Interesting Gadgets and Gizmos Appear at TECHXNY

Posted By: Ed Wednesday, June 27, 2001 7:21:26 AM

Many companies use TECHXNY as the place announce new products.

MoveIt! is a motion-sensing SDIO device that will be out as soon as the SD Association finalizes the SD input/output standard. It is meant to be used by developers to add motion sensing to their applications. The obvious use is games but the maker suggests that one-handed tilt-to-scroll as a use in regular applications. This was demoed during Mr. Yankowski's keynote speech.

ActiveECG is connected to a Palm OS handheld, leads are attached to a patient, and a clinical-quality ECG/EKG is displayed on the handheld in real-time. It will have many uses especially since so many physicians, nurses, and EMT's already use Palms. It costs $500.

Matias Corporation debuted its Wearable Kit for Palm handhelds, which includes: a Wearable Half Keyboard, all necessary cables, wrist straps, and software. It will sell for for $300.

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Stupid Gadgets

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 9:53:22 AM #
Oh great... These are so innovative that I want to be the first to buy them. NOT.

I can pay big buck$ for a tilt sensor so I can use it one handed. Methinks a jog dial is a better one handed solution.

And the strap-on gear. Great. I can now look like a turbo geek or Borg refugee with all sorts of strap ons. I think strap ons are for consenting adults behind closed doors ;-)

RE: Stupid Gadgets
fleegle @ 6/27/2001 10:07:00 AM #
I agree about the wearable computers. They reek of geekdom! I may be a geek now but I have my limits.

RE: Stupid Gadgets
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 10:33:05 AM #
Hahaha, very funny! Thanks!

RE: Stupid Gadgets
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 10:35:18 AM #
Wearable computers are handy for some jobs where you need both hands *and* access to the PDA. Warehouse workers can save a lot of time entering and retrieving data if they don't have to pull a PDA and keyboard out of their pocket every 2 minutes. Or think about EMTs. They can enter lots of data on a patient in a short amount of time while still helping him.

RE: Wearables
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 10:40:03 AM #
I'll bet there was a time when only geeks wore watches. I can hear some Victorian man saying, "Why do I have to wear the clock? There's a much better one right there on the wall."

-Call me "Pink"

RE: Stupid Gadgets
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 10:43:28 AM #
I'm sure there are allot of Handeras/m505/m500's used in warehouses. The only devices that accept SD.

For warehouse work, you need a rugged device like an SPT1740. The wearable keyboard sounds intended for the super geeks at the consumer level.

That's one product this super geek will not become an early adopter for. I already get enough harassment with my current toys :)

RE: Stupid Gadgets
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 10:57:01 AM #
You said:
At one time only geeks wore watches...

How sadly mistaken you are. The wristwatch became popular because people stopped wearing vests, which had pockets for watches. It was a change in fashion and not analogous to your point.

Any bets that in the future every teenager and businessman will have a PDA with keyboard strapped to both wrists? Ain't gonna happen outside of specific uses like the warehouse example some dude mentioned. Ooh... in your scenario we will see PRADA, GUCCI, and CALVIN KLEIN create designer PDA/keyboard "strap ons" with trimming made of alligator skin, yak hide, and emu leather.

RE: Stupid Gadgets
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 12:13:44 PM #
History is something that should be known before discussed. Re the advent of wristwatches:

"The horological world has its own airplane, or horseless carriage, if you will: the wristwatch. In 1900, people dismissed it as impractical and faddish. Why would anyone wear a watch, fragile and often very expensive, strapped to one's wrist and thus exposed to slams, knocks, rainstorms, dirt, and extreme changes of
temperature? As one watchmaker will write a few years later, "The wrist is certainly the most unfortunate place to put a watch." In the eyes of most males, the wristwatch was also laughably effeminate.

There are nonetheless a few wristwatch believers. Soldiers wear wristwatches to free up their hands for combat. The military wristwatch itself is a new idea; the first documented examples are appearing right now, in what will later be called South Africa. There, Dutch settlers and Britons are fighting the Boer War for control of the region and its rich gold reserves. Among the companies making the soldiers' watches is Omega, which in 1900 makes its first series-produced wristwatch.

A few fashion-conscious women wear wristwatches, but only as show-off pieces of jewelry."

"100 Years of Wristwatches: The Beginning"
http://www.americantime.com/news/stories/decades/1900.shtml

Sounds to me like they started out pretty geeky.

RE: Stupid Gadgets
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 1:01:06 PM #
To the horogynecological poster:

The GEEK as you know it is a new phenomena. Get your history straight.

The only GEEKS in 1900 were the sideshow freaks that ate live chickens and pounded nails into their skulls.
Please look up the etymology.



RE: Stupid Gadgets
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 1:04:21 PM #
OK, let's get this straight. How many of you geeks and wanna-be geeks are going to embrace the strap-on pda and keyboard combo.

Let's hear it? How many? Tell the truth? If you're bashful then, how many of you are wankers? That should be less embarrasing.

Personally, I wouldn't mind 'em if I could get silver wrist bands like Xena to which I could attach PDAs, GPS systems, flux capacitors, and a set of forks and knives. Then I'm sold.

RE: Stupid Gadgets
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 1:24:07 PM #
To the person who cannot respond rationally to the historical quotation given above: I'm not sure why the etymology of "geek" is suddenly relevant. The fact that the word "geek" didn't exist does not mean that "geeks" as we understand them now didn't exist. The word "dumbass" didn't exist either, but dumbasses certainly did.

RE: Stupid Gadgets
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 1:37:30 PM #
To all the people bickering nonsense... the dork who cut-and-paste a history of the pocket watch and the pda strap on dork:

Get a life. You're spending too much time on this board.

Why don't you two kiss and make up. A virtual kiss will do just fine. No fondling please !!!!



RE: Stupid Gadgets
fleegle @ 6/27/2001 1:48:56 PM #
OK. If they made a wearable computer that was the size (width and thickness) of a wristwatch then I would wear it. If it were as wide as say, Wonder Womans bracelets, and/or you had to wear something over your head (so you can "see" the "screen") that didn't look like normal glasses... then no way! Not in this lifetime! :)

Do you want to see geekdom at its finest! Check this site out! Click on the green arrow to get the next pictures. Like I said, NOT IN THIS LIFETIME! :)

http://wearables.blu.org/showcase/1.html

RE: Stupid Gadgets
@ 6/27/2001 9:09:11 PM #
thanks for posting the link i have to get one of these with debian linux.

--
Visit the Internet Only Palm Users Group Home Page
http://www.interpug.com/iopug/
RE: Stupid Gadgets (I think not!)
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 9:38:35 PM #
As I see so many postings insisting how stupid these gadgets are, I feel the need to tell you all to look beyond your own narrow view and use of your PDA's.

Since I work in the Medical field, I see great potential for doctors and EMT's being able to get vital information "on-the-spot" in emergencies. There could be a great advantage for any patient with a known heart condition to be able to record the condition of their heart in the middle of an episode of chest pain.

In addition, the strap-on PDA and keyboard option could be of great use if you work in a facility that uses the "Supply on Demand" approach to keeping stock. If you have to use one hand to hold an item and another to enter the data, great idea. Granted there are better options for this type of system, say bar-code readers, but it is still a viable option.

The motion sensor idea is a far stretch for me to envision having a constructive use for, but I'm sure someone has their ideas. On the other hand, I see little use for having an MP3 player on my Visor since its kind of a waste of memory. If you want to listen to music, buy a dedicated MP3 player, you'll be much happier and you'll actually be able to "USE" your PDA while you listen to music.


RE: Stupid Gadgets
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/28/2001 8:41:59 AM #
ummmm MP£ players for the Visor don't take up memory, its all on board the module.. and in addition you can quite happily listen to music while doing other stuff. I totally disagree that having 2 devices is better than one. First off, I don't need to keep swapping connectors to download new music or hotsync my Prism, second, My Prism and soundsgood fit (just) into a pocket. With a second device for playing MP3s with own battery supply, display etc I'd either have to start carry a bag, wear cargo pants or start attaching things to my belt a la Batman. Lastly, The Soundsgood can function as a standalone player with an energyclip, which is great when I go running or to the beach. The mondule and clip are small enough to hide in a show and at $150 bucks cheaper than many MP3 players for sale here in the UK.

RE: Stupid Gadgets
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/28/2001 8:53:08 AM #
geez my typing sucks

show=shoe

and yeah I know there are other mistakes in there too

Where's Visor????

Visor Deluxe User @ 6/27/2001 11:45:54 AM #
I thought that Handspring has a booth at TechX NY?

Where's the NEW Visor??? Where are the photos????!!!!

Really looking forward to a new Visor that is as slim as Edge, have 16-bit color and priced cheaper than SONY 710C!

I also saw the pictures of the Snap-on Keyboard and 'Game-face' for the Visor. The Keyboard looks great but a tad bulky though...

Keep up the good work PalmInfoCenter!!

RE: Where's Visor????
patwoods @ 6/27/2001 11:49:56 AM #
"Many companies use TECHXNY as the place announce new products."

Thanks for the juicy rumor, that turned out to be just what it was, a rumor. :(

Dumb gadgets!

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 3:44:08 PM #
What the hell is this? Sounds like this show in NY is turning out to be a bust. Crappy devices and dumb ideas. Ya right I'm still waiting for the mp3player add on for my palm that was promised a long time ago. Now SD IO attachments? Ya right just like the memory stick attachments we have been waiting for. Crap I say!

RE: It's an article about gadgets
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 4:32:56 PM #
Actually, I thought lots of great new stuff came out at the expo. There were a bunch of Springboards announced and WordSmith 2.0 looks good. Sony's new handhelds are nice, too. The stuff in this article is the "also-rans" from the show.

nice cleavage!

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 3:54:04 PM #


RE: nice cleavage!
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 6:49:33 PM #
Sheesh - you're easily pleased...! Time to get out more methinks...! :-)

Trinity !!!......

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 7:26:15 PM #
Damn, she's got a nice figure. She can use a strap on anyday/anytime/anywhere on me.

Seriously folks... Besides the nice shot of female anatomical delights, I don't think I would be walking around with a half keyboard and a Vx strapped on to my wrists.

I can see it now at the Burger Joint, ordering food:

"I am Xargon of the planet Luxor. Earthling, I demand refreshments and nutrional supplements. Behold, as I look up the caloric benefits of the Big Cheese Deluxe on my strap on PDA/keyboard unit!!!"



RE: Trinity !!!......
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 7:30:59 PM #
Funny... Forget the MP3 add-on or other I/O devices... There's a better one coming. The ultimate !!!!

The next version of the strap on PDA will include technology obtained from the Borg Collective.

It will be the infamous BORG ANAL BUTT PROBE, which will provide both pleasure and pain as humanoid species such as earthlings are assimilated.



Levels of Geekdom

fleegle @ 6/27/2001 8:20:30 PM #
I'm the one who posted the "reeks of geekdom" reply on the "Stupid Gadgets" post. I was at work so I couldn't post a lengthy reply. :)

Here's my explanation of my first post. There are different levels of Geekdom.

Say there was a cologne/perfume out on the market: Geekdom! for Men(tm) and for women, of course, Geekdom! for Women(tm).

The level of geekiness you reach depends on how much Geekdom! you put on.

Level 1: Geekdom! applied lightly - spraying a mist of cologne/perfume in front of you and walking through it. A person can stand next to you, smell a hint of something, then turn to you with a questioning glance and ask "Geek?"

These are the people who carry a thin PDA, like the m505, in one of their pockets. Visible, but unobtrusive.

Level 2: Geekdom! applied a little more liberally - the cologne is sprayed directly on you at a distance of about 6 inches in one or two places. People can smell you when you are within 10 feet, point, and say "Geek!" with little doubt.

These are the people who carry their PDAs in a belt pouch. This is me. :)

Level 3: Half the bottle of Geekdom! is "spilled" on you. You're reeking of it. When you walk into a room, people on the other side will notice you.

These are the people who wear the keyboard/PDA unit in public. It definitely will get you noticed.

Oh... those people at Wearables Central (http://wearables.blu.org/showcase/1.html)??? They filled a bathtub full of Geekdom!, soaked in it for a couple of hours, and washed their clothes in it! They can clear a building! :)

What is your level of Geekdom?

RE: Levels of Geekdom
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/27/2001 11:41:22 PM #
Visible but unobtrusive.

I'd bluetooth-enable my m505, then I'd bluetooth-enable my Data Glove.

That way whenver i need to enter data, I can:
- slip the glove on my right hand,
- hold the m505 in my left palm,
- type into thin air and see the letters magically appear!

maybe a 1.5?

1.5? Man, you're definitely a 3!
I.M. Anonymous @ 6/28/2001 1:56:18 AM #


GBA

M3hThr33 @ 6/28/2001 7:09:50 PM #
Would an exposed Gameboy Advance hip case be a 1 or 2?

Geiger Counter???

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/29/2001 1:43:17 AM #
A decade ago, my PDA was an Atari Portfolio with 128 K RAM (please do not laugh!). For this little MSDOS device I had a geiger counter module, that even made it possible to use the Atari Portfolio as an automatic unattended radiation leve logging station. A company named AWARE made the device which sold below $100.00 . I really would like one for my SONY CLIÉ !!!

Re: Stupid Gadgets

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/6/2001 7:48:07 AM #
I can see the medical professional's point. The Palm is designed to bring a limited amount of technology into your pocket. If you need a pocket EKG this device would be a great add-on. The motion sensor could play a vital roll for assisting the blind.

I also agree that if you want an MD-3 player buy a seperate device (even a Palm add-on). Don't put the player in the standard device. And most of all if you want to play fast action games - buy a GameBoy. Corperate America alread see the Palm as "just a toy". Palm doesn't need that stigma.

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