Sitting on a phone that can change its shape might not be such a good idea. What if the nanotech decides to reshape to fit the available orifice. Now whilst some might find this to be a good, nay enjoyable experience........
Ok class, today we are going to mock up a phone made from components that theoretically may exist in the not so near future (if the hype about nano technology is almost entirely realised).
... we could have a phone made out of morphing nano-materials, if only we knew how to make morphing nano-materials.
What a gyp. This thing doesn't exist in any sense of the word. We can all sit around and pluck ideas for magical devices out of whichever orifice we most favour, but that doesn't make it a "design". This is pure made-up hype, it's no more real than the artificially intelligent talking yoghurt that that BT futurist nutjob was going on about a while back.
Q. Are there currently any physical examples of the concept phones?
A. There are physical mock-ups available, as well as animations and concept designs that help explain what Cambridge University and Nokia are developing. There are also real examples of each individual concept and physical demonstrations are available. However, we are not yet ready to integrate them into one device. That will take a few years.
concept only, in other words, it only exists on someones PC someehere. If it does have a physical existance it will indeed be like those none-functional concept cars that the motor manufacturers are so enamoured of and haul at great expense around car shows. If the project runs true to form expect to see a product roughly resembling, but essentially nothing like the concept in question in any way..... just like the car industry ....in about 10 years time (just like the car industry). File under marketting fluff.
so what they're saying is they have mock ups of the devices in seperate states, and they they're saying, we'd start with it looking like this, and then, with nano-magic, it'll look like this
but they don't actually have the nano-tech working yet
So, it can change shape ..... that's not necessarily a point in its favour. You can mistake anything for a polymorph!
The only "new" feature I want in a mobile phone, and one that nobody seems to offer, is for nobody to be able to call it with their number withheld. This is the telephonical equivalent of sneaking up behind someone while wearing a mask and grabbing them, and it damned well ought to be illegal. If someone knows my number, I have a *right* to know theirs.
I'd suite like something to keep my ear cool during prolonged conversations, maybe some sort of clip at teh top of teh phone so instead of haivng a sperate device I can just hook the bugger to my head (or stick it under headphones as I do at the minute)
Then there's basics of GUIs. Anyone who's used a Sony Ericsson and mistyped a word knows how annoying the "OH dear, I couldn't find the word you were looking for, so instead of just doing nothing or just printing rubbish I will display an annoying popup for a few seconds". And the fact I can;t save (or even sort) text messages by WHO sent them has annoyed me since.. well since phone were able to hold more than 6 messages.
Can I even back the texts up on my computer? No. Can I at least get a big text dump of them? Not easily I shoudln't imagine.
Instead people get paid to say "Look. IT'S BENDY! (*in 7-15 years)". Pfht.
Proper nanite-based stuff is far more "flexible" than that anyway, I shoudl be able to download a new schematic for a phone layout and have my phone organise itself into that, not just some pre-programmed settings. Having a phone I could just bend around my wrist would be cool though. Don't wear a watch when I have phone.
For a start, we'd need flexible batteries (already exist, I know) flexible speaker & mic, flexible little motors with eccentric weights (vibra-thingies), and, more importantly, a market that actually demands flexible mobile phones. The "smaller phone=greater sales" trend is so 2005 as the success of behemoths like the Nokia N-series, E-Series etc can demonstrate. How can I use a QWERTY hologramic keyboard on a phone that insists on bending whenever I press a pseudo-button?
I'm very firmly with the gimme-the-hovercar-first faction.
Any current N series... leave it long enough and bits break off, fall off, come loose and the phone begins to take on all sorts of new shapes than when you first bought it. Leave it a few months and it will even rattle enough to be used as a nice percussion instrument.....
HTC Touch HD Pocket PC
MWg Zinc II
HTC Touch Pro
HTC Touch Diamond2
Palm Treo Pro Smartphone
Nokia unwraps bendy nanotech phone
John Carney
Neat, but... #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 11:32 GMT
... will it work with the bluetooth in my hover car?
Nick Rutland
Shape-shifting and elusive #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 12:35 GMT
I can't help feeling that something like this will end up dripping through a hole in my pocket.
Robert Grant
Be useful for when you sit on your phone #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 12:35 GMT
Unbreakable! Relatively.
George
Unless I see a video... #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 12:41 GMT
its not true.
Its like all these wonderful concept cars.
TEQ
@ Rob Grant #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 13:00 GMT
Sitting on a phone that can change its shape might not be such a good idea. What if the nanotech decides to reshape to fit the available orifice. Now whilst some might find this to be a good, nay enjoyable experience........
Ben Mathews
@ TEQ #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 13:43 GMT
So the real question is... does it vibrate?
Anonymous Coward
Graphics class asignment #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 13:43 GMT
Ok class, today we are going to mock up a phone made from components that theoretically may exist in the not so near future (if the hype about nano technology is almost entirely realised).
Dave Murray
Proof or STFU #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 14:57 GMT
Title says it all, without a video they could be pics of anything or nothing.
Anonymous Coward
Hey! Now that we know how to make a phone... #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 14:57 GMT
... we could have a phone made out of morphing nano-materials, if only we knew how to make morphing nano-materials.
What a gyp. This thing doesn't exist in any sense of the word. We can all sit around and pluck ideas for magical devices out of whichever orifice we most favour, but that doesn't make it a "design". This is pure made-up hype, it's no more real than the artificially intelligent talking yoghurt that that BT futurist nutjob was going on about a while back.
Rob Moss
Not all hype #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 14:57 GMT
From Nokia's FAQ on the phone...
Q. Are there currently any physical examples of the concept phones?
A. There are physical mock-ups available, as well as animations and concept designs that help explain what Cambridge University and Nokia are developing. There are also real examples of each individual concept and physical demonstrations are available. However, we are not yet ready to integrate them into one device. That will take a few years.
Andy Enderby
hmmm..... #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 14:58 GMT
concept only, in other words, it only exists on someones PC someehere. If it does have a physical existance it will indeed be like those none-functional concept cars that the motor manufacturers are so enamoured of and haul at great expense around car shows. If the project runs true to form expect to see a product roughly resembling, but essentially nothing like the concept in question in any way..... just like the car industry ....in about 10 years time (just like the car industry). File under marketting fluff.
xjy
Concept cars or vapourware?? #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 15:27 GMT
The big parallel is sitting on a computer near you - Vista!!
oxo
Wow.. looks like a Goa'uld hand device #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 16:38 GMT
Will it be able to do mind torture if you have a well charged battery?
Gerald
Nothing new here - Morph has been around since the late 70's #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 16:59 GMT
http://www.aardman.com/morph/
Gerald Morgan -ReadyPeople IT Recruitment
jai
re: not all hype #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 16:59 GMT
so what they're saying is they have mock ups of the devices in seperate states, and they they're saying, we'd start with it looking like this, and then, with nano-magic, it'll look like this
but they don't actually have the nano-tech working yet
tsk
it's just like prototype cars just as Andy says
A J Stiles
I can see this going awry #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 19:03 GMT
So, it can change shape ..... that's not necessarily a point in its favour. You can mistake anything for a polymorph!
The only "new" feature I want in a mobile phone, and one that nobody seems to offer, is for nobody to be able to call it with their number withheld. This is the telephonical equivalent of sneaking up behind someone while wearing a mask and grabbing them, and it damned well ought to be illegal. If someone knows my number, I have a *right* to know theirs.
Roger de Laborde
My phone can already do that #
Posted Monday 25th February 2008 20:05 GMT
If I take a hammer to it, I can "morph" it to any shape you want.
I know....already out the door
Martin Lyne
How about.. #
Posted Tuesday 26th February 2008 04:04 GMT
..we get some basics sorted first.
I'd suite like something to keep my ear cool during prolonged conversations, maybe some sort of clip at teh top of teh phone so instead of haivng a sperate device I can just hook the bugger to my head (or stick it under headphones as I do at the minute)
Then there's basics of GUIs. Anyone who's used a Sony Ericsson and mistyped a word knows how annoying the "OH dear, I couldn't find the word you were looking for, so instead of just doing nothing or just printing rubbish I will display an annoying popup for a few seconds". And the fact I can;t save (or even sort) text messages by WHO sent them has annoyed me since.. well since phone were able to hold more than 6 messages.
Can I even back the texts up on my computer? No. Can I at least get a big text dump of them? Not easily I shoudln't imagine.
Instead people get paid to say "Look. IT'S BENDY! (*in 7-15 years)". Pfht.
Proper nanite-based stuff is far more "flexible" than that anyway, I shoudl be able to download a new schematic for a phone layout and have my phone organise itself into that, not just some pre-programmed settings. Having a phone I could just bend around my wrist would be cool though. Don't wear a watch when I have phone.
/rant
Rick Brasche
dude, where's my phone? #
Posted Tuesday 26th February 2008 04:04 GMT
and heaven help you should it adapt to the tool you need most at any moment, or to shape itself to fit the owner's mood or disposition...
"Honest, I didn't have a knife a few minutes ago!" you proclaim as airport security summons Betty Bighands for that invasive body-cavity search...
Chris
@ Martin #
Posted Tuesday 26th February 2008 11:26 GMT
"Can I even back the texts up on my computer? No."
Last time i checked (Yesterday) that can easily be done onNokia phones with PcSuite....
Ryan Greenaway
Neat, but... #
Posted Tuesday 26th February 2008 12:12 GMT
...does it have 5 megapixel camera???
Anonymous Coward
Blasphemy! #
Posted Tuesday 26th February 2008 12:12 GMT
Yeah but it's nanotech and that's immoral innit!
Philip Cheeseman
@Martin Lyne #
Posted Tuesday 26th February 2008 12:48 GMT
You need a Nokia N series. You can sort messages in many different ways. You can also backup texts to a PC as Chris said.
I just hope android is as good or even better!
DV Henkel-Wallace
But...what does it look like? #
Posted Tuesday 26th February 2008 16:15 GMT
OK, after only the title I'd best be going then.
black_triangles
nano tech #
Posted Tuesday 26th February 2008 18:53 GMT
werent we promised one of these in the 60s, along with rocketcars and moon houses. :( where my moon house!
Edward
Flexi-everything #
Posted Wednesday 27th February 2008 11:36 GMT
For a start, we'd need flexible batteries (already exist, I know) flexible speaker & mic, flexible little motors with eccentric weights (vibra-thingies), and, more importantly, a market that actually demands flexible mobile phones. The "smaller phone=greater sales" trend is so 2005 as the success of behemoths like the Nokia N-series, E-Series etc can demonstrate. How can I use a QWERTY hologramic keyboard on a phone that insists on bending whenever I press a pseudo-button?
I'm very firmly with the gimme-the-hovercar-first faction.
Monkey
Nokia already make a morphing phone... #
Posted Wednesday 27th February 2008 12:21 GMT
Any current N series... leave it long enough and bits break off, fall off, come loose and the phone begins to take on all sorts of new shapes than when you first bought it. Leave it a few months and it will even rattle enough to be used as a nice percussion instrument.....