Short Text Messages In Mid-Air
bahree writes "The BBC is running an interesting story on how Nokia is making a mobile that lets you write short text messages in mid-air. The messages are written using a row of LEDs fitted on the rear cover of Nokia's forthcoming 3220 phone. A motion sensor in the phone makes the lights blink in a sequence that spells out letters when the handset is waved in the air."
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
sulli
RTFJ.
I wonder if it has any pre-programmed messages already? A particularly useful one might be "HELP: HAVING A SIEZURE!"
* Olaserov is in the process of thinking up a signature.
I hope it comes with reverse mode so I can wave messages to the car in front of me. think: "Green is for go"
Nokia said the 3220's air messaging system could be used by friends to talk to each other across crowded rooms or open-air concerts.
Great, all the artists need are 10,000 people waving "Freebird" in the air
When someone developed the flamethrower it was because of the idea "You know, I'd really like to set that person over there on fire"
I wonder what the analogous thought process was for this product if there was one...
ACMD eht detaloiv evah uoy
You notice a cup with a few coins in it at their feet.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
A beowulf cluster of these!
Can it show goatse.cx?
In Soviet Russia the phone lights you up.
Does it run Linux?
Oh, and:
1. Type
2. Shake
3. ????
4. Profit
They still sell something extremely similar at Disney World. Incrediably cool at first, for about 3 minutes, then you realize how retarded you look waving a plastic stick with mouse ears on. :(
So instead of picking up the phone and calling the other person, you're supposed to type in a 15-letter text message and wave your phone around in the air?! I can see how this can be fun... for 5 minutes.
Whether you are waving your arm in a straght line? Seems like when you wave your arm it makes more of an arc than a line. I wonder if the phone compensates.
And you wouldn't want to send a long message on a subway -- you'd end up whacking the people around you trying to work it out. Back up, buddy! I've got a phone here!
I deleted ./trolls right after I installed Red Hat on my PC. It's really a useless directory that clutters up the file system. It's always spamming dumb things like "first post" to my terminal. It's quite annoying. It kept coming back, so I got a Mac instead.
I agree 100%. Innovation my ass. Next will be combining a LED-waving-messaging phone with a camera and an mp3 player. Oooooh.... wowwww.... I gotta have thaaaaaaaat. How fucking clever.
Stupid people make stupid things profitable.
I want to know when it was decided that all the most annoying technology would be crammed into one device and then given to basically any idiot. I sure didnt vote on that.
NOONECARESNOKIA
If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
Imagine someone cuts off someone else in traffic.
Both drivers taking their eyes off the road to tap obscene messages into their cell phones, and wildly waving their arms around to display it to the other driver.
Lawyers, start your engines!
When you let it fall by accident... will it write "OUCH!" while falling?
Only if I can get the Hello Kitty version!
christ on a cracker. I'm all for nerdliness, but I cannot think of a more useless non-feature.
... + (arm-excercising device)
it used to be: phone = phone.
it is becoming: phone = (verbal communication device) + (textual communication device) + (personal digital assistant) + (voice recorder) + (camera) + (internet access point) + (vibrator) + (portable game closet) + (GPS locator) + (status symbol)
and now we add:
basically it is becoming: phone != phone.
-- --
dear mobile manufacturers,
NOT ALL FEATURES ARE GOOD FEATURES.
love,
matt.
look on the bright side. if his arms are up in the air, they aren't blocking the punch that's coming towards his nose..
Drill baby drill - on Mars
Damn. And you thought cell phones in movies were obnoxious before.... I just want a cell phone where I can simultaneously text message the entire movie theater at once:
SIERRA TANGO FOXTROT UNIFORM!
... and see how long it takes for them to figure it out.
face to face communication is years away !
"Innovation my ass"
No doubt the mobile co's will start encouraging people to use airtime for exchanging regular jpg updates from "live" within their colon. Then there wil be "womb with a view". Instead of belly button piercings, there will be mini view cams and the images will be broadcast via wireless and BB will be able to spy on stuff that belly buttons see.
Er wait BB = Big Brother, BB = Belly Button...
We need BBB's = Belly Button Beannies - to stop BB's spying on people...
My hyperlinks aren't worth the paper they're printed on.
That's because they're "artists". Next time, remember to throw pennies at them.
so, next out will be an RFC about how to packetize IP datagrams and wrap them in this led-air 'transport'. but its one way, so how do you get ack's and stuff? well, that's just a detail, save that for AFTER we get funding.
IP over ASCII LED air painting.
at least it will be faster than ip over carrier pidgeon (which IS an actual RFC, btw).
--
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
"HANG UP & DRIVE"
"U R IN MY LANE!"
"SAME TO YOU ASS"
"DAMN TAILGATER!"
this is a bunch of lower case letters to avoid the lameness filter so you can ignore it if you like or not if it fits your preference.
What a great idea, a phone that you have to wave wildly in the air to send your message! The marketing people at Nokia are geniuses. It has built in repeat sales all over it. Think of all the extras they can sell too! Impact insurance, bystandard protection plan and of course for the die hards little tethers like on surfboards.
Nokia said the 3220's air messaging system could be used by friends to talk to each other across crowded rooms or open-air concerts.
Okay, let me see, I'm in a crowded room, a party let's say, and my drunk friend is trying to get my attention. What takes longer, for drunk boy to pull out the phone, get to the proper menu, drunk type into the phone using T9, press ok, wave the phone like a madman, only to have it slip out of his hand and go flying across the room and hit the hot chick in the head he was trying to point out to me......
OR, is it easier for him just to yell my name and spare the girl a head injury? Which is easier?
Authority questions you. Return the favor.
That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard. And I'm a television producer.
If you could make it print the characters in reverse it'd be awesome!
My first messages would be:
"Put Down The Phone And Drive"
"Eat when you get home!"
"I think you've eaten enough already"
"Watch TV when you get home."
"Nice stereo. Turn it down."
"POLICE"
"OMG WTF LOL"
I once heard (maybe an urban legend, but anyway) that Nokia is making 30% of their sales with... ... RINGTONES.
Maybe someone has the exact numbers availbe?
Such a gimmick seems to be a very thoughtful addition to the phone for me.
Now, Nokia could start selling people LED-Messages. And, since they pay alot for ___RINGTONES___...
Quit being a fancypants and use your finger!
Click here for a free picture of an iPod!
"Acid??? Rolls???"
It took less than 10 seconds of this before two large men dressed in nice black suits escorted him off the dance floor and into a back room.
Buy Steampunk Clothing Online!
you sound like my girlfriend.
No, it, for some strange reason, says
"Oh No, Not Again"
how about... using these instead of lighters at rock concerts? I can see 80,000 people doing this at a Metallica concert. Would make one hell of a sight.
Yeah, as long as they didn't use it to spell out any of their copyrighted lyrics, or Metallica would have them taken to court.