Import these and make a fortune in Japan

[Steve Bildermann]

Your Instant messaging buddy

Three dimensional plush dolls that physically sit next to or on top of a computer monitor and "come alive" when the user accesses software and/or websites embedded with digital triggers or via any Instant Messenger (IM) application. For example, if one friend has a Bugs Bunny IM Buddy and is logged onto an IM application with another friend who has a Daffy Duck IM Buddy, then each can enhance their IM conversation by activating the other's actual toy to move animatronically and "speak" in the character's voice, from any location, anywhere in the world!!

Dang if I could just find a way to do this with those Keitai Puppets everyone has dangling off their mobile phone

[Caustic Saint]

Three dimensional plush dolls that physically sit next to or on top of a computer monitor and "come alive" when the user accesses software and/or websites embedded with digital triggers or via any Instant Messenger (IM) application. For example, if one friend has a Bugs Bunny IM Buddy and is logged onto an IM application with another friend who has a Daffy Duck IM Buddy, then each can enhance their IM conversation by activating the other's actual toy to move animatronically and "speak" in the character's voice, from any location, anywhere in the world!!

Dang if I could just find a way to do this with those Keitai Puppets everyone has dangling off their mobile phone

That's almost disturbing. It could bring a whole new element of creepiness to "cybering" with your online gf/bf.

The phone thing shouldn't be that hard to do. I've seen lots of people with different colored lights on their antennas and similar gadgets. I think the main hurdle would be getting it to interface with the phone. There's rarely any sort of interface at the top of the phone where these are usually attached. You'd almost need to redesign the phone to put some physical connection there to get it to work.

[Big Booger]

I like the animated character idea for your PC. Imagine all the dirty things you could get Donald Duck to say LOL

[Taro Toporific]

Make it Bluetooth so you don't need to bother with a physical connection.
Hmmm, is Bluetooth catching on in Japan? I don't remember seeing any Bluetooth gadgets in any of the computer stores in Umeda when I was shopping a couple of weeks ago...

It's still IR ports or nothing here, comparatively speaking. Keitai have Bluetooth, a few PDA and that's it. Home gadgets are few except killer Aibo

[WarlocK]

Sony also recently released a NICE 3ccd DV cam with Bluetooth. You can oogle it here

[Caustic Saint]

Sony also recently released a NICE 3ccd DV cam with Bluetooth. You can oogle it here

What does it use the Bluetooth for? I can't imagine trying to get video from the tape to the computer over a BT connection. Maybe for getitng stills off the Memory Stick?

[Taro Toporific]

Sony also recently released a NICE 3ccd DV cam with Bluetooth. You can oogle it here

What does it use the Bluetooth for? I can't imagine trying to get video from the tape to the computer over a BT connection. Maybe for getitng stills off the Memory Stick?

Right now, MUCH rather take my memory card out of my camera and slide it into my PC card slot to read it as a regular hard disk drive. That's much faster than FireWire, WiFi or Bluetooth downloading.

[cstaylor]

Right now, MUCH rather take my memory card out of my camera and slide it into my PC card slot to read it as a regular hard disk drive. That's much faster than FireWire, WiFi or Bluetooth downloading.

Is that true? I have a firewire CF reader, and it is incredibly fast.

[Taro Toporific]

Right now, MUCH rather take my memory card out of my camera and slide it into my PC card slot to read it as a regular hard disk drive. That's much faster than FireWire, WiFi or Bluetooth downloading.

Is that true? I have a firewire CF reader, and it is incredibly fast.

I'm only using Firewire-1 (not firewire 2) but my downloads for 14MB MPEG file from a camera via Firewire-1 take about 30 seconds. On the other hand, just sticking my camera's CF card directly into the PC card slot of my PowerBook transfers data in a second or two like a hard disk.

[cstaylor]

Wow, that's impressive! I'm using an IBM Microdrive, so it's probably not pushing the speed envelope on transfer rate anyways... those new CF cards blow it away.