Nice invention, nice video, effort appreciated among YouTube viewers

Feb 19, 2008 13:58 GMT  ·  By

This you gotta see! British dude cleans his closets and finds this old-school slide viewer, right? Not very satisfied with Apple's idea of portable-video, "markrirwin" decided to boost up the image on his iPod nano using the viewer's big-a** lens. He didn't stop there though? Sound was also on the blue prints for the Nanoscope.

The product is an actual trade mark according to the video (of course it's not, come on), and as crafty-man "markrirwin" himself officially states: the Nanoscope is "Exclusive for iPod nano or 35 mm film," giving you "that authentic cinema feeling."

I have to say this: what were the odds for the iPod nano to fit perfectly inside the viewer's slide slot? Pretty dim I suppose. Think about it: decades ago someone came up with the idea of creating a tool that boosts up the image on a reversal film (a still, positive image created on a transparent base using photochemical means, according to Wikipedia); decades later, Steve Jobs hops up on stage and delivers a product that is almost the exact same dimensions, if not exactly the same dimensions, as old slides were; the device is capable of outputting video. Huh...

"Is your iPod nano to small to watch videos on?" markrirwin asks. Well, keeping in mind the time he must have taken to get everything hooked up, not to mention shooting the video itself, you'll gladly say "Yes, it is!" in the back of your mind, anxious to see a nice invention or something being presented to you. But the logical answer is: then why the heck didn't you get an iPhone, or an iPod touch?! Not enough money? Stick with your PC, or DVD player, or whatever. The video iPod is one of the best gadgets out there. It's small because it's a portable device. No one wants to carry their telly around, do they?

Either way, thumbs up for you markrirwin. Your invention looks neat, and probably even useful too (if you're not planning to take it out of the house).

I was actually quite surprised to see all the positive comments up on YouTube. People usually get ridiculed for stuff like this. It's nice to see efforts like these appreciated. So, what do you guys think of this invention?

Photo Gallery (2 Images)

Principle screenshot #1
Principle screenshot #2
Open gallery