Gizmodo: finger

Dave Coulier Would Love the Finger Scissors Concept

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:00:00 EST

Designer Effrat Gommeh sketched out a pair of scissors that slip over the index and middle fingers and actually cut when you make that cutting motion Uncle Joey loved so much on Full House.

The scissors are actually a great-looking design concept, and though it seems you'd get less leverage using two fingers than with the inclusion of a thumb, I'd probably buy a pair to keep on my desk so people think I'm, you know, cultured and stuff. The finger scissors are constructed from a bunch of two-dimensional metal parts, which is pretty cool in itself. Looks like they're just a concept for now, but a very cool little idea. [Yanko Design]

Chinese University Students Want Me To Diddle My Car to Start It

Jason Chen — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:45:00 EST

It's dark. There's a box. It beckons. You stick your finger in and curl "your index finger towards you in a summoning motion". Congratulations, you've just started your car.

Two students, Zhao Wencai and Li Zhoumu, invented this gesture-based car interaction as a presentation for the third China-International Road Safety Expo. Not only can you pleasure your car to start it, you can shove your middle finger in there onto a fingerprint scanner to read how high your blood alcohol level is. Another possible use is as a security system, so the car wouldn't start unless your finger belonged to one of the registered drivers.

Our prediction? These two students HAVE to be girls, or else they'd be more aware of the gesture they were promoting for this device. [Traffic Technology Today via Wired]

Giga-Byte GSmart Windows Mobile Phones Have a Fancy Smart Touch UI

Jason Chen — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:20:00 EDT

It took a year for Giga-Byte to follow in HTC's footsteps, but the upcoming GSmart Windows Mobile smartphones will have a brand new UI on top of the standard WinMo affair. The interface is called "Smart Touch," and will be more finger-friendly—more oriented toward gestures and finger-navigation—lending itself to launching your commonly used programs directly from the home screen. The Chinese version of this has been available since April, but suffers from some incompatibility issues that most likely won't be in the European release version coming sometime after May. [The Unwired via Into Mobile]

Microsoft Shift Makes Cellphone Finger Input Easier (But Not Booger Free)

Jason Chen — Thu, 17 May 2007 19:00:36 EDT

The shift project from Microsoft research has a goal that may not seem lofty at first, but could possibly help shape cellphone touchscreen technology in a big way. Traditionally, with Windows Mobile phones and other touchscreen phones, you have to use a stylus because your finger is too fat and unwieldy. Even Apple's iPhone, with its crazy gropeability, doesn't solve the problem of your finger being in the way of what you're trying to click.

Microsoft's Shift, on the other hand, re-creates whatever's underneath your poker so you can actually see what you're clicking on. Plus, there's added visual feedback so you can narrow down your inputs as well. Check out the video on their site for a closer look. – Jason Chen

Project Site [Microsoft Research via jkontherun]

Finger Beats Next Generation: Let Your Fingers Do The Annoying

www.gizmodo.com — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 04:38:35 EST

They're back - and unlike the last time they've got a headphone jack. That is considerate. This one is Alien Choir, which brings to mind the words "heinous" and "cacophony", but my money's on the Finger Beats Bongos. Budding Oakenfolds can annoy their chums with the Finger Beats Mixer. They're $38.95 and available from the middle of this month. More pictures and product vid after the jump.

Product Page [Red5 via Ubergizmo]

– Ad Dugdale

Finger Drum Mousepad

Jason Chen — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 18:45:22 EDT

Bored at work? How about drumming away on this drum mousepad, simultaneously passing the time and annoying your office mates. Why is this cool? Because it's a drum set in your mousepad, that's why. Everything on that drum picture makes the correct sound when you pound it with your finger. You can even record 30 of your own drum "rhythms" for later use, which is 28 more rhythms than we can concurrently hold in our heads at once.

Best of all, it's only $39.95, which is cheaper than an actual drum set, and makes it all the less painful when your wife throws it away. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Hammacher via The Raw Feed]

Finger LEDs Help You Piss People Off

Louis Ramirez — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 14:47:23 EDT

We've seen LEDs in lots of different places before, but this one's our personal favorite. Strap this four-pack of lights to your fingers and let the finger-pointing begin. If you're feeling macho, go on and point the lights at someone till you piss them off. The lights can project up to a mile away which gives you enough of a running head start to avoid getting a beat down. Your chances of ever talking to a female while wearing these are probably zero, but that's what fembots are for. A 4-pack goes for $7 bucks. – Louis Ramirez

Ultra LED Finger Lights [via The Red Ferret Journal]