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PC in a.... Sphere?
clemens writes "A Japanese manufacturer has come up with this spherical PC." I love the concept of your PC accidentally rolling off your desk. Doesn't that lime green one remind anyone else of Gundam?
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It almost looks like the Death Star. It even has an equitorial axis. They should al least put a webcam where the laser should go.
Japan is a very space-conscious country. This may sell reasonably well just because it takes little room.
Whether its tech specs are decent, I don't know. I can't read Japanese!
Vos teneo officium eram periculosus ut vos recipero is.
I don't know...the green one looks "mostly harmless"
A couple of arms and a red tongue...
------- Driver carries less than 64K of cache.
fit in your pants it would be even more Japanese.
It's Christmas everyday with BitTorrent.
First square watermelons, now spherical computers? Whatever they're smoking, it must be good.
--
"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
Functionality? If it has a place for a mouse/kb/power/video and an on/off button how much functional do you need it to be?
BOSTON SUCKS!
and http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=6830
--
This sig is inoffensive.
Humor. Bring back the old bowling jokes.
--
"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
I wonder where they got that idea. The resemblance is striking.
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Free P2P Backup, Windows & Linux
Hum, Hamster Havoc anyone?
There's a very short description of this at theinquirer.net found through mini-itx.com where this is old news.
You can throw it at your boss when you're having one of the those days.
See here for lots of other plasticky 1960's round designs. Here is the sphere radio with 8-track.
It might be cooler if it was translucent and when you touched it electricity would arc inside to your finger tips. Just like those novelty balls you see in the high tech gift stores at the mall. Yes I know uncontrolled electricity and pcs don't mix well but if you shielded the inner machine well enough it might work.
In Republican America phones tap you.
and hang them on your Christmas tree?
I posted to
Just glue together two iMacs together at the base and you have the same thing, plus dual CPUs and two screens (or would they be "legs"?).
can be found at the company's website here(scroll down)
But I can see someone actually taking this design and building a PC with materials appropriate for good heat transfer to make a computer that cooled itself much more efficiently.
Were you to have the computer itself set near a fan or something and the "skin" of the case was a good material for heat transfer...you'd have a cool, efficient computer that takes up a minimum amount of desk space.
Allright, I was impressed by the whole sphere thing. I've been thinking about buying myself aocuple of those mini-itx mobos to play with, see where I can stick 'em. But then I started clicking around on links, and I found this. It leaves that ball mod in the dust. A full PC inside a shiny chrome GE toaster from the 60's. It's even got a cold cathode light, and an LCD screen! I particularly love how the CD tray pops up out of the toaster's slot. :D
"Two things are infinite: the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the first one." - Albert Einstein
...courtesy of the fish...
"...with spatula drawing formation..."
As in, it looks like the spherical housing would help cool the CPU a little better.... lots more room for air to circulate.
"Times have not become more violent. They have just become more televised."
-Marilyn Manson
hey that's a great idea put a couple of high powered magnets on the bottom and built into the desk and it would hov... oh... nevermind...
"Do not be swept up in the momentum of mediocrity." - anon
Before you hit 'reply' to this topic, remember: do not taunt the Happy Fun Ball:
http://www.happyfunball.com/hfb.html
Did you see how tacky it looks sitting next to the beige CRT monitor? Can't they make a half-sphere green thing to go with it?
What is the functionality of having a computer in the shape, and in as many colors, as the imac? How many imac's did apple sell?
(if you dont know what I'm talking about forget it)
A new way of networking, an enhancement on sneaker-net. You pass the whole computer.
[insert segway to semi serious thought]
Which is an interesting concept in itself - you do not send just the data packets, but the computational packages as well. This would not be useful so much on earth, but would be more important in interplanetary civilization.
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
And it makes next year's Jack-'o-Lantern mod trivial.
[100% ISO 646 Compliant]
SVM, ERGO MONSTRO.
Did anyone else notice that on these pictures there is no power supply to be found within the structure? Also if you look at the back of the sphere (where the mini-atx backboard is accesable) there's no place to stick any kind of power cord.. (you can see the sound, serial, parrellel, s-video, keyboard&mouse .. but no power).
;-)
Also the nice pictures of it on a desk, it's not turned on.. nor are any of the cables connected.
Seems to me it's a nice 'would be, could be' computer, but nothing that actualy functions
Is a fun concept though.. imagine the new generation of computer mods that could spawn from this
You've got a bowling ball that can keep score for you!!
Department of Homeland Security: Removing the rights real patriots fought and died for since 2001
From the photos, it looks like a Mini-ITX based system, and the story is linked from the home page of min-itx.com
Mini-ITX boards are produced by VIA, and generally have one of their low speed C3 CPUs. Many don't need active cooling. The motherboard also features the usual RAM, IDE, USB, and PCI slots, and will run most x86 operating systems. They are also substantially cheaper than conventional setups, because everything is integrated and they lack a CPU socket or expensive CPU.
There appear to be a great number of Mini-ITX based case moding projects out there, many linked from mini-itx.com. Enthusiasts have housed their systems in Toasters, bakerlite radios, Sun Boxen, Playstations, etc. The sphere was only a matter of time.
Well, it's only to be expected since we have the cube (purist link) and the sphere.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
One word...Lock-naar. The green one really looks like one.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
If a site is being hosted from one of these and it gets posted here, could it be said that we're busting their balls?
Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?
Quick translation of the link...
-------------
It looks just like a soccerball? Display of spherical PC sample has begun.
Sculpting technology used to form aluminium into sphere; utilizes Mini-ITX motherboard
It seems that a shocking new type of PC is about to be released, the first for a while. This time, it's a spherical PC, named the "Sphere PC (ZxL Artemis series)".
Leading up to its release, it is on display at PC-Shop Wakamatsu (Translator's note: A shop in Akihabara that often deals in slightly unusual items) from the 20th to the 22nd.
- Formed using sculpting technology
The "Sphere PC" is a product developed jointly by Rupo, a company selling PC cases and parts, and Jion, a company specializing in planning, designing and creating peripherals. The shop is displaying two types, a green model and a silver model. The silver model, in particular, bears a striking resemblance to the mysterious sphere in the movie "Sphere". If you didn't know what it is, you'd almost certainly never guess that it's a PC.
By the way, Jion is a company formed by several members of Technobird's development staff, responsible for the TB-2000 early aluminium case. They have been in charge of development and design of Lupo's other custom cases.
The sphere is made entirely of aluminium. As it is an unusual shape, it was handmade by craftsmen using "spatula squeezing" (Translator's note: Really!), a traditional Japanese method of crafting metal. The unusual shape stands out, but on top of that, the textured surface resulting from it being handmade is also unique.
- It splits into an upper and lower half
Its main specifications are: an EPIA Mini-ITX mother board made by VIA, a 40GB hard drive, and an external 200W power supply. However, these made be subject to change. It also includes a slim optical drive. Pressing a button on the side of the case causes the upper half to rise, allowing access to the drive tray.
The case contains the motherboard and hard drive in the lower half, with the optical drive located in the middle. The upper half is empty.
The price is yet to be decided, but the shop says that, as a barebone kit, it is likely to be priced at around 50,000 yen (Translator: ~$US400). It is scheduled to be shipped in January 2003.
- Gullwing PC also in development
Rupo is planning on releaseing a range of other unique products after this. An announced item is a gullwing PC containing a 400W power supply, also planned to be released in january 2003.
imagine the base unit for a wireless keyboard built in, a wireless USB base station..(do they make those?), 802.11, then you could have a sphere on your desk with just one or two cables coming out of it..that would be cool.
------ Work is so much easier when you don't
WTF!?!... did anyone else notice they are putting the 7200 rpm HDD UNDER the mainboard? With no fan?
Well, you don't need to worry about your trendy computer going out of style, because it's going to die soon!
Instead of that transparent base, it should be attached to the ceiling, with the power lead attached to the supporting wire. Now that would be cool, clear some desk space, and if you make the support strong enough, it's harder to steal to boot!
:)
Only problem - some fool will go hang up five of them and make a giant Newton's Cradle...
-MT.
That will save time for overclockers who push the enveloppe too far. Just put it on a tripod and get the weenies and buns ready.
MSBPodcast.com The opinions expressed here are my own. If you don't like 'em... Think up your own stuff.
"Mom, ...where is my computer??" ...uh ...your father ...bowling... ...oh dear..."
"Your... Oh! Well, see
[at the lanes]
"Biff, any idea why your ball hit the ten-pin and exploded, man?"
My
Limekiller
First, they put Pacman into a computer...now they put a computer into Pacman!
(No, this is not an "In Soviet Russia" joke!)
Ed Wedig
Graphic design services
docbrown.net
I can just see a case mod for this that turns it into a disco ball.
--kalimar
It's nice to know someone else here reads fark. (Search for "Japan".) I was going to submit this, but I figured since nothing I submit ever gets accepted, I should let this one be so it could be accepted from someone else :-P
Yeah, cause those scooters are really... ah screwit, you meant 'segue', ok?
sic transit gloria mundi
You could start a series of desks with a round cut-out on it to comfortably place the PC in, taking away the need for the stand.
Though it's a completely worthless addition, it would be better to me if it glowed lightly. Perhaps a series of sub-surface indicator lights (like panels that are dark and completely indecipherable until the light behind them comes on) would be a good addition.
I don't think it would work well with a traditional interface, but you could use a laptop system, put a battery inside with only a few plugs (power and an external port bar, maybe) and put LCD screens on the outside - it would have to be relatively light still.
Anyway, I'm babbling now.
That what was all this school was for... to teach us how to solve our own problems. -- janeowit
whats the point. I guess I would know if I could read Japanese but really, this machine is ugly as sin. Its a lame extension of the little half-sphere mac isn't it? Hey maybe we can start having pyramid and "wave" shaped pc's too.. how about great improvments to heat dissipation or noise reduction for case design instead of stupid shapes and colors?
Douglas Adams reference here.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
as a bowling ball for ibook bowling
Enough said. ;-)
Thanks to this Movie I know better then to touch it.
Time to Summon Taarna...
1 point to anybody who gets that refrence(2 if they are under 20)
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Now, in addition to all the other problems, they have to worry about their users PC rolling off their desk and down the hall.
You just know it'll get stuck behind the fridge or under the sofa too.
"For a successful technology, honesty must take precedence over public relations for nature cannot be fooled." -Feynman
Some [in]equalities:
Cute != Aesthetically pleasing.
Bauhaus == Aesthetically pleasing.
Hello Kitty == Ugly and annoying as hell.
STOP . AMERICA . NOW
No angles - very important! Even the cracks present a problem... Randolph Carter found out about this - the hard way.
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
Nice idea. Until someone not coordinated enough to make a behind-the-back, no-look pass tries one.
Boss: "McDermott! What the hell happened to the Morgenstern account?"
McDermott: "Well, sir, ever since we got these basketball shaped PCs, everyone around the office has been calling Fred Johnson 'Magic', so he figured..."
This sig intentionally left blank.
Or actually... Why not make a bowling ball with a computer inside that keeps track of your individual score and allows multiple users.
You could truly keep track of your lifetime averages.
The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either. - Benjamin Franklin
The ones that gave us Karaoke, sushi and motherboards with vacuum tubes. Now we have a bowling ball computer!
The link works if you remember to take the added space out after the 26...
jred
I'm not a mechanic but I play one in my garage...
Like the hemispherical Mac, it looks a lot better with no cables connected.
... Someonen needs to create computers shaped like double, inverted half spheres so you wouldnt be wasting space :
)(
and then we could imagine a beowulf cluster of these with out so much waste:
)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(
Im not here now... Im out KILLING pepperoni
well I didn't havwe enough caffeine, and so decided to go with a bad pun.
[cue image of a high tech basketball team on segway scooters]
One tip - Don't Dribble the Ball!
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
This guy is a serious fanboy! "GRR! Death to SonAY! Death to XBAWX! GRRR!" HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Boobies never hurt anyone. - Sherry Glaser.
I'm ever upper class high society
God's gift to ballroom notoriety
I always fill my ballroom
The event is never small
The social pages say I've got
The biggest balls of all
CHORUS:
I've got big balls
I've got big balls
And they're such big balls
Dirty big balls
And he's got big balls And she's got big balls
But we've got the biggest balls of them all
And my balls are always bouncing
My ballroom always full
And everybody cums and cums again
If your name is on the guest list
No one can take you higher
Everybody says I've got
Great balls of fire
CHORUS
Some balls are held for charity
And some for fancy dress
But when they're held for pleasure
They're the balls that I like best
My balls are always bouncing
To the left and to the right
It's my belief that my big balls
Should be held every night
CHORUS
And I'm just itching to tell you about them
Oh we had such wonderful fun
Seafood cocktail, crabs, crayfish...
Ball sucker
"I can see why they made this guy their king."
Boobies never hurt anyone. - Sherry Glaser.
I still don't understand why Amuro would take such pride in building a dumb robot that does nothing more than roll around, bleep "Hello, Amuro... Hello, Amuro.... Genki..." all day and pal around with a bunch of even more annoying little kids....
I also want to know why the heck robotics engineers keep building and rebuilding the damn things in the future, as newer model but equally stupid Haros keep showing up decades later.
(For those who don't know, Haro is a roughly-volleyball sized and shaped, green, semi-sentient robot that flits around on mechanical ear/wings and rolls around spouting inane babble. It (he?) appears in various TV series and movies in the Mobile Suit Gundam Universal Century continuum... and even more bizarrely in the near-totally-unrelated Gundam SEED TV series that began airing this year.... For more info, you can check out this mirror of the (sadly no longer around) Gundam Project's FAQ.... For more info just do a search for "Mobile Suit Gundam" on Google.
Re-paint it pink, add some eyes, and put in server motors to move the top half up and down when you play your South Park MPEGs^H^H^H^HDVDs.
Laissez lire, et laissez danser; ces deux amusements ne feront jamais de mal au monde. - Voltaire
All this needs is a pair of arms and legs and googly eyes.
"How perfectly Goddamn delightful it all is, to be sure" Charles Crumb
It's so rare that the Industry steals from Bob the Angry Flower.
All Apple need do is glue two iMacs together, and they have the world's first dual-processor computing sphere. Don't think Steve Jobs would go with that electric swamp gas green, though. :-)
This is my post. There are many others like it. If you don't like what you read here, go try one of the others.
That color was kinda hip in the seventies, wasn't it?
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
From what I can see, the spherical case increases the amount of volume and incidentally, empty space taken up by the thing.
As for cooling, the sphere has the least surface area for a given volume, so no advantages there.
If one has a mini-ITX form factor motherboard, why not do something intelligent with it?
The hazard of mechanical impact if the thing falls out of its stand is sort of obvious. Did you know Japan is earthquake country?
With a built-in LCD monitor, it might manage cool , but there isn't one.
I don't see this selling even in Japan.
Tech Public Policy stuff
Back in the late 80s, when Burroughs and Sperry were merging, one of them, I think Burroughs, made a PC that had a somewhat toaster-like form factor. It was a set of flat squares, maybe 8 inches / 20cm per side, about 1.5-2 inches thick, that you stacked with the square sides together, standing on the narrow side. A fairly basic model had a CPU module and a floppy disk module, and we usually put them with the floppy disk slot on top like a toaster. Dual floppies? Sure. (More commonly, there'd be more than two blocks, so this was more the size of a 4-6-slice toaster :-)
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
If the dome is more space-efficient, but everybody refuses to make stuff with more space-efficient form factors, whose fault is that?
Also, what's to prevent someone from putting rectangular rooms (full of rectangular stuff) inside a dome, and using the "dead space" for storage closets, HVAC units, and all the other things that human buildings generally like to have? You get to keep your familiar rectangular user interface, and still make use of the increased space-efficiency to house all the behind-the-scenes stuff... more efficiently.
Aren't buckydomes more stable than rectangular structures, and cheaper to build than than the same volume of rectangular structures? If so, then the wins should be obvious: cheaper, more stable, and more space-efficient.
"Buckydomes are round, but desks are square" doesn't seem like much of a problem at all.
Any sufficiently well-organized community is indistinguishable from Government.
Personally, this reminds me of the little green blobs on the covers of the Hitchhiker's Guide books.
You mean, this guy? Yeah, that was my first thought, too.
Someone should fashion an add-on kit of two posable arms and an adhesive mouth-with-stuck-out-tongue, and sell it to fans of the HHGTTG books.
~Philly
I wonder if they chose green for the Slashdot friend icon because they're "mostly harmless"?
Get off my launchpad!
Yes, it's primary function is to remind you daily... Don't Panic!
Slashdot: rejecting tech news in favor of rubber band guns since 1997.
Lame. Spheres are useless unless you're making spherical tanks to contain gas or liquid, in which case you've got a practical enclosure with the smallest possible surface and probably least amounts of materials required.
:)
PC parts aren't liquid. They're boxes. Harddisks, PSUs, plugin cards, CPU encasings, it's all just goddamn boxes. A PC cabinet is generally shaped like a box because it's the most efficient container for smaller box shaped things. Even if you get a cheap-looking green ugly hollow polymer monstrosity like this, the stuff you have to put inside are still box shaped, so it's geometrically impossible to make efficient use of the space inside. You'll have to build little angular platforms inside on top of which to attach and stack your box shaped PC components. A round shape will give you nothing but grief and wasted space.
Remember those "futuristic" spherical terminals from classic Star Trek episodes? I believe I saw a television from the 1960s designed that way. It was fantastic: It was the opposite of anti-reflex coating - its glossy shiny surface reflected any lightsource in the room brilliantly - obscuring all but the brightest parts of the image it was trying to display.