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."-- SeattleBrad, May 29 2002 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.pdfHow 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.technologyIs 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] Ice cream! Get your Ice cream!
I could use this - I often have to use a laptop outside. Croissant.-- drew, May 29 2002 Already Baked. Please search before posting. Welcome to the HalfBakery.-- phoenix, May 29 2002 Sixty-five bucks???? Wow.
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.-- drew, May 29 2002 ...plus the cost of tripod.
If $65 is too much, buy a roll of duct tape.-- phoenix, May 29 2002 That was including the tripod - you can pick them up for < $5.-- drew, May 29 2002 the "Red Green" model.-- rbl, May 29 2002 How about one built from a modified Panaglide or steadicam rig?-- bristolz, May 29 2002 [drew] The two-legged version? 8^)
[bristolz] A bit expensive for a laptop caddy, no? I'm trying to figure out a use for it....-- phoenix, May 29 2002 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.-- half, May 29 2002 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...-- yamahito, May 29 2002 [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.-- drew, May 29 2002 What? $30K too much to cradle your precious laptop in silky smoothness?-- bristolz, May 29 2002 Has anyone checked out the catagory this is in? Its either a mervelous pun, or SeattleB is ignorant. I hope its the pun.-- [ sctld ], May 29 2002 //If $65 is too much, buy a roll of duct tape.//
[phoenix]: That's duck tape. Or at least in England it is.-- NickTheGreat, May 29 2002 Hmmm - in wales and the south west it's still duct...-- yamahito, May 29 2002 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".-- half, May 29 2002 [bliss]: //Do a little surfing whilst you are sking//
That's snowboarding, innit?-- drew, May 29 2002 [bristolz]: I can assure you, there was nothing smooth or silky about the $30K support I was using.-- drew, May 29 2002 Duck tape, duct tape, lets not argue.
Besides, its scotch tape, everyone knows that...-- [ sctld ], May 29 2002 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.)-- drew, May 29 2002 It's Elephant tape. Got some here - picture of elephant on it. Conclusive Proof.-- drew, May 29 2002 it's definitely not scotch tape - that's the clear-type selotape....-- yamahito, May 29 2002 No, scotch tape has a brown backing, like parcel tape.-- [ sctld ], May 29 2002 Okaay, okay. How about 'gaffer tape'?-- [ sctld ], May 29 2002 Hmmm - well, I always used to call it gaffer tape, I admit, but then no-one understood what I meant for some reason.-- yamahito, May 29 2002 [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.
In black, ideally, but I'm not pushy on this point.-- drew, May 29 2002 Drew: the virtual keyboard bit of what you're talking about is baked, i think.. there's a link here somewhere..-- yamahito, May 29 2002 yamahito: It's all baked technology, just not glued together in an attractively priced unit.-- drew, May 29 2002 no, no, someone was actually marketing a little projector/sensor unit in a shiny black box - I can't find the link anymore though..-- yamahito, May 29 2002 [drew]: How do you know "the current crop doesn't quite cut it?" Have you used one?-- bristolz, May 29 2002 (Link)-- half, May 29 2002 [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.
[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.-- drew, May 29 2002 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.-- bristolz, May 30 2002 Where did you get that?-- [ sctld ], May 30 2002 [image removed as it has served its purpose]-- bristolz, May 30 2002 [drew] What's the difference between having a keyboard and having to find a large, flat area capable of serving as one?-- phoenix, May 30 2002 [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.
[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.-- drew, May 30 2002 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.-- 8th of 7, Jul 19 2002 That will be the day I stop wearing jackets.-- angel, Jul 19 2002 random, halfbakery