), and it’s not something that\u2019s intended to actually ever make it to market — at least not in its current incarnation — but as with Google Glass they hint at a future filled with wearable technology.<\/p>\n

Obviously, no one would ever want to own a pair of sneakers that shout embarrassing things like \u201cYou\u2019ve made a very proud shoe\u201d when you take them off, but we can all see the possibilities offered by Google Glass and there\u2019s been a lot of buzz about Apple\u2019s rumored iWatch.<\/p>\n

What do you think about the idea of wearable tech? Inevitable and the next step forward, or a ridiculous idea that you would rather avoid altogether. Comments below please.<\/p>\n