Good vibrations (02 Dec 2004)

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Good vibrations (02 Dec 2004)
IMAGINE being able to tap anywhere on a wall to turn the lights on and off, or to change radio stations in the dining room simply by knocking on the table. Or how about dialling a phone number in the shower by tapping numbers on the glass door? Many things are powered by electricity and controlled by computer chips, but they co-exist with other items that are nothing but dumb, inanimate objects. A French firm believes a marriage is in order, and has developed a way to make hard surfaces such as walls, windows and table-tops into controls for consumer electronics, computers, household appliances and lighting, among other things.

Article URL: http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3423018

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