Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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ring of +1 dexterity

vibrate near things and help clutzes and the blind
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This ring would contain a wireless power receiver, a low- power 360 degree sonar rig, and a vibrating mechanism. It would vibrate more or less violently depending on how close it were to things that aren't fingers.
Voice, Jan 16 2014

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       or better yet, headband of dexterity +2... then you could add directional vibration information.. hmmm maybe big headache though... ok better than headband => earbuds of perception +3, audio with stereo headphones hooked up to your sonar... directional surround sonar, with doppler pitch shift for objects getting closer or further. Might be dodgy impairing a blind person's hearing though... depends which is more useful in a given situation I guess. Could still do it as a headband, to not impair hearing, but probably much less sensitive using skin rather than hearing, and ears can already 'hear' multiple directions at once... I doubt skin can.
cthulhuJon, Jan 17 2014
  

       I don't want any dexterity near my ring, thanks.
hippo, Jan 17 2014
  

       //ears can already 'hear' multiple directions at once... I doubt skin can.//   

       There are various systems in which an image is translated into a matrix of vibrating pins strapped to the skin. After a time, the wearer starts to "see" the image.   

       The brain is very plastic. Given any input through any sense, it will figure out how to interpret it.
MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 17 2014
  

       In terms of vibration, the skin can 'hear' omnidirectionally. In limited fashion it's much more accurate that the ears. In fact, animals with the right kind of hair can 'hear' nearby or very loud sounds through air vibrations. It's why you can't sneak up on a deaf cat.
Alterother, Jan 17 2014
  

       //It's why you can't sneak up on a deaf cat.// [citation needed]
hippo, Jan 17 2014
  

       I cite a lifetime of experience growing up in a veterinary clinic. I've met literally thousands of cats, dozens of them deaf. Unless there's something else wrong with the cat (like neurological damage) or you're a highly trained infiltrator, you can't get close enough to a deaf cat to touch it without the cat knowing you're there.   

       If you insist on documented evidence, I'll make a cursory search but I'm not wasting my whole morning on it. I know I'm right, which is good enough for me.
Alterother, Jan 17 2014
  

       That sounds pretty good. I just like those irritatingly picky "[citation needed]" things people put into Wikipedia articles.
hippo, Jan 17 2014
  

       Me too. It reminds me that we're not the only fussy pedants on the 'net.
Alterother, Jan 17 2014
  

       would skin be sensitive enough (say in a headband) to also detect doppler/pitch shift ? (assuming frequency change when things are getting closer or further away) I guess it could, but I still think ears would be better at this. why am I thinking of 'Aliens' movie right now...
cthulhuJon, Jan 17 2014
  

       ^ [marked-for-immortality]   

       // It reminds me that we're not the only fussy pedants on the 'net. //   

       ... but we're by far and away the best.   

       Based on an unrepresentative sample of one, we confirm that it IS possible to sneak up on a deaf cat.   

       We can also confirm that squirting cold water into a cat's ears with a 5ml hypodermic syringe (without a needle) can induce permanent deafness in cats.   

       We can also confirm that squirting cold water into a cat's ears with a 5ml hypodermic syringe (without a needle) can trigger physical and verbal agression in female cat owners, even if the cat concerned is a horrible mangy ancient smelly flea-ridden waste of vet's fees.   

       // The brain is very plastic //   

       This is correct. Very little force, applied with the back of the bowl of a spoon, is requred to force it though the mesh of a regular kitchen strainer.
8th of 7, Jan 17 2014
  

       I am somewhat disappointed, [8th], at the borg's lack of understanding of basic material science and the associated terminology, even in a punning context.
MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 17 2014
  

       Life's full of disappointments. Get over it.
8th of 7, Jan 17 2014
  

       //squirting cold water into a cat's ears with.... can induce permanent deafness in cats.   

       It's just ignoring you after that water in the ear routine?
not_morrison_rm, Jan 18 2014
  

       No, if it could have heard us creeping up behind it, it would definitely have run away.
8th of 7, Jan 18 2014
  

       That's a hilarious visual of the entire borg collective stalking one cat - in single file, all shushing each other.
pertinax, Jan 19 2014
  
      
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