Top 10 Strangest Gadgets of the Future

I once had one of those ... by tomhudson · 2006-05-27 01:32 · Score: 4, Funny

screen ... that retains the image even when turned off.

... back to the future ...

Re:I once had one of those ... by ItsIllak · 2006-05-27 01:37 · Score: 1

My Orange SPV Mobile phone did that - never did read up on what the technology was...

See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGuBx6Xj-PE
Re:I once had one of those ... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 02:15 · Score: 0

So did I! Can't recall what it said... some sort of command prompt? Ahh, good old burn in (it was a print server :).
Re:I once had one of those ... by qw0ntum · 2006-05-27 02:20 · Score: 3, Funny

I had one, too.
I think it was called a 'picture'. ;)

--
'Every story, if continued long enough, ends in death.' --Ernest Hemingway
Re:I once had one of those ... by Bloke+down+the+pub · 2006-05-27 03:05 · Score: 5, Funny

screen ... that retains the image even when turned off
According to TFA, practical applications might include watches. I'm not a horologist, nor do I play one on TV, but to me a watch that tells me what time it used to be is right up there with chocolate teapots & concrete parachutes in the practicality stakes.

--
It's true I tell you, feller at work's next door neighbour read it in the paper.
Re:I once had one of those ... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 03:33 · Score: 0

I think the more useful part of that would be that you only need to supply power to change the display. So, you're only powering the display for however long it takes it to change a digit every second or minute or so.
Re:I once had one of those ... by Mikkeles · 2006-05-27 03:44 · Score: 5, Funny

An etch-a-sketch?
I wonder if it has to be turned over and shaken to clear the screen?

--
Great minds think alike; fools seldom differ.
Re:I once had one of those ... by tomhudson · 2006-05-27 04:22 · Score: 1

Hey, at least it would be right twice a day ...
... and there's at least one person I'd recommend for a concrete parachute in lieu of cement shoes :-)
Chocolate teapots ... little old ladies will buy ANYTHING mail-order, if you say "... and this week, we'll throw in a subscription to Chocolate Teapot Lovers Magazine as a special bonus".
I have a friend who bought a chocolate Monopoly game. We've eaten most of the hotels and houses.
Re:I once had one of those ... by tomhudson · 2006-05-27 04:29 · Score: 2, Insightful

I think the more useful part of that would be that you only need to supply power to change the display.

Unless you're going to wind it up every day, you're still going to need the power suply to be on constantly to run the internal clock.
The way to save energy would be to have the battery run the internal clock, then once a second update the display - but we already have those types of watches - they have things called "hands" that move once a second. $6.99, batteries included :-)
Re:I once had one of those ... by kimvette · 2006-05-27 06:18 · Score: 4, Insightful

Uh, with ANY watch the displays what the time "used to be as opposed to what it actually is.

Do you really need a watch that displays the time down to the nanosecond? I didn't think so. The display would change every second, and the display would not require power between updates. Let's take the worst case you're probably about to bring up: chronograph. The stopwatch feature of most watches resolves to the nearest hundredth of a second. This still isn't a problem; see, your LCD watch probably has a 15ms-20ms response time, so you really don't get an accurate reading until you stop the count, and honestly, you can't even read beyond the tenth of the second while the display is updating because a) the LCD for the hundredths place is really just a blur due to response time and b) persistance of vision. A watch would be an ideal application for e-ink or static display technologies. heck, It would be great for my watch because I keep only the date displayed on the LCD (it's a combination analog/digital flight computer) and turn the rest off because I like the blacked-out look (it's less geeky/more dressy, as far as chunky watches go anyhow).

It's no worse than a quartz watch with a sweep hand; the hands don't update all the time; every few seconds for the minute hand (if it steps several times between each minute) or once a minute (if it steps a full minute), and once a second for the second hand (disregard Rolex's sweep second hand here; we're talking quartz watches, not mechanical). Every second the watch displays what the time WAS. Even if the watch could display down to the nanosecond, it would still be displaying a snapshot of the time a nanosecond (or so) prior. Even if you had an atomic clock with the highest possible resolution, it would be reporting what the time was not what it is. Welcome to the confines of four dimensions!

BTW why the hell am I responding to a troll?

--
The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
Re:I once had one of those ... by OctoberSky · 2006-05-27 06:29 · Score: 1

According to TFA, practical applications might include watches. I'm not a horologist, nor do I play one on TV, but to me a watch that tells me what time it used to be is right up there with chocolate teapots & concrete parachutes in the practicality stakes.
I might be wrong but I think the idea is power savings. The watch runs internally but only has to display the time (update) once a minute (if only hours/minutes) or once a second (if a "normal" watch).
Another application in a normal digital watch would be the date. It would only have to be changed once a day, rather than be an active display. It won't solve the worlds energy problems but it probably would help a normal watch battery last much longer than it currently does. Only having to power up once a day to change the Date or once a minute to change the time would help it save energy.
It would also be good for Cell phones and PDAs, instead of the monitor draining all the power, to actively display everything on the screen, some things could be static until chosen. Things like the Start Button if your using windows, or in a Cell phone it could statically display the number you dialed rather than keep it active which would drain more power. This won't fix the power consumption of backlighting the display but it will help with the displaying of the information.
There are potentially thousands (millions?) of applications for this. Another example would be the display on the cordless phone I have sitting below me as I type. It's display reads: "Sat, May 27, 1:22PM, TV room phone". We have 3 phones here and each reads where it is supposed to be (Upstairs phone, Kitchen phone) It helps to determine who lost the phone, or put it somewhere it shouldn't be (sister brings Kitchen phone upstairs and loses it all the time). This phone could save energy by only loading the Date and ID once a day, or the ID once in general. Again, it's not a major savings but it might help this phone last another 10 minutes per battery cylce. But the savings on a tiny Watch battery could be pretty big.
Re:I once had one of those ... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 06:33 · Score: 0

A normal watch needs to keep its screen powered on all the time.
A watch with a memory screen only needs to power it up once a second.
If updating the screen takes 10 milliseconds, thats a 100 fold power saving.

How about a watch whose battery lasts an entire lifetime?
Re:I once had one of those ... by Bloke+down+the+pub · 2006-05-27 09:07 · Score: 1

A normal watch needs to keep its screen powered on all the time. A watch with a memory screen only needs to power it up once a second. If updating the screen takes 10 milliseconds, thats a 100 fold power saving.
Mathematically, you might be right.
Unfortunately, this is the domain of the engineer/physicist and neither measures energy (or power) in milliseconds.

--
It's true I tell you, feller at work's next door neighbour read it in the paper.
Re:I once had one of those ... by R3d+M3rcury · 2006-05-27 09:10 · Score: 4, Funny

"Do you really need a watch that displays the time down to the nanosecond?"

You must be new here.

Of course, I need a watch that displays time to the nanosecond and wirelessly updates itself via the NIST Atomic Clock. It should also be able to play music and operate as a cell-phone/video phone.

Turn in your geek license at the door on the way out... :^)
Re:I once had one of those ... by Bloke+down+the+pub · 2006-05-27 09:19 · Score: 1

Uh, with ANY watch the displays what the time "used to be as opposed to what it actually is Do you really need a watch that displays the time down to the nanosecond? I didn't think so.
Don't recall saying that I did. You (and all the other geniuses who are pointing out that it's about power saving) are missing one thing - the energy needed for switching/sensing/reactivation. When you know what this is, come and lecture us about it. Be sure to factor in the environmental, energetic & financial costs of these new displays when making your cost-benefit analysis.
BTW why the hell am I responding to a troll?
Well we agree on one thing - I was just asking myself the same thing.

--
It's true I tell you, feller at work's next door neighbour read it in the paper.
Re:I once had one of those ... by Jesus_666 · 2006-05-27 10:51 · Score: 1

There are potentially thousands (millions?) of applications for this.

Yup. There are many uses (think of public displays that change less than once per hour), but the thin the greatparent argued against were watches - those just don't profit from this that much. Usualy it's better to have the watch display nothing at all than to have it display a wrong time.

--
USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
Re:I once had one of those ... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-28 05:45 · Score: 0

Insane as it sounds people make everything out of it:chocolate cars,palaces,people,buildings,weapons,paintings,sc ultures,etc
Re:I once had one of those ... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-28 17:57 · Score: 0

it would still be displaying a snapshot of the time a nanosecond (or so) prior. Even if you had an atomic clock with the highest possible resolution, it would be reporting what the time was not what it is.

Two little things: firstly, you can calibrate for the propagation of the time indication to your retina. This is done regularly when connecting precise frequency generators to counters or other devices that make use of them; in a typical lab setting with a caesium or rubidium clock or hydrogen maser, cables will tend to be labelled in nanoseconds rather than e.g. metres.

Secondly, the relevant standard is frequency. You want a precise monotonically increasing count in something like seconds (or nanoseconds) in order to do anything with timescales. Time (as in standard civil time) is just a convention by which one matches a particular pulse count to a particular time through offsets. This is mostly useful so that at "midnight UTC this morning" one can make useful predictions about which celestial objects are visible from a given point on earth. Leap seconds (discontinuities in the atomic timescale) is how civil time deals with the fact that the Earth doesn't rotate or revolve at a constant rate. However, continuous timescales (like GPS's) are in regular use, even though they drift against the position of celestial objects, mostly because interval bookkeeping is easier. That is, if you want to know how many nanoseconds it was between two dates, it is easier to do this with a continuous timescale than it is to calculate in any adjustments made in one which has leap seconds, slew tables, or the like.

So your precision watch is interesting mostly if it gives you reasonable frequency performance over long periods. That the distance photons travel between your watch and your retina might take a couple of nanoseconds and that you may take a couple of microseconds or milliseconds to respond to those photons, does not mean that your watch is useless, particularly if you can have it deliver a stable pulse per second (or millisecond or microsecond or whatever) to something that can use a good frequency input. Your watch's oscillator may be much better than that in your beige box PC for example...

People do this with small rubidium frequency generators, incidentally, especially when bootstrapping new frequency counters.

LEDs to LCDs? WOW by sacrilicious · 2006-05-27 01:34 · Score: 4, Funny

from solar powered LEDs to memory LCD screens, it's all there.

What a spectrum, it's a veritable A to B of things, it boggles the mind. Like the Simpsons quote: "... and these manned orbits will answer questions that have limitless application, from watch making to watch repair."

--
- First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then ???, then profit.

All Terrain Board by celardore · 2006-05-27 01:35 · Score: 4, Funny

I want one right now! That thing looks awesome, and dangerous =)

The self cooling beer can seems just plain wasteful. I'd rather they filled the space that the cooling mech uses with more beer. And I don't get the urinal thing at all, probably be quite fun after a few cans of nice cool beer though.

Re:All Terrain Board by tomhudson · 2006-05-27 01:41 · Score: 1

well, you won't be able to ride it arund here without a license - at 80cc, its over the 49cc limit for unlicensed vehicles and unlicensed drivers.
... and since it has to be licensed, it needs to be insured. Who's gonna offer coverage for that?
This is just a rehash of the guy who put a chainsaw motor on his skateboard ...
Re:All Terrain Board by Random+Destruction · 2006-05-27 02:07 · Score: 1

Really? Maybe I'm too much of a country kid, but I was thinking the opposite. That thing looked dreadful. The jumps they were doing were pathetic, it was slow, seemed to have no torque (it slowed down a lot uphill/at obstacles) and generally seemed pretty dull. I do like the drive mechanism though, and with 2 or 3 times the engine, it might be worthwhile.

--
:x
Re:All Terrain Board by sidfaiwu · 2006-05-27 02:29 · Score: 2, Funny

God, the all terrain board is going to be obnoxious if it starts showing up on my favorite hiking trails.
Re:All Terrain Board by DarthChris · 2006-05-27 04:59 · Score: 1

The self cooling beer can seems just plain wasteful. I'd rather they filled the space that the cooling mech uses with more beer.
I have this amazing device called a 'refrigerator' that cools anything I put in it, so I think self-cooling things a waste of space too.

--
Don't you just hate it when people reply to your signature?
Re:All Terrain Board by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 05:32 · Score: 0

and since it has to be licensed, it needs to be insured. Who's gonna offer coverage for that?

I'm assuming you'd only need liability coverage for damage to others. That shouldn't be too hard to find.
Re:All Terrain Board by tomhudson · 2006-05-27 06:57 · Score: 1

It (liability insurance) will be VERY hard to find, since it isn't a "type-approved" vehicle, and insurers have no actuarial history to work from. Homeowner's policies won't cover it without an additional rider ... and again, w/o a way to assess the risk, don't be surprised if they decline to cover it.
Re:All Terrain Board by misleb · 2006-05-27 08:03 · Score: 1

I want one right now! That thing looks awesome, and dangerous =)

I dunno. I was thinking it looked a little slow. I mean, they had the fast paced music and all and tried to make it seem "Xtreme" as if they were showing clips from the X-Games, but it was going like 7mph or something. And THEN they showed it in slow motion as if the board wasn't going slow enough already!

-matthew

--
"THERE IS NO JUSTICE, THERE IS ONLY ME." -Death
Re:All Terrain Board by misleb · 2006-05-27 08:08 · Score: 2, Funny

Yeah, the things are so slow that you'll lose your voice from contantly saying "on your left" as you walk past them.

-matthew

--
"THERE IS NO JUSTICE, THERE IS ONLY ME." -Death
Re:All Terrain Board by misleb · 2006-05-27 08:15 · Score: 1

I actually saw this neat contraption that would cool a can in seconds. You just put some ice in the tray, lay the can down over the ice, and turn a crank which turns the can over the ice. You wouldn't think it could do it, but the can would get ice cold in seconds. It was impressive because it was so low tech.

Of course, real men don't drink beer from cans nor do they drink beer that needs to be that cold, so it was of little use to me. ;-)

-matthew

--
"THERE IS NO JUSTICE, THERE IS ONLY ME." -Death
Re:All Terrain Board by thc69 · 2006-05-27 14:36 · Score: 1

Homeowner's policies won't cover it without an additional rider
I bet no policy will cover it with an additional rider on it...no passengers, just the driver, please...

--
Procrastination -- because good things come to those who wait.

This technology isn't even new by technoextreme · 2006-05-27 01:45 · Score: 1

screen ... that retains the image even when turned off.

http://www.fujitsu.com/global/news/pr/archives/mon th/2005/20050713-01.html And Im not even counting eink which wouldn't be considered a convential LCD display.

--
Ooo man the floppy drive is broken. No wait. The computer is just upside down.

Re:This technology isn't even new by tomhudson · 2006-05-27 04:17 · Score: 2, Insightful

Neither are the shoes that light up when you step down - they've had them in Wallyworld for $14.99 for a couple of years
And half the stuff isn't even at the prototype stage, like the origami screen - its just a "wouldn't this be neet".
... and they admit the single-slice bread toaster doesn't work - not that anyone ever makes a single slice ... I'd expect a 6-slice toaster at LEAST! I mean, if we have razors that come with 6 blades, why can't we have 6-slice toasters?
Re:This technology isn't even new by drsquare · 2006-05-27 09:49 · Score: 1

I'd be happy with a toaster that didn't leave the top of the slice completely untoasted.
Re:This technology isn't even new by tomhudson · 2006-05-27 13:17 · Score: 1
I suppose that doesn't jive with your over-indulgent Amerikan "culture"
...
Now, next time you make a grand assumption like that

Speaking of assumptions ... 4 points:
1. I'm not American.
2. I like sharing with my dogs, so a 6 slice toaster is a LOT more prectical than a single-slice one that doesn't even work ...
3. For families OR packs of dogs, a six-slice unit would mean everyone can be served at the same time.
4. You REALLY need to notch up your humour/sarcasm detector.
Re:This technology isn't even new by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 14:22 · Score: 0

Ah, there's your problem. This toaster's set to "bagel".

Urinal gaming stations! by Anne_Nonymous · 2006-05-27 01:47 · Score: 5, Funny

>> Urinal gaming stations

This is clearly a plot to improve our aim.

Re:Urinal gaming stations! by bondsbw · 2006-05-27 01:51 · Score: 2, Funny

Or a plot to keep us in the bathroom and out of the way...

--
All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
Re:Urinal gaming stations! by rickliner · 2006-05-27 02:32 · Score: 5, Informative

Urinal gaming stations! How did no one implement this sooner?
Actually, they already did, four years ago at Ye Olde MIT Media Lab. Check out the videos.

--
Better to .sig than to .sag
Re:Urinal gaming stations! by LocoMan · 2006-05-27 02:34 · Score: 2, Funny

hmmmm... I can picture a game of duck hunt where you use pee instead of a lightgun to shoot the ducks... but then again, it would be kinda creepy to pee over that dog while he's smiling like that.. :)
Re:Urinal gaming stations! by ari_j · 2006-05-27 02:40 · Score: 1

Posted by Anne Nonymous

>> Urinal gaming stations

This is clearly a plot to improve our aim.

You ladies really are in desperate need of improvement.
Re:Urinal gaming stations! by Megane · 2006-05-27 03:44 · Score: 2, Funny

I hear they're made by Sony. It's the new cost-reduced form factor of the "Piss Two".
I'm waiting for their toilet-mounted model so I can play Katamari Damacy.

--
#naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
Re:Urinal gaming stations! by FrankDrebin · 2006-05-27 04:22 · Score: 2, Funny

Urinals are after all the original first-person shooter.

--
Anybody want a peanut?
Re:Urinal gaming stations! by Two99Point80 · 2006-05-27 04:23 · Score: 1

Some time back I saw a little turbine-wheel thingie in a urinal - the idea was to pee in just the right place to make it spin. Bet it cut down on errant urination...
Re:Urinal gaming stations! by Ours · 2006-05-27 04:36 · Score: 1

Reminds me of my last trip to Thailand: thai-massage at the urinals of a disco. Weirdest thing I've ever seen. Yet, it's nice to have that stressed back relaxed while taking a leak.
Sounds weird I know, I wouldn't beleive it either. But video games? Come on!

--
"You superiour intellect is no match for our puny weapons" - The Simpsons
Re:Urinal gaming stations! by netpixie · 2006-05-27 07:05 · Score: 1

and not a new idea.

The Victorians wised up to the fact that if a man is given a target, there's a lot less piss on the floor. Urinals were manufactured with a picture of little blue bee on them.

"Why a bee?" I hear no-one ask.

The latin for bee is apis.
Re:Urinal gaming stations! by alnjmshntr · 2006-05-27 07:10 · Score: 1

At Schiphol airport in Amsterdam they have these tiny black marks on the urinals in the exact spot that results in the least splash damage. I had read about this a while ago, but actually got to try it out a few years ago when I was there and it definately works, I aimed for it straight away.

--
If I had created the world I wouldn't have messed about with butterflies and daffodils. I would have started with lasers
Re:Urinal gaming stations! by ksheff · 2006-05-27 08:50 · Score: 1

moms have been throwing cheerios in toilets for years as a way to help toilet train their sons. The kids are told to aim at the cheerios and to try to sink them with pee.

--
the good ground has been paved over by suicidal maniacs
Re:Urinal gaming stations! by pdxChris · 2006-05-27 11:06 · Score: 1

I'd hate to have to be the one checking that code for a buffer overflow.
Re:Urinal gaming stations! by mbius · 2006-05-27 11:49 · Score: 2, Funny

R. Kelly just ordered twelve.

--
you can have my violent video games when you pry them from my cold, dead hands.
Prime UID Club
Re:Urinal gaming stations! by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 17:13 · Score: 0

These were once introduced to help potty-train kids. I think there was a pinwheel version and a hamsterwheel version for a potty. They didn't exactly win the market over, as the splash factor was awful. God, I hope there wasn't a patent on this.

Pot to piss in... by packetmon · 2006-05-27 01:48 · Score: 4, Funny

Set back into each urinal is a pressure-sensitive display, which activates an interactive game when used. This game includes sounds and images, bringing entertainment value to where you'd least expect. It will most likely will be installed in airports and schools "with the functional purpose of improving hygiene". This might be good to potty train kids but I don't see its function in a rest stop. "Wait Bob, before you pull off the semi I scored a 3 pissing on Pac Man" ...

--
Infiltrated dot Net

Re:Pot to piss in... by Wescotte · 2006-05-27 01:55 · Score: 1

I remember reading an article not to long ago where a company painted a fly onto each urinal in an effort to keep them peeing in the ideal spot to reduce mess. I believe it's design was for bars and such where people may be less likely to care about if they miss.
Re:Pot to piss in... by JanneM · 2006-05-27 02:01 · Score: 1

I remember reading an article not to long ago where a company painted a fly onto each urinal in an effort to keep them peeing in the ideal spot to reduce mess.

It's pretty common today; you see some variation everywhere. It started, if I remember correctly, at Kastrup airport in Denmark. The idea is pretty sound too - give people somewhere, anywhere, to aim, and they'll prefer doing so (and no, the exit drain doesn't count because of the splashback).

--
Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
Re:Pot to piss in... by Teun · 2006-05-27 02:51 · Score: 1

Since many years all urinals at Amsterdam Schiphol airport have the fly.
It does seem to save on cleaning.

--
"The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
Re:Pot to piss in... by geobeck · 2006-05-27 03:42 · Score: 2, Insightful

It will most likely will be installed in airports and schools...

Airports? Maybe. Schools? Are you kidding? With the way educational budgets are shrinking, the schools of the future will be lucky if they have anything more than a trench dug outside where the science lab used to be.

--
Find environmentally and socially responsible products on http://buy-right.net
Re:Pot to piss in... by Technician · 2006-05-27 04:12 · Score: 4, Interesting

This might be good to potty train kids but I don't see its function in a rest stop.

Knowing my kids, this would hardly be used to improve hygene. When they run out of proper game tokens, they will move on to other things to continue the game such as fingers. Somehow having the kids play games with the touch screen in a urnal does not seem like a way to improve hygene.

--
The truth shall set you free!
Re:Pot to piss in... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 05:21 · Score: 0

Heh, fondle the joystick....
Re:Pot to piss in... by JuicyBrain · 2006-05-27 05:32 · Score: 1

I can already hear the feminists screaming for equality !
Re:Pot to piss in... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 06:18 · Score: 0

At least it will improve their resistence to disease
Re:Pot to piss in... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 06:24 · Score: 0

That's wonderful and all but you guys don't have to sit. Can you come up with something to make fatties sit ON the seat rather than squat OVER it and spray the entire fucking stall in airports? If you can come up with something to solve the inconsiderate fatty problem, I would be eternally grateful. Thanks in advance.
Re:Pot to piss in... by bickerdyke · 2006-05-28 01:30 · Score: 1

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4751751.html

--
bickerdyke
Re:Pot to piss in... by 6th+time+lucky · 2006-05-28 18:13 · Score: 1

"with the functional purpose of improving hygiene"...... "Wait Bob, before you pull off the semi I scored a 3 pissing on Pac Man" ... 5 feet from the urinal!
Re:Pot to piss in... by legallyillegal · 2006-05-29 00:05 · Score: 1

i don't get sick, i don't get diseases. you know why? it's because i have a good fucking immune system. i got it from swimming in RAW SEWAGE. (take a fucking chance)

--
?giS

Transparent Toaster? by Virak · 2006-05-27 01:53 · Score: 3, Funny

I don't actually toast anything, but that'd be pretty damn nifty.

virtusphere looks quite fun by bobamu · 2006-05-27 01:55 · Score: 3, Interesting

all the joys of the varied alien landscapes of fps and maybe practical real world simulation, be it lacking the feeling of jumping/climbing and the feeling of freefall, plus of course the lack of weight.

Maybe if they could make the "sphere" the actual projection screen, mount it on something mobile and maybe have some kind of force feedback bodysuit? Hmm, I feel a patent looming. :)

And the heliodisplay is completely cool, a volume projecting version would be even cooler.

Re:virtusphere looks quite fun by vertinox · 2006-05-27 02:08 · Score: 1

all the joys of the varied alien landscapes of fps and maybe practical real world simulation, be it lacking the feeling of jumping/climbing and the feeling of freefall, plus of course the lack of weight.

I was thinking to myself about how it would make for a good WWII Online or Red Orchestra addition since those games don't use a great deal of jumping and falling (usually falls result in death anyways).

--
"I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
-Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
Re:virtusphere looks quite fun by ceoyoyo · 2006-05-27 08:16 · Score: 1

My first thought when I saw it was what happens if you stop walking suddenly? Big metal spheres don't like to stop rotating really quickly.

Okay, that wasn't my first thought. My first thought was how much it looked like the hamster ball my gerbil used to have.

Solar LED light could actually be useful by vadim_t · 2006-05-27 01:56 · Score: 2, Interesting

I could use something that doesn't need batteries, charges itself, and has a bright light that doesn't have to last very long. Such a thing would come very handy for messing with computers and such. It's quite a pain that when you just need a bit of extra light for a minute that the batteries have to be always dead.

Re:Solar LED light could actually be useful by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 02:14 · Score: 0

It's quite a pain that when you just need a bit of extra light for a minute that the batteries have to be always dead.

Tell me about it. And when you open the door, the cat always jumps out! Does it always have to do that?

When these things happen I don't even bother running to the car anymore. I know it just won't start. The thing that annoys me the most is, I can't remember if it was the guy that had sex that winds up getting killed? Oh, wait...the guy gets it whether or not he had some. It's the girl they're after.
Re:Solar LED light could actually be useful by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 02:18 · Score: 0

How about a dynamo powered torch?
Re:Solar LED light could actually be useful by qw0ntum · 2006-05-27 02:26 · Score: 1

I have seen shake-to-power flashlights that would work very well for what you are talking about. The light is powered by a magnet in a tube that has a coil around it, so when you shake the light, the magnet goes through the coil and charges the light.
They actually last for quite a while, and you don't need to be in the sunlight to charge them. Quite nifty, actually.

--
'Every story, if continued long enough, ends in death.' --Ernest Hemingway
Re:Solar LED light could actually be useful by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 03:11 · Score: 0, Funny

shake-to-power flashlights that would work very well for what you are talking about.

Yes, I guess /. users have a lot of experience in "shake-to-power" stuff. Especially if they are tube-shaped.
Re:Solar LED light could actually be useful by NotPeteMcCabe · 2006-05-27 03:36 · Score: 1

Costco sells a 2-pack of hand-crank lights for $20. A minute of cranking gets you 5-10 minutes of (gradually fading) light. Especially great for kids, who love flashlights but are always leaving them on.
Re:Solar LED light could actually be useful by Dr_Barnowl · 2006-05-27 04:03 · Score: 2, Informative

That has to be the worst idea EVER for the suggested use of "fooling around in computers".

The only way those things work is by having a *seriously* powerful magnet in them. A big powerful magnet near my extraordinarily-subtle-interplay-of-magnetic-force s powered data storage device? No thanks.
Re:Solar LED light could actually be useful by ELProphet · 2006-05-27 04:06 · Score: 1

While I was traveling in Spain, I found this realy nifty flashlight that has a sqeeze handle. When I squeeze the handle, a flywheel catches a generator, and provides the electiricity. Plus a battery to store the excess energy, it works really great. The only problem is the cheap plastic; that being said, it was only 3 Euro.

The funniest part of the story, when I got back one of my (big boned, not fat) buddies joked, "Man, it'd be nice to have that in a car!" His girlfriend sweetly replied, "They do, honey, it's called a bicycle :D"
Re:Solar LED light could actually be useful by ceoyoyo · 2006-05-27 08:18 · Score: 1

Have you ever accidentally damaged anything in a computer with a magnet? I won't work on one without a magnetized screw driver because I HAVE damaged things by dropping screws. I do suggest you don't take your flashlight and rub it all over your hard drive, but shining light into the case shouldn't hurt anything.
Re:Solar LED light could actually be useful by CthulhuDreamer · 2006-05-27 09:16 · Score: 1

I have, but most people don't have access to stacks of selenium-cobalt magnets. I also use magnetic screwdrivers because of screw-related damage in the past.
Re:Solar LED light could actually be useful by toddestan · 2006-05-27 10:33 · Score: 1

I once tried to intentionally damage an old harddrive with one of those magnetic flashlights, and the harddrive and data managed to survive just fine. I did manage to render some floppy disks unreadable with it though. But as with all things, your mileage may vary.
Re:Solar LED light could actually be useful by aXis100 · 2006-05-27 13:32 · Score: 1

The magnetic field strength required to modify data on a hard drive is massive. To acheive it you'd either need:

1) To be very close - ie pull the drive apart and rub a magnet on the platter
2) Have an insanely strong magnet - can someone lend me an MRI machine?

Urinal gaming station by doti · 2006-05-27 01:58 · Score: 3, Informative

Like this one?.

--
factor 966971: 966971

Old... by IANAAC · 2006-05-27 02:10 · Score: 1

There's an antique kitchen appliance/gadget store in SF where I once saw an old (maybe from the late 40s) toaster that was transparent. The sides were made of glass. The bread wasn't put into a slit on top, but in one of the narrow sides. It had a moving belt that carried the toasting bread from one end of the toaster to the other end, and you could watch it toast as it moved. The toast came out on the other narrow side.

I have a set of solar powered LEDS by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 02:10 · Score: 1, Informative

They are out in the garden, they have a rechargable battery in them, the solar panel charges the battery during the day, the LEDs only come on at night.

They have been around for years.

Where's the flying car? by abigsmurf · 2006-05-27 02:16 · Score: 5, Funny

Every Top gadgets of the future feature must have at least one flying car.

Re:Where's the flying car? by Surt · 2006-05-27 04:06 · Score: 1

Well, we have flying cars now, so their hardly devices 'of the future' anymore.

--
"Who is the Journal of Quantum Physics going to believe?" --Stephen Hawking
Re:Where's the flying car? by cgenman · 2006-05-27 06:23 · Score: 1

The Scarpar is almost flying.

I would add, however, that it has been beaten to the market by a few years by the wheelman, a kick-ass austrailian motorcycle board where you stand inside the wheels.

--
The ______ Agenda

Its the perfect toaster for you then! by patio11 · 2006-05-27 02:19 · Score: 4, Funny

You don't toast. It can't toast. A match made in heaven! Sharper Image will have distribution rights by the end of the year, for the overpaid executive in your life who has everything... except a toaster than can't actually toast bread.

--
Help poke pirates in the eyepatch, arr.

Re:Its the perfect toaster for you then! by Jesus_666 · 2006-05-27 12:06 · Score: 1

I might have a use for it - preheating cheese. I like to make my sandwiches with lightly toasted bread and preheated cheese that melts when I stack up the stuff. However, at the moment preheating the cheese means putting it on the little brackets that are normally used for rolls. The problem with that is that if the cheese gets too soft it might fall off and right into the toaster. Ugh.
This toaster sounds perfect. I remove one of the glass plates and put the thing on the side. Then I can use the remaining plate to preheat cheese without the possibility of burning it. I also don't have to balance it on those damn brackets.

Okay, so the device has a potential market of one, but I like it.

--
USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
Re:Its the perfect toaster for you then! by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 17:20 · Score: 0

I will sell you two pieces of glass for half the price.

Missing item by Lead+Butthead · 2006-05-27 02:21 · Score: 2, Funny

Holodeck. That said, I agree (with Scott Adam) that it will probably be the last invention to be ever invented...

--
ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?

Memory LCD's ... by MP3Chuck · 2006-05-27 02:26 · Score: 1

Isn't that e-paper's big selling point, that it'd retain its image without having to constantly be refreshed?

--
Who doesn't like free music?

Only if awesome == craptacular by brunes69 · 2006-05-27 02:28 · Score: 3, Interesting

Watch the video again, and look closely. That board is going *very* slow, slower than any skateboarder I have ever seen. When presneted with evena small ram it just looks like it falls off the other side, it doesn't jump at all.

No speed == no air. No boarder is going to want these things unless they either seriously beef up th ehorsepower somehow, or allow manual foot intervention to speed them up just before the ramping begins. Otherwise it's just a glorified pre-teen mini-scooter.

Urinal game? by Sponge+Bath · 2006-05-27 02:35 · Score: 3, Funny

When you lose, I guess it would be too embarrassing to complain about the 'controller' being the problem.

Re:Hilarious! Worst music videos ever. by Vo0k · 2006-05-27 02:37 · Score: 1

Yep...
Most of these gadgets feel like this elektronik-supersonik to me.

--
Anagram("United States of America") == "Dine out, taste a Mac, fries"

Analog urinal game by qodfathr · 2006-05-27 02:38 · Score: 3, Funny

Back in college (Johns Hopkins) some of the urinals had little spinner games in them. Think roulette, but with little messages like 'You Win' or 'You Lose'. My favorite? 'Spin Again'.

--
Yes, it's true. This man has no dick.

Re:Analog urinal game by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 05:12 · Score: 0

What buildings? I haven't seen this, but would like to.

Still waiting for.. by ms1234 · 2006-05-27 02:40 · Score: 1

..that can of nanomachines that I buy in a can at the store, come home, open the can and throw the contents at the wall. Voila, instant tv-screen.

Re:Still waiting for.. by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 06:09 · Score: 0

I figure that long before that it'll be like U-frame-it. You'll be able to walk in and order a screen any size and they'll assemble it for you. The frame part will contain all the electronics and the LCD and "glass" will come on a roll. Great for billboards too.

Oh, god. by Bieeanda · 2006-05-27 02:44 · Score: 4, Funny

"This Origami DVD Player concept uses a fully-flexible display technology (e-paper) to ensure maximum portability. When not in use, the screen folds up neatly back into the case. From the image, it looks to sport integrated speakers as well. No word yet on if this concept will go into production."

"As a product, it would target the business traveler who wants a convenient way to watch DVD movies."

...And a fucking nightmare for anyone that can't fold a map the right way.

Play Urinal Football Now! by hentaidan · 2006-05-27 02:44 · Score: 3, Funny

Anyone been to Karlsruhe in Germany lately? In one of the big stores they are celebrating the World Cup with penalty shots in the urinals.

Sadly no German keeper though..

http://www.wee-goal.com/

Re:Play Urinal Football Now! by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 04:15 · Score: 0

mod up parent
Re:Play Urinal Football Now! by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-30 20:07 · Score: 0

I saw one of those wee-goal urinal football things in a london bar - there was no goalkeeper, but I did see a chap attempting a diving header...it was all VERY messy !!

Memory LCD - ebook by gsasha · 2006-05-27 02:45 · Score: 1

Should make an ebook which has a reasonable price, for a change. Now *that* would be a killer gadget. Any rumors of suchabeast?

Re:Memory LCD - ebook by Sandman1971 · 2006-05-27 04:43 · Score: 1

It already exists. I remember Patrick Norton talking about one in TWiT podcast a few months back.

--
It's better to burn out than to fade away
Re:Memory LCD - ebook by rbanffy · 2006-05-27 09:43 · Score: 2, Insightful

The main problem with e-Books is not the screen. It's the publishers that are so scared everyone will pirate their goods they boost their profit margins - setting the price for the electronic-only book at just about the same as the printed version thus ignoring the savings in production and transport - and cripple them with DRM that would piss off even a RIAA lawyer who had to use one.

--
http://www.dieblinkenlights.com

How about the True AI Mind??? by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 02:45 · Score: 0

True AI has got to be the Mother of all Strangest Gadgets of the Future.

The AI Mind User Manual reads like an out-of-this-world visitation document from an alien civilization of long ago and far away.

A Joint Stewardship of Earth is coming between puny human minds and AI Super-Intelligence.

The Singularity Timetable predicts a Technological Singularity only six years away from now, in 2012. Gentlemen, start your AI Engines.

Not entirely new by Deadstick · 2006-05-27 02:48 · Score: 4, Interesting

I had some stock in a company called Chill Can Corp circa 1965. It had a patent on a self-cooling drink can looking much like the one in TFA...it went nowhere.

A cardboard forerunner of the urinal game, called Whizzers, was marketed in the 70s.

rj

Not so by dhasenan · 2006-05-27 02:48 · Score: 4, Funny

The last invention will be a simple-to-use holodeck SDK.

Once everyone and his brother can create a score of nude virgins in an afternoon, then we won't have any further inventions.

Re:Not so by Chrontius · 2006-05-27 06:42 · Score: 1

Err, don't you mean we won't need any further inventions?
Re:Not so by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 09:11 · Score: 2, Funny

What would I and my brother want with a bunch of naked /.ters?
Re:Not so by why-is-it · 2006-05-27 09:15 · Score: 1

Err, don't you mean we won't need any further inventions?
I think the GP had it right the first time. When everyone can live their wildest fantasy, there won't be any more inventions...

--
*** Where are we going? And what's with this handbasket?
Re:Not so by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 17:45 · Score: 0

I am a virgin, you insensitive clod!
Re:Not so by dodobh · 2006-05-27 22:32 · Score: 1

Nah, the last device would be a cloning machine.

--
I can throw myself at the ground, and miss.

More urinal gaming stations! by Teun · 2006-05-27 02:48 · Score: 1

Recently I saw in a German restroom a small green mat (filter) in the urinal.
Due to the upcoming football World Championships it had been fitted with a small goal and ball on a string...

Slightly less interactive were the urinals at the Aberdeen (Scotland) Paramount pub, some ten years ago they had TV's behind a perspexs screen. Presumably to piss off the other team :)

--
"The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."

Wii by Nick+Driver · 2006-05-27 02:50 · Score: 3, Funny

Three guesses on how the controller will operate... and Nintendo sure picked the right sounding name for it.

Re:Wii by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 07:37 · Score: 0

http://img68.imageshack.us/my.php?image=supermario wiiwithbox8rg.jpg

The future is clear by stefanlasiewski · 2006-05-27 02:50 · Score: 1

The future will slashdot itself!

--
"Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."

Heliodisplay by azav · 2006-05-27 02:50 · Score: 1

I've seen the heliodisplay.

It's not as great as people are lead to think. Ya, it's cool but it projects on to a self generated mist. Air waves disrupt it (like people walking by) and sunlight renders it hard to see.

Super cool in concept but it's not ideal for all situations.

--
- Zav - Imagine a Beowulf cluster of insensitive clods...

Obligatory by Sentri · 2006-05-27 02:50 · Score: 1

"Stay on target"

--
Can't we all just get along

No not really, same problem as the original x-box by SmallFurryCreature · 2006-05-27 02:51 · Score: 3, Funny

My controller is just to large!

--

MMO Quests are like orgasms:

You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

three quick alternatives by zogger · 2006-05-27 02:52 · Score: 3, Interesting

you can get various flashlights with instant or close to it light without disposable batteries. Freeplay makes a windup light, which would probably be the best for your purposes-bright and right there- (they make good quality stuff, I have two of their clockwork spring radios), and you can get the "squeeze as you go" light (looks like handgrips) from various online sporting goods places (these would be the least expensive, I have seen them as low as five bucks, but you lose one hand for doing work as you have to keep squeezing), and you can get flashlights that you shake for a few moments/minutes to get some light for a few moments/minutes.

With that said, any of the LED based flashlights you can score most anyplace with good quality batteries will last a LONG time in normal use compared to a normal incandescent styled bulb. The biggest problem there is that they last so long the batteries might corrode on ya before the juice runs out.

What I want by Alien54 · 2006-05-27 02:52 · Score: 1

I want one of those transparent LCD Screens, but I can't seem to find a source.

Could somebody please hurry up and invent the thing for me?

--
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"

Re:What I want by Walt+Dismal · 2006-05-27 17:17 · Score: 1

Sure! Give me your laptop and a hammer and I'll whip one up in a jiffy!

Phhht by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 03:02 · Score: 0

Forget about this crap, I've been waiting since 1938 for my flying car!

Oh, they forgot something by Kuku_monroe · 2006-05-27 03:10 · Score: 0

They didn't mention the Sun-powered black light bulb, i guess they didn't find it useless enough :)

(It's just joke, so don't google for it!)

--
//WR

Here's your flying car... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 03:13 · Score: 0

...right here. It's been flying since 1979.

Re:No not really, same problem as the original x-b by jacksonj04 · 2006-05-27 03:15 · Score: 1

The X-Box Duke controller lives on...

--
How many people can read hex if only you and dead people can read hex?

Future? They've been around for years by lcreech · 2006-05-27 03:18 · Score: 1

Solar powered LED yard lights are very common and beats the heck out of the low voltage ones that keep getting cords cut with the hedge trimmers or going out because of poor cable connections.

Re:Future? They've been around for years by cr0sh · 2006-05-27 08:18 · Score: 1

I have never had great luck with these lights, mainly because I would buy the cheapo plastic ones. They would always break. Maybe the metal ones are better?
Anyhow, I did have a problem when I first moved into my house that I solved with one of these cheap lights. Ordering a pizza for delivery invariably had the driver calling the house to have me or someone else stand out in the driveway so they knew where to deliver the thing. We had numbers on the house, but they weren't well lit at night, and running an electrical line for lighting to them would have been a pain (plus electricity cost). So, I solved the problem with one of these cheapo lights.
I took the light apart, mounted the LED/battery unit under the eave where the numbers were, drilled a hole through the roof, and mounted the solar cell on the roof with a big glob of silicone glue. Sealed it and the hole up, soldered the wires (and sealed them up too).
Since then (3+ years ago), the LEDs have lit the numbers up perfectly, not a problem since. The pizza delivery guys can now find my house easier, too...

--
Reason is the Path to God - Anon

You must have slept thru 1979 then.... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 03:21 · Score: 0

...because that's when your flying car was all over network television.

Re:You must have slept thru 1979 then.... by WilliamSChips · 2006-05-27 04:52 · Score: 1

But does it keep flying?

--
Please, for the good of Humanity, vote Obama.
Re:You must have slept thru 1979 then.... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 04:57 · Score: 0

For a (very short) while anyway... The landings were a bit harsh, tho' ;-)

Great top 10 !!! by alexandrecc · 2006-05-27 03:35 · Score: 2, Interesting

The last time I was so excited about technology was when I got my first Palm in 2000 ! So I need to share my hype with you.

10) Citizen's Memory LCD

"that retains the image even when turned off." and "Practical applications would include watches" That would be very useful for watches. It would always be 5 oclock PM friday as long as it is turned off. Practical.

9) EyeMove PC

Wow they found something even more annoying than cell phone in public transport.

8) Scarpar - The All-Terrain Motorized Board

Thank god the guy in the video didn't fall. Falling from this in rocks with your feets fixed to the board is a bit dangerous no ?

7) 3D Video Game

Professionnal gaming league is not for tomorrow. If they showed their best player for the video demo, I guess that type of game is pretty hard to master.

6) Transparent Toaster

The only thing I have to say about this is : TT

5) Origami DVD Player

For me origami is more a way to create rabbits and birds with paper. I dream since I am 5 years old of listening to a DVD on a rabbit.

4) Self Cooling Beer Can

One question : what is the price of a 24 beer pack ?

3) VirtuSphere

Honestly, that is awesome! I really need this in 10 (or 40?) years in my basement!

2) Heliodisplay M2i

That looks even better than Princess Leia holographic transmission in Star Wars episode IV. I agree it was only in 1977. That is what we call evolution.

1) "On Target" Video Game Urinal

My religion forces me not to comment on this.

Honorable mention Solar Powered LED

I hope they'll find their way to La Paz to buy some batteries in case next day is rainy.

Honorable mention Intelligent Spoon and Bright Walk

Hey do I look like the guy who is having a stupid comment to say about everything ? I am too tired to comment about these.

--
For(k;;)(Fork();)

Re:Great top 10 !!! by Jeremi · 2006-05-27 05:18 · Score: 1

"that retains the image even when turned off." and "Practical applications would include watches" That would be very useful for watches. It would always be 5 oclock PM friday as long as it is turned off. Practical

It would be useful for watches because you'd only have to provide power to the display once a minute (when you needed to update it). The benefit would be much longer battery life.

--

I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
Re:Great top 10 !!! by x-caiver · 2006-05-27 06:12 · Score: 2, Interesting

10) Citizen's Memory LCD
"that retains the image even when turned off." and "Practical applications would include watches" That would be very useful for watches. It would always be 5 oclock PM friday as long as it is turned off. Practical.

You're like the 10th person I've seen make a lame comment on entry 10. I can't take it anymore, and have to respond.

Please think before typing. Right now an LCD watch display is almost always on and updating. Updating many many times per second. Assume, for the sake of this post I don't know the real frequency, that the display is updating 60 times per second. Do you really need to now down to 1/60th of a second when the time changes from 1:45:05 to 1:45:06? Now, turn the update frequency down to once per second, and you instantly save a ton of power, meaning your watch battery lasts much much longer. (If the 'memory lcd' took exactly the same amount of power that a regular LCD took to update you'd see a 60x improvement, for example).

Now, do you really need to know the difference between 1:45:06 and 1:45:07 at all? If you decide that you don't want seconds displayed on your watch, you could lower the refresh rate down even more, say once every 15 second. At that speed their could be up to 15 seconds when your watch was "a minute behind", but generally people don't need that resolution of time out of their watches (especially since the majority of people do not have watches synchronized with that accuracy to a known-good time source anyway). Now, you have increased your battery power even more.

Extra battery power could mean that your watch would last much longer, or it could mean that extra features could be jammed in to your watch. Having a 15 second refresh rate on the watch's main time display doesn't mean that it couldn't increase its frequency for other functions such as the fractional-second timer that people think they need in their watches.
Re:Great top 10 !!! by bloggins02 · 2006-05-27 07:25 · Score: 3, Funny

I dream since I am 5 years old of listening to a DVD on a rabbit.

This is, by far, the most surreal sentence I have ever read.
Re:Great top 10 !!! by chawly · 2006-05-28 04:27 · Score: 1

I don't know what to say
I gave my watch away

haiku?

--
How many beans make five, anyhow ? ... Charles Walmsley

Solar powered LED lights are available by stefanlasiewski · 2006-05-27 03:37 · Score: 1

From the article:

No word yet on pricing and availability.

I've seen these in the catalogs for REI, LL Bean, Campmor and a few other vendors. They cost $10-20. I don't see them in the online stores--- just the paper catalogs. I wonder if supply of these is limited.

--
"Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."

Re:Solar powered LED lights are available by x-caiver · 2006-05-27 08:35 · Score: 1

$25 seems to be the going rate for this model.

Straight from SolLight you can get one for $25: http://www.sollight.com/products/lightcap.cfm

From Amazon you can get one for $20: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BO84EE/103-73 53991-5379044?v=glance&n=3375251

From Down Wind Sports you can get one for $25: http://www.downwindsports.com/store/customer/produ ct.php?productid=467&cat=52

From Berkeley Point you can get one for $25: http://www.berkeleypoint.com/products/flashlights/ sollight.html

etc...
Re:Solar powered LED lights are available by stefanlasiewski · 2006-05-30 02:58 · Score: 1

You are right. I didn't have the catalog in front of me, and misstated the price.

Thanks for pointing that out. The Berkeleypoint store looks pretty cool, and they're less then a mile from my house! Never heard of them before.

--
"Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."

Re:Only if awesome == craptacular by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 04:31 · Score: 0

Pre-teen? Nuts to that. This is more like the poor man's Segway. I love walking, but when I need to be somewhere in a hurry, this looks like a reasonable middle ground between biking and walking.

There's definitely a niche for fairly low-speed, low-range motorized transport.

The urinal interface is old news... by mikewoz · 2006-05-27 05:49 · Score: 1

A similar interface was published at the CHI 2003 conference (see: http://www.monzy.org/urinecontrol/). I'm pretty sure it was published as part of "ALT CHI", which always has many strange human-computer interfacces including 'bed' interfaces for remote presence in bed, and things like EUI's or "Edible User Interfaces" (see the EUI proposal by the same researcher on the above website).

Re:Memory LCD's or Paper by thejuggler · 2006-05-27 05:55 · Score: 1

Isn't that PAPER's big selling point, that it'd retain its image without having to constantly be refreshed?

Re:Urinal game? Wii! by sleepcountry · 2006-05-27 08:02 · Score: 1

Prior art on Nintendo's patent - the original Wii wand.

Intelligent Spoon by Andy+Gardner · 2006-05-27 08:28 · Score: 1

It's equipped with sensors to measure temperature, acidity, salinity, and viscosity.

I've had a gadget that does this for about 22 years.

I call it the tounge (patent pending)

Re:Intelligent Spoon by CthulhuDreamer · 2006-05-27 09:04 · Score: 1

> It's equipped with sensors to measure temperature, acidity, salinity, and viscosity.

> I've had a gadget that does this for about 22 years.
> I call it the tounge (patent pending)

For a brief moment, I thought this was about the urinal gaming stations. (shudder)
Re:Intelligent Spoon by chawly · 2006-05-28 04:20 · Score: 1

But only for a very brief moment, I think

--
How many beans make five, anyhow ? ... Charles Walmsley

Needed "Invention of the Future"... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 08:31 · Score: 0

Urinal games? What kind of crap is that? If we are going to talk about "inventions for urinals", I'll tell you what we need:

Backspatter Elimination

Ultimately, this would be a non issue if it weren't for asshole men who can't seem to flush (or, maybe if there were those electronic flush units on every urinal). Basically, because if you can direct your stream straight into the water pool there is hardly any backspatter at all. Unfortunately, because of those damn urinal "mint" pad-thingies, which get in the way of the water, and increase the chances of backspatter - it is just crazy...

You dare not aim at the back wall of the urinal, because despite the design of the curved side walls to redirect the stream back into the urinal, they just don't work that effectively, and backspatter is inevitable. If someone could invent a way to control this issue, they would have a niche invention that would probably have every urinal manufacturer begging for a license (or just stealing the idea, one of the two).

Now, before anyone mods me as a "troll", "flamebait", or even "funny" - this is a real issue. Next time you are in the bathroom, guys, take a look around the urinal, and see how disgusting it is. Backspatter is everywhere - even (somehow?) on the walls on which the urinal is mounted to! It is definitely on the floor (where your feet are), and on any side privacy partitions (if there are any). Yet, this problem continues, and nobody seems to be working to fix this issue. I would much rather see a solution to this problem, than to this crap.

Re:Needed "Invention of the Future"... by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 10:13 · Score: 0

why don't you just stop using the urinals?

Actually... by cr0sh · 2006-05-27 08:48 · Score: 1

...if you wanted to "save power" in a watch, you would just build a simple accellerometer into the device to turn the watch on (for say 30 seconds) when you move it (a simple mercury or mass/spring switch would be the cheapest way).

However, in a regular watch it seems pointless, since the cells used typically last 3-5 years before needing replacement. Maybe as watches gain more functions (cameras, radios, cell phones, remotes, calculators - all of that wrapped in one - probably already exist somewhere - I know all of those and more have been put into a watch form-factor separately already), such a solution would be needed, and maybe combined with such a force-sensing switch, might cut down on power consumption more.

But, the fact is, if power consumption of the LCD in a simple watch was really an issue today, there are several of methods which could be used to extend the battery life without the use of possibly expensive new "memory" LCD devices...

--
Reason is the Path to God - Anon

Re:Actually... by tomhudson · 2006-05-27 09:19 · Score: 1

...if you wanted to "save power" in a watch, you would just build a simple accellerometer into the device to turn the watch on (for say 30 seconds) when you move it (a simple mercury or mass/spring switch would be the cheapest way).

They're called "self-winding watches", and they've been around for decades :-)
http://www.nextag.com/Watches--a-Watch+Features-_- Self-Winding--zz2702409zB4z5---html
How they work:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/question285.htm
(includes link to video)
Re:Actually... by Bloke+down+the+pub · 2006-05-27 09:27 · Score: 1

They're called "self-winding watches", and they've been around for decades
Those use movement to provide power. I have one, but being mechanical and cheap it keeps lousy time. It looks cute though - you can see all the works.
Other guy was talking about using movement to sense when it needs to power up & update the display. Though if you have the former, the latter (and its pointless static display) become somewhat redundant.
You can be sure that there's a sweet spot in the sensitivity where driving or cycling will be enough to turn it permanently on & drain the battery, but when you're sitting at your desk you have to shake your arm like a spaz to make it wake up.

--
It's true I tell you, feller at work's next door neighbour read it in the paper.

Memory LCD is over twelve years old! by Misagon · 2006-05-27 10:23 · Score: 1

An LCD display that needs power only when the image is changes is old.
Check out Kent Displays. It was spun off in 1993 from a project at Kent State University.
I wonder why it never took off.

--
"We mustn't be caught by surprise by our own advancing technology" -- Aldous Huxley

DRM and eBooks by argent · 2006-05-27 10:25 · Score: 1

eBooks...

Microsoft Reader was one of the things that Microsoft was hyping to us Palm users as a killer feature of the Pocket PC over the Palm.

The problem was that the DRM in Microsoft Reader was really annoying, and the user interface was trying to emulate a paper book on a tiny screen.

And where there are DRM-protected and unprotected versions of the same books, the unprotected ones cost under $5 and the protected ones cost around $20. It makes the choice really easy...

http://fictionwise.com/

http://webscriptions.net/

Oh, and I'm using PalmOS to read my eBooks these days. :)

Re:DRM and eBooks by rbanffy · 2006-05-27 12:27 · Score: 1

Thanks for the pointers. Nothing like a market to set things straight.

Still, e-boook readers (with big screens) are pretty much dead. That's sad.

I really wanted one that could double as a printer (attach to the computer - usb or wireless - print to it and, maybe later, attach to printer and produce hard-copy). Can't be that hard.

--
http://www.dieblinkenlights.com
Re:DRM and eBooks by argent · 2006-05-27 14:39 · Score: 1

I don't want an eBook reader with a big screen.

I want to separate the screen from my data. I just want the screen to be something between a web browser and an X terminal... but a browser model would work... that accesses my data in a repository that isn't tied to any screen.

Let me stick the smarts in a keychain fob, or a credit-card PDA, or a full-sized PDA, or a smart card, something that I can pull out of... or disconnect from... the big eBook screen and use my cellphone, or a PDA-sized screen, or a full sized keyboard and monitor.

SCreens that aren't basically fungible suck. I don't have to buy a new computer to switch from a 15" LCD to a 23" CRT to a HDTV tuner to a 9" car-PC screen. Just plug in a straight DVI or VGA connection.

Handsets should be the same way. Right now we're stuck in the '70s where every monitor was tied to some brand of computer. I hate that.

Re:#1 strangest gadget by Eideewt · 2006-05-27 13:48 · Score: 1

Mods, don't be silly. No one could argue that ass dildos don't exist.

They stole my toaster idea! by ufotofu · 2006-05-27 15:11 · Score: 1

Well, sorta. About fifteen years ago, I thought of making a toaster that had sides made out of pyrex, not metal. That way, you could stop the toaster if you saw the toast was getting too dark.

I always thought someone else would think of that idea and build it long before I'd ever be able to get the funding and patents...

What law says you can't mix 'n match anyhow? by Mal-2 · 2006-05-27 15:35 · Score: 1

We already have "memory LCDs" of a sort that are quite ubiquitous -- non-illuminated displays, which just use reflected light and panels that are light on one side and dark on the other. Once flipped into position, they just stay there and consume no power. Some, like the signs for today's price of milk at the local grocery, or the latest "Mega Millions" prize pool, are operated manually. LCDs are also non-illuminative (though they are transmissive rather than reflective, which is more versatile) so the type of device you can imagine building with them is fairly similar -- ones where power concerns outweigh latency concerns.

But the real point is: why not use "memory LCDs" for the parts of the display that change slowly, like the face itself, hour/minute/second/AM-PM displays, and hands (if you go pseudo-analog), while retaining a traditional LCD section for those hundredths of a second? If they could be mixed on the same piece of glass, so much the better. Watches aren't exactly the sort of thing you have to recharge daily as it is -- I would want to see a display like this on my phone or mp3 player. (Then again the displays aren't the big power draw, the backlights are.)

Mal-2

--
How is the Riemann zeta function like Trump rallies? Both have an endless number of trivial zeros.

Vapore by MamiyaOtaru · 2006-05-27 16:44 · Score: 1

Combining interactive art and gaming, xBlocks delivers a unique experience to say the least. Its currently on display at Fabbrica del Vapore in Milan, Italy. Video after the jump.

Sounds like vaporware to me. They might want to rethink that name.

Re:Hilarious! Worst music videos ever. by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 19:32 · Score: 0

Yea...

or like David Hasselhoff playing with a bluescreen. ;-)

http://clipbin.blogspot.com/2006/05/david-hasselho ff-hooked-on-feeling_25.html

Self cooling beer can idea is 30 years old by Anonymous Coward · 2006-05-27 20:34 · Score: 0

...I distinctly remember seeing this idea on "The Inventors" on ABC (Australia) TV in 1974 or thereabouts. Back yard inventors would submit their inventions to a panel of experts who would opine on the invention's commercial prospects. BTW the show is still around .

Glass toaster, meh. by ndg123 · 2006-05-27 21:24 · Score: 1

I made one of these (in a Friday afternoon experiment/PoC kind of way) in about 1995. I wsa working in a lab where research was done into electrochromic windows - these required glass coated with a transparent, conductive material.
It was tricky to heat up the layer fast enough and hot enough to make toast without the glass shattering, even with heat resistant glasses. Though my supervisor was enthusiastic and interested in the novelty, the fact was that the toaster research budget was non-existant.

Re:Glass toaster, meh. by doyen2000 · 2006-05-28 04:03 · Score: 1

Since Pyrex will support a temperature high enough to burn the toast.
My guess is that the mismatch in expansion coefficients
is causing the glass to break.

Did you ever tried a polyamide (aka kapton) layer in between
conducting surface and the glass?
The layer since it is more elastic will help with the mismatch.
The toaster would not be clear but have a cool transparent
orange colour.

Anyway I think it would be too expensive..

Cheers,
Aldo
Re:Glass toaster, meh. by ndg123 · 2006-05-28 07:13 · Score: 1

i never tried another layer, i was basically just using some materials prepared by the guys working on the display materials. They were very thin films, so I don't know if the force of the expansion would cause it to shatter. I would describe more but the materials and techniques for the work (not the toaster !) were commercially funded and owned by the sponsor and obviously covered by non-disclosure agreements.

A plethura of bad ideas by mnemotronic · 2006-05-28 01:34 · Score: 1

My thoughts...

10. Semi-permanent LCD. Sounds like e-paper / e-ink (or here) to me.

9. Eye-move pc. All the projectors I've seen get pretty toasty, which translates to power usage. In a battery powered device this small (what kind of batteries?), I would think the projected display would be either too small or too dim for use by actual humans for any length of time. This feels like one of those ideas that's waiting for a miraculous invention (by someone else) to appear.

8. Flash required. The future does not contain Flash... Ignore...

7. ... same

3. ... same

2. ... same

6. Transparent toaster. Oh great. Another highly-specialized kitchen appliance taking up already limited counter space, and consuming another outlet. At least make it where it can do bagles. Until then it goes with the electric hot-dog roaster, the electric fondue maker, and the electric cheese straightener. All I really need is my microwave, and my expresso setup.

5. Foldable display. Take a look at something that's been folded and unfolded a couple thousand times. Like piece of paper money. It gets pretty ugly after a while. toss....

4. Self-cooling [whatever] can. Great. I can't wait to see a couple hundred million of these in the landfill after the next World Cup or Superbowl.

1. Video game urinal. Um. How do the girls play? They can't. Guys win. How do the guys with prostate problems play? They can't. Young guys win. How do the young guys who have can't relax and pee in public play? They can't. Young drunk guys win.

hm. Flashing shoes? Am I supposed to be watching my feet while I run? In the dark? Maybe some safety value.

hm. Solar-powered water bottle. For me, a water bottle hanging off a backpack loop and swinging around while I hike is distracting, annoying, and a loss of energy. And the water heats up.

hm. Intelligent spoon? That's ....um.... useful. How about an Intelligent Urinal game with temp, pH, salinity and (dare I even think it) viscosity sensors?

Show me some gadgets not solely based in, and reliant on, a petro-economy and you'll get my attention. Show me stuff that won't choke the landfill with toxic, non-recyclable waste when it breaks after a year of use. Show me stuff that will remove more waste or greenhouse gases from the environment than it takes to produce it. The future is not looking so bright...

--
The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.

Re:A plethura of bad ideas by nsayer · 2006-05-28 08:38 · Score: 1

Oh great. Another highly-specialized kitchen appliance taking up already limited counter space, and consuming another outlet.
Followed by:
All I really need is [...] my expresso [sic] setup.
Irony. It's what's for breakfast.

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