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Top 10 Strangest Gadgets of the Future

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the hadn't-thought-of-that dept.

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?

16 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 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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
    4. 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.

  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 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
  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" ...

    --
    Infiltrated dot Net
    1. 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. Where's the flying car? by abigsmurf · · Score: 5, Funny

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

  7. 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.

    --
    Help poke pirates in the eyepatch, arr.
  8. 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.

  9. 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

  10. 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.