Phone Plus Sensory Deprivation Equals...

Solo-Malee writes "The BBC has an article about a new phone technology that isolates the user from all other sensory input. This in theory means the user is not distracted by other things occurring in their immediate surroundings. If these catch on, it looks like getting a Jacuzzi for the office could be easier than you might expect."

Driving...

[cjustus]

You don't want to be driving while using this phone...

Damn it

[jabbadabbadoo]

"...that isolates the user from all other sensory input"

Sounds like sex isn't going to be as much fun as before.

Sonds like great technology for car phones!

[Trigun]

Why should the driver be bothered by my horn, or the wrecked bus of burning nuns?

Phone Plus Sensory Deprivation Equals...

[ryanvm]

Phone Plus Sensory Deprivation Equals...

MY JOB.

Sorry About That, Chief!

[Anonymous Coward]

Looks a lot like the "Cone of Silence" from Get Smart. Bet it works just as well. :)

No smell?

[turg]

From the story.

"You can't hear anything else, you can't see anything else, you can't smell anything else, all you have coming in is the telephone call.

That is, you can't smell anything else if the swimming pool isn't chlorinated.

Hmmm. No, I guess that wouldn't actually help much either

Bad idea

[Andrewkov]

This sounds like a bad idea ... It's annoying enough talking listening to people on the phone when I can distract myself by doing other things. Imagine if I cound't read Slashdot while users where telling me their life stories? How tedious would that be?! ;-)

Made me smile

[ewanb]

The idea that people would actively get into
a swimming pool and put on a helmet to answer
a work phone call. The mental image... is
quite worrying in some cases.

Though I find the best thing about working from
home is that people dont have my phone number
here, so ... noone calls me. And I go to no
meetings. Magical.

I can see it now

[Hittite Creosote]

Just as you're in the middle of your early morning swim, when some prat walks in wearing a helmet and calls out

HELLO? I'M IN THE POOL!

On the plus side, it'll be easier to drown them...

Max Smart comes to the Real World

[emtboy9]

"Come on Chief! Into the cone of Silence!"

Re:Damn it

[grub]

Sounds like sex isn't going to be as much fun as before.

Your hands are still free while floating in the pool. You are referring to phone-sex0r, right?

Don't walk on the sidewalks!

[Bendebecker]

I bet some fool will get it for his car...
"Yeah, officer, I was driving down the highway at 65mph when my phone rang. I have no idea how I ended up in this field! And why is the front of my car all covered in blood?"

Abusable

[Doesn't_Comment_Code]

Imagine running and jumping into the pool, strapping on your Lunar Lander floating headset, and getting all situated, just to find a telemarketer on the other end of the line!

I don't know what's worse, that you have to get out and dry off, or that the telemarketer has your TOTAL ATTENTION.

But...

[Anonymous Coward]

does it work outside water? Or everytime the phone rings: *ring* *ring*
AAAAAAAARGH not again
*takes off clothes*
*puts on helmet*
*dives into water*
Hi, we have this great new vacuum cleaner we're selling

The date on my computer must be wrong...

[John Harrison]

Computer says that it is September 12, but reading this article, I am sure that it is April 1.

Call centers?

[autocracy]

Like it wasn't bad enough working for one already.... "Alright, everyone in the pool!"

Re:The phone is your leash

[kzinti]

Meanwhile, you interrupted my chicken salad sandwich.

I eat ham & cheese and this never happens to me. Maybe you should try switching sandwiches.

right...

[riffraff]

I could see people talking on their cell phone and driving with one of these. Talking about a disaster. People can't drive now...

Re:Sensory Deprivation...

[Anonymous Coward]

Impractical? Yes.

But, a sensory deprivation tank, a few hours to kill, and a big phat joint makes for a great Friday afternoon. Hey, its Fri....^^^^^No Carrier.

my new phone routine?

[514x0r]

so now i have to run upstairs, strip down to a swimsuit, jump in the pool and get the headgear on all in the 4 rings before it goes to voicemail?

Re:The phone is your leash

[CynicTheHedgehog]

You're missing the point. If you're eating your chicken salad sandwich, don't answer the phone. Let caller ID pick it up, finish your sandwich, and then if you're remotely concerned that you might have missed a call that you cared about, you can check caller ID. If it's some asshat calling just because he has your number on hist caller ID, and it's not a number that you recognize, forget about it and move on with your life. One of the 5 other people in the house will see that number eventually and if the call is important to them they'll call that guy back themselves.

What a waste

[dkone]

Yeah I am sure these will catch on. Not only that it should be a big boost to the pool industry. Don't worry about the fact that in many areas you will only be able to use your phone during the summer months. Hmmm, I can just see it now... "well, I am not going to call my mother/sister/brother during the winter, because I know she/she/he will not be paying attention to me.

Just some random thoughts:

Everytime I get in the pool I always have to pee, which would be a distraction in itself.

Other people would probably be swiming in the pool, there is nothing more irritating to me then someone splashing me while I am in the pool.

Do you have to sit in the pool all day waiting for a call, or do you answer a call and ask the person to hold while you put your bathing suit on.

What if there is an electrical storm while you are on the phone? You would not know and could die.

Do you think the ring tone should be the theme to Jaws?

Re:The phone is your leash

[thunderbird46]

I got one of those once. It was a wrong number. The woman on the other end started out, rather rudely, "What were you calling me for? I have your number in my Caller ID." I say "umm... I don't think anyone here tried to call you." She was quite adamant about us calling her, so I asked her what phone number she'd intended to dial. Turned out she misdialed! :)

Re:The phone is your leash

[LetterJ]

I don't think we have to worry. Someone who uses the phrase "mutext lock on you" in normal conversation probably doesn't get all that many "personal" calls.

Re:The phone is your leash

[W32.Klez.A]

10 PRINT "Hi, your number was on my caller ID."
20 PRINT "Yeah, I was calling because your number was on my caller ID."
30 PRINT "Oh."
40 PRINT "Yeah."
50 PRINT "So..."
60 PRINT "Yeah."
70 GOTO 50

hey stop picking on me!

[anonymous loser]

or the wrecked bus of burning nuns

You turn ONE LITTLE bus full of nuns into burning wreckage and that's all everyone talks about. "Hey AL! How many hail Marys did ya get?"

Re:The phone is your leash

[Molina the Bofh]

If you dont want your chicken salad sandwich interrupted, all you have to do is use a Isochickensalad, a device that isolates the user from all sensory input other than chicken salad sandwich.

The helmet delivers pre-gnawed chicken salad sandwich directly to the mouth, to avoid the distraction of having to carry the sandwich to the mouth and chewing it.

Re:Driving...

[mechugena]

What if you're in the carpool lane...then can you use it?

Re:I find it funny

[Lawbeefaroni]

My solution is to have two cell phones. I use one to call the other. That way I'm not the "big bad person calling." I know when I call myself i don't mind being called at that particular moment. Likewise, when my phone rings, it's conveniently always at a time I'm ready to answer. Then when I'm walking down the street or on the train or in an elevator I can conspicuiously talk about what important shit I'm working on or how cool I am.

The added bonus is I have a cell phone in each hand over each ear. I'm a total badass and this lets people know it! BTW, I tried this with those handsfree one-ear headsets. Unfortunately people just thought I was listening to an iPod and talking to myself. "I'm a badass, I'm not crazy," I would have to tell them. It got to be a pain.