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Communications Handhelds Toys Hardware

Short Text Messages In Mid-Air 331

Posted by timothy from the clever-finns dept.
bahree writes "The BBC is running an interesting story on how Nokia is making a mobile that lets you write short text messages in mid-air. The messages are written using a row of LEDs fitted on the rear cover of Nokia's forthcoming 3220 phone. A motion sensor in the phone makes the lights blink in a sequence that spells out letters when the handset is waved in the air."
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Short Text Messages In Mid-Air More

Short Text Messages In Mid-Air

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  • Innovation? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by BWJones ( 18351 ) * on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:52PM (#9320226) Homepage Journal
    OK, the social engineering that is going on here is getting out of control. It's bad enough that you have someone talking on their phones in the elevator/restaurant/movie theatre or on the subway behind you about all sorts of things (many of which are quite personal), but now we are going to get people gesticulating madly, waving their arms back and forth to send messages.

    Lets have some real innovation, yes? Rather than fun and games with LEDs, what I would like to see some real innovation in in terms of interaction with cell phones much like iChatAV (prevents having to remember phone numbers etc...), whereby you could call someone wherever they may be over TCP/IP or have servers automatically negotiate phone calls through traditional land lines if the receiver of the call is not available on the iChatAV equivalent. It could be relatively easy to establish a hierarchy of places to contact a person starting with VOIP, then progressing on down to sending a voice to text message at the very last.

    Right now at least, we do have phones (V600) that will automatically negotiate networks (so I can have one phone to travel with internationally rather than having to keep two or three depending upon the networks), but most of these phones have maddening interfaces and that in of itself could use some thought and effort. Look, placing GUI interfaces on lots of stuff is OK if it streamlines your operation of the device, but the phone companies and even automobile manufacturers are using lousy GUI interfaces to perform simple tasks. (I absolutely refuse to consider the new BMW's because of that stupid GUI that has to be navigated through three screens to change the radio station or move the seat or change the temperature.

    Sorry for the rant.

    • I agree 100%. Innovation my ass. Next will be combining a LED-waving-messaging phone with a camera and an mp3 player. Oooooh.... wowwww.... I gotta have thaaaaaaaat. How fucking clever.

      • Re:Innovation? (Score:5, Funny)

        by coopaq ( 601975 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @06:15PM (#9320431)
        Only if I can get the Hello Kitty version!

      • Re:Innovation? (Score:4, Funny)

        by Tandoori Haggis ( 662404 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @06:56PM (#9320746)
        "Innovation my ass"

        No doubt the mobile co's will start encouraging people to use airtime for exchanging regular jpg updates from "live" within their colon. Then there wil be "womb with a view". Instead of belly button piercings, there will be mini view cams and the images will be broadcast via wireless and BB will be able to spy on stuff that belly buttons see.

        Er wait BB = Big Brother, BB = Belly Button...

        We need BBB's = Belly Button Beannies - to stop BB's spying on people...

    • Re:Innovation? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by gregmac ( 629064 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @06:03PM (#9320332) Homepage
      Look, placing GUI interfaces on lots of stuff is OK if it streamlines your operation of the device, but the phone companies and even automobile manufacturers are using lousy GUI interfaces to perform simple tasks.

      Maybe it's just the programmer in me, but there are many MANY device that I look at and think "wow, I could design such a better interface for that..". Even on my phone, there's a few tiny things I'd like to change (defaults, the dictionary for T9 input, placement of some menu items) but can't. A lot of things are trivially menu options, but probably left out because it would make menus too long and complicated looking.

      It would be nice if these developers used open source, and let people modify firmware on their phones or other devices. But I'll just go back to my day dreaming now..

      • Re:Innovation? (Score:5, Insightful)

        by snooo53 ( 663796 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @06:41PM (#9320613) Journal
        I too am disappointed that more companies don't make devices that let you configure things yourself. I too wish I could tweak menus and defaults. To me personally, it doesn't matter if it's open source or not... but it would be nice to have more control.

        I guess I can see a reason why companies don't like to do this... because inevitably people who manage to break their phones will complain and bog down the tech support/return centers. But all this could be solved by simply having a "reset button". Put a copy of the firmware in ROM... as soon as the button is pressed it reverts to that. Very simple. I can't think of a single reason not to do something like that. People would love having that much control of their phone. Look at how popular ringers and backgrounds have become.

        • Re:Innovation? (Score:5, Interesting)

          by SinaSa ( 709393 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @10:01PM (#9322025) Homepage
          "Put a copy of the firmware in ROM... as soon as the button is pressed it reverts to that. Very simple. I can't think of a single reason not to do something like that."

          Maybe I can help. I can think of at least two or three reasons.
          1. Reflashing the firmware from ROM is the first thing you do after you steal a phone. It removes any trace of the phones previous owner is gone. In some cases, including the IMEI.
          2. If you leave a copy of the firmware on the phone, suddenly anyone who wants to hack with the firmware, it becomes a lot easier. A whole underground society exists of people who hack their phones. Where do they get the firmware? People who work at places like Motorola leak it to them. If phone companies started putting firmware on their phone, you'd have people releasing company design secrets at that exact second.

          Hmm that only looks like two reasons. Nevertheless, I think I've proved my point :)

        • Re:Innovation? (Score:3, Interesting)

          by glesga_kiss ( 596639 )
          I too am disappointed that more companies don't make devices that let you configure things yourself. I too wish I could tweak menus and defaults. To me personally, it doesn't matter if it's open source or not...

          Ironically, the Microsoft Smartphone platform is very configuable. The menu system is identical to Win32 systems, i.e. folders and shortcut. It's definately a hackers phone, not for the faint-hearted.

          Plus it can be legitimately application-unlocked unlike many DRM capable phones and the SDK is

      • Re:Innovation? (Score:4, Interesting)

        by Siniset ( 615925 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @06:47PM (#9320645) Homepage Journal
        I think that a lot of gui and interface problems have to do with patent and copyright infringement. So it would be nice if people used some form of open source in gui design. Too many design decisions are based on not wanting to infringe on other people's intellectual property. At least that's my two cents

      • Re:Innovation? (Score:3, Interesting)

        by pantherace ( 165052 )
        Well, right now there seems to be a perception that many options is too complex for people. (Looks squarely at the GNOME camp, Firefox programmers & the like.) (Not to mention while firebird is a good browser, their basics only is contradicted: what good is a 'home' button, while useful buttons like font +/- are not even available. (sorry about the digression, but that's similar to what lots of phones are doing: my phone won't let me set T9 input as default for example.))

        Honestly though, those options

      • Re:Innovation? (Score:3, Interesting)

        by gujo-odori ( 473191 )
        Maybe it's just the programmer in me, but there are many MANY device that I look at and think "wow, I could design such a better interface for that..".

        It's not just the programmer in you, it's the "Hater of design so bad that it could have been pumped from a port-a-potty" in you :-)

        For example, take my Nokia phone. Please. The hardware is OK, but the UI is horrible. I lived in Japan for years, and my first cell phone there, in 1996, had a better user interface than any Nokia I've seen since (never s

    • Re:Innovation? (Score:5, Funny)

      by Vihai ( 668734 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @06:13PM (#9320412) Homepage
      When you let it fall by accident... will it write "OUCH!" while falling?
    • It could be relatively easy to establish a hierarchy of places to contact a person starting with VOIP, then progressing on down to sending a voice to text message at the very last.

      I've got a special number that I can program to route people to several of my real phone numbers (ringing simultaneously if I want to, different numbers at differents times in the week, etc.) - if I don't get to the phone at all, you can leave a voicemail message (or decide to text me). I imagine that whichever country you're in
    • it has gone far enough.

      This normally is not my mindset however this must stop. It is bad enough to hear a cell phone but now I am FORCED to see your cute little message.

      Punches self. Feels much better.

    • Re:Innovation? (Score:5, Funny)

      by fiannaFailMan ( 702447 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @06:33PM (#9320566) Journal
      but now we are going to get people gesticulating madly, waving their arms back and forth to send messages.
      You'd better not go to Italy then!

    • Re:Innovation? (Score:3, Interesting)

      by avalys ( 221114 )
      BMW IDrive system is a great idea and works nearly flawlessly, but only once you've been using it for a few days. Once you're familiar with where all the settings are, you start to realize the benefits.

      A) Your posture can remain essentially the same: left hand on the wheel, right hand on the IDrive controller. Rather than having to lean forward or sideways to be able to reach a certain button, all you have to is flick your wrist.

      B) You don't have to look all over the dash to adjust something. Looking away
      • And their cars still handle like bats out of hell. :)

        While I can agree to this point, I can't trust any aspect of my safety to an operating system designed for day planners.

        Luckily, there are other car vendors, so if I ever wear out my BMW and find out there aren't any non-windows models, I've got some good options.
        • iDrive doesn't have anything to with your safety. It doesn't control the engine, brakes, steering, or even the turn signals and wipers.

          The worst thing that could happen if iDrive crashed would be your radio and AC turning off. It has no control over anything outside of the passenger compartment.
      • ...You hit me as I cross the road.

        YouDrive, IDie.

        Tune out the distractions or I end up in traction. The best driver interface should make all nondriving functions of the car inaccessable from the driver's seat unless the car is at rest. What do you think people riding shotgun are for?

        However I am all for tactile feedback gear shifts and drive by wire and head's up displays. Just keep the nonessential stuff out of the driver's hands, until the driver parks. Too hot? Radio station sucks? Put up with it or
        • Are you seriously saying that you pull your car over to change a radio station or to turn the heat down? I'm no fan of distracted driving, but I am more than able to hit a preset button without taking my attention off of the road. Driving across flat prairie land does not take much concentration anyway.

    • Re:Innovation? (Score:2, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Damn. And you thought cell phones in movies were obnoxious before.... I just want a cell phone where I can simultaneously text message the entire movie theater at once:

      SIERRA TANGO FOXTROT UNIFORM!

      ... and see how long it takes for them to figure it out.
    • I agree...BUT...

      What is Nokia's largest market?
      Ages 15-21.

      Will they attract some of this market and get some additional customers?
      Unforunately, yes.

      Until a large portion of the population want (and know they want) what you're asking for, and are willing to pay money for it, the mainstream cell providers just aren't going to provide it. It's simply not worth their time and money unless more people are interested.

  • I had that toy... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by soren42 ( 700305 ) * <j@nOsPAm.son-kay.com> on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:52PM (#9320231) Homepage Journal
    I used to have toy from Mattel back around 1983 or so that worked on this same concept - it was called a LightStick or some such. It was a long black paddle with a row of leds on the front, and a keyboard on the back. You just typed in a message, and wave the stick wildly back and forth in the air.

    As I recall the problem was, waving this thing around wildly was very taxing on the arms, and the message was sometimes unclear and difficult to read - especially after fatigue set it.

    Hopefully Nokia thought about this, and has made it a little less straining to use.

    • Re:I had that toy... (Score:5, Funny)

      by arudloff ( 564805 ) * on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:57PM (#9320283) Homepage
      They still sell something extremely similar at Disney World. Incrediably cool at first, for about 3 minutes, then you realize how retarded you look waving a plastic stick with mouse ears on. :(
      • Incrediably cool at first, for about 3 minutes, then you realize how retarded you look waving a plastic stick with mouse ears on. :(

        You know, in another context, this would be even more disturbing than it already is. ;)
      • I've already seen something similar to this used in a club. Some retard was waving one of these LED toys around in the middle of the dance floor that read...I shit you not....

        "Acid??? Rolls???"

        It took less than 10 seconds of this before two large men dressed in nice black suits escorted him off the dance floor and into a back room.

    • I have a device like this, except mine spins the LED bank in a circle, using a mechanism very similar to a football rattle. The only problem is, because the angle you can sweep through is quite limited ( even less so when you've got to wave your frickin' arm around instead of just spinning it on an axel ), so is the length of the message you can display.

      And thank god for that. The method for programming messages into mine involved entering letters using something like binary representation, and it was a

    • As I recall the problem was, waving this thing around wildly was very taxing on the arms, and the message was sometimes unclear and difficult to read - especially after fatigue set it.

      Maybe today's youth will actually loose weight if forced to something that requires little bit of excerise.

    • Re:I had that toy... (Score:3, Informative)

      by mikael ( 484 )
      Maybe your looking for the Skyliner Virtual Message Writer [theskyliner.com].

      There used to be a road safety wand version, which allowed you to enter a preprogrammed message which would appear when the wand was waved from side to side in the air. However, I could ever figure how anyone would have the time or skill to fiddle around with the programming buttons in order to create a coherent message after an accident.

  • Prepare for some UGLY ascii art (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:52PM (#9320237)
    Just look at all the ugly ascii art we see from the ./ trolls.

    Now imagine some retarded 15 year old high school loser waving an animated picture in the air in front of you.

    • Re:Prepare for some UGLY ascii art (Score:5, Funny)

      by somethinghollow ( 530478 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @06:02PM (#9320326) Homepage Journal
      I deleted ./trolls right after I installed Red Hat on my PC. It's really a useless directory that clutters up the file system. It's always spamming dumb things like "first post" to my terminal. It's quite annoying. It kept coming back, so I got a Mac instead.
    • Now imagine some retarded 15 year old high school loser waving an animated picture in the air in front of you.

      Such a person would be a great candadite for a swift punch in the mouth, or maybe my knife being thrown into his chest, depending upon his distance from me....

      Now that I think about it, roll out these phones en masse! I think this could be fun, if a bit bloody

  • You know what comes next. (Score:5, Funny)

    by sulli ( 195030 ) * on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:53PM (#9320238) Journal
    Airborne ascii art.

    Be afraid. Be very afraid.

  • Pretty useful (Score:5, Funny)

    by Olaserov ( 785074 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:53PM (#9320246) Homepage
    I wonder if it has any pre-programmed messages already? A particularly useful one might be "HELP: HAVING A SIEZURE!"

  • reverse mode (Score:5, Funny)

    by eegad ( 588763 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:54PM (#9320250)
    I hope it comes with reverse mode so I can wave messages to the car in front of me. think: "Green is for go"

    • Re:reverse mode (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Dav3K ( 618318 )
      I was thinking of using it to tell the car beside me that their 'gas cap is open', or to 'check trailer' when the load becomes untied, etc. I can see this as a real hit for the public transport crowd, especially on trains or subway systems.

    • Re:reverse mode (Score:3, Interesting)

      by LaForce ( 688117 )
      I can't remember what the name of the movie was, but I was watching a spy movie where they had one of these equipped in a car as one of his gadgets. I remember being impressed by how feasable and useful it looked.
      The taillights were LED based, with one of those bars across the entire back of the car for third brake light. It turned into a voice activated scrolling marquee when he spoke into a cb radio style microphone. This was used twice in the movie, once to communicate with the police behind him, and

  • innovation?? i think not (Score:5, Insightful)

    by fodi ( 452415 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:54PM (#9320252)
    ahhh... this is what happens when your R&D dept. can't keep up with the marketing dept...

    gimmiks for the kiddies...

  • This would be great for... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by BodyCount07 ( 260070 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:54PM (#9320256) Homepage
    writing messages to a DJ in a noisy club. I currently request songs by holding up my phone as close as possible, but that isn't always readable.

    • Re:This would be great for... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Johnathon_Dough ( 719310 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @06:03PM (#9320334)
      As a part time DJ, I can say with some authority, that this is a good way to get your phone thrown across the room.

      It's bad enough being surrounded by bouncing people and seizure inducing light shows with out some jackass waving their blinking cell phone at me to play some song I have no intention of playing anyway.

      • I've seen these things at raves (here's a pic from a rave site [ravetoyz.com]). A lot of times they just put up the name of the dj or something. It wasn't any more obnoxious than the 40 necklaces and bracelets and huge stuffed spongebob pacifier that the candy ravers wear.

      • Re:This would be great for... (Score:5, Interesting)

        by patniemeyer ( 444913 ) * <pat@pat.net> on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @11:03PM (#9322303) Homepage
        So, I thought that was the rationale for why a D.J. is more than just some poser replacing a CD player... that they somehow responded to the crowd.

        If you don't want input from the jackasses in the crowd then what are you doing up there? Wouldn't you do a better job mixing up your stuff if you did it in a sound room and recorded it?

        Pat

        • Re:This would be great for... (Score:4, Informative)

          by Lord_Dweomer ( 648696 ) on Thursday June 03, 2004 @03:48AM (#9323490) Homepage
          You obviously have never been to a real club then.

          REAL club DJs are very busy making cool creative mixes. They have their sets planned out already. And they DO respond to the crowd, however they don't do it through direct input like waving this kind of crap in their faces. They read peoples reactions to what they are playing and decide what to spin next and how to mix it.

          Any pro DJ in a club would be super pissed at you for waving this shit in their face.

          Maybe you should go to an actual club and figure out what club DJs actually do before you post ignorant comments like that.

    • Re:This would be great for... (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Rebar ( 110559 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @06:13PM (#9320415)
      So far, this is the best use anyone has proposed for this feature, and it is better accomplished with a 50-cent pen and a bar-napkin.
    • DJing is the artform of presenting and combining songs in new ways, setting the mood and telling a story with music (not to mention turntablism). If you just want to pick a song and have it played at your command, buy a Wurlitzer.

  • Freebird (Score:5, Funny)

    by The_Rippa ( 181699 ) * on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:54PM (#9320259)
    Nokia said the 3220's air messaging system could be used by friends to talk to each other across crowded rooms or open-air concerts.

    Great, all the artists need are 10,000 people waving "Freebird" in the air
    • Great, all the artists need are 10,000 people waving "Freebird" in the air

      Yeah, but it sure beats having some drunken, stoned asshole waving an open flame behind your head...

  • Holey Spokes (Score:5, Informative)

    by stoolpigeon ( 454276 ) <bittercode@gmail> on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:55PM (#9320261) Homepage Journal
    Kind of like Hokey Spokes [hokeyspokes.com] but not as big or cool really. But it will sell with the junior high crowd I predict.

  • It's annoying enough having people using cell phones for normal sms messages in movie theatres...imagine the waving of phones in movie theatres that will happen now...of course if the message happened to be a target...

  • What need does this serve? (Score:4, Funny)

    by ethanrider ( 129483 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:55PM (#9320268)
    When someone developed the flamethrower it was because of the idea "You know, I'd really like to set that person over there on fire"

    I wonder what the analogous thought process was for this product if there was one...

  • Short Text Message (Score:5, Funny)

    by ackthpt ( 218170 ) * on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:55PM (#9320269) Homepage Journal
    "Can't Afford Monthly Payments on Cell Phone - Please Help"

    You notice a cup with a few coins in it at their feet.

  • more on that from The Reg (Score:3, Informative)

    by jdesbonnet ( 22 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:56PM (#9320271)

    http://www.theregister.com/2004/06/02/nokia_shel ls _waving/

  • Finally! (Score:2, Informative)

    by Piranhaa ( 672441 )
    I've always wondered how long it would take for these things to become available to the average consumer. What I really think should start getting popular are keyboards that shine on the desk, allowing you to type without the need for moving keys. This is a big step into mobile technology, and it can only grow bigger, and better!
  • How about a motion-sensor device that will enter text on your phone (i.e. into a SMS message) as you move the phone. Say making a "J" motion will enter in a J. Kinda like Palm's graffiti just using your hands.

  • What a gimmick (Score:5, Funny)

    by AlphaPB ( 741406 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:58PM (#9320295)
    From the article:

    Nokia said the 3220's air messaging system could be used by friends to talk to each other across crowded rooms or open-air concerts.

    So instead of picking up the phone and calling the other person, you're supposed to type in a 15-letter text message and wave your phone around in the air?! I can see how this can be fun... for 5 minutes.

    • Re:What a gimmick (Score:5, Funny)

      by Johnathon_Dough ( 719310 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @06:07PM (#9320363)
      Yes, according to nokia at least

      My friends and I though, have this other method we have been using, I am actually thinking of patenting it:
      We walk across the room and (this is the neat part) hold a conversation using (get this...) only our voices.

      Revolutionary for the times I admit, but just watch, give it a few years, everyone will be doing it, if only so as to not have to try and pick the message directed to them from the sea of waving arms and blinking lights at the concert.

      • My friends and I though, have this other method we have been using, I am actually thinking of patenting it:
        We walk across the room and (this is the neat part) hold a conversation using (get this...) only our voices.

        Your method has a fatal flaw, it doesn't work in clubs or concerts.

        Not that this thing is any better.
        • Actually, I will be including in the instruction video a how to on conversing in loud areas, a free teaser:

          You place your speaking apparatus (mouth) aprox 1-2 inches from the intended recepient's listening apparatus (ear). Increase the volume of your speaking level until the recepient stops saying "WHAT?"

    • BoingBoing noted [boingboing.net] that an obvious use for this would be heckling. Probably not something the marketing types thought of... :)
  • If you wanted to communicate to someone in a discrete manner you would sms them or phone them. If you wanted to make an indiscrete communication that would get their attention you could shout to them (they are still within vision range and i doubt that you can read the little LED's at 100 metres), so what void does this feature fill?

    I may not be the target market for this, so it could just be my not seeing how these things tend to take on a life of their own beyond the original use.

  • How does it know? (Score:4, Funny)

    by DanielMarkham ( 765899 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @05:59PM (#9320310) Homepage
    Whether you are waving your arm in a straght line? Seems like when you wave your arm it makes more of an arc than a line. I wonder if the phone compensates.

    And you wouldn't want to send a long message on a subway -- you'd end up whacking the people around you trying to work it out. Back up, buddy! I've got a phone here!

  • Ugh! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Bill_Royle ( 639563 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @06:04PM (#9320344)
    I can see two positive things happening with this technology:

    1. People using this who accidentally hit people in the process will be sued, prompting them to stop using it.

    2. People using this may develop carpal tunnel or dislocations, prompting them to stop using it.

    Enough's enough. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should - someone throw the engineer that came up with this off a cliff!

  • It's an addon ... (Score:2, Informative)

    by smk ( 41995 )
    You have to buy an extra shell to get this silly function (Available in Germany [nokia.de]). It's like the old days when you had to buy a special battery to get vibration alarm, but this time the function is kind of useless. Imagine many people waving their mobiles in the air to communicate. Not to mention that you can't type and wave at the same time ...
  • I can see tons of personal injury lawsuits resulting from someone wacking the next person in the head while reading their SMS's, or even worse, stabbing someone in the eye with the antenna.

  • when was it decided (Score:4, Funny)

    by bizpile ( 758055 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @06:05PM (#9320354) Homepage
    I want to know when it was decided that all the most annoying technology would be crammed into one device and then given to basically any idiot. I sure didnt vote on that.
    • That's called "progress". Contrast with OSS, which is called a "threat to civilization".
  • You have to admit that it's pretty clever. Especially being able to control the games using the same motion sensing technology. We've spent decades twisting and waving gamepads around in the air in fruitless efforts to produce that extra bit of movement in critical gaming moments - how about it actually working for a change! Why can't my console or PC do this?
    • Pretty clever that the same electronics device plays MIDIs of Nelly's "Hot In Here" while strobing through enough LEDs to hold a small rave, causes people to take up two lanes and drive half the speed limit, allows telemarketers to sell you insurance while you use the bathroom, runs out of battery when you might need it for something actually productive, and is small enough to constantly lose?

      Oh yeah, I'm overjoyed.

  • 15 characters (Score:5, Funny)

    by thatguywhoiam ( 524290 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @06:09PM (#9320383)

    NOONECARESNOKIA

  • old stuff... (Score:2, Interesting)

    by whowho ( 706277 )
    however why didn't I think of this myself before! doh...

    This I actually saw a long time ago in a bar in London, '91 or '92... I was chatting away with some friends and I kept thinking Absolut, Absolut... that feeling like you just saw a sign for it somewhere. After a while of this subliminal pounding I notice a vertical row of bright red lights in a corner. Didn't think twice until I moved my head away from it and saw "Absolut" floating in mid air.

    Essentially just moving your eyes around the room and go

    • Well, the principle is old,
      doing it on a static (metronome on a bar counter) or a predictible (like a bikes wheel) device is easy.

      (BTW, the metronome version is available at ThinkGeek if you want it now)

      What's new it that it mesures your (irregular) arm movements and adapts to them. Then again, we'll have to see how well it'll do in real.
  • I mean, this is just amazing! A system that lets you send messages by waving your arms! [anbg.gov.au]

    Maybe in a few more years they'll invent a system which lets you send a message by entering just dots and dashes. [demon.co.uk]
  • christ on a cracker. I'm all for nerdliness, but I cannot think of a more useless non-feature.

    it used to be: phone = phone.

    it is becoming: phone = (verbal communication device) + (textual communication device) + (personal digital assistant) + (voice recorder) + (camera) + (internet access point) + (vibrator) + (portable game closet) + (GPS locator) + (status symbol)

    and now we add: ... + (arm-excercising device)

    basically it is becoming: phone != phone.

    -- --

    dear mobile manufacturers,

    NOT ALL FEATURES AR
  • the graphic in the article makes the phone spell out the word 'FUN', my money is on people using this a lot for messages that start out with the same two letters but end up differently, especially in traffic: I mean, come on, even if you scream at somebody who cut you off they won't hear you, now you'll be able to wave the phone at them and let them know how you REALLY feel (I wonder if this comes with a preference to spell things backwards so they'll appear straight up in rearview mirrors).

    It's also defin
  • I can just picture a beowolf cluster of them .... no wait, before you mod me down, my cricket club could do with a giant led scoreboard so all I have to do is wait til most people wanna dump them, get my hands on a few hundred and build a little bluetooth machine to control them. I'm not insane ... REALLY @~}

  • ip over AIR (Score:3, Funny)

    by TheGratefulNet ( 143330 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @07:27PM (#9321039)
    so, next out will be an RFC about how to packetize IP datagrams and wrap them in this led-air 'transport'. but its one way, so how do you get ack's and stuff? well, that's just a detail, save that for AFTER we get funding.

    IP over ASCII LED air painting.

    at least it will be faster than ip over carrier pidgeon (which IS an actual RFC, btw).
  • I want one to mount in the back of my car to tell tail-gaters to goto hell...

    Saw something like this at the local drugstore, it displayed time via a row of lites on a oscillating wand mounted in a small plastic box..

  • I've got a message (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Pirow ( 777891 )
    "steal me!" The phone has some nice features (XHTML browser for one), but all the LEDs seem to do is advertise to would-be theives that you've got an expensive phone.

  • Useful 15 letter messages for this device. (Score:3, Funny)

    by ikkonoishi ( 674762 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @07:40PM (#9321141) Journal
    "HANG UP & DRIVE"
    "U R IN MY LANE!"
    "SAME TO YOU ASS"
    "DAMN TAILGATER!"

    this is a bunch of lower case letters to avoid the lameness filter so you can ignore it if you like or not if it fits your preference.
  • Nokia said the 3220's air messaging system could be used by friends to talk to each other across crowded rooms or open-air concerts.

    Okay, let me see, I'm in a crowded room, a party let's say, and my drunk friend is trying to get my attention. What takes longer, for drunk boy to pull out the phone, get to the proper menu, drunk type into the phone using T9, press ok, wave the phone like a madman, only to have it slip out of his hand and go flying across the room and hit the hot chick in the head he was t
  • I said I wanted BETTER battery life. I must be breaking up, sorry. I'll try you on a landline.

    Alex.
  • There have been numerous toys that do this; a waving wand thing, a frisbee with programmable message, etc. I built one with a hardcoded logo about 15 years ago.

    Here's another example:
    http://www.luberth.com/analog.htm [luberth.com]

  • I want one of this for my car! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Phybersyk0 ( 513618 ) <phybersyko AT stormdesign DOT org> on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @08:05PM (#9321293)
    If you could make it print the characters in reverse it'd be awesome!

    My first messages would be:

    "Put Down The Phone And Drive"
    "Eat when you get home!"
    "I think you've eaten enough already"
    "Watch TV when you get home."
    "Nice stereo. Turn it down."
    "POLICE"
    "OMG WTF LOL"

    • Re:I want one of this for my car! (Score:2, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      A friend of mine once setup a scrolling LED display in his rear window. Before installation he asked local & state police and found that unless you're an emergency vehicle (e.g. police, ambulance, fire truck), you cannot have a sign in your front window that is written backwards so as to be legible in the rearview mirror. LED, printed, anything.

      The idea is that people will be distracted trying to read the message and will get into an accident because they're stupid enough not to simultaneously pay atte

  • Nokia ring tone sales? (Score:4, Funny)

    by sploxx ( 622853 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @08:05PM (#9321294)
    I once heard (maybe an urban legend, but anyway) that Nokia is making 30% of their sales with... ... RINGTONES.

    Maybe someone has the exact numbers availbe?

    Such a gimmick seems to be a very thoughtful addition to the phone for me.
    Now, Nokia could start selling people LED-Messages. And, since they pay alot for ___RINGTONES___...
  • ...what we used to call, way back when I was in college, a "hand-waving argument" -- which just meant putting a poorly documented line of reasoning up on the board and hoping nobody noticed that the logic to tie it together just wasn't there.
  • Look. The company is making gazillion products a year. So what if some of them look like a candy bar and have oddball features like this?
    Does that take anything from you?
    No, it's-funny-laugh-debt.

  • Survival Tool (Score:3, Insightful)

    by ctime ( 755868 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @09:27PM (#9321820)
    As much as this feature seems annoying to most people reading slashdot, it might actually come in handy in certain situations:

    That said, this is obviously only going to work in certain situations, namely dark rooms or at night, but what I find interesting is the fact it will be VERY easy and obvious for someone to pick you out of a crowd of people when your waving this around. Imagine emergency situations where it might be difficult to discribe your exact location and someone that is despirately trying to find you (At a concert, park, out lost in the wilderness etc), or even something as simple as alerting someone driving around trying to find you (and have never meet you before perhaps?), you could easily attract their attention, plus include a message they understand.

    Now, granted 99% of the time it's going to be completely useless, but for the fact that the other 1% of the time this allows you to communicate more effectively, I think it's really not a bad idea.

    I would also like to point out that the average slashdot reader should have no problems waving the phone around for extended periods of time (granted they use their right hand).

  • This has been done before (but not on a phone) (Score:5, Interesting)

    by drewhearle ( 753120 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @09:39PM (#9321897) Homepage Journal
    Reminds me of propeller clocks [bobblick.com] (also here [freenet.de], here [quicknet.nl], here [sympatico.ca]...)
    ...or the similar mechanically scanned displays [planet.nl].
    Spacewriter [spacewriter.com] sells some very cool full-color displays. Their iBall 3D display is also sold at AudioVisualizers [audiovisualizers.com] - check their site out for more animated demos.
    There's also the Virtual Game System [gunee.com] (Google cache [216.239.39.104]) which was amazing; unfortunately the site is down so you'll have to settle for text and no pictures.

  • Actually, could be useful (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Ambush_Bug ( 106102 ) on Wednesday June 02, 2004 @10:33PM (#9322174)
    Pretty much every comment has been disparaging... like "oooh... what do we need this for?"

    I can think of one case where it would be useful: hearing impaired individuals.... Imagine trying to shout across a a street or something to a deaf friend.. not going to work. but if you could wave and message them, then it allows communication over "earshot" distances easier.

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