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Surfing on a Surfboard
JamesD_UK writes "The BBC is running an article about a surfboard developed by Intel with an embedded, solar powered, wifi capable, laptop with web cam attached. It features a 1.7GHz processor and a 80GB hard drive. The camera is able to create videos and transmit them through an access point located on the beach. Jools Matthews of Gulfstream surfboards designed the board itself and pro surfer Duncan Scot helped with the design of the board to make sure that the board still performed well with the extra weight. The board debuts at the Gold Coast Ocean Festival 2004 from 18 to 20 June at Croyde beach in North Devon."
Hmmm.
For the Flashless people out there, a link to the actual content of the Gold Coast Ocean Festival 2004 site. I really don't know if you want to see it though, as you'll end up seeing what seem to be Intel engineers in wet suits. That page still has some flash, but at least you can access most everything without it.
This should be filed in the "What will they think of next" category.
;-)
Interesting idea, but I'm not sure of the real-world application besides the coolness/geekness factor
-Henry
--- #@$DF@#2%@^%3^&*$%FRHG%%[NO CARRIER]
Other than PR value? When do I get my wi-fi enabled rollerblades and sandals? I mean, after all, God forbid any of us be off the grid for more than a microsecond.
Don't be a looter...and yes, I know that it's spelled with an "A" instead of an "E".
In Brighton (UK) you can surf on the beach with the free PierToPier wifi connection.
Paul Lenhart writes words!
"What's wrong dude?"
"I was getting ready to catch this narly wave when my surfboard caught a Blue Screen Of Death."
"Bogus!"
I suppose while you are ar beach you are supposed to be away from your boss, work, geek collagues, and such. At least it is eco-friendly (solar powered).
Dude! You're getting a centrino.
"If you think you have things under control, you're not going fast enough." --Mario Andretti
Marketing, that's why. Nobody wants to think about being confined to a wheelchair for the rest of their life, but everyone loves surfing.
While research into this area does benefit further miniaturization, putting it into a surfboard doesn't really help anybody. I mean, we've gotten footage from that point of view without having to build it into the surfboard.
I'm in the hole of the broadband donut.
If you can read this sig - the bitch fell off.
...worthless application of technology. Will it help the surfers style? Will it calculate the odds of the next wave being the big one? Or will it just give a big boost to nude webcam surfing?
A better application of technology would have been to put a micronized mp3 playing into the board so you could have your own sound track playing while barreling down a wave.
It take more faith to believe in evolution than it takes to believe in God
This solves the problem I've had for years. How do I turn athletic, good-looking people into nerds? Once I do that, I can rule the world and get their women!
Best Windows Freeware
*glub* *glub* *glub*
An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
Daft idea. I think it will go down the tube. Or, failing that it it will /.ed (wiped out).
By the way... is there a patent on it yet?
For problems, seek only the simplest solution, complexity brings with it more problems.
I really wish someone at intel had anticipated all the lame jokes this is going to cause and killed the project before it began.
Good PR I guess - although you would think that the time and effort that obviously went into this could have produced better results if directed elsewhere...
It's a good idea, it's going to start of all bulky, and in time it will be scaled down. Anyone that lives at a prime surf spot, as I did. J-Bay, would like this sort of technology. I could catch some waves and if the boss called or I got some work that needed attention, I could read what it was and then decide to spoil my perfect surf session.
Surfing is something that you LOVE with a passion. Work sadly has to be done, and if I can avoid work by reading my mail and making choices out there on the backline waiting for the next set, then hell yeah, I'd do it.
Technology has to start somewhere. It's taken man how many years to build the 747 from the first flight, it's just a matter of time, before pda/pc surfboards are practicle.
It would be nice to see what is going on at other surf spots too, and to capture that perfect tube ride and email to friends, or post to site straight away.
Thats my 2 cents worth.
I was half expecting to find this thing was water cooled :P
Intel has a history of supporting weird uses of their chips, like these
Will the Wifi signal attract sharks?
Yes... and even if there wasnt any WiFi, the EM from the computer would also attract them.
But in order to make sure the sharks don't mistake the surfboard shape with some prey, I think some case lighting should be added, EL wires, cold cathodes, etc. to the underside of the surfboard.
But just in case, don't leave home without your shark countermeasures.
If the hard drive is constantly being moved a lot wouldnt it be in danger of being damaged?
#####Free and Open Source Game Directory#####
Seems to be a very good testing ground for durabl touch screen displays. Sun, sand, water and salt. Gotta be more fun than testing for resistance to these things in a lab.
I'd laugh if it didn't work when they got it out of the water though!
I hate this argument. Yes, it would be nice if more people were to help solve our problems, but it's unreasonable to expect that everybody focuses thier attention on that. Besides, who's to say that this technology isn't adapted successfully for wheelchairs?
--
"Insert witty quote here."
You dont want to get the Blue Wave of Death...
While most people seem to be passing this idea off, this really could lead to some cool photos/videos coming from the water. Granted, the technology would probably need a lot of tweaking. It may not seem all that worthwile of a product to develop, but I do think there is slightly more use to this than most people seem to be giving credit for.
Plus, I am a geek, so I will probably be the one on those beaches trying to get onto the wireless networks that they are using.
-mike
Jesus Fuck! This is, I believe, the biggest amount of lame attempts at humor I have ever seen on slashdot... and the In Soviet Russia jokes haven't even started... so here's one:
"In Soviet Russia, the surfboard logs onto you!"
And here's some others that I've seen:
"Surf the web!" HAHAHHAHAHHAH! OF COURSE THAT IS SO FUNNNY !!!!!
"COWABUGNA"!!! THE TEENAGE MUTANTNT NINJA DUCKS are here! L:OL!
For fucks sake, the "Imagine a Beowolf cluster of these" is actually a good line this time because it would actually be pretty interesting to load up a beach full of surfers with these and then use them as a massive computer.
Casual Games/Downloads
I don't think that this is a good idea with all that equipment and a surfboard. I mean, wouldn't all that surfing wipeout that hard drive?
- ba-da-boom!
Embedding a wireless camera in the surfboard sounds interesting, as does the idea of a wireless camera attached to the surfer -- the PC just seems superfluous.
Besides, Endless Summer has some great surf footage, including on-board footage, and that was done with film cameras in the 1960s.