Funnily enough, just a few days ago as I pen these words, I was chatting with my wife (Gina the Gorgeous) when she informed me that — as a kid — she had never played at making a telephone using two tin cans connected by a piece of string.
I must admit to being a tad surprised. I thought every kid was obliged to do this as a rite of passage or something. Even now that I'm old and gray, I'm not above playing with this sort of thing. Everyone should have a little whimsy in their lives. (I know, I know… it's not the size of your little whimsy, it's what you do with it that counts, but we digress.)
So, you can only imagine my surprise on discovering the ultimate in iRonic gifts — the iCups communication system, which is billed as “The apex of high fashion and high technology, and the perfect gift for the trendiest of friends and family!” As you can see in the photograph below, being presented with his very own iCups communications system certainly brightened Steve Wozniak's day.
I think it's fair to say that, in this increasingly complex technological world in which we live, the retro iCups system takes us back to a simpler, purer time.
What, you want an iCups system of your very own? Well, in that case I'm about to bring a smile to your face and brighten your day, because Magdim Mukhametshin, co-founder of ADA Sport, has an iRonic iCups Kickstarter project up and running.
Why do these folks need a Kickstarter? Well, as Magdim says, quite apart from anything else, they need to be prepared for the onslaught of lawsuits from the phone companies whose business they'll be stealing! Knowing how litigious companies are these days, it's hard to argue with this.
To read the rest of this article, visit EBN sister site EETimes.
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It looks like there may be some space for me to enter the market witha competitive product – iCans (actually got the idea from you!)
ha ha…really nice to read about the stuff of high-tech past.
When technology gets too advanced, simplicity becomes enjoyable. 😀
-Susan
@Eldredge, I think you should go for it!
Really, at the base of it, it's all about helping people communicate. That's what it was about adn that's what it will be about.
@Hailey – I think so too. Among other things, it has nostalgia going for it.
@Susan F,
… or too big. It's funny when every other device gets smaller & the one you carry around everywhere slowly gets bigger.
@pocharle: Well it's the trend isn't it ? I think we are heading towards the early stages of technology where every unit was quite big in size.
@eldridge: Any others who are interested in heading towards it ?
Icups has been synonymous to reliving childhood for all of us old gray people.
This also reminded me of the firefighter tanker we used to make out of the used empty colgate toothpowder cans , which were of the same shape as the fire fighter water tankers. Another Nostalgia!
@prabhakar, and don't get me started about all the things you can make with a large cardboard box! Reuse at its finest.
@prabhakar, and don't get me started about all the things you can make with a large cardboard box! Reuse at its finest.
Well re-usability is something which has to be encouraged in mass scale. Many does not have any idea about what re-usability can do for them.
@prabhakar: Well there were so many things which we used to recycle but now with all these new technology recycling has been sidelined
Prabhakar,
Thanks for bringing back some really-really splendid memories!
Great times for Sure!
pocharle,
“It's funny when every other device gets smaller & the one you carry around everywhere slowly gets bigger.”
Well, long time ago I predicted that phones, as we know it, were slowly walking their path to extintion and the way we communicate using a phone today was going to evolve and change.
And, it's slowly happening if you put all the pieces together, including wearables and what is in R&D as we speak.
The size of the phones went from super big to getting smaller to the point of very tiny phones, and then they started getting bigger again.
It has a logic if you see all what you can do with your phone today, which is much more than just use it as a phone. Almost no one makes as much phone calls as they used to make some years ago.
-Susan
@ Susan – That's a good point The size of the phone has changed becasue of how it is used, and what functions it provides.
@ Susan – That's a good point The size of the phone has changed becasue of how it is used, and what functions it provides.
@nimantha, many people may not know about real usability but i think they know it when they encounter it. Think of many of the products that have gained real mainstream acceptance. People didn't come up with the idea but when they used it, they began to see the possibliities. It's a reality that consumer electronics has been built upon.
Hailey,
Absolutely Right!
The Whole Consumer Electronics industry is based on precisely this possibility and Potential today.
I was recently reading that Samsung has TWICE as many Engineers as Google has currently,But they are struggling to make an OS of the level of Android.
Why is that?
Its because Samsung is spread very thin across many different industries while Google has almost Lazer Like Focus on Software.
It makes a big-big difference to the entire Scheme of things.
At the same time it also means that Google can't produce half the Products that Samsung can today;because they just don't have those many Skilled Pros across different Consumer Electronics Ecosystems today.
@nimantha.d,
I hope not. I'm perfectly happy with things being more powerful & taking up less space. Why go backwards now?
@pocharle: Yes in a way that's good.
@Susan F,
“Almost no one makes as much phone calls as they used to make some years ago.”
I most certainly do not. You're right – the phone has become like a personal concierge for most people. I still personally like the smaller size trend.
Eldredge,
Yes. For voice communication wearables like Glass and smartwatches are going to replace the phone. The phone will merge with the tablet, completely, as you can already see today if you pay attention at how you use your devices.
How much do you use your phone for making/receiving calls and SMSing?
-Susan
pocharle,
Again, it depends on your needs and how you use the device. At this moment, I prefer a bigger phone. But as I probably mentioned before, I don't care for making/receiving calls, or texting. This may also be linked to my experiement spending almost two years without using/carrying a phone.
-Susan
@Susan – Personally, I'm behind the curve with regard to smart phones – I just upgraded from my I-can hardware. But I have also added a wireless system. Installed a dinner bell on the back porch!
Seriously, I am considering more connected technology for business reasons.
Eldredge,
A wireless dinnner bell is a great and important idea. 😀
I am for connectivity for both business and consumer reasons. At this point you can't leave consumers out of the equation. 🙂
-Susan
@Susan – Are you implying that you are ambidextrous? OK, you caught me…I'd like more connectivity for personal reasons too!
Eldredge,
“I'd like more connectivity for personal reasons too!”
Perfect. 😀 Connectivity has to reach every aspect in our life, not only business. Because, after all, business and personal are also connected.
-Susan
@Susan – How true – my business interest is driven by my personal interests in patents – life is good!
Eldredge,
See? They are connected. 🙂 What kind of patents?
-Susan
@Susan – My background is in chemical and electrical engineerng, and my interests are in the chemical/electrical/mechanical fields. I am also a patent agent, so I can help others make their case befroe the USPTO for a patent application.
Eldredge,
How interesting. The world of patents is very interesting, I believe. 🙂
-Susan