Solar-Powered Augmented Reality Contact Lenses 213
ByronScott writes "Want eyesight that could put your neighborhood cyborg to shame? Well, University of Washington professor Babak Amir Parviz and his students are working on solar-powered contact lenses embedded with hundreds of semitransparent LEDs, letting wearers experience augmented reality right through their eyes. If their research proves successful, the applications — from health monitoring to gameplay to just plain bionic sight — could be endless."
Re:Problems (Score:1, Interesting)
1. You say each LED is not collimated or directional but then you mention a microlens system. What does this microlens do, if not collimate?
2. Contact lenses move with the eye.
3. See 2.
Re:Yes I Do Want (Score:2, Interesting)
That's "Whose" not "Who's." After all, if you're set on letting ANYbody here into your pants, you're going to need to straighten that stuff out first. Heh. Heheh. Don't be ridiculous! :)
Fortunately, discovering that someone is an intellectual snob usually happens on the first date. That's when I split the tab, and then split for the exit. Besides, I'm under no illusions that there's any eligible lesbians who read slashdot in my zipcode. To date, I've found two regular posters here that ping the radar, and neither are even in my state. :(
Re:Yes I Do Want (Score:4, Interesting)
They'll make their use mandatory because it results in zero crime. Or so they'll say.
Given that this is extremely unlikely it sort of makes the rest of your post redundant. Even if I wore these multi-faceted, augmented reality, net aware, government monitored eye wear I could easily just take them out. You know, like regular contact lenses. And as to your nightmare scenario of a future 1984, please remember that the vast majority of people on this planet are not even on the net and unless and until we alter the economic framework on which we distribute wealth this ain't gonna change anytime soon!
Re:Yes I Do Want (Score:1, Interesting)
Seriously, the part about the DUI?
People being thrown in jail because of the possibility that a crime could have occurred
Yeah, you ever heard of "conspiracy to commit murder", "attempted murder", etc.? Those are all charges for crimes that "could have occurred", as you say, and which - by definition - did not occur (well, at least in most jurisdictions you can't be convicted of both attempted murder and murder).
And to pick on your Minnesota example, I don't know about Minnesota in particular, but in many other states DUI is something like "driving or being in control of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol" (I don't particularly care to look the exact wording up right now). The courts have simply expanded the meaning of "being in control" to even include people who are "sleeping it off" in their cars. Considering how unpredictable some people are when drunk, I don't think that's completely unreasonable. If you're drunk, don't go near your car (unless you have a designated driver). Did the Minnesota court convict a person who was drunk but not in or near a car? I don't think so.
Re:Yes I Do Want (Score:3, Interesting)
Yeah... this is hugely off topic, but hey.
It's a common experience for lesbians. I am kindof a soft androgyny, whereas my girlfriend is quite butch (almost irritatingly so). She's also short for a girl, and I'm tall for one. So we make quite the spectacle. Needless to say, in the summertime people like to yell out the window dyke, cow, fat ass, etc., when they pass by. If approached, sometimes they'll ask me if I could "give their friend some love", despite the obviousness that I'm holding her hand and we're obviously a couple. She and I have both been called 'sir' in public on an irregular basis. And if I rebuff those sexual advances, they do sometimes mutter that "well you're just chicks with dicks anyway" and storm off. For the record, I'm not strictly a lesbian, I'm actually bi -- I've just had no luck with men. I don't know what journals this person is referring to, since I don't post any on slashdot, but hey. *shrugs* Who knows what google turns up given the right search words? Point is, it's just throwing hate out there because the poster wants women to be "put in their place" -- which in this case means subservient to heterosexual men. And that's just plain hateful bullshit.
On a somewhat different note, trans-women are part of the life and the community as much as any others. I know some lesbians would detest me for saying that, but we need to show a common front. I don't believe gender is in between your legs like most believe, it's in between your ears. How else would it be that my girlfriend acts more like a man and I act more like a woman? Sexuality, and for that matter physical sex itself, is a spectrum. Most people concentrate at the polls, but that's no reason to be hateful towards those who, for whatever reason, are found elsewhere.
Dunno about meeting up anywhere. I'm only looking for friends in the world right now. Pride is coming in a few months. Maybe I'll see you there?
Re:Yes I Do Want (Score:2, Interesting)
Ok, someone can whack my karma for this, but here goes:
Thanks for the reply!
That experience sounds terrible. In fact, if we *do* end up somehow getting in touch (for Pride or just email) I def. have some questions that it sounds like you'd be willing to field. We actually are in Andersonville, just north and the quieter version of Boys' Town on the north side.
One of my interests is something you kind of brought up: Male/female rights and cultural views/roles, and "hegemonic masculinity/femininity".
I've slowly begun getting to know a couple MtF's and FtM's (my girlfriend was recently at a small discussion with Lee Harrington actually) That courage is incredible and an inspiration.
Yeah, friends are good. If you come into town and want to meet, we (girlfriend and I) might be able to introduce you to a few people. If you're cool emailing it sounds like there's a possibility of a good conversation. We can talk to a couple people in the Minnesota scene and ask for some guidance, if that helps you at all. However, I know one couple who moved from there specifically because it's pretty oppressive up there. It's not San Francisco here in Chi-town (of course) but it's better.
Alright, mod me down!!