Conduit mobile phone concept is about 40 years early

As much as we adore this concept, we're not even remotely hopeful something like this will become a reality within the next score or so. That said, we'd love to be proven wrong, as the Conduit is quite possibly the most fantastic phone design to ever be conceived. With a hint of steampunk, a dash of Star Trek and a splash of ergonomic appreciation, this here mobile can be collapsed into a pocket-friendly form or expanded into a bona fide video phone. Hit up the read link for a few more looks, and feel free to give these designers a chunk of capital to make our dreams come true.

[Via kanYeWestBlog]

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 22nd 2009 5:55AM]

My thoughts exactly. thanks for the excellent links...

[looselycoupled Posted Feb 22nd 2009 4:22AM]

40 years??? No way... we'll probably have something similar, with a very small body with a flexible rollout OLED screen within

[looselycoupled Posted Feb 22nd 2009 4:23AM]

...within 10 years or so

[damn, don't use any "less than" or "greater than" signs.. it'll cut off your post.]

[darkmax Posted Feb 22nd 2009 4:38AM]

the screen is already a fact. the unit could just be a remote screen and a light pen or something. there must be a base unit

[birchi Posted Feb 22nd 2009 4:43AM]

They missed out the next couple of frames where a gust of wind comes along and the phone is carried away by it's handy sail.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 22nd 2009 5:24AM]

this is not as original as it looks. There is a flexi screen communicator from Gene Roddenberry's " Earth Final Conflict" where the design really does rock! Worth checking out.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 22nd 2009 5:40AM]

now thats called "ancient"

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 22nd 2009 8:48AM]

Suddenly Boone's phone is a boon?

I'm waiting for OLED big screens that roll-up. Stretchy ones that can replace the vinyl they use as advertisements on automobiles, so I call tell off the jerks in traffic, or simply change the appearance of my car (which is going to make chasing the criminal element a lot harder (I am not, nor do I intend to be, among those.))

As others have stated the bend will make pocketing this less than comfortable.

I'm also waiting for the cost of OLED technology to come down into line with the reduced circuit fabrication process. Why are they more expensive than LCDs when they can be printed with ink jet technology?

[I liked my old name Some Troll Posted Feb 22nd 2009 5:21PM]

"I'm waiting for OLED big screens that roll-up. Stretchy ones that can replace the vinyl they use as advertisements on automobiles, so I call tell off the jerks in traffic, or simply change the appearance of my car (which is going to make chasing the criminal element a lot harder (I am not, nor do I intend to be, among those.))"

I'm pretty sure you're supposed to get a licence for that. I might be wrong though.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 22nd 2009 9:54AM]

I liked this better when it was called a "Global" on Earth: Final Conflict back in the '90s.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 22nd 2009 9:58AM]

No, they should make it 8 1/2 x 11 and have it replace paper!

[greggo Posted Feb 22nd 2009 10:17AM]

great idea! a mobile phone you have to set on a desk!

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 22nd 2009 11:24AM]

we already have this technology, it just hasn't been implemented correctly...

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 22nd 2009 12:06PM]

Nice. Glad to see my school-mates designs being show cased. There were a bunch of others on display too. all very cool gadgets!!!

[Silent K Posted Feb 22nd 2009 12:42PM]

Looking at the tiny stand, how heavy do you think it has to be to act as a counterweight for the screen? I think they would be better off with a mini-projector.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 22nd 2009 7:59PM]

Apparently it is immune to gravity as well, given that it stands up like that without falling over backwards. I'm not sure I'm ready for an anti-gravity phone.

[Shigana Posted Feb 22nd 2009 2:37PM]

edgar friendly

[SiXiam Posted Feb 22nd 2009 3:42PM]

In Earth: Final Conflict, these were Sprint phones....

Oh No!!!

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 22nd 2009 8:58PM]

Might find these links interesting. They still need to work on screen refresh rate and getting it in color.

Readius Cell Phone 5-Inch Fold Out Display
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=1410

3GSM: ePaper gets real with Polymer Vision’s READIUS Exclusive Hands-on Photos!
http://www.slashgear.com/3gsm-epaper-gets-real-with-polymer-visions-readius-123866/

[LegoGuy23 Posted Feb 22nd 2009 10:27PM]

Hm I think I drew something like this when I was 5.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 23rd 2009 5:45AM]

Absolutely fugly, but interesting idea. Let's hope that, as soon as it is released (if ever), other companies will start making more beautiful copies of it.

[psboy2000 Posted Feb 23rd 2009 12:12PM]

weird

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 23rd 2009 12:55PM]

This is most likely a figment of someone's imagination that they intend to patent, so when an actual inventor creates something similar (and that actually exists) they will sue them.

[JZeke Posted Feb 23rd 2009 3:43PM]

Everyone already forget about Kurzweil's singularity? Last I checked thats only 2045... and thats when we cross over to a Kardashev Type I civilization. This phone hardly looks that advanced. I'd say look for it in whatever remains of the big box store wars so around 2020.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 25th 2009 11:05AM]

40 years... no
20 years.. no

We have all of the technology to make this phone possible within thenext 5.
The screen can be made of OLED... fucking roll up right inside one of those pieces