Who’s their developer, Ed Gein?
Japan’s Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) researcher Takashi Minato displays a human-shaped mobile phone in Tokyo. The human-shaped mobile phone has a skin-like outer layer that enables users to feel closer to those on the other end.
“The mobile phone may feel like the person you are talking to,” the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) said in a press release, describing the gadget as a “revolutionary telecom medium”.
The project is a collaboration between Osaka University, the mobile telephone operator NTT DoCoMo and other institutes. They hope to put it into commercial production within five years by adding image and voice recognition functions.
[…]
A speaker is installed in the head of the doll-like gadget and a light-emitting diode in its chest turns blue when the phone is in use and red when it is in standby mode. The body resembles a human being but its design is so blurred that it could be taken as either male or female and young or old, the press release said.
So, when will the online sex sites start selling custom made phones in the shape of pron stars to use while spending $2.95/minute to talk to them?
“So, when will the online sex sites start selling custom made phones in the shape of pron stars to use while spending $2.95/minute to talk to them?”
Or pron star appendages.
Ed Gein!!! Ha!
“Or pron star appendages.”
If it’s shaped after the some of the girls I’ve known there would be too much echo…
It’s like the pocket sized version of this thing.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2YsURcVUNhE&feature=player_embedded
It’s gonna haunt my nightmares until I die.
Promises to be a big hit with Republicans ….you can “touch” a person but without being gross in actually doing so.
#4 – Kudos! Wondered how long it would be take for one of our pathologically liberal regulars to make a political remark about a totally non-political item.
Dallas, you da man!
moshguy,
With a comment like that, I’m sure not going to click on your link!
As for me, I have no desire to get closer to my phone!
I have never felt good about putting microwaves that close to my brain, even with the assurances of the cell phone companies that it is perfectly safe.
Gives new meaning to the phrase “Reach out and touch someone..”
And the male models and likely to become very popular with the ladies and gays since they actually have good lavalier-mike audio pick-up characteristics (, uh, when erect anyway ;-).
An Ed Gein model would echo too much. (If you ever saw any of the autopsy photos from back then you’d know why.)
I suspect the female model popular with Japanese men will be in the shape of a 16 year old Japanese girl wearing a school-girl uniform. Given their propensities, you don’d want to know where the push-buttons are.
#5 Your welcome !
Just remember, it’s bad manners to talk with your mouth full.
To me, the most interesting aspect of this technology would be to examine the thought processes leading up to the application of simulated skin to a telephone. What makes this so compelling in the minds of its creators? This is a collaboration among multiple organizations, and the end result so far seem bizarre.
That said, I’d bet that Steve Jobs could sell millions of them.
#8 Dallas, see item 4 http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling
WHY?
-s
“skin-like outer layer that enables users to feel closer to those on the other end”
That’s creepy.
#11 thanks Nazi but I often type on my iPhone 4 which is a challenge of it’s own with it’s spellchecker.
Note how it’s is replaced by it’s . Damn it, it’s it’s it’s it’s . XML , no XML , no XML , damn FML !!! There.
Does it run android?
In #15 Pwuk said: Does it run android?
I certainly hope so.
Steve Jobs would have a fit otherwise.
Ewwww!!!!
Promises to be a big hit with Republicans ….you can “touch” a person but without being gross in actually doing so.
Dibs on the Pandora Peaks (body only) phone. Clothes optional.
But you know what will be marketed first in the US. The Justin Bieber phone. Ugh! He’s just the latest flash-in-the-pan media sensation. He’ll be old news in three more years. Get over it. NOW!