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Hi-Tech Tombstones Interact With Cell Phones and PCs of Mourners

by Peter Mychalcewycz on May 16, 2008 at 12:04 PM

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Visiting the gravesite of a loved one has always been intensely emotional. It has also, technically speaking, always been a completely one-sided affair. Biology and reality dictate that the mourner do all the talking, and that he or she must subsist on whatever solace the traditional flowers and framed photos provide. Biology and reality, however, are not immune from the influences of technology.

Ishinokoe, a Japanese headstone manufacturing company, has figured out a way to make one's gravesite visit a bit more interactive. Its new tombstones, which resemble a large stone urn, are marked by two out-swinging, lockable doors. Inside the doors is a Q3 code (two-dimensional, super fast barcode) that allows family members and friends to use their cell phones to access a Web site showing movie clips and photos of the deceased. The mourners are able to access the Web site via cell-phone-accessible hyperlinks.

Technology can help and it can hurt. In this instance, it may just help ease the pain. [Source: DVICE]

Tags: breaking news, BreakingNews, death

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