“Kome Kami Switch” a.k.a “Temple Switch”

Don't be surprised if someone blinks their eyes to you in Japan! A picture of a model on the left indicates a clear picture of the topic that will be discussed today.

According to Sophie Hardach, "Kome Kami Switch" or "Temple Switch" is Japan's new iPod which has been developed by a researcher, Kazuhiro Taniguchi from Osaka University Graduate School of Engineering Science. It is a system that will soon let the people run their iPods with the flick of an eye in Japan.

The system, comprising a single-chip computer and a couple of infrared sensors, monitors movements of the temple and is so tiny that it can be built into the side of a pair eyeglasses. It works by reading the movements of you temples via infrared beams of light. How?

1. Closing both eyes for 1 second starts an iPod.
2. Blink it again stops the machine.
3. A wink on the right eye makes the machine skip to the next tune.
4. A wink on the left eye it goes back to the previous tune.
5. Close both eyes to pause and play the songs.
   

According to Taniguchi, one of the benefits of is that:

• People who are incapable of winking on one eye, Taniguchi would be able to program the system to give a command when they blink twice in a fast sequence.

Moreover, benefits of Kome Kami Switch for users which according to Alex Sydell's post,

1. It can easily differentiate a deliberate one-second wink from natural blinking by closing your eyes firmly to operate the machine.
2. Capable of operating television sets, air conditioners, room lighting, and other household electronics.
3. As a person who does not have to move either hand, the system can serve as "a 3rd hand" for care-givers, rock-climbers, motorbike drivers, and astronauts, as well as people with disabilities.
   

Taniguchi told AFP that in the future, "He hopes the system can eventually be adapted to run cellphones, wheelchairs and robots as an ultimate remote control used in everyday life".

Overall, in my opinion on this product, "Kome Kami Switch" or "Temple Switch" would be the latest device that would attract customers especially music lovers such as:

1. teenagers because they normally follow the trends of iPod products,
2. people who lives in the fast-paced life as it will provide a convenient way of operating the device in order to save time, and
3. people with disabilities

I assumed and predict that it will increase the sales of iPod in the market, as according to the iPod's sales report and the chart on January 22, 2008, 42% of Apple's revenue for the First fiscal quarter of 2008 came from iPod sales followed by 21% from notebook sales and 16% from desktop sales. Moreover, it will become the first product to be introduced that will be uniquely functioned with the flick of an eye and create excitement for the users.

However, It just that the reliability and durability of the function are my main concerns for the users in the future. We will find out once it will be utilised in the market. Reason is because most of the verdict of the critiques from my research of the device are negative. What about you?