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Disposable Computers
GFD writes "EETimes has a about disposable chip/display technology that would be so cheap that they could put displays on disposable consuer items like milk cartons. "
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The article in EEtimes had remarkably little information about how they would deal with issues like power supplies, memory, and the like. To me, this indicates that we're looking at a product that is still a few years off. Is there any more information floating around about when these disposable displays should be available? or on the details of how they work?
Not only more junk in the landfill, but lets not forget that manufacturing computer chips also uses a lot of toxic chemicals. Don't think I'm anti upgrade, but I think the industry should be more responsible than to attempt to insert an IC into everything in sight. Will milk in a computerized carton taste better? Will it be healthier? Will it even cost less?
A good invention makes you first ask "how?"
A bad invention makes you first as "why???"
As for this one, do we really want a worse
garbage problem for the sake of animated cereal boxes?
Sure I have to admit that the idea is impressive, but what would be accomplished by using such technoloigcal resources to place a scrolling ad on a box? Not only is this an utter waste of technology, but it also creates even more problems regarding pollution and waste. It might save some paper, but at least you can gather up paper and recycle it. I doubt that you can the same with silicon, and the article didn't even bother to explore the possible negative ecological ramifications that these disposable chips could have. I'm not trying to be some tree-hugger, but we certainally don't need to be wasting resources and creating potential polluting problems for the sake of having some flashy milk carton ads. Besides, if current newspaper publishing and reading is too much of hassle, why not utilize the internet as means of distribution as so many other sites are currently doing? That would be a lot more convenient than disposable chip newspapers.
It's a nice little plan and I applaud the researchers, but I feel it would be much nicer if they focused their talents toward something else more usefull and less potentially damaging. Hell the article spent less than one full paragraph listing real life applications for the technology, and the few that were mentioned are not so incredibly urgent or revolutionary that disposable processors will become the standard.
Considering the possible mass amounts of waste these dispoasble chips could create, the minimal convenience that stands to be gained is nothing. Nice job guys, but find something better to do.