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The streets could be full of people patting their clothes, if researchers in
Finland get their way. Juha Lehikoinen, who builds computers into clothing at
the Nokia Research Centre in Tampere, says garments will have “virtual pockets”.
Trousers made from touch-sensitive fabrics from the British company
ElectroTextiles will recognise your touch, says Lehikoinen. Tap a virtual pocket
on your hip, for example, and your shopping list flashes up on the screen of
your PDA, he says. But tactile clothing might take some getting used to. “It may
look strange when people all around you are touching themselves,” he says.