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RFID staples, omnipotent pens to grace offices of the future?
We already know just how snazzy your office's bizhub will be in a decade or so, and we think we've even got your desk and kitchen nailed down too, but a recent brainstorming in Popular Science brushed a few less sensational, albeit quite intriguing, office mainstays for 2017. Although we've got a few years yet before we can definitively say whether or not these folks will pull a psychic-AT&T on us, but if Swingline has its way, the traditional red stapler that continually jams and collects more dust than it does anything else will be quite controversial. Sure to enrage pro-privacy employees who've already been unknowingly chipped with an RFID tag upon agreement to come on board, the staples of the future could actually contain micro-RFID tags; these chips could then be traced to find out just how long it really sits in one's "to do" stack, or if "inexplicably missing" really means "intentionally destroyed." As cruel as we know that sounds, at least you can pen all the curses you wish on even the most ink-resistant material in your manager's suite, as the future-generation Staedtler pen is being designed to "write on almost anything by optimizing molecular bonds with a surface" in order to produce the right mixtures needed to adhere to a given medium. Of course, the transparent monitors that will come with your 2015 upgrade kit will effectively kill your ability to surf Engadget while being guarded by the plastic backing of your current LCD, but the face recognizing desk locks should at least keep Gary from snagging your chocolate when you're out on break. Click on through for a few more mockups of tomorrow's office gizmos.
Eli Lilly offering up undercover insulin pen to US
There's already a bevy of devices out there designed to keep track and manage one's diabetes and glucose levels, but Eli Lilly's innocuous pen-like injector looks to make the process of taking insulin a bit less invasive. The Huma-Pen Memoir resembles your average ink pen and shouldn't look too out of place holding it down in your tee's front pocket, but whenever you need a shot of insulin, it conveniently turns into an injector thanks to the hidden hypodermic needle encased within. The device also "allows the user to dial the amount of insulin they need to take," and keeps the dosage, date, and time of the previous 16 shots in order to keep diabetics from overdosing. Users should be able to utilize the same pen for "around three years," and after a needle is used, another is inserted and ready to go at the owners request. A few lucky participants have already received their pen here in the US, and while this nifty invention has been available across Europe for some time now, it will officially hit American retail shelves next week for around $45.[Via MedGadget]
US Modular shoves a pen and flashlight into its Handy Drive
We've seen some fairly multifaceted flash drives in our day, but US Modular's Handy Drive gets bonus points for including two things that actually are, well, handy. Aside from looking like your run-of-the-mill jump drive with a keyring on it, this unit sports a built-in flashlight and ink pen for those times when carrying around a Bic / Maglite combo just isn't feasible. With capacities ranging from 128MB all the way up to 4GB, this could be the perfect gift for that "tool guy" who already owns the entire Craftsman collection, and prices start at just $19.99.[Via Macworld]
Sony Ericsson Z558i does pen input
At first glance, the new Sony Ericsson Z558 looks like nothing more than a rehash of the Z550 geared toward the Chinese market. By and large, that's an accurate assessment, save for one critical detail: the new model packs a touch screen and stylus for handwriting recognition -- a feature that seems like overkill for Latin characters, but thinking about Chinese puts things in an entirely different perspective. Much like the Nokia 6108 before it, the Z558 sports handwriting recognition for the sole purpose of making life a little easier on folks whose languages are composed of thousands of characters (though as you can see from the press photo, you can write in English too, if you're into that sort of thing). Other features include a 1.3-megapixel cam, 18MB of internal memory expandable to 1GB via Memory Stick Micro cards, and a 900 / 1800 / 1900MHz GSM radio with EDGE; look for it in Z558c and Z558i variants for mainland China and the rest of the world, respectively.[Via Slashphone]
Super Mario Bros. stylus
We have shown you all the stylus options and let you ponder which one fits you best as a gamer. Now, we have to tell you that you were wrong in your choice and you have to go with these! Not really, but they are fun to look at plus you get a pair with Mario and his trusty sidekick and brother, Luigi. These are only 9 bucks and would come in handy if you lost your current stylus like the bad gamer you are. Thinking about it, we would bet dollars to donuts that this guy already has an entire case. [Via Siliconera]
Informatica pen features built-in WiFi finder
WiFi detectors are a dime a dozen, but this two-faced device adds a second dimension not found on typical sniffers. Informatica's "WiFi Pen," as the name clearly implies, is an ink pen at heart, but also has the ability to alert you of any local wireless networks in range. The lack of a true antenna limits the sniffer's radius to 50 feet, but you get a green, yellow, or red LED indicator to help you quickly determine the signal strength. Priced at $18.95, these won't last long, and according to Informatica's store, these are "available in limited quantities for a limited time only" (which is, of course, the oldest trick in the book to get someone to buy something). Surely it can't be any less effective than the slew of other WiFi locators, but at worst you get a somewhat expensive pen -- infinitely better than an odd looking paperweight -- to draw up a better design. [Via BoingBoing]
