Aug 13, 2015 10:29 PM
(This post was last modified: Aug 13, 2015 10:34 PM by Magical Realist.)
Imagine having a video screen on your tombstone that plays a 15 minute video of who you were and the life you led. Your basic infomercial on who you were, or at least was supposed to be, complete with cheesy sentimental music and an airbrushed photo montage. Such an extravagance is in the works (see below), but what would you want on YOUR video? I'd have actors dramatize my most embarrassing moments. Poignant humorous quotes. And a short CGI clip of me in hell doing various typical things. Everyone would leave my grave tearing with laughter.
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MIAMI — "Video screens have shown up all over in recent years — cell phones, bathrooms, car head rests, subway cars, even elevators. Next up: a solar-powered video panel embedded in a tombstone that plays a clip reminiscent of "This Is Your Life."
Tasteless, you might say? A magnet for vandals?
On the contrary, says inventor Sergio Aguirre.
His soothingly named Serenity Panel is all about helping families celebrate the life of a lost loved one.
"While nothing ever replaces the gift of life, memories can now come one step closer to forever being remembered and not forgotten," waxes the Web site of Aguirre's company, Vidstone LLC.
The video headstone concept has been around for years, but previous inventors' ambitions have been laid to rest. One gave up for lack of demand and out of concerns his invention wouldn't be able to withstand years of harsh weather.
That's not deterring Aguirre, who quit his telecommunications job last month to work full time on Vidstone.
Aguirre, 32, promises the Serenity Panel will be durable, and while he hasn't sold any yet, he says he's got pre-orders from families whose relatives who have died. He wouldn't say how many pre-orders, and he hasn't yet collected any payment.
The device plays a 5-to-7-minute video featuring special moments from someone's life that would be compiled by anyone from friends and relatives of the deceased to funeral homes. Vidstone doesn't do video production.
The Serenity Panel's screen is covered by a solar panel, which can be flipped open by visitors. Once opened, the video starts.
The device includes two standard headphone jacks to listen to the audio. The solar panel protects the screen from sun damage and charges a battery inside, Aguirre said. Four hours of sun provides enough juice to play the video continuously for up to 90 minutes.
The 7-inch shatter-resistant LCD screen is designed to last for 15 years, when it can either be replaced with a newer device or covered with a bronze plaque. It will come with a one-year warranty; extended coverage for 10 years is about another $200.
Aguirre says the product is vandal-resistant and has been tested to survive the outdoors — the unit will function between 32 degrees and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. He said the panel won't be damaged if temperatures get outside that range."===http://www.nbcnews.com/id/9257776/ns/tec...c0MhvlViko
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MIAMI — "Video screens have shown up all over in recent years — cell phones, bathrooms, car head rests, subway cars, even elevators. Next up: a solar-powered video panel embedded in a tombstone that plays a clip reminiscent of "This Is Your Life."
Tasteless, you might say? A magnet for vandals?
On the contrary, says inventor Sergio Aguirre.
His soothingly named Serenity Panel is all about helping families celebrate the life of a lost loved one.
"While nothing ever replaces the gift of life, memories can now come one step closer to forever being remembered and not forgotten," waxes the Web site of Aguirre's company, Vidstone LLC.
The video headstone concept has been around for years, but previous inventors' ambitions have been laid to rest. One gave up for lack of demand and out of concerns his invention wouldn't be able to withstand years of harsh weather.
That's not deterring Aguirre, who quit his telecommunications job last month to work full time on Vidstone.
Aguirre, 32, promises the Serenity Panel will be durable, and while he hasn't sold any yet, he says he's got pre-orders from families whose relatives who have died. He wouldn't say how many pre-orders, and he hasn't yet collected any payment.
The device plays a 5-to-7-minute video featuring special moments from someone's life that would be compiled by anyone from friends and relatives of the deceased to funeral homes. Vidstone doesn't do video production.
The Serenity Panel's screen is covered by a solar panel, which can be flipped open by visitors. Once opened, the video starts.
The device includes two standard headphone jacks to listen to the audio. The solar panel protects the screen from sun damage and charges a battery inside, Aguirre said. Four hours of sun provides enough juice to play the video continuously for up to 90 minutes.
The 7-inch shatter-resistant LCD screen is designed to last for 15 years, when it can either be replaced with a newer device or covered with a bronze plaque. It will come with a one-year warranty; extended coverage for 10 years is about another $200.
Aguirre says the product is vandal-resistant and has been tested to survive the outdoors — the unit will function between 32 degrees and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. He said the panel won't be damaged if temperatures get outside that range."===http://www.nbcnews.com/id/9257776/ns/tec...c0MhvlViko