It does look smaller than those on the market. Some communities do have licensing requirements for motorized vehicles. I don't think a battery for a bike falls under most. That being said, there is bound to be a brainless town council somewhere in the States where they lumped it all into one category. When the pocket bikes made the scene here in my city, Rochester, N.Y., we had to literally draw them a picture of the difference. Many other towns through just plain ignorance outlawed any motor assisted device. This led to the elderly being ticketed for their motorized scooters. Our media had fun with that one.
The general thought in the US on this type of device is that it is legal as long as it doesn't go faster than 15 m.p.h. Any faster, and some type of regulation is required for safety devices, and the insurance industry wants a cut on the action too. Beyond that speed, it is considered a moped. I didn't make those rules, I just report what I know.
The people complaining that they are not ready can be likened to those who live in the path of a lava flow.
You were told there is a slow moving lava flow heading toward your home. It might be wise to pack up and get your belongings to safety. You listened to a person on a tv show say not to worry about it because it might change direction. You did nothing to prepare for the impending disaster. When the lava flow enters your yard, you cry out and ask why nobody gave you enough notice to get away safely.
The same can be said for the digital transition. People listened to political pundits saying it wasn't anything to worry about. People believed them rather than their government which has a reputation for making non negotiable decisions.
Even if you are poor and can only watch regular tv, you could have put away a few cents per day to afford a converter. I'm poor, and that is what I do when I want something. I have even collected cans to return for the deposit to get my DVD player.
A rolling design would be ideal. I seem to remember seeing a parchment holder that rolled up inside a tube. Go with me here for a second. Pulling out a flexible screen on a device to watch a movie perhaps, or on a device to display plans. Better yet......eliminating the projector in classrooms. Just pull the screen down. There is a definite market for this. We just have to figure out a way to make it cost effective for the real world.
I made a comment before about logical steps forward in this technology, and people took it as me saying that you somehow cant say bad things about it. This is another step forward. It is a bit low, but if you want higher, you're just going to have to buy a regular projector. This little guy is obviously intended to be portable........meetings and such. It would still be great to have it along for traveling. My eyes get tired from watching movies on my laptop. Soon enough, maybe in the next couple years, you will be able to pack all the tech from a full size projector into a small form factor. It seems the major hurdle right now is the brightness.
Engadget could show a device that cure cancer by merely waving it over the body, and some asshat would slam it saying the color was wrong, or claim that it isn't worth the sweat off his genitals. For those of you who do slam products, show me what you have invented. Show me your great and wonderful miracle of gadgetry. Odds are, you can't because you lack the brain power. It's the same old story with you people. You claim you can pull a better product out of your ass, then talk out of it.
It's a step in the right direction. I remember the days when we ran out to get the 9600 baud modems when they went on sale. Yeah I was a geek way back when. If any one thing I can add, it is that products like this must come to market. It gets people excited about the possibilities. Newer and better products will come along. Just like we all knew that internet speed would get faster in the future. We still made use of what was on the market though. I might use something like that on camping trips if the batteries were enough to last a movie or 2.
This is nothing more than a fancy rf modulator. It is true that you could use it to distribute a signal through a home or business. You could cue up your favorite film on your PC and watch it in any room of your home or business. By simply looking at the inputs, as many of us who look at those things, you can see how the directionality flows. It's a handy device if you tend to acquire most of your media through the net. I for one, would love to be able to load my music video play list, and have it show on the displays in my home during a party. But I wouldn't pay 800 for something i could accomplish with a 200 video card, a few splitters and a roll of RG cable.
I'm going to weigh in on this one. Most of you are gadget guys, and that is cool. I'm a professional driver though. I drive more in one day, than most of you drive in a week. You can blast the design all you want. You will be wrong, but you will still give your comments. I have seen many drivers, even the ones who "claim" to be good drivers, fly through a light to total a car. I see more accidents at intersections than any other area. This is coming from a person who does this for a living. Think about that one for a minute. You can pontificate on every single gadget on the market, but don't you dare try to put down a person who comes up with a way to help save lives. Countless people die every year from traffic accidents. Each year children are struck in intersections because sun glare caused a driver to not see a red light. How would you feel if it was your child who was hit by a car? What if it was you?
Those of you who put is brilliant idea down should hang your heads in shame. The pity is that you probably wont because you can't see past your own selfish lives.
"My father-in-law is heading back to school in the spring and wants a laptop for Christmas. The only catch is their budget is around $400 and he does not want a netbook. He's not very "tech savvy" at all and doesn't need a hoss of a machine (not that $400 could get you one). We would like to get it for him as soon as possible and would love some input."
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The general thought in the US on this type of device is that it is legal as long as it doesn't go faster than 15 m.p.h. Any faster, and some type of regulation is required for safety devices, and the insurance industry wants a cut on the action too.
Beyond that speed, it is considered a moped.
I didn't make those rules, I just report what I know.