Microsoft Patents The Body Bus

Mz6 writes "Microsoft has been awarded a patent for using human skin as a power conduit and data bus. Patent No. 6,754,472, which was published Tuesday, describes a method for transmitting power and data to devices worn on the body and for communication of data between those devices. In its filing, Microsoft cites the proliferation of wearable electronic devices, such as wristwatches, pagers, PDAs (worn on people's belts) and small displays that can now be mounted on headgear. "As a result of carrying multiple portable electronic devices, there is often a significant amount of redundancy in terms of input/output devices included in the portable devices used by a single person," says the filing. "For example, a watch, pager, PDA and radio may all include a speaker." To reduce the redundancy of input/output devices, Microsoft's patent proposes a personal area network that allows a single data input or output device to be used by multiple portable devices." (What about DoCoMo's research in this area?)

Comments

You Gotta Have Skin

[scottennis]

You Gotta Have Skin
(Alan Sherman)

You gotta have skin,
All you really need is skin
Skin's the thing that if you've got it outside
It helps keep your insides in

It covers your nose,
And it's wrapped around your toes
And inside it you put lemon meringue
And outside, you hang your clothes

Skin is what you feel at home in
And without it, furthermore
Both your liver and abdomen
Would keep falling on the floor
(And you'd be dressed in your intestine)

A Siamese twin
Needs an extra set of skin
And when the doctor knows that you're feelin' sick
Where does he stick his needle in?
In the end of your skin

Dear God,

[2names]

Please don't let the parent of this post breed and infect our gene pool with his ignorance and stupidity.

Amen.