http://oblong.com/ Not quite as beautiful as in the movie but I have don't think it's going to replace the touch interface untill we have usable holographs.
Very nice, but not practical in reality. For one, after 10-20min, your arms will be tired. Second, try and do programing with this... good luck! Third, takes a bit too much space, I mean even if we consider that they make a desktop version, it would still take to much space. Not the machine but to use it; as you need space to freely move your arms and not hit books, fly paper away, or hit your desk lamp or something. How about a laptop? You'll nicely hit the people around you in a classroom. Cool concept, but not practical. Such technology could be used for computers designed for searching trough databases, thus. However, It will be a hard seller, as not only it would be significantly more expensive, there is nothing that could really help in searching for something. I mean just type or say what you are looking for into a computer is way smaller and cheaper than this. I guess if you want a cool, futuristic computer like in the movie, sure why not! Get 2 of them. P.S: I could say something about the gloves, but I'll consider that one day we will have the Logitech MX Revolution Glove Illuminate or Microsoft Blue Gloves which are super comfortable and let air pass trough easily.
I have to say I'm having a hard time seeing the advantage of this, I know that people said the same thing about the mouse when that was invented but I cant see anything in that video that I couldn't do with a mouse and my spaceball, and if I need to collaborate with someone then they can have a mouse and spaceball too and I'll bet it would be a sight cheaper too. The next positive step in terms of man/machine interface for me will be volumetric (3D) displays and proper haptic feedback ( reach in and touch the display and have the right resistance to movement and surface texture/weight) Moriquendi
Looks like shoulder damage waiting to happen, TBH. Sure it's cool, but i can't see that it will be useful in a normal working environment. And the mouse still is pretty ineffective when it comes to certain tasks. For example in Vista, you could just type the name of the program in the start menu, and it will pop up. This is way quicker than searching through all those sub-menus full of crap you never use (Why would we want a shortcut to the uninstaller on the start menu anyway?) I look forward to the day when programs implement the same system for menus. If i want "preferences" in a program, i want to be able to just type it, and it will show up. Having that said, the mouse really helps new users find stuff in a program, as they don't have to remember any commands, they can just look for "something that may fit my needs". That's basically how I have learned everything i know about computers.
im programming something like this atm, but trying to minimise the amount of hand movement needed, to minimise the arm/hand strain.
It's an interesting technical exercise but not useful in any real way. Pretty much every development after controllers, keyboards, buttons and mice has been a step backwards. Touch screens are a good example, they're twice as hard to use...
Space Navigators (and the rest of the family) are a frickin' genius invention for CAD, whenever I have to work without one I feel like one of my arms has been amputated. I would estimate that now I've been using it for a year or so I'm at least twice as fast at modelling compared to without it. Touchscreen's are good for casual computing or when you need the computer to be used by people who aren't computer literate, they have one at my local surgery for you to sign in to say you've arrived and it's really good for that sort of application. Similarly they're good for an application like the Iphone where you want the biggest screen possible in the smallest package and adding a keyboard or pointing device would just make the thing too big. They're not good for everything though and when they dont work they can be the most frustrating things in the world. Moriquendi
A touchscreen is useful is certain applications just like a mouse and keyboard is useful in others. Try drawing or writing notes with your high sensitivity gaming mouse.
As someone who develops multitouch projection interfaces as a hobby this is the most exciting thing I've seen all year. Thanks so much johnmustrule, for the link.
I can see this being usefull in some apps and in the future many more, people who are talking about arm ache, you only have to do something repeatedly for a few weeks before your muscle get stronger, so maybe you should get out more. Might be more useful in hospitals, schools, military, if it was more accurate would be cool for some CAD / 3D work . Can't wait to see how it develops would be cool to have a mini one in my room, the mouse as pointing device is far to out dated and slow, point with your hands would be much easier, not everything revolves around games.
Some comments make me laugh. Guess what, computers and mobile phones back in the day where seen as annoying, who thought mobile phones where going to be as big as they are now? Even my Dad says that people thought they wouldn't work in a million years, but guess what, they did. Over time, new ideas evolve and become a part of everyday life.
Major, the idea of the cell phone was a good one since day 1... sure it was big and heavy... but that was a "simple" fix ("if it was only smaller"). Same for the first """"portable"""" radio wheer you needed to carry a car battery to make it work... People still purchased it, as it was great, but for many it was big, and they would get it is it was smaller, lighter and less power hungry. Here, we are talking about the WHOLE thing as being not practical to a point that the market is at near 0.
This is the computer interface I have been waiting for! I'm always trying my best to maximize my productivity for mega tasking, but always find that even if I had optimized the interface efficiency to its best on a machine that just might be able to keep up with me, my interfacing medium is the weak link: the mouse. Even in my present state, I truly don't think I can possibly speed up any more the rate at which I am regularly moving and clicking the mouse because my wrist and arm are always hurting from fatigue. I can't describe to you guys how relieving the news of this medium is to me What I'm saying is that it's my dream to use a computer as fast as my mind is mapping out my tasks. This is why I am a chronically forgetful person (on the computer or otherwise) because I can't queue up and schedule that many of the tasks that my mind is planning out so quickly to execute. Typical example: Say, I was checking my mail. While I am typing in my password with one hand, I want to, with my other hand, open three other windows immediately for weather, my daily agenda, and traffic alerts on, and maps of, my regular routes and make note of them. Once I reach my mail inbox, I start working on a music playlist for the day (while listening to track previews) while checking the mail. I need two hands to write an e-mail, but I want the playlist creator on a third screen so I can still listen to and assemble the playlist in between the sentences I type out for my e-mail replies. Once it's all done, I close the inbox and start burning the disc while I begin playback of that playlist and turn on my Internet TV to Breakfast Television, while updating my agenda to reflect my e-mail notices. This truly is the machine I must have. It would shorten my 3-hour stints of (what feels like at the end) complete unproductivity on the computer to a mere 20 minutes. Beautiful.
I think that is called: "not knowing how to optimize the computer to your needs". This is why I enjoy Vista quick launch bar shortcuts. Win+1 will open the first application, Win+2 will open the second. So, let's say I want to start Winamp, open e-mail, open Firefox. I do Win+2, 3, 4. If I start doing Flash, I changed Flash shortcut on my start menu to an application that will open Flash, help doc, SWF Studio in one shot for me. I also have fancy buttons on my mouse (Logitech MX revolution) to navigate up/down and sideways through a work-area/document. Also, be able to back/forward (in a web browser) or (zoom in/out) in PaintShop Pro or Page up/down in Word, etc... with the second wheel/switch. On all windows, if I press the second wheel/switch straight down (not up/down) of my mouse: I set it to maximize/restore the application that is focused. If I want to start an application that is not on my quick launch bar, let's say Dreamweaver. I do: Win + dr -> ENTER. In my case it will open Dreamweaver as well as my "webpage" folder.
I understand what you are saying. But what I'm talking about is maximizing my productivity when everything is already open. I've already got my Logitech Wave keyboard's shortcut and function keys completely booked up with custom shortcuts. My mouse buttons are also mapped out with task viewer and window maximize-to-current-monitor; and my quicklaunch is nearly filled up completely at 1920 pixels across. This kind of interfacing of the machine is putting too much strain on my hands going between programs because I can't interact with two or more applications simultaneously, which is what I need.
Its only an interface, it isnt an entire computer (and if it is, then its bound to be an entirely unsupported operating system that you cant get anything for). I cant imagine why trying to do 2 things at once is better than doing one thing at once. Surely all you end up doing is making a hash up of both.
I think this has more to do with some people just being unable to fully concentrate on one thing, I for one am near useless unless I've got both my monitors going with a book or corel going on the second while i do whatever on the first, some people just work better doing multiples than they do at doing singles, and vice versa. And it only seems to get worse for some people, I know I used to just listen to music while playing a game or something, nowadays I've always got a book and the music and watching tv while I'm doing whatever, I may only be doing a quickscan of the outlying object's, but it concentrates me wonderfully on my main object, and for the inevitable question, No I dont actually watch tv and read a book at the same time, It's start watching the show then go back to whatever i was doing and just listen to the story with quick glances at the tv............ and yes I can still tell you exactly what happened in the last episode of the mentalist despite the fact i was reading princeps fury at the time.
