Found this morning via Gizmodo, the Essential Wall Dimmer looks to be the coolest advance in lighting control since, um, I have no idea… but it’s really, really cool!
"Just tap this little piece of carpet-looking stuff, and the lights turn on, off or dim. The material is an electronic textile made of conductive yarns, neoprene and acrylic that creator International Fashion Machines calls Plush Touch Sensing Technology."
The concept brings two thoughts to mind: first, who else wants the trackpad on their next laptop to be made out of this stuff? (MacBook Pro, now in three styles – axminster, berber, and shag)
Second, when our computer AI overlords finally take over, I hope they don’t use this as a behavior-conditioning tool: "ooh, soft… BZZZZT! OW! ooh, soft…"
