True Silent Notification? Shocking!

[Jon Westfall]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://mobileburn.com/news.jsp?Id=2314' target='_blank'>http://mobileburn.com/news.jsp?Id=2314</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Motorola has recently received a patent for a completely silent way of alerting users to incoming calls and messages. No, this isn't the usual vibrating system - the Motorola patent involves alerting the owner using mild electric shock. The system, not unlike the massage and weight loss systems currently available on the market today, uses a small pad containing electrodes that are wirelessly linked to a handset. When an event occurs on the handset, an electric potential is placed across the electrodes, stimulating the skin and underling muscles, thus alerting the wearer."</i><br /><br />Now this is pretty cool. I've never been a big fan of Vibrate because I either can't feel it when it vibrates in my pocket, or it makes too much noise in quiet environments (i.e. meetings). This, however, would be pretty nice - just a small tingle whenever my phone rings or an SMS arrives. Once you get over the whole "shocking yourself" part of this news, this actually sounds pretty cool.

[Steve Jordan]

I know where I'd put my phone... :shocked!:

[Watti3460]

I see a whole new thread here on "Where would you put your patch."

BTW if you think the vibrate is distruptive the guy int he back row having an orgams is not going to be any better :)

[applejosh]

How silent would it really be if the user "yelped" every time they got a phone call?

[Darius Wey]

This can't be safe for people with certain medical conditions. If put into practice, I anticipate a thousand lawsuits heading Motorola's way. ;)

[tnelson2000]

I wonder if Motorola got anyone to stand in water when they tested it? Or maybe they will just leave that test for the Beta release. ;-)

[Jon Westfall]

This can't be safe for people with certain medical conditions. If put into practice, I anticipate a thousand lawsuits heading Motorola's way. ;)

I think you'd have to pump a LOT of power through this thing to pose a serious medical risk. Just enough to give a tingling sensation would be alright. It's not the volts that gets ya, its the amps ;) After all, if you shock yourself with static electricity and can hear the snap, you've just discharged between 2,000 and 4,000 volts, but at super super low mili-amps. If all else fails, all Moto need do is put a giant warning label on it, similar to that on amusement park rides.

[pivaska]

How about if it is directly connected to your retina and you can "see" the caller id? Or how about to your ear or ........

I wish I would have thought of this post first.

[Darius Wey]

I think you'd have to pump a LOT of power through this thing to pose a serious medical risk. Just enough to give a tingling sensation would be alright. It's not the volts that gets ya, its the amps ;) After all, if you shock yourself with static electricity and can hear the snap, you've just discharged between 2,000 and 4,000 volts, but at super super low mili-amps. If all else fails, all Moto need do is put a giant warning label on it, similar to that on amusement park rides.

Actually, I wasn't concerned too much about physiological disruption - more so, the electric shock as a, er... shock. For example, unexpected shock -> fright -> heart condition kicks in -> and so on and so forth. (Edit: Well, actually, that is physiological disruption in the grand scheme of things.)

Agreed on the warning label, by the way. ;)

[BugDude10]

Yeah, but can you hook this thing up to a car battery...?

[WorksForTurkeys]

I predict 30 days after the first commercial unit is sold, the first test case wrongful death lawsuit is filed (and probably settled out of court).

Warnings on lables are (if at all) binding only to the purchaser, not to the family. I can see the lawyers lining up now...

[Jon Westfall]

I think you'd have to pump a LOT of power through this thing to pose a serious medical risk. Just enough to give a tingling sensation would be alright. It's not the volts that gets ya, its the amps ;) After all, if you shock yourself with static electricity and can hear the snap, you've just discharged between 2,000 and 4,000 volts, but at super super low mili-amps. If all else fails, all Moto need do is put a giant warning label on it, similar to that on amusement park rides.

Actually, I wasn't concerned too much about physiological disruption - more so, the electric shock as a, er... shock. For example, unexpected shock -> fright -> heart condition kicks in -> and so on and so forth. (Edit: Well, actually, that is physiological disruption in the grand scheme of things.)

Agreed on the warning label, by the way. ;)

Unless you somehow forgot that you attached a little electrode to yourself to notify you of events, I really doubt that the shock would be sufficient to produce any type of physiological disruption. People's threshold will already be heightened as they know they could be shocked.

Although in the way I'm seeing this technology play out, I highly doubt that it would be a shock. It's probably more likely to be a buzz or tingling feeling, similar to holding a vibrating cell phone up to your bare skin.

[Darius Wey]

Unless you somehow forgot that you attached a little electrode to yourself to notify you of events, I really doubt that the shock would be sufficient to produce any type of physiological disruption.

Haha, I wouldn't mind seeing this on some of the more forgetful people I know. The results would be interesting. ;)

It's probably more likely to be a buzz or tingling feeling, similar to holding a vibrating cell phone up to your bare skin.

If so, I doubt it would hold much value over the vibrating cell phone. At the end of the day, how many people would be willing to deal with electrodes?

[PetiteFlower]

If it's the same kind of electrode as they use for the muscle stim machine at the physical therapist or chiro's office, then it's not going to disrupt anyone's pacemaker even if they DID disregard the warnings about it...

[ljclark]

How much juice to deliver what kind of jolt?

Over in the UK I picked up a couple of little piezoelectric devices (called "Click") that are intended to reduce the itching from insect bites (place the tip on and around the bitten area and rapidly click the button several times).

No warning regarding the electrical aspects. If you place it on the the right place on the back of you hand, you can make a finger or two twitch.

I haven't seen it for sale in the U.S. 8O