Comments on: Surface the Boat! http://www.dailyindia.com/blog/22112949.php An Indian technology blog with reviews, opinions and more. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:28:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Baron http://www.dailyindia.com/blog/22112949.php/comment-page-1#comment-6717 Baron Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:47:55 +0000 http://www.dailyindia.com/blog/12112949.php/surface-the-boat#comment-6717 Another point being missed altogether...is that the technology combines a projection display coupled with IR camera's to track the "touching" heh. So, what if you had a barcode or some sort of icon laser etched into the bottom of a glass, and when you placed it on the touchtop, the camera's recognize that symbol. There has to be a training function for you to assign stuff like that, the system is purportedly too intuitive for there not to be. Also...the initial applications for this system is t-mobile kiosks, so someone who wants info on a phone model just places it on the surface and the corresponding info is automatically pulled. this can be done using bluetooth. Applications of technology like this probably wont make it to the bar scene for years, if not a decade or more. but say a store like best buy or a similar competitor, has a surface unit or two, you pick up a cordeless mouse, digital camera, dvd, whatever, the cameras scan the barcode or model number (mice have both on the bottom) and pulls up all corresponding information in addition to pricing, user reviews, bla bla bla. Another point being missed altogether…is that the technology combines a projection display coupled with IR camera’s to track the “touching” heh.
So, what if you had a barcode or some sort of icon laser etched into the bottom of a glass, and when you placed it on the touchtop, the camera’s recognize that symbol. There has to be a training function for you to assign stuff like that, the system is purportedly too intuitive for there not to be.
Also…the initial applications for this system is t-mobile kiosks, so someone who wants info on a phone model just places it on the surface and the corresponding info is automatically pulled. this can be done using bluetooth.
Applications of technology like this probably wont make it to the bar scene for years, if not a decade or more.
but say a store like best buy or a similar competitor, has a surface unit or two, you pick up a cordeless mouse, digital camera, dvd, whatever, the cameras scan the barcode or model number (mice have both on the bottom) and pulls up all corresponding information in addition to pricing, user reviews, bla bla bla.

]]> By: Michael Swanberg http://www.dailyindia.com/blog/22112949.php/comment-page-1#comment-6709 Michael Swanberg Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:01:18 +0000 http://www.dailyindia.com/blog/12112949.php/surface-the-boat#comment-6709 Okay, step 1, look up the word "hyperbole" in the dictionary. Then look up the word "humor," since you obviously have no sense of it. Step 2, do the math. The Surface system is reported to cost anywhere from $10,000-20,000 PER UNIT. The average cocktail lounge has anywhere from 10-30 tables. That's anywhere from $100,000 to $600,000 added cost of the lounge just for the tables. Nevermind that there will need to be a LAN backbone to tie it all together, as well as the software to run it all. Such software systems can cost tens of thousands of dollars for normal POS systems... just imagine how much it would be for a sophisticated system like this. Now, add in that each glass will need some sort of chip or RFID tag in it, raising the cost of each glass around tenfold. Glasses get broken all the time in restaurants and lounges, so it's not a one-time expense. In the end, the only way to sufficiently recoup those expenses in any reasonable amount of time would be to charge outrageous prices. Either that, or get a bookkeeper that has plenty of red pens. Ever been to one of those restaurants that revolves around the top of a tall building? Ever wonder why they charge so much for their food? Hint: it ain't the high quality of the food. It's the expenses of doing business, which get passed on to the customers. Crack a business book once in your life and then think about your comments before making an obvious idiot out of yourself. -Mike Okay, step 1, look up the word “hyperbole” in the dictionary. Then look up the word “humor,” since you obviously have no sense of it.

Step 2, do the math. The Surface system is reported to cost anywhere from $10,000-20,000 PER UNIT. The average cocktail lounge has anywhere from 10-30 tables. That’s anywhere from $100,000 to $600,000 added cost of the lounge just for the tables. Nevermind that there will need to be a LAN backbone to tie it all together, as well as the software to run it all. Such software systems can cost tens of thousands of dollars for normal POS systems… just imagine how much it would be for a sophisticated system like this.

Now, add in that each glass will need some sort of chip or RFID tag in it, raising the cost of each glass around tenfold. Glasses get broken all the time in restaurants and lounges, so it’s not a one-time expense.

In the end, the only way to sufficiently recoup those expenses in any reasonable amount of time would be to charge outrageous prices. Either that, or get a bookkeeper that has plenty of red pens.

Ever been to one of those restaurants that revolves around the top of a tall building? Ever wonder why they charge so much for their food? Hint: it ain’t the high quality of the food. It’s the expenses of doing business, which get passed on to the customers.

Crack a business book once in your life and then think about your comments before making an obvious idiot out of yourself.

-Mike

]]> By: James http://www.dailyindia.com/blog/22112949.php/comment-page-1#comment-6703 James Mon, 04 Jun 2007 23:33:22 +0000 http://www.dailyindia.com/blog/12112949.php/surface-the-boat#comment-6703 What do you mean $9000 for a drink? Once you have a surface computer (yes that might cost that much), you would only need a small chip on the underside of the glass that would be recognized by the cameras in the computer, and do all those fancy displays. You could even reuse the glass. I'm not sure you really understand what your writing. What do you mean $9000 for a drink? Once you have a surface computer (yes that might cost that much), you would only need a small chip on the underside of the glass that would be recognized by the cameras in the computer, and do all those fancy displays. You could even reuse the glass. I’m not sure you really understand what your writing.

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