Flexible Computers in the Future? 229
An anonymous reader writes "New Scientist is reporting on Sony bendable input devices. When computers become too small to be operated by buttons, how will we control them? The only option will be to gently bend them, according to engineers at Sony's Interaction Lab in Tokyo." The diagrams make it look like a warped Game Boy. Looks pretty cool, though.
Any ideas how this would work in real life? (Score:4, Insightful)
Does anyone have any ideas?
possibilities.... (Score:3, Insightful)
FP!
or we can just talk to our computers (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Any ideas how this would work in real life? (Score:3, Insightful)
What's the lifespan? (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes, I know they're small piezoelectric particles to generate voltage when compressed, but those can't last forever. The material of the card might start developing a memory if you bend it too much.
However, this will be kickass if they can make them cheap enough. Imagine: walk up to a vending machine in an airport, buy a little credit-card sized game to occupy you during the flight, and throw it away when the battery runs out. Or have a book on the card - a novel and text output probably won't take up that much memory.
Erm (Score:5, Insightful)
Here's a thought... when they get that small, small is no longer the issue... spend some time on improving battery life / screen resolution / feature X.
Not to sound like an environmental maniac, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
Imagine: walk up to a vending machine in an airport, buy a little credit-card sized game to occupy you during the flight, and throw it away when the battery runs out.
And designing things to be thrown away is good practice?
Re:Only option will be to gently bend them??? (Score:5, Insightful)
Nobody considered simple voice recognition?
No, they finally realized it would be really, really stupid (and noisy) to have everyone talking to their PDAs.
Re:Only option will be to gently bend them??? (Score:3, Insightful)
Or maybe they realised that the current crop of PDAs don't have enough grunt to do Voice recognition.
You never heard of a throat mic/earphones?
Re:Works with mac GUI model not MS (3 button)! (Score:1, Insightful)
Two buttons work great on the windows platform as do 104 keys. They don't work on a little flexible computer, but neither does a steering-wheel. Demanding that every OS cater to the capabilities of little flexible computers makes as much sense as demanding that the MacOS serve as an optimald esign for controlling a car. It doesn't. Too bad. That's not what it's there for.
bender the robot... (Score:2, Insightful)
I'm all for some more flexible devices, but the flexibility controlling them?, would there be the equivalent of a "hold" switch or keyguard to prevent you from accidentaly hacking the CIA by doing jazzercise (assuming these gain wireless capabilities) or maybe just accidently creating a bunch of new To Do list items simply stating "......." (I get that a lot with my palm pilot with a broken off cover, also because of pocket stuffing)
Or should I just stop whining and don a Batmanesque belt presenting all my devices within my reach and within women's views so as to entice them to <sarcasm> pursue that "Batmanesque stud" </sarcasm>
Hey, bite my shiny metal ass!
So, it has a touchpad already... (Score:2, Insightful)
Although, I do remember when Nintendo first came out, and watching many people play, it was apparent that the thought that pressing harder or twisting the controller would make Mario jump higher or move faster. Maybe this is a product of that ideal.
Dumb concept (Score:5, Insightful)
Being small only gets you so far, and just because you can make it smaller doesn't mean that you should. For example, take your average ball-point pen. Most pens you can buy in a store are about the same size - a good fit for an average hand. Yet, I've seen a few "toy" pens here and there - I remember there was a teeny pen on a swiss army knife I owned. That thing was completely useless. You could attempt to write with it, but your hands cramped up almost instantly. That's probably the reason you don't see a lot of swiss army knives with pens as attachments nowdays. I'm sure there are ways of making a new "interface" for a miniature ball-point pen - for example, if you had nothing to do, you could probably attach it to a thimble and have a half-decent pen. The point is, that people don't do it. There is a thing as TOO small.
I think handheld computers too are getting to their natural sizes with the Palm (and PocketPC) form factors. If you get too much smaller, you start squinting at the screen and there's the whole issue of diminishing utility again. Input into the thing becomes just one of your (many) issues. I had a teensy cell phone for example, and I was in constant fear of losing it in the cushions of my couch. I actually upgraded to a larger phone with more features and a longer battery life - because the size of the previous phone was a nuisance rather than a benefit.
Practicality and Affordability (Score:5, Insightful)
There are two powerhouses in the PDA industry, Pocket PC and Palm.. Sorry guys, Zaurus IMO is still a non-mainstream. Firstly I'm not gonna talk about a specific PDA or specific brand, rather PDA in general.
In general, most people use PDAs for the address book function, and majority of these people uses the Appointment/Calendar function too. Some would also use the notes function too, but seldom. Anything extra, rest assured you can call yourself a power user. I know this for a fact because I used to work in a retail shop selling PDAs
Let's look at features that most users want..
Handy - Small, slim stylish design that you can keep in your shirt pockets. Not something the size of a brick, and weighs like one!
Battery - You want something that can last at least for a few days without charging the battery (One Pocket PC brand got it right finally, by having removable batteries)
Affordability - Most Tom, Dick and Harries don't need the bells and whistles and the extra gadgets like cameras, bluetooth, Wi-Fi, modems, large external storage. Something reasonable is probably the order of the day. All those extras costs money, house-wives don't need most of 'em in order to keep track of their grocery shopping list do they.. So are students, secretaries and bosses, normal users and joes like me ;-P
Most of those who bought brick-like units are usually either power users (who knows what they want) or those who got too much money and wanna show off. I call these PDAs - Show-Off Units.
Sony bendable handhelds, well, Look and see.. Price-wise, if they're out of reach, most joes won't use it. Battery-wise, too short, they're not Palm-Tops nor Pocket PCs, rather Desktop PDAs, since they're perpetually connected to their charger unit. If it is too bulky, hell no, I'm not gonna use it, cuz it won't stay in my pocket. I don't wanna look like a fully packed Llama
In the end, I (and most joe user) want something convenient to use to get day to day tasks done
Extremely unlikely... (Score:4, Insightful)
Not to mention forcing the general public to learn a new way to interface, which we all know is difficult, but these devices are going to have to be extremely well made to withstand all the abuse. With the rapidly dropping quality of consumer-level products I'd be quite wary of purchasing something that by it's very nature would have to go through all that.
Stop it All !!! (Score:3, Insightful)
Well, now you have your answer...
P R 0 n !
When computers become too small to be operated... (Score:1, Insightful)
Limitations (Score:2, Insightful)
Painting Yourself Into A Corner? (Score:5, Insightful)
When cars become too small to drive, the only option will be to gently bend them. :)
That's how ridiculous this business of changing the ergonomics to conform to the implementation sounds.
If I had a Pentium-IV equivalent system the size of a quarter that could be powered by a watch battery, you know what I'd do with it? I'd build it into a full-sized IBM keyboard. Or, for more mobility, how about one of those portable Palm keyboards?
I certainly have no desire to bend anything just because the guts are small. Also, if these things are expensive I don't want them to be too small anyway. Too easy to lose.
When computers become too small to operate, the only option will be to gently bend them, and throw them into the garbage.
Re:Only option will be to gently bend them??? (Score:3, Insightful)