Remember the crazy idea about the morphable surface on a mobile phone for tactile effect?

Guess what?

Cambridge and Nokia are working on it already, and it’s called “The Morph Concept”. Although they have the exact same idea, it is expected to take a decade for possible realization. They have released the concept publicly in February this year, but I didn’t know about it until I heard it on the news last night. Kinda shocked, cos it was so recent that I wrote about it.

To see what I mean by the morph surface, load this video and click on “9”.

If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.

– Albert Einstein

Remember the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds the need for each other.

– Jackson Brown, Life’s Little Instruction Book

I thought nothing of the laughing mannequins I saw in boutiques. It turned out to be a representation of Yue Minjun, a Chinese artist. The laughing face is modeled after himself.

I’ve just struck off another item on the wishlist. And n79 so happen to match all points I listed in the phone item. Looks like I’m a few years ahead of technology when I made that wish. The next phone I’d like to see will be a touch phone, but with a morphable surface so that it will jut “keys” out on areas that can be pressed, creating a tactile effect, as though there were keys. Crazy? Maybe.

Having set up and customized my phone for a day, here’s my perception of the phone.
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Got this in the mail. At first I thought it was the bill again. 🙁

In no time it became this…

😀

Fear is a result of uncertainty. Under certain circumstances, there is no more fear. (no pun intended)

Note 1: What’s with fear recently…

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.” – Ambrose Redmoon

Song of the Moment: Colbie Caillat – Bubbly

Note 1: Youtube blocks original MTV 🙁 where else to link?

Note 2: What’s with rain falling on windows…

I’m not much of a gift wrapper, especially compared with the women who work at our shop. But I was the only one available the day a customer wanted a gift wrapped for his mother.

“Sorry,” I said, handing him a box covered with wrinkled, oddly taped paper. “It’s wrapped, but it sure looks like a guy did it.”

“Great,” he said happily. “Now my mum will think I did it myself.”

This was extracted from a recent copy of Reader’s Digest. Meant to humor, it struck me elsewhere instead.

What are your thoughts?

Song of the Moment: Jason Mraz – I’m Yours

I started this post with the title “nothing has happened” but as i typed the first line this windows box BSODed on me. Had to wait for it to restart before I can continue the post. I have always wished to migrate to handphone blogging with wifi, which I can do on my bed. I often have thoughts to pen while I’m there, or thought of something to google on, but its too much trouble and sleep-distruptive to get up, switch on the PC, wait for bootup… and then type, then wait for shutdown… It’s easier to pull out my mobile and do it. I guess I’m a permanent fan of bed-computing. From placing my desk right beside my bed (in aussie), to using DIN extensions so I can stretch my keyboard to my bed. If I could I think I will do everything in bed. This was supposed to be a one-line post but its getting too long. I shall stop here and… yep, go to bed.

Saw the ads on TV and print few days ago, but it didn’t say when it’ll be released. Happen to pass by Nokia Concept Store while shopping yesterday, and found that it was out yesterday. Got my hands on the actual set and tried it.

Good = weight, camera.

Bad = lock on top (maybe can find s/w hack), plastic looking buttons, crowded function keys, # key is too cornered, navi-wheel not sensitive.

NoContract = 698, Contract = 438. Still not perfect, but I’m not sure if there will be one. Anyway not sure if now’s the time, cos I can’t use it for the next month, so I’ll waste those “first few months free” gimmicks.

EDIT: There are people doing the unlock feature already (as I expected). I just hope its free or not too expensive. Or I might have to resort to doing it myself.

EDIT 2: I went to see the phone again. And searched the manual online. Couldn’t find any built-in method to change the keypad lock feature. Also saw the 2 colors – gray and white. White looks better, but makes the buttons look more plastic.