"T.C. Phelps" wrote:

>I think it's real, because I saw a clock once based on
>this technology. It was built somewhat like a
>metronome, with a little arm that swings back and
>forth. On the arm were a series of LEDs... the arm
>swung so fast you could barely see it, and it appeared
>that the time and date were "floating" in mid air. It
>was a really cool gizmo! I've occasionally thought
>about trying to make something really simple along
>those lines with an F84.
>

A similar device was used as an on-the-spot programming challenge at a Forth
Interest Group event many years ago. It was called a 'gizmo' and ran off of
a PC parallel port. As the flexible arm swung back and forth, a message had
to be scrolled across 'in the air'.

Prior to the contest, all they knew was that some unspecified device would
operate from the parallel port to perform some unspecified real-time task.

IIRC, a team of two guys got it working in under two hours time.

Bob

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