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Top 10 Strangest Gadgets of the Future

Anonymous Cow writes "This week, the editors of TechEBlog have compiled a list of the 'Top 10 Strangest Gadgets of the Future,' from solar powered LEDs to memory LCD screens, it's all there." Urinal gaming stations! How did no one implement this sooner?

45 of 174 comments (clear)

  1. I once had one of those ... by tomhudson · · Score: 4, Funny

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

    ... back to the future ...

    1. Re:I once had one of those ... by qw0ntum · · 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
    2. Re:I once had one of those ... by Bloke+down+the+pub · · 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.
    3. Re:I once had one of those ... by Mikkeles · · 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.
    4. Re:I once had one of those ... by tomhudson · · 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 :-)

    5. Re:I once had one of those ... by kimvette · · 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
    6. Re:I once had one of those ... by R3d+M3rcury · · 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... :^)

  2. LEDs to LCDs? WOW by sacrilicious · · 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.
  3. All Terrain Board by celardore · · 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.

    1. Re:All Terrain Board by sidfaiwu · · Score: 2, Funny

      God, the all terrain board is going to be obnoxious if it starts showing up on my favorite hiking trails.

    2. Re:All Terrain Board by misleb · · 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
  4. Urinal gaming stations! by Anne_Nonymous · · Score: 5, Funny

    >> Urinal gaming stations

    This is clearly a plot to improve our aim.

    1. Re:Urinal gaming stations! by bondsbw · · 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.
    2. Re:Urinal gaming stations! by rickliner · · 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
    3. Re:Urinal gaming stations! by LocoMan · · 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.. :)

    4. Re:Urinal gaming stations! by Megane · · 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; }
    5. Re:Urinal gaming stations! by FrankDrebin · · Score: 2, Funny

      Urinals are after all the original first-person shooter.

      --
      Anybody want a peanut?
    6. Re:Urinal gaming stations! by mbius · · 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
  5. Pot to piss in... by packetmon · · 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" ...

    1. Re:Pot to piss in... by geobeck · · 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
    2. Re:Pot to piss in... by Technician · · 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!
  6. Transparent Toaster? by Virak · · Score: 3, Funny

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

  7. virtusphere looks quite fun by bobamu · · 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.

  8. Solar LED light could actually be useful by vadim_t · · 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.

    1. Re:Solar LED light could actually be useful by Dr_Barnowl · · 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.

  9. Urinal gaming station by doti · · Score: 3, Informative

    Like this one?.

    --
    factor 966971: 966971
  10. Where's the flying car? by abigsmurf · · Score: 5, Funny

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

  11. Its the perfect toaster for you then! by patio11 · · 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.

  12. Missing item by Lead+Butthead · · 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!?
  13. Only if awesome == craptacular by brunes69 · · 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.

  14. Urinal game? by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 3, Funny

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

  15. Analog urinal game by qodfathr · · 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.
  16. Oh, god. by Bieeanda · · 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.

  17. Play Urinal Football Now! by hentaidan · · 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/

  18. Not entirely new by Deadstick · · 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

  19. Not so by dhasenan · · 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.

    1. Re:Not so by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      What would I and my brother want with a bunch of naked /.ters?

  20. Wii by Nick+Driver · · Score: 3, Funny

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

  21. No not really, same problem as the original x-box by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 3, Funny

    My controller is just to large!

    --

    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

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

  22. three quick alternatives by zogger · · 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.

  23. Great top 10 !!! by alexandrecc · · 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();)
    1. Re:Great top 10 !!! by x-caiver · · 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.
    2. Re:Great top 10 !!! by bloggins02 · · 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.

  24. Re:This technology isn't even new by tomhudson · · 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?

  25. Re:Memory LCD - ebook by rbanffy · · 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.