New technology uses human body for broadband networking

"By sending data over the surface of the skin, it may soon be possible to trade music files by dancing cheek to cheek, or to swap phone numbers by kissing.

Your body could soon be the backbone of a broadband personal data network linking your mobile phone or MP3 player to a cordless headset, your digital camera to a PC or printer, and all the gadgets you carry around to each other.

These personal area networks are already possible using radio-based technologies, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, or just plain old cables to connect devices. But NTT, the Japanese communications company, has developed a technology called RedTacton, which it claims can send data over the surface of the skin at speeds of up to 2Mbps -- equivalent to a fast broadband data connection.

Using RedTacton-enabled devices, music from an MP3 player in your pocket would pass through your clothing and shoot over your body to headphones in your ears. Instead of fiddling around with a cable to connect your digital camera to your computer, you could transfer pictures just by touching the PC while the camera is around your neck. And since data can pass from one body to another, you could also exchange electronic business cards by shaking hands, trade music files by dancing cheek to cheek, or swap phone numbers just by kissing."

www.taipeitimes.com...

This could be the greatest invention even made. Trade phone numbers by kissing..........................

Shake someones hand and send them a cell phone virus

Shake someone hand and transfer documents to their pda

Hmm....

Makes one wonder how long it's been in use doesn't it?

YES! NO MORE HEADPHONE WIRES! THANK YOU GOD!

I really hate geadphone wires...

Thats really cool. The thing that you didn't notice is that hackers could steal your documents over your skin. Weird.

Double Edged Sword

Sounds cool, I must admnit!
To give your phone number with a kiss.
Or transfer music with a touch.
No more wires.

BUT,
Transfer viruses, worms and other killing organizms with a touch?
This could really mean a new age of technological warfare.

And it DOES make me wonder, how long has it been in use and we do not know about it. Perfect for spies.

DrHoracid...I posted this half a day ago...





EDIT: I posted it after reading the TaiPei Times...

[edit on 21-3-2005 by 00PS]

Great minds think a like don't they? It would appear mine has a slightly different 'slant" but both very good data.

Its going to happen. perhaps a "firewall" could be "implanted".

Jesus, I hope so.

I was already weary of all the women who have spontaneously kissed me with seemingly no reason. Now I know what they were after...my music folder...those bastards.

Asking a lady for her phone number is going to be a lot more interesting

Uuummm...I, what gets sent?????


I'm prolly gonna get awarning for that

[edit on 21-3-2005 by Ohio_Ron]



Mod edit - inappropriate content

If you knew you'd be warned, why'd ya post it?

[edit on 3-21-2005 by ProudAmerican]

At least I didn't cuss anybody out or chastise them for their post, reply, commentary, etc. Besides, I have to get warned at least once, or I won't feel at home.

Oh, and I promise that I'll keep it clean from now on.

[edit on 22-3-2005 by Ohio_Ron]

well... sounds like another way to get skin cancer to me!



Kind of brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "pull my finger"

I wonder if SPF lotion will have any effects or static electricity?
Still a cool idea none the less

I take it this would use a small electrical charge to pass the information over the skin, so touching someone else who was 'RedTaction' enabled would kind of feel like getting a small static shock?

What would the petrol station execs say to this? As we all know even the smallest spark can trigger a fire in a gas station.

sounds interesting but what side effects might there be?
how would you controll what you send\recieve?
on the surface i like it. i worry though about it's controll and implamentation. can you turn it off when you want to?

I am just wondering if this could affect brain waves and patterns. Could thought processes be altered? Can nerve endings be damaged?

yeh, people with epilipsy could be particulaly susceptable.

Please, please, please. Does this mean that the death of cables is near.Oh please let it be so. If there is one thing I really hate it is cables.

too true, I can't count the amount of times I've got my headphones caught on either my jacket or something else and nearly tore my ears off.

And in regards to the hacking/virus questions above, your 'attacker' would actually have to be in contact with you, sure this may be possible on a packed train/bus/nightclub but I think you'd also notice if someone walked up to you in the street that you didnt know and just grabbed you for no reason.

Could this open up a new era of spam? Shop assistants/sales persons walking up to you in the street/store, putting a hand on your shoulder and uploading a few advertisements to you RedTaction enabled palm in your pocket?

There are so many possibilities with this stuff, i wonder if u could charge somebody up if there pack was flat?
I can see it now, the next thing is going to be having mobiles with this and a few gigs hd to store all your pesonal data, u could upload it to whatever u wanted. Shopping could be revolutionised, before buying a dvd for example u could download a trailer there and then same with music and maybe newspapers will be repaced by a digitised version which could be downloaded in a shop or even from a vending machine.lol.
Really only 1 word to discribe this tech and that is ''revolutionary''. Its gonna be a nightmare for copyright protection though, they'l get what they deserve haha.

[edit on 22-3-2005 by ufo3]