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Ideas in Electronics for 2005
December 15, 2005

As 2005 concludes, lists are appearing to help make sense of what's happened over the past 12 months. The New York Times Magazine got a start with its December 11 issue, describing "78 notions, big and small, grand and petty, serious and silly, ingenious and…well, whatever you call it when you tattoo an advertisement on your forehead for money." These ideas range from "accredited bliss" (college credit for Transcendental Meditation) to "zombie dogs" (don't ask unless you hate animals).

I perused this list hoping to find some innovations that could be the next big thing for the electronics industry and to see if any ideas I've already identified made the cut. "The laptop that will save the world" made the list, but Amazing Amanda the Turing doll didn't.

In addition to the hand-cranked laptop that will save the world, here are some electronics-related ideas the Times identified:

--"The Anti-Paparazzi Flash," an anti-machine-vision system that detects the presence of a digital camera's lens and then shoots light directly at the camera when a photographer tries to take a picture. It can be employed by shy celebrities as well as in locker rooms, at trade shows, and in theaters to prohibit unwanted photography.

--"Consensual Interruptions," a system that silently surveys the members of the group about whether to permit a group member to accept an incoming phone call.

--"Dialing Under the Influence," a service offered by Virgin Mobile Australia. Before heading out for a night of on the town, you specify numbers that shouldn't be called until you've sobered up at 6 a.m. the next morning.

--"His-and-Her TV," a controlled-viewing-angle LCD that shows different images depending on the angle from which you view it.

--"Parking Meters That Don't Give You a Break," which reset themselves to zero when a wire grid beneath each parking space senses a vehicle's departure.

--"Robot Jockeys," which enable camel-racing aficionados to comply with bans on child jockeys without having to employ heavy adults.

--"The Runaway Alarm Clock," which, on ringing, dives off its nightstand and moves randomly about the floor, forcing its owner to get out of bed to shut it off.

--"Seeing With Your Ears," a system that can assist the blind by converting images into a soundscape. It includes a camera, a laptop computer, and headphones.

--"The Sonic Gunman Locator," which employs multiple microphones facing different directions to pinpoint the source of enemy gunfire.

--"The Toothbrush That Sings," which plays a tune to reward a child for proper oral hygiene.

--"Touch Screens That Touch Back," which rely on developments in haptic technology to enable tactile feedback for soft keys.

--"The Uneavesdroppable Phone Conversation," which, when you speak on the phone in your cubical, generates a stream of counteracting sounds that make your speech unintelligible to your neighbors.

--"The Urine-Powered Battery," which, for medical tests, can employ the bodily fluids under test as a power supply.

--"Video Podcasts," which can turn anyone into a video producer with worldwide distribution capability.

All good ideas? As the Times points out, "These are the ideas that, for better and worse, helped make 2005 what it was." Got a favorite or want to suggest one not on the list? Post a comment.

Posted by Rick Nelson on December 15, 2005 | Comments (0)