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Wave Goodbye To Pocket Billiards with Magnetic Knob MP3 Player
Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 10:43 PM on May 8, 2008
We all know the hassle of digging into a pocket to twiddle the controls on our MP3 players, but until smart clothing becomes mainstream we're stuck with it. Unless someone takes this magnetic control concept and manufactures it for real, that is. The Pocket Pal is simple: the control stays outside, but is magnetically fixed to the body, which sits inside your pants pocket. Twiddling the control is easy, and would let you adjust volume or skip songs. I'm not sure what'll happen if you lose the knob—would any magnet/iron object do?—but I like the lateral thinking here. [Inventables via Gizmowatch]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
ideaman2020
Posted 11:17 PM 8/5/08
I wonder why none of my credit cards work since I got my new mp3 player...
ideaman2020
superbryant88
Posted 11:14 PM 8/5/08
"Yeah that magnet is actually a half of this:
[www.sillyasstoys.com]
Stupid."
yeah that is dumb but those things are sure fun to play with..lol
superbryant88
scarbrtj
Posted 11:11 PM 8/5/08
@Kit:
Losing the knob should not be a problem. But having it on the outside of your pants... it might get scratched up or dirty. However, a resultant and necessary polishing of the knob should be fun.
I should know.
scarbrtj
Inaki
Posted 11:04 PM 8/5/08
Yeah that magnet is actually a half of this:
[www.sillyasstoys.com]
Stupid.
Inaki
Ftp1423
Posted 11:02 PM 8/5/08
So if someone wanted to mess with you then they could easily just turn the knob to full blast and blow out your ears, doesn't sound appealing. Hopefully that magnet is strong enough not to move while you are running, which I feel is a huge driving factor behind the success of partable music devices.
Ftp1423
liveinvt
Posted 11:01 PM 8/5/08
Would not survive on busy subway commutes. Or perhaps after a bunny hop on my bike... I've lost a few iPods that way.
liveinvt
homerjay
Posted 10:54 PM 8/5/08
iPod killer!
homerjay
flyboy
Posted 10:54 PM 8/5/08
something else good for the gonads
flyboy
Munch
Posted 11:47 PM 8/5/08
Is it legal to be walking around with your knob on the outside of your pants?
Munch
firesign
Posted 11:32 PM 8/5/08
heh heh heh. "pocket pal". heh heh heh.
firesign
BoinK
Posted 11:21 PM 8/5/08
Having had the pleasure of having a neodymium magnet (a SMALL one mind you) in my back pocket stick to my car as I turned around a bit too close to it makes me think this is a really really bad idea. Not to mention ruined credit cards, phones etc and the constant "risk" of having it slip off and shatter on the ground (this type of magnet shatters easily).
BoinK
Bitstuff
Posted 12:11 AM 9/5/08
@Munch:
Damn, Munchy beat me to it!
Bitstuff
GreyGander
Posted 12:50 AM 9/5/08
Dumb application of a good idea.
Why not a ring to wear that's got the magnet or RFID chip in it where you make close contact and the motions you make with your ring outside approximate the turns on the player?
It'll still look like you're playing pocket pool, but isn't that the whole goal here?
GreyGander
secretmanofagent
Posted 12:40 AM 9/5/08
I saw the name "We come 1" on the device and pocket billiards in the title and came up with a totally different conclusion as to its use.
secretmanofagent
king_of_fools
Posted 2:48 AM 9/5/08
highly suggested for those with a pacemaker.
king_of_fools
Brian B
Posted 3:39 AM 9/5/08
"Dammit Jr., stop playing with your Pocket Pal. You'll go blind!"
Brian B