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Google's smart jacket now connects to Uber and Lyft

Remember Project Jacquard? A new update adds some extra features to your Levi's smart jacket.

Scott Stein Editor at Large
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
Expertise VR and AR, gaming, metaverse technologies, wearable tech, tablets Credentials
  • Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
Scott Stein
82flevis

Call a car, or mark your location from your jacket.

Google

Google didn't mention its smart-fabric jacket platform, Jacquard, at its recent developer conference. But the Levi's Commuter smart jacket is getting an update that could be pretty helpful, starting next week, if you happen to own one.

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Google

With a button tap from its cuff, the jacket can now work with ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft . Unfortunately, it doesn't call an Uber or Lyft for you, but once a ride is dialed up the jacket will ping when the ride's there.

The Snap Tag on the cuff will light up and vibrate when the car's arrived, or a wearer could brush the jacket's smart cuff fabric and hear information on the car's progress from connected headphones.

Other new features include a way to tag your location by dropping a pin in a new Places mode, and gesture control that hooks into Bose Aware Mode, turning noise canceling on and off in QC30 and QC35 headphones on the fly.

Last year, Levi's CEO Chip Bergh promised more features coming to the Levi's Commuter smart jacket in the future. 

The iOS and Android apps for Jacquard will receive the extra updates over the coming week, according to Google.

Editors' note: Updated and corrected at 3:57pm ET: the jacket can connect to ride sharing, but cannot call an Uber/Lyft directly.