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posted by Siafu_Snafu on 29 August 2007 17:58
I don't paintball, but here's a few ideas:
1) Design a headset that completely eliminates the handheld device all together. It might be slightly bulkier, but it sounds like with the bare bones CB you need, there won't be much room to take up anyways.
2) Find out a way to run your communications through a WiFi signal, that way you can encrypt your network and only allow your own teammates into the conversation.
posted by TJM2007 on 29 August 2007 17:49
This is an opportunity and major manufacturers and OEMs are already addressing the issue -Qualcomm aquired and are developing the Interferometric Modulation (IMOD) technology Link: http://www.qualcomm.com/qmt/ Motorola have already released their low cost handset for emerging markets - Link: herehttp://direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/motofone/experience/experience/index.html I work on the design of a lot of mobile devices and see a several technologies emerging that are both low energy consumption and excellent for extreme conditions.My question is "Is this a big enough hook or USP to engage users ??"
posted by Stasiu on 29 August 2007 17:40
That would be nice but ...it's a bit old idea and many firms might have it somewhere down the pipeline or at least in the 'idea bank'. Here's the example: http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/pcs/dell-xcs-snap+on-pc-concept-185141.php I've seen another concept recently too, don't remember where. It looked like stackable power strips or something Also the success of IBM's PC platform was that it was free and open which in turn brought in great number of available parts in reasonably short time. How would you like to make money on a new platform design? Unless you're a giant like HP or Dell.
posted by Siafu_Snafu on 29 August 2007 17:40
An electronics designer Richard Choi has recently developed a similar concept line he calls UNI where the different computer components can be purchased separately and pieced together through a simple plug-in adapter. Here is a link discussing the new idea:
http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2007/08/16/uni-computer-builds-em-as-you-go/
posted by sacah07 on 29 August 2007 17:36
Personally I can't see how hard it is to upgrade a PC, I think if people actually tried, they would find its quite simple. The problem I see with plugging everything together like USB is it would make data transfer extremely slow compared to how fast your PC can access its RAM, CPU and internal HDD currently. Connecting these all wirelessly is even slower again.
posted by Damoon on 29 August 2007 17:22
OLED screens are not supposed to resolve this problem? Even if OLED screens are still very expansive for big sizes, compare to electronic ink the OLED technology is certainly closer to offer a solution to this problem, no?
posted by Siafu_Snafu on 29 August 2007 17:16
I don't really think this is necessarily a risk, but I wanted to mention it nevertheless as I've been clamoring for something of this nature for a long time; Samsung has been working on this problem for a little over a year now. They are using a variety of different substances and reflective surfaces to amplify the brightness of mobile phone screens against sunlight while still retaining low power consumption. Here's the link:
I realize the original poster's proposed solution is not necessarily the same idea but the overall problem is.
posted by IrishMark on 29 August 2007 17:10
I think this technology may already have been developed. The latest spec's released for the $100 laptop project includes a screen with a monochrome (grayscale) mode, where the display is lit only by ambient light such as the sun.
posted by Stasiu on 29 August 2007 16:35
Yes, definitely CrowdSpirit portal issues should be separated from proper ideas! It's so confusing now. Also, forum-style comments might be helpful in that section. I understand the concept behind restricting posts to 'submissions' and 'risks' to keep the idea thread focused on the subject but IMHO after a short while it will become a normal discussion forum anyway with participants trying to qualify whether their post is supportive of the idea or not. A 'neutral' discussion is always needed to clarify the ideas, ask questions, analyse etc. A 'comment' category would be nice. By the way just the titles 'opportunity' & 'risk' aren't intuitive enough to figure out that it's here where you contribute to the idea. Maybe some header would be useful like 'add opportunity / risk / neutral comment'. And of course - Great Job !! Looks awesome!
posted by enphiniti on 29 August 2007 20:25
The idea of using scrolling signs on a vehicle is a great idea to allow communication between drivers, but community resistance and some local laws might pose problems to implementation. Many communities in the US have tried to block or have limitations on the use of flashing or moving images and lights in advertising. The argument against such advertisements is that they are distracting to drivers. If these limitations are taken into consideration during the design process and if enough political finesse can be used during product launch, this problem might turn out to be a non-issue, but it is certainly something to keep in mind as this idea progresses.
related to Textual Communication Between Vehicles