Dancing Your Way Through Email
from the exercise-and-deleting-spam,-all-in-one dept
Microsoft is known for some of the more wacky random projects folks come up with inside that are never meant to see the light of day. Remember the iLoo? That kicked up such a storm that Microsoft eventually had to pretend it was an April Fool’s joke that came out in May, before admitting that it was a real project. Along those lines, it appears that some researchers have had some fun creating a new email interface using a “Dance, Dance Revolution” game foot pad. Yes, that’s right. You dance through your email box and stamp out spam for real. This is only one of the projects from the “Step User Interface Project Group” which is working on step-based interfaces for other applications as well. It may not be quite as ridiculous an idea as it sounds initially — what with so much effort being put into getting young people to exercise more, even when in front of a computer. It certainly seems likely to work up more of a sweat than the treadmill desk we heard about last year.
Comments on “Dancing Your Way Through Email”
one potential
Perhaps this sort of interface could also be useful for people with certain handicaps or ailments who can control their feet better than their hands/arms. It could be neat for kids as well.
Re: one potential
sounds fun…if you have nothing better to do that is. I think I’ll stick with the workout DVDs.
I wonder if they build them sturdy enough to handle my 3 little ones “dancing”?
Fun
lolz this looks like fun. I could see myself doing it since it sounds completly crazy and fun and a bit healthy, but more fun and crazy.
Potential
It’s good to see that tech dirt readers are a bit more sane than /.ers. If you read the article, this is being developed specifically for those that don’t have use of their arms. I say good for microsoft for trying to make technology available to everyone.
No Subject Given
I think a mouse-like navigation footpad makes alot of sense. Being able to script some routine mouse clicks to a footpad would make my day alot easier and reduce the chance of an RSI.
No Subject Given
it would be sad if getting exercise meant checking your e-mail. Sounds a bit ridiculous for a general consumer, and even a bit ridiculous for handicapped people.
stupid
yah and i can stick a stick up my ass and bang away at a drum with my ass – but why the hell would i want to – stupid stupid stupid