Invention of the decade

[Ardesco]

an

You have just failed your English test, no british citizanship for you my lad!!!

[Lucy]

an

I have to disagree Alexi.

It is 'a' because we are saying Limited, not 'l'. I know no-one who says L T D.

[AtW]

Not another bloody umbrella thread FFS!

get a ltd.

an

[PerlOfWisdom]

Always wondered why the great invention of putting the can opener on a can of corned beef isn't used for cans of other food.

[dang65]

Being stuck in the rain need not be dull, say Japanese researchers who have invented an umbrella capable of capturing and displaying photos and video.

That's a pretty abstract invention claim there.

It's like if they'd attached a folding blade to a microwave oven and then said, "Japanese researchers have invented a penknife capable of cooking a potato."

The camera has already been invented, chaps. You've simply attached an umbrella to it (which has also been invented).

<-- Japanese researcher

[Lucy]

I hadn't thought of that.

Gone to Darren btw ! no more brolly rubbish for me.

[Ardesco]

[DimPrawn]

Not another bloody umbrella thread FFS!

get a ltd.

[Lucy]

Being stuck in the rain need not be dull, say Japanese researchers who have invented an umbrella capable of capturing and displaying photos and video.

The high-tech umbrella, developed at the Okude laboratory in Tokyo's Keio University, boasts an integrated digital camera, built-in Wi-Fi and an attached projector.

Still images and video snapped by the contraption are automatically uploaded to Flickr and YouTube respectively, and previously uploaded images are projected above-head on the inside of the umbrella.

Presumably, the user must be within range of a wireless internet hotspot, as the umbrella must connect to the internet in order to access the photo- and video-sharing websites.

According to a site setup to promote the project, dubbed "Pileus", twisting the umbrella's grip scrolls through the user's Flickr photo sets and YouTube videos.

A Pileus prototype was first demonstrated earlier this year at UbiComp 2006, a computing conference held in California.

That particular prototype appears to be more of a proof-of-concept design than a market-ready product; cables from the built-in projector jut out from the bottom, and the umbrella's grip extends down to the user's knees.

Since then, the researchers appear to be working on miniaturising the umbrella's various components further. A photo uploaded to the Pileus website appears to show the same technology built into an umbrella that's no larger than a traditional low-tech model.

Whether or not Pileus will ever make it to market is unclear, but the researchers make no secret of their commercial intentions - it's difficult to miss the "Yahoo buy me!" and "Google buy me!" logos slapped onto the bottom of their website