Intel Shows Off a Web-Surfing Surfboard

Oct. 8, 2004 &#151 -- In this week's Cybershake, we take a look at Intel's innovative attempt to show how riding the waves really isn't that far from surfing the Web. Plus, we note what happens when people — especially powerful U.S. vice presidents — confuse ".org" Internet domain names with similar ".com" Web sites.

What do you think of when someone says "surf?" Do images of sun, sand, and ocean waves pop into mind? Or do you imagine sitting in front of a computer, browsing through the millions of Web pages on the Internet?

Thanks to imaginative engineers at chip-maker Intel, both mental images can be combined into one.

Ralph Bond, a spokesman for Intel, says the company has helped designed a surfboard that contains a fully functional wireless laptop that would allow riders to "Surf the surf and surf the Web at the same time."

Bond says the one-of-a-kind creation is meant "to show how wireless connectivity to the Internet is really permeating every aspect of our lives." And while mixing the waves with the Web might sound like an ingenious idea, it wasn't an easy task to accomplish.

"[We had to] insure that it would be water tight and protected from the salt water, which is doubly dangerous for a piece of electronic gear," says Bond. And to maintain the balance of the surfboard so it would still be rideable in the waves, the team at Intel turned to noted surfboard maker Jools Matthew in North Devon, England, to craft the final 10-foot-long waverunner.

The result is a long board that lets riders crest the wave — and send pictures of their surf back to those on dry land and on the Net.

"They can pull out a little stylus pen and surf the Web," says Bond. "They can take pictures of themselves with the built-in Web camera."

And when surfers have had enough surfing and want to catch some rays instead, so will the board.

"[It] also has solar panels you can connect to the surfboard when you're out of the water [and] on the beach to recharge the battery," says Bond.