Having Fun With PowerBook Motion Sensors

mjk325 writes "Amit Singh has published a discussion on the 'Sudden Motion Sensor' feature in the latest revision PowerBooks. One utility he has released displays a 3-D view of the PowerBook that follows the actual movement of the physical machine. Another utility creates windows that rotate in opposite directions to the physical machine to appear always straight. My brand new PB has the motion sensor, but apparently the utilities work on any system using software faking."

Comments

Sweet.

[Protoclown]

This is cool enough to make me want a PowerBook.

No imagination

[wowbagger]

Obviously, you all have no imagination.

What is clearly needed is a plug-in that clears the screen when the unit is held upside-down and shaken!

Or a version of Marble Madness that uses the tilt of the machine to control the marble.

Re:No imagination

[wowbagger]

Or, now that I think about it, a flying game wherein the tilt of the laptop controls the yoke of the aircraft - imagine the fun of sitting in a cybercafe holding your Powerbook in your hands and going "Vrroommm! PowPowPow!"

Or rather, the fun of watching somebody else doing that....

Re:No imagination

[MrScience]

Obligatory Dilbert cartoon. I'd link to the original, but can't find it.

for geologist out there

[cassidyc]

Just stick one on the ground and wait for earthquakes, who needs all that specialist equipment

CJC

Etch-A-Sketch!

[Anonymous Coward]

Finally! My Powerbook can be an etch-a-sketch. You could even get two of these for the knobs, if you're really into it...

Re:semi-obligatory Simpsons quote

[Art Hurph Ill Ipdens]

Wowbagger, I don't like to use the word Hero lightly but You...

...are the greatest Hero known to mankind.

Not hardly.

He's a jerk, complete kneebiter, brainless prat, and a no-good dumbo nothing!

Is your desktop perturbed?

[lpangelrob2]

That Perturbed Desktop application is the funniest thing I've ever seen.

In spite of the author's quote, "Needless to say, it is quite a hellish experience trying to use the computer in this manner," it's just asking for someone to install it on some poor clod's computer, getting him drunk, and then have him try to do something productive like code in Perl.

"Hey... WTF does an upside down exclamation point stand for?"

Re:Same as IBM ThinkPad sensor?

[CompVisGuy]

Yes, it is. Apparently companies other than Apple innovate. I'd heard the rumour, but didn't dare believe it.

Re:Recalibrating?

[adjusting]

Put a book under one leg of your desk?

force feedback this

[aneroid]

instead of adjusting the screen to the movements of the PowerBook...have it lunge at u everytime someone fires a rocket.

or if u want to stick to the technology at hand, u could use it to control the flight of the redeemer.

heck, if u run fast enough, u can make it go faster...just don't jump the railings if u're more than 10-15 floors up. u'll lose too many health points.

Uh Oh!

[Blowfishie]

Apple service centers are going to be swamped by dropped laptops once this becomes well known.

"I was... erm... just holding it like you normally do. Honest! Can I keep my warranty?"

Re:Security?

[servognome]

you need to tip your PB around in a certain pattern before it will unlock?
You know everybody will set their pattern to Up-Up-Down-Down...