h a l f b a k e r yThe word "How?" springs to mind at this point.
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Laptop Harness
Harness that allows you to use your laptop whilst walking around | |
Soon after our company installed wireless networking, I began seeing geeks walking around with their laptops precariously balanced on one hand while pecking the keyboard with the other, all while bumping into people in the hallway.
These guys obviously could use a harness for their laptop, like
a front baby carrier. It would of course come with the standard "Don't Be Stupid" sign above the computer screen.
"I'd love to, but I'm already dancing with Wild Abandon."
Google search for +Laptop +Harness...
http://www.google.c...ceid=mozilla-search
...about 15,800 hits. [phoenix, May 29 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]
The STAND-Alone Laptop Computer Harness
http://www.standalonelaptop.com/
First link from above search. [phoenix, May 29 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]
Wearable Computing
http://www.est-kl.com/pdf/est_vr.pdf
How about a quick price list? And it's not even laptop based. [Reverend D, May 29 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]
Virtual Keyboard
http://www.ananova....enu=news.technology
Is this what [yamahito] was referring to? [half, May 29 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]
Duc*k* or duc*t*?
http://www.octanecr...ape/duckvsduct.html
...other names at the bottom. [phoenix, May 30 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]
Who Put The "Scotch" Into Scotch Brand Tape?
http://www.3m.com/a...udent/scotchbrand4/
"How A Brand Name Was Born" [phoenix, May 30 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]
Elephant Tape(s)
http://www.sellotape.com/diyeleph.htm
"A range of tough, heavy duty, multi-purpose cloth tapes". 5 types to be exact. [phoenix, May 30 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]
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Ice cream! Get your Ice cream! |
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I could use this - I often have to use a laptop outside. Croissant. |
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Already Baked. Please search before posting. Welcome to the HalfBakery. |
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Sixty-five bucks???? Wow. |
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I use a camera tripod with a flat plate mounted on it. The laptop is then velcroed to the plate - easy on, easy off. Height adjustable, light weight etc. But, it ties you to one spot. Still, only cost pennies to make. |
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...plus the cost of tripod. |
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If $65 is too much, buy a roll of duct tape. |
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That was including the tripod - you can pick them up for < $5. |
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How about one built from a modified Panaglide or steadicam rig? |
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[drew] The two-legged version? 8^) |
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[bristolz] A bit expensive for a laptop caddy, no? I'm trying to figure out a use for it.... |
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To deal with the travelling geek show: I wonder if an LCD display with the backlight, etc. removed would be transparent enough to use as a heads up display and still be readable. Then build the harness to hold the laptop up high enough that they can see through it with head up and maybe detect obstacles in their path. |
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Or they could clip a small lightweight cam to the back of the screen, then bring up a small window in the corner of the screen to show them where they're going without having to look up... |
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[phoenix]: Not exactly top quality, I'll grant you, but it does have the full tripod leg count. Honest. I've had one of those two legged versions, but they invariable have a short attention span, and whinge about needing a break. |
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What? $30K too much to cradle your precious laptop in silky smoothness? |
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Has anyone checked out the catagory this is in? Its either a mervelous pun, or SeattleB is ignorant. I hope its the pun. |
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//If $65 is too much, buy a roll of duct tape.// |
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[phoenix]: That's duck tape. Or at least in England it is. |
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Hmmm - in wales and the south west it's still duct... |
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Duck vs. Duct: Having once held a job where I actually used it on ductwork, I call it duct tape. Haven't yet encountered an occasion to use it on a duck. But I do know of one brand that labels it "Duck tape". |
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[bliss]: //Do a little surfing whilst you are sking// |
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That's snowboarding, innit? |
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[bristolz]: I can assure you, there was nothing smooth or silky about the $30K support I was using. |
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Duck tape, duct tape, lets not argue. |
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Besides, its scotch tape, everyone knows that... |
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Rods: Tempting as your alternatives are, I'm afraid I need to use some software which will only operate under W2000/NT/XP, and needs a substantial CPU/RAM/full size screen. Believe me, the day I can do my job with a tiny Palm-type gadget will be a fine day indeed. It will never replace my 99p notebook though (instant access, extremely long battery life, built in handwriting recognition etc.) |
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It's Elephant tape. Got some here - picture of elephant on it. Conclusive Proof. |
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it's definitely not scotch tape - that's the clear-type selotape.... |
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No, scotch tape has a brown backing, like parcel tape. |
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Okaay, okay. How about 'gaffer tape'? |
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Hmmm - well, I always used to call it gaffer tape, I admit, but then no-one understood what I meant for some reason. |
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[Rods]: I've wanted something like a tablet PC for years - the current crop don't quite cut it, but they are damn close. Whilst we're on the subject, what I really want is a PC with a virtual full-size keyboard, projected infront of a tiny screen with a clicky-out fresnel lens to produce a fine virtual screen about 15" or so across, and I want the whole thing to pack to something about 5"x3"x0.5". And it must have a standard 9-pin RS232 port. |
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In black, ideally, but I'm not pushy on this point. |
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Drew: the virtual keyboard bit of what you're talking about is baked, i think.. there's a link here somewhere.. |
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yamahito: It's all baked technology, just not glued together in an attractively priced unit. |
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no, no, someone was actually marketing a little projector/sensor unit in a shiny black box - I can't find the link anymore though.. |
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[drew]: How do you know "the current crop doesn't quite cut it?" Have you used one? |
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[yamahito/half]: Link - Exactly so. That's the thingy I was thinking of. But it's not integrated into the actual PC. Picky, but that's what I want. Too many separate bits makes for tricky use. |
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[bristolz]: Excellent image. Does it have a real 9-pin RS232 COM1 port? The current crop I was referring to are not (as far as I've seen) running W2000/NT/XP, but some strange tabletty windows. The software I need to run is very specific about the OS versions it will play with. Given time, the manufacturers will no doubt play ball, but until then, they make for great paperweights. Plus, without the 'proper' keyboard, as above, data input in tablet mode is iffy. |
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Nope, no serial port but it does have a full keyboard. The screen flips up, around, changes orientation from portrait to landscape and becomes a regular notebook. This one runs XP Pro. Nice machine. 2.5 lbs. Beautiful screen and the ink stuff is great. Has 802.11b/x built in. |
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[image removed as it has served its purpose] |
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[drew] What's the difference between having a keyboard and having to find a large, flat area capable of serving as one? |
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[bristolz]: This no serial port business is becoming a major problem for me - it seems a great many new laptops are not bothering with the 'legacy' ports. I need to interface to lots of different wierd and wonderful control-computers, and the invariably the only route is through COM1. USB add-ons don't seem to work, presumeable because the interfacing software is badly written. |
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[phoenix]: Size. I want to be able to pocket the device, and a keyboard of light doesn't take up much room. A keyboard of plastic does. |
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I've been into wearable technology for a few years and it's something I'm very enthusiastic about. I have adapted one of the videophones we designed (Originally a biggish PDA format) to fit into a black leather jacket; the main PCB is in an inside pocket along with the RF and antenna, the backlit LCD display is on the left wrist along with the hardkeys. I took a set of RayBan Wayfarer II type spectacle frames (heavy, black, durable) and attached the microphone from the handsfree to the edge of the right lens frame; the earpiece dangles off the back end of the right sidearm. The video camera modue is glued to the right side arm as well - the unit is about the size of a sewing thimble and not too heavy. On the left sidepiece is a 1 mW laser pointer which activates when the camera goes live, giving you an "aiming point for the image you're sending. Above the left les on the inside of the frame, above eye level, are two multicolour LEDs which act as status indications. The lenses are photochromic and pretty clear indoors so the headset can be worn indoors or outdoors in bright sunlight.
A cable runs down to the left outside pocket in which the charger cable is coiled. There is a socket in my chair arm so I can charge the battery pack while I'm sitting at my desk.
This sort-of works OK but is unreilable due to the many patched and adapted connections on the system. A device which is quite heavy and bulky as one item is not noticeable when distributed thouoght a garment.
It makes you lok a lot like a Borg, but that's why I did it, actually. One day all jackets will be made this way. |
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That will be the day I stop wearing jackets. |
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