Ipad turns out to be an interesting innovation for adult care

Apple's recently launched iPad, a supposedly revolutionary device, but while some people were enthusiastic, many others were quite underwhelmed. People in Japan however, have been using Ipads for around six years, in the form of adult diapers.

Apple recently launched a new product, the iPad, which is essentially a larger version of its successful iPhone and iPod products. Revolutionary to some, underwhelming to others, the future will have to decide on what it will be. There is, however, another contender to its name. Meet the あいパッド, or in English, ipad. It is an electronic and wireless diaper for adults. The diaper contains two metallic strips, to which are attached a sensor and a wireless radio. Should the diaper be wetted, the wetness will electrically bridge the gap between the metallic strips, hence closing an electric circuit that will in turn activate the wireless emitter, which will in turn be caught by a receiver that will inform a caregiver. The advantage of such a product is that caregivers are no longer required to go and check the diaper every now and then while the patient is sleeping, something which often results in waking the patient and interrupting her/his sleeping patterns. Because of the way the name iPad is pronounced, Awajitec, the maker of the Japanese ipad could possibly be less than happy about Apple's new product. In Japanese, the name consists of two words that are combined into one. The first word is ai, Japanese for love, the second one is paddo, the Japanese phonetic rendering of the English "pad". One could argue that the name in English is therefore aipaddo and that there is no confusion possible. Things are not that simple however. Aipaddo would be the way most linguists would write it, but no English native speaker would write Aipaddo after hearing it pronounced. The best English representation of the way it is pronounced is ipad. Of this, there can be no doubt. If it ever comes to a conflict between Apple and Awajitec, the latter will have the better claim, at least where time is concerned, given that the Ipad has been launched in 2004. The Japanese ipad is not the only contender to the name, however. In 2002, Fujitsu announced that it would launch the iPAD, a device they hoped would revolutionize the retail business. Apple has a history of making claims that are blatantly untrue, and of ignoring pre-existing claims of other companies. The future will tell us if they will be able to get away with it this time.