Communication Breakdown

Looks like those PS3-toting folks at Sony aren't the only ones to be ripping off Nintendo's motion-sensor tilting tech from the Wii. BT's now in on the act too, but it's OK - it's all in the name of accessibility.

Bearing in mind that mice and keyboards can be a bit fiddly for the disabled and elderly, BT has created an accelerometer chip-based adaptor called BT Balance, which plugs into a laptop or tablet PC to add motion-based functionality. The user can then configure it how they like - maybe a certain tilt of the laptop could turn a page on an e-book, or tipping it back could connect an incoming VoIP call.

It sounds awesome. I am, though, a bit skeptical about how the thing could malfunction if the laptop teeters on the side of a desk or gets bumped. It would need to be fairly carefully configured... but hey, maybe it's the future. So, at the risk of one day looking like the guy who dissed Fred Astaire before he found fame, I'll reserve my judgement until I get a closer look.

Well, in a couple of days I'm toddling off to Paris to go listen to Dell executives explain the "mobile world of Dell". I'm anticipating quite a lot of explaining, seeing as Dell supposedly doesn't do handhelds anymore. Or does it?

Questions abound, and I'm sure you good folks have a few to lob in Dell's general direction. As I would be more than happy to ask awkward questions on your behalf, please let me know your most burning thoughts on the subject of Dell+mobility.

I'm sure we'd all like to know the answers.