Analog Approach to Displaying Data

Lurker McLurker writes " BBC News reports that Ambient Devices, the MIT Media Lab spin-off which brought us the Ambient Orb, have developed a new product, the Ambient Dashboard . The orb changed colour to display information at a glance, for example turning red if the stock market is going down. The dashboard has three displays, similar to speedometers or barometers, to show the information of your choice, from stock market volumes to the pollen count." As a proof of concept, this is neat stuff. However they seem awful pricey.

Comments

DIY Solution

[American AC in Paris]

Save money and build one yourself!

You'll need:

• A computer with an Internet connection
• 3 analog voltimeters
• 3 rheostats
• A heavy-duty, 18' USB cable
• One of those damn kids that always runs across your lawn

Here's how you do it:

First, connect each of the rheostats to a voltmeter. Apply current and test the system to ensure that all the hardware is working properly. Then, take the USB cable and fashion one end of it into a crude snare trap. Hide this snare trap under leaves and grass clippings in the middle of your yard; hold onto the other end of USB cable and lie in wait behind a bush. When the damn kid runs across your lawn and onto the snare trap, tug hard on your end of the USB cable. This will trap the child about the ankle. Tie the free end of the USB to a securely anchored object near your comuter. Have the kid constantly surf the web, checking for information that is interesting to you; when something changes, tell him to twiddle the rheostats or something. When the novelty wears off three hours later, tell the kid to stay off your goddamn lawn from now on and let him go. Throw voltmeters and rheostats in trash. Hang self with USB cable.

prior art

[trb]

my boss changes color to display information at a glance.

unfortunatly

[holzp]

the one monitoring their web traffic just exploded.

Re:unfortunatly

[eric2hill]

The little paper insert reads:

[Is this thing on?]
[I think I see a byte!]
[Your friends just looked at your site.]
[Your friends clicked refresh a few times.]
[Normal]
[I'm hosting Janet Jackson porn!]
[I'm hosting animal porn!
[I'm 'given 'er all she's got!]
[Oh Shit, Slashdot.]
[Oh SHIT, Google.]

I've got a watch that does this

[bandy]

I've got a watch that does this. Mickey's hands move with the passage of time - the big hand sweeps in a circle over the course of an hour. The little hand goes around the circle twice a day. It's great at letting me know about what time it is! Only $299, postpaid.

Digital version

[ENOENT]

I have a digital version of this! Let's see... right now it says "Outlook not so good." Now it says, "Try again later."

Wow! High tech stuff!!!

I know what I'd display

[addie]

1- Number of support calls answered today
2- How much money earned today
3- Depressing ratio between the two

Ambient Devices, hmmm

[Anonymous Coward]

* fires up browser *
* goes to ebay *
* Patiently waits for the burst of cheap computers and broken dreams from Ambient Devices *

Pollen Count?

[Cyclopedian]

I don't need a colorful orb to tell me the pollen count in my area.

My hay fever nose does just fine. Like clockwork.

-Cyc

7 million colors

[ayahner]

Wow. This is it. The latest and greatest information display of all time.

It's a single pixel monitor for crying out load!

What the hell are people thinking?

If you really want that functionality, just plug in a monitor using a second cheapo vidcard. Much more expandable...

Put "Cheaters" TV show out of business.

[Lord Kano]

Can it be configured to flash bright red when GPS data shows that your wife is about to bust you with another woman?

LK

That's been around for years.

[mikeophile]

For instance, when I was almost side-swiped by a semi truck, my car seat turned yellow.

Moments after seeing flashing red and blue lights in my rear-view window with a pound of a sticky, green, and illicit herb in my trunk, my seat turned a deep shade of brown.

The analog olfactory indicators were an added bonus.

I GOT ONE AND SET IT TO DEAN'S CHANCES

[CmdrTaco (troll)]

THE NEEDLE SHOT LEFT AND THE FUCKING THING EXPLODED

don't use so many caps, it's looks like a crazy dean speech.

Days since you've had sex

[dspfreak]

Have it count the number of days since you've had sex. "Look baby, it's turning blue!"

Re:Perfect for monitoring....

[Lurker McLurker]

Slashdot Karma.

Re:you don't need one of them for that

[Uber Banker]

The website is active (but you'd have to go direct to content rather than navigate). As for a picture of these sorts of devices (which can show millions of indicaors by states of colour) you could try looking here.

Re:Ye Olde Weather Ball

[pavon]

That's kind of like the weather rock we used to have:

If it's wet - it's raining.
If it's swinging - it's windy.
If it's white - it's snowing.
If it's gone - you'd better get going.

You didn't read the article

[PetoskeyGuy]

It's listed as the Ambient EXECTUTIVE Dashboard. Executive - no need to be sensible or accurate.

The previous color changing ones were a little too simple and tended to hypnotize the executives. Have you seen the Executive toys at most office stores? I don't think Novelty wears off for those folks.

Re:Ye Olde Weather Ball

[SheldonYoung]

a weather beacon that again changes colour to reflect the forecast.

I must have a weather tree. When it's leaves are green it's going to be warm, yellow leaves mean it's getting cooler and no leaves means it's damn cold.

Re:I've thought of this.

[nigelc]

God help us if you got slashdotted. It would sound like a sack full of rocks in a washing machine.

Re:DIY Solution: Real one

[digitalsushi]

I know nothing about tcp/ip, but my electronics and basic are pretty good...

I know nothing about electronics or class, but my tcp/ip is pretty good --

but my own link is the best way to sum up how I wasted my Christmas bonus. After dropping wish.sourceforge.net and a fig newton firecracker x10 adapter, I can safely say my analog solution to digital alerts is as wasteful as I could muster this winter.