From: Michael M. Butler (butler@comp-lib.org)
Date: Wed Dec 08 1999 - 06:46:56 MST
>I read about another idea for a "smart sneaker", this one was prototyped at
>MIT I believe, and I think I read about someone putting it into production
>but I'm not sure. Additional info would be appreciated.
I seem to recall it was IBM who was touting this... They may have funded
some work at MIT's Media Lab.
>This sneaker contained information about you: your phone number, stats,
>resume maybe, stuff like that. When you shake someone's hand, who is also
>wearing this type of sneaker, a small voltage transmits all your info to
>them, and theirs to you. Later you go home and look at all their info on
>your computer.
I'm not sure it was sneakers per se. But the cool (if safe) idea was to use
your entire body to carry the
low-energy electric field needed to support a robust LAN protocol. It could
work in conjunction with other
devices, too, such as a door handle that could interrogate and authenticate
access privileges when you
come into contact with it, etc.
>I think this would be great. Socially, it would serve the same function as
>having a web page: you can have a store of information about yourself and
>your interests that people can look at which might be awkward to bring up
>out of the blue.
Like your Geek or Freak Codes? :) The official patter was "exchange
business cards without fumbling".
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Zeb Haradon
MMB
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