We are children of the iEra;
driven by the silica that runs in our blood,
we traverse the great digital sea of interconnectedness
on devices and touch screens which are at the same time
carnal and ephemeral,
interface flowing beneath our lightly dancing fingers.
These are not the crude digits of our forebears, with their
stumbling,
muttering
gait, unsure of the correct coaxing rhythms
used to elicit computational
satisfaction
from these sleek new difference engines.
It is with these hands that we mold the
supple curves of the future, plucking the fruit of knowledge
from the withered claws of the past. Surely, we are better equipped
to bare its weight.
Poetics aside, we do stand on the cusp of a vast shift in the values and aesthetics of computing; interfaces and software are constantly being reworked into more “intuitive” devices, streamlining humming fans and soldered circuit boards into sensual aerodynamic casing to appeal to the visually centered market. Touch screens and motion capture controls are becoming more and more prevalent in computing technology as the decade progresses, highlighted by the release of the Apple iPhone and iPad product lines, as well as the Kindle ebook reader and the advancements brought forward by Microsoft’s Project Natal. These interface re-imaginings are proving to be vastly commercially successful with consumers of all ages and technical backgrounds, from grandparents to gamers. This is of course due in part to the novelty value of a flashy new control mechanism that makes even the flabbiest, most incompetent user feel like Batman’s hip barista cousin, but some credit must be grudgingly given to the innovative layout and software design that has gone into creating these digital experiences. However, possibly the most interesting facet of the current market data is the unprecedented acceptance of these new devices by 50-60 year old consumers, a generation whose stereotypical hallmarks include a comical degree of technophobia and a general leeriness of anything carrying an electric current. The boom in grey-haired retail indicates that perhaps these new interface options aren’t just expensive toys for rabid Steve Jobs fanboys (all hail the once and future king) or Xbros; In short, someone is doing something right here.
Taking a cue from this trend of snappy, intuitive drag-and-drop applications and kinetic controls, certain industry pioneers are working to bring more futuristic computing into the arena with glittery concept footage and honeyed press releases promising the computer of tomorrow, today, with 3d hologram projection and 100% cross-platform compatibility! (Terms and Conditions apply, certain components known by the State of California to cause cancer). This product is being marketed as “Smart Glass”, a term currently used to refer to a glass-like substance which can shift from transparent to opaque and back again when prompted by the proper electrical signals, making it useful for constructing elaborate two-way mirrors and expensive private conference rooms. The proposed device would utilize polymer dispersed liquid crystal displays (a refinement on current flatscreen computer monitor technology) inlaid with critical circuitry to create a compact, adaptive display similar to an Apple touchscreen product, but able to project images and computing displays not only on its surface, but onto similarly networked screens found elsewhere.
While the domestic applications of these technologies are still far beyond grasping distance (data storage compression requirements are currently unachievable, and the adaptive display glass is incomplete), the developers have a pretty strong base of pre-existing soft/hardware to work from, most of which can be traced to developments in (you guessed it) military R&D. For example, several Japanese car manufacturers are racing big European brands to see who can produce a functional stand-alone Heads Up Display (HUD) for a mass marketed commuter vehicle, basing prototypes off of fighter-jet computing and cockpit displays which are used to track targets and display flight data in aerial dogfights. This kind of real time image projection is being transferred to cars in order to replace the traditional dashboard console, turning dials and knobs into touchscreen interfaces and digital overlays indicating points of interest and navigation controls (No, no dear; the flashing square is low battery, the flashing crosshairs means they have a missile lock).
Even though these displays are rudimentary compared to the flights of fantasy being sold to drooling investors in the boardroom, they do boast a distinct improvement over the off-brand, vaguely homicidal GPS systems (turn left, Dave) and arcane warning lights we currently rely on to inform us about the intestines of our vehicles. More importantly, the computers used to run these systems could be easily housed in the chassis of a moderately sized suburban car, whereas the industrial lights and magic display shown in some concept footage would require a basement full of graphics cards housed in a supercomputer mainframe. For those of you processing at less than 1.0 x 10^16 MIPS, that means this is probably going to take a few years. However, one might find solace in the fact that the computing power of a modern cell phone exponentially exceeds that of a supercomputer from the 1980s, and the collective worldwide CPU keeps going up at an astonishing rate..
We know what you’re all thinking, but never fear;
You’ll live to see fully immersive 3d video games.
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