Surfing on a Surfboard

JamesD_UK writes "The BBC is running an article about a surfboard developed by Intel with an embedded, solar powered, wifi capable, laptop with web cam attached. It features a 1.7GHz processor and a 80GB hard drive. The camera is able to create videos and transmit them through an access point located on the beach. Jools Matthews of Gulfstream surfboards designed the board itself and pro surfer Duncan Scot helped with the design of the board to make sure that the board still performed well with the extra weight. The board debuts at the Gold Coast Ocean Festival 2004 from 18 to 20 June at Croyde beach in North Devon."

Interesting...

[djhankb]

This should be filed in the "What will they think of next" category.

Interesting idea, but I'm not sure of the real-world application besides the coolness/geekness factor ;-)

-Henry

Is there are purpose to this?

[Dagny Taggert]

Other than PR value? When do I get my wi-fi enabled rollerblades and sandals? I mean, after all, God forbid any of us be off the grid for more than a microsecond.

Re:One question

[Paulrothrock]

Yes. Why not focus on miniaturizing this equipment so it can be more easily integrated into wheelchairs for the disabled?

Marketing, that's why. Nobody wants to think about being confined to a wheelchair for the rest of their life, but everyone loves surfing.

While research into this area does benefit further miniaturization, putting it into a surfboard doesn't really help anybody. I mean, we've gotten footage from that point of view without having to build it into the surfboard.

Yet another...

[blahlemon]

...worthless application of technology. Will it help the surfers style? Will it calculate the odds of the next wave being the big one? Or will it just give a big boost to nude webcam surfing?

A better application of technology would have been to put a micronized mp3 playing into the board so you could have your own sound track playing while barreling down a wave.

Dear god...

[antin]

I really wish someone at intel had anticipated all the lame jokes this is going to cause and killed the project before it began.

Good PR I guess - although you would think that the time and effort that obviously went into this could have produced better results if directed elsewhere...

Wouldn't the Hard Drive be affected?

[lion2]

If the hard drive is constantly being moved a lot wouldnt it be in danger of being damaged?

Re:One question

[redled]

I hate this argument. Yes, it would be nice if more people were to help solve our problems, but it's unreasonable to expect that everybody focuses thier attention on that. Besides, who's to say that this technology isn't adapted successfully for wheelchairs?

Re:Is there are purpose to this?

[Quimo]

The purpose of this is to show that we have the technology to integrate (wirelessly) devices into smaller and more hazardous(to the computer) places. This was by no means considered a product (except for possible the surfing video industry.) This is just to get people thinking about what else they can enable that we couldnt before.

But do you need an entire PC for it?

[swb]

Embedding a wireless camera in the surfboard sounds interesting, as does the idea of a wireless camera attached to the surfer -- the PC just seems superfluous.

Besides, Endless Summer has some great surf footage, including on-board footage, and that was done with film cameras in the 1960s.

Re:Yet another...

[thaigan]

That would be a terrible application. I don't want to hear other's music. I want to hear the ocean and wind. When I need it, I have music in my head. Many times there's enough bad energy out there with all the attitudes; we don't need choice of music to add to all the tension that exists in most places.