We've been reading a lot about wearable computers these days. From Google Glass to Pebble to Apple's rumored iWatch, it seems like everyone is developing some kind of high-tech fashion accessory, with the singular goal of making it easier to access the data on the devices we use each day.

But as far as I can tell, only one company is making a bona fide wearable computer — that is, a full desktop operating system we can wear on our wrists. 

But Now Computing's Stormfly didn't start out as the ultimate geek fashion accessory.

"As a company we had started already experimenting with other formats (small drives, credit card formats) to allow users to move older Windows OS between machines," said Feargal Mac Conuladh, CEO of Now Computing. "We saw this less as 'wearable' but more as easily transportable, giving people the ability to securely access and use the many PCs available to them."

Part of Conuladh's original goal was to give mobile power users a more secure and reliable alternative to the cloud. But as he and his team were testing various incarnations of USB drives, they found design inspiration from an unlikely source. 

"Our kids saw the business product prototypes we were developing and literally asked for their own product so that they could move between home, school and friends' houses having all their data (and specifically their local Minecraft worlds) available to them for use on fully functional PCs or Macs. As kids tend to lose things easily, the bracelet idea got married with a powerful USB (that has both speed and robustness to run an OS long-term). From this, Stormfly was born," Conuladh said.

Stormfly, an unfunded Kickstarter project with less than a week to go, may be the ultimate wearable tech. Housed in a slick rubberized bracelet, it looks like the kind of accessory you might buy at a boutique shop in Soho; but hidden in its bold design is a 16GB hard drive, blazingly fast USB 3 and a fully bootable, secure OS.

But what people are going to notice first is how it looks on your wrist.

"Color choice is something I see as vital. I hear Apple went through 60 shades of white before landing on just the right one for the first iPod," Conuladh said. "We actually have three colors for the Kickstarter campaign: black, orange and a limited edition Kickstarter green. We put thought into orange as a main color representing movement, fire, lightning (which comes out in the logo as well). We also see it as a strong, bold, positive color that stands out."

Conuladh, a former Apple employee who worked in operations "before, during and after (Steve) Jobs' return," fitted Stormfly with a standardized version of Linux that boots up across a wide array of PCs and Macs. All you have to do is plug it into a computer — basically the only requirement is a USB 3 port and a wired keyboard — reboot, and select Stormfly as the startup disk. 

Because everything is self-contained within Stormfly — apps, files, drivers and settings— the host computer isn't at risk for viruses or Trojans, no matter what you (or your kids) may download. As you work, everything is backed up to Stormfly's encrypted servers, and once you're done, it goes back to being a cool fashion statement.

Conuladh hopes to bring Stormfly to be masses even if Now Computer's Kickstarter falls short, and he has big plans for his little USB bracelet — but his time at Apple shows when speaking about future designs. (When asked about a Bluetooth or WiFi version, he would only say, "Anything is possible.") But if Stormfly catches on, it could forever alter the PC landscape.

"We definitely see the scope to extend hardware functionality in the future and we want to take a leadership position in that respect," Conuladh said. "(In five to 10 years), I believe that wearable technologies and technology security devices will be commonplace."

Even if orange isn't your color.

Find Michael Simon on Twitter or App.net @morlium.