Laser Interface

 

These tiny units project a virtual laser keyboard on your table. They are fully functional and even make those little clicky click sounds while you type (optional). It uses a couple of sensors to measure the shadows thrown by your fingers from the projected light in order to indicate their positions. There are several on the market now, including this one conveniently located on amazon. It is compatible with bluetooth and USB, most operating systems, mobile and otherwise, and runs on DC, battery, or USB.

One of the first things that occurred to me when I saw this is that someone needed to make one for DDR/Stepmania. Remove the need to store and stand on a giant mat. Apparently someone is at least partially on that trail (via Engadget), although the execution looks relatively weak at the moment.

Obviously we will be seeing a lot more of this kind of tech soon. I’m hoping in the near future laptops will come inside cellphones. Just drop it on the table and project a keyboard and screen. You could probably do that now with a pico projector, a good cellphone, and one of these.
You can purchase it at ThinkGeek Electronics

Data Visualization

Hans Rosling is a credit to geeks everywhere. He has a great product, and gives one hell of a speech. Our world currently suffers from being bigger than we can easily visualize, and a simple graph just doesn’t cut it for complex data. Google has bought the trendalyzer software and is in the process of integrating it into the reports on their Analytics service. You can use the motion chart software here.

Update: In order to use this software in Google Analytics, look for the Visualize button above many of the graphs.

Upside Down Dogs

 

The Url is perhaps the best example of the idea being the invention. Here is a site that anyone could have bought for under ten bucks a decade ago, but didn’t. Well, It’s too late now. Upsidedowndogs is a site full of upside down pictures of upside down dogs. It may not be any great revolution for society at large, but the site is a perfect example of maximum success for minimum effort, and it is hard to not be cheered by a visit.

Robbery

Not all innovations are used for the good of the people. As an armored truck driver walked into a bank with a bag of cash, he noticed a worker with a dust mask and a pump sprayer. Unfortuantely for the guard, the sprayer was full of pepper spray. After this cleverly disguised individual grabbed the cash, he ran to a nearby river where he had an inner tube stashed as a getaway vehicle. To discourage pursuit, he had put out a craigslist ad requesting workers and listing the required clothing for the job: An exact match for his own. His decoys had been told to meet in the area of the bank, and didn’t realize they had been duped until after the robbery.

Full story via King5

Update: It looks like our thief was a bit sloppy. Three weeks prior, he had left a can of mace, a wig, a two way radio, and a safety vest behind a dumpster near the bank. Someone noticed him picking up the items and wrote down his license number. The tip, combined with DNA evidence made solving this one almost too easy. What a Wile E. Coyote moment. Adding this to Imperfection.

Via Wired DANGER ROOM

Virtual 3D Sketch Pad

This video shows a new interface for sketching on a touch screen called ILoveSketch. The software looks somewhat limited, but the interface is very well thought out and lends itself to quick intuitive sketching of three dimensional objects. I give it extra credit for being an innovative design for making innovative designs.