Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Bonn, Germany
Posts: 55

idea for new module

So I am sitting here in the library e-mailing myself the search results for various articles and reading other junk off the web.

And getting peeved that I can't just beam the crap to my visor.

Timex has a technology for using flashing computer screens to transfer data to its watches.

I think it would be just plain briliant for someone like avantgo and/or handspring, palm, to develop a module with a relatively basic sensor and some memory on it, and have it collect data using a java "hotsync" program.

It would work in the following manner:

I get data from the web, e-mail, etc, launch this little applet off some website, and zap it to my visor's Dataman module.

This would allow people in libraries and internet cafes around the world to easily "hotsync" stuff to their visor.

Kg

p.s. I was thinking using four or 8 blinking boxes of red, green, blue, and black. This would allow for a fairly primitive sensor array to get some bandwidth off a lowest common denominator refresh rate.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 152

Would this have to be a module? Could not this be done through the IR port and software?

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Howard

Registered: Mar 2000
Location:
Posts: 49

Why IR? Why not Bluetooth or 802.11? I don't think the transport should be the focus. The focus would be the client/server like application that would extract the content in its current form and convert the content to a form that can be accessible by the client (PDA).

Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Simsbury, CT
Posts: 40

The reason for the suggestion for IR is that it would require no additional cost and every out-of-the-box Visor would support it. Having said that, I don't think it's possible for a monitor to transmit IR signals, but what do I know.

Scott

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Bonn, Germany
Posts: 55

bluetooth is obviously designed for exactly this scenario, BUT the problem is that it is going to be a LONG time before libraries and every over public internet terminal has bluetooth support.

I'm not even sure the system I was using this morning was pentium class. I figure bluetooth won't make it into school /library /government settings for at least 3 years, more likely 5.

I doubt the IR port would suffice, though I'm not sure about that.

I would think that the IR's sensitivity would have to be out of the range of the monitor's output range, otherwise there would be lots of problems.

The main concept was really to make a one way transfer method from web to crt to visor, capable of handling e-mail, images, and maybe web pages.

The best model would to be that you login in to a website, very similar to a web mail site, and just say add file, or add e-mail, etc. then click send and it would launch the "send to visor applet"


That way it should be able to work on a 386 with a java capable browser and a CRT display.

kg

Registered: May 2000
Location: St. Paul, MN
Posts: 1429

that's a REALLY good idea...

And I see it being able to be done for less tan $50 i na standerd size modules. Costs really would only come from dev of palm OS software, and keeping the site upto date... Wow.. I really think that's a good idea..

Your never going to get it so that public libraries ave bluetooth or even IrDA... BUT timex datalink stuf is really really slow, and it would be hard to hold the visor lon enough to transfer pages of text.. BUT agian it's a really really good idea.. wow..

e-mail me when it's time 4 me to review it

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-miradu

Registered: Mar 2000
Location:
Posts: 49

Where can I find some technical information on this Timex data transfer protocol?

Thanks

Registered: Mar 2001
Location:
Posts: 347

Start here:
http://www.timex.com/html/data_link.html

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Elkins Park, Pa
Posts: 577

WOW! GREAT IDEA! I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AT SCHOOL!

quote:

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Originally posted by kgruscho
I'm not even sure the system I was using this morning was pentium class. I figure bluetooth won't make it into school /library /government settings for at least 3 years, more likely 5.\

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-Bernie

"One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice president, and that one word is 'to be prepared'.
-Dan Quayle

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Bonn, Germany
Posts: 55

So I had a big long talk with my brother last night (he's actually got the background to make such a device).

Here are a couple of realizations:

First, there is not a big enough market because of smart and cell phones. I.e. at present it's easier to just e-mail anything to yourself and download via a cell phone connection.

yes it would be cheaper to make a device like I was describing, but you probably couldn't sell enough of them to cover the time and materials you spent making, or maybe more importantly, to cover server maintence.

Second: The first eyemodule might actually be the best way to input data. The datalink method is slow, but my brother and I came up with the idea of a single screen image 64x64x3bits, with some calibration crosses at the corners. This would give somewhere in the ballpark of 30k of throughput, and would require about 360k of working memory.
(You would need to take multiple shots and average them to kill scan lines)

Third idea: if you really wanted to go for something closer to my first idea, probably would be best to go get three sensors Red, Green, and Blue, and try to do something along the line of three scrolling barcodes. This would get better throughput than the datalink I think, because it should have wider bandwidth, likewise cost would be less than an eyemodule.

just some ponderings, Kg