THE NEXT BIG THING?

These days, even the humble T-shirt can be “smart,” said Nick Bilton in NYTimes​.com. Intel showed off a new “piece of wearable computer-like clothing” last week: a T-shirt made from conductive fibers that can track wearers’ vital statistics, such as their heart rate, and deliver them to a smartphone or a computer through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. And Intel isn’t the only company placing its bets on smart fitness apparel. A Canadian company called OMsignal has developed its own smart T-shirt, which has built-in sensors to measure heart rate, breathing, calories burned, and other health indicators. The clothes, which both companies are marketing as gear for fitness-conscious customers, are constructed using small sensors that are woven into the fabric. Developers say they plan to start shipping their smart shirts this summer.