iPad Sprocket Pocket makes us feel like little girls (video)
By Thomas Ricker 
posted April 16th 2010 6:13AM
posted April 16th 2010 6:13AM
posted April 16th 2010 6:13AM
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facepalm
A motorist will probably be so dumb-founded by this, he'll run over you accidentally. Better to stick with the tried-and-true "arm extended" method.
(that's what she said?)
@Krispy
make that another facepalm -______-
we do have hand signals and they're more effective.
Kick Me!
fits of creative insanity. really. that's what you went with. out of all the phrases, that's the one. huh.
@Smart People Play Tuba
Using your arm to indicate is flawed - you can't brake as quickly. I'd guess it adds maybe 0.7 seconds to ones reaction times which can be pretty critical.
Still I can't see this accelerometer based thing working at all. Acceleration is always 'down' (parallel to the seat post) on a bike, otherwise you'd fall off.
@Krispy
+1
Picard facepalm
http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/picard-facepalm.jpg
What a fantastic way to alert everyone around you that you have an expensive and desirable piece of kit precariously strapped to your person.
@Krispy Well, it's less letters than 'I'm a douche bag."
@Krispy Seriously? This has to be one the most stupid things I've ever seen.
@Krispy
When the iPad jailbreak comes out, and someone doesn't change their default password, I'm so going to ssh into their iPad and replace that turn signal with a kick me sign
@Krispy "Arggh, I'm tired of leaning" - Stretches -, iPad falls.
@Timmmmmm It has a digital compass too. Maybe that helps.
@Krispy this would give me a reason to start punching people in the back of the head again..
@SoManyPhones
Lighten up guys. This has additional features of protecting against knives and bullets (small ones). Imagine also the possibilities of including organ donor information automatically triggered when the iPad is horizontal and an arrow pointing to the nearest morgue. Innovate!
Love the iPad and the creativity BUT, using the accelerometer this way is a big fail. You have to first be in the process of turning left or right for cars to see your signals. Shouldn't it be the reverse?
@Krispy
This great idea will sell at least 20,000 more iPads. Lean back to flash..."Up yours, buddy." Great for the streets of Manhattan.
@Krispy Notice those 2 weird looking man in the picture?
@Krispy
Is anyone seeing these 2 dudes in the bkgrn?
@Krispy
I think this says it better:
static void facepalm()
{
facepalm();
}
@Krispy she might as well print a line of "rob me" beneath the arrow ...
@TechGuySteve I would rather reverse the hand signals.
@Krispy
"Wooooow, I bet if God wore pants, he'd have a belt like that."
@Krispy
http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi188547097/
@credo
I think this is more like it:
while(1) { facepalm(); }
Fit into the Techno subculture? How?
Either way this is a stupid idea.
A) You would never thought of this
B) You would have never created it
C) This is a brilliant idea (think of how many bicycles, or news paper boys can advertise)
@DRoizman It's a stupid idea. If you fall off your bike Bye Bye iPad. Plain and simple.
@DRoizman Great idea: Nothing tells people you have no soul quite like turning you body into a billboad.
@Slygathor
When you fall off a bike, how often is it that you land on your back? It's probably the safest place. (If you try to catch yourself with your hands, that iPad is as far from impact as it can be.)
Overall, I find it an amusing concept with some potential, but artistically those signals are pretty ugly and that light blue field around them is pretty bad.
@Kyzgar Not often, but one does fall on their side quite a bit. And once you do the iPad would slide.
@Slygathor That is a stupid comment. I've been riding bikes for 30 years. I've fallen off my bike once. 20 years ago. I didn't land on my back.
you got to admit, there is something about their products that drives creativity !! I am guessing its the "user base" as apple users tend to be early adopters and thus experiment more !!
what body-gesture do you have to perform to make it give it the finger?
@mrqs, heavy beating of Mr. Jobsy, because as long as he makes decisions at Apple application with `giving the finger` won't get approved.
Slow news day or not, that is really poor. Really.
Dumb, and a very Giz-esque type posting.
@Cringer I don't get why Engadget feels obliged to post anything related to "i", either dumb or dumber?
@Cringer I don't get why Engadget feels obliged to post anything related to "i", whether dumb or dumber?
Is that Kraftwerk in the background of the picture?
@bjs Whoever they are, they are really getting down!
@Hap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHZR9SA5pOg
@bjs
hah! i so did not see that before..
I can think of some much ruder images I'd like to signal to motorists behind me...
Very creative. I hope they know that's 500 on their back though: make sure you clamp that thing on good!
Very creative. I hope they have that thing clamped on good though. That's $500 right on their back.
So basically you have to be making a turn for it to signal? When you lean you are already into the turn, I would imagine. Kind of defeats the point ya?
@rhietpas Came on to say that, I wanted to watch the video to make sure, and yes, it doesn't help. The fact that they showed a "how-to" make for a few minutes made me feel bad for anyone who didn't skip ahead to the meat, who need to know how to make this after watching such a pointless product...please, raise your hands (*crickets*). OK, then.
In the end, the one on the front riders back made more sense, just for entertainment purposes. but that's not the story here, just the crapgadget (maybe not appropriate it's not the gadgets fault)...Um, crap app + crap accessory.
@rhietpas
That's because most Americans, if they even use turn signals at all, turn them on after they have started turning, negating the usefulness.
That's an expensive way to have an accident