The Future Computer 6

[ajetrumpet]

Anyone want to comment on the computer environment that we saw in "Minority Report"? The stock market wizards seem to think that this is the next big step for interface. Anyone think we'll get there soon? An interface based on the user's hand motions?? I see voice recognition as the next "kick", that still has a long way to go, like the "Demolition Man" movie!

-J

 

[jsteph]

Touch-screen won't cut it. I'm not being sarcastic, but it's really too much work to lift your arms all the way to the screen constantly. I think you're on the right track about adapting to specific tasks. A normal keyboard--or more specifically the smaller smart-phone/blackberry keyboards--would need to adapt hotkeys for different apps/tasks, since many things done are not straight text-input. A single key for Copy, instead of Ctrl-C, for instance. The ability for the *user* to map these keys and their context.

As far as text/speech input, I still think, at this point, that low-tech is better. I think we'll be touch-typing for a while. I've seen the PDA's that "remember" the last words you typed that, say start with "St" or whatever, and then list them for you. Boo. Wrong. Too disruptive. Too Microsofty: "We do it because we can, and it's 'cool' to program this stuff". But not usable.

And as has been discussed, speech input is way, way down the road, if at all. I think the concept of the keyboard will stay, but it won't be on-screen, it'll be something ingeneous (don't ask me what) that will be useable anywhere at a near-normal size, but physically portable in a very tiny size. Think of those rubber roll-up keyboards, but rolling up much smaller and folding out with much more ease-of use. Probably not even mechanical--but touch/optically based pads. I don't know. I guess that's why I'm not the guy inventing it and making billions.
--Jim

 

[ajetrumpet]

And as has been discussed, speech input is way, way down the road, if at all.

I see on QVC now that they are advertising vocal recognition for microsoft programs. I watching it today and this dude was speaking into the mike things like "close window", "new paragraph" and "open microsoft excel". Seriously people, that's a little bit TOO MUCH talking for me! Pretty soon I'll be talking to my friends just like I talk to the machine. Boy, that'll make for great conversations, ya think!?

 

[lionelhill]

On the touch screen thing: I can feel where I am on the keyboard because it's a funny shape, with lumps on the F and J keys. Could we also have a touch-screen that can change its shape to go all nobbly so I can feel what I'm doing?

Then again, since I don't need to look at the keyboard while I type, why do I need a virtual keyboard that can change what it looks like?

For the last 20 years we've been typing documents in portrait mode on screens that are in landscape mode. That says it all, really.

 

[gbaughma]

Pretty soon I'll be talking to my friends just like I talk to the machine.

Hehe...

"Buy... beer."

"Get phone number of blonde"

"Order pizza"

"Hail taxi"



Just my 2¢
-Cole's Law: Shredded cabbage

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[monkeylizard]

The future is in touch-screen based virtual keyboards that adapt to every specific tasks and maximize input efficiency.

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/

Very cool, but I don't know that I'd call this "the future of computing." It's very usefull if you swicth between applications a lot that have or could benefit from customized keyboard layouts where the alphabet really doesn't mean much. Examples: Games, PhotoShop, CAD, etc.
Think about Photoshop if you had a section of your keyboard (the number pad for instance) configured to be a color pallet. I suppose that could be done today and you could press "7" for "Red", but with this you could press "Red" for "Red".

It also has applications for multiple languages where the letters/characters could be switched on-the-fly from English to Japanese to Arabic to Hebrew etc. but I don't know if that is a widespread need.

I suppose that taking this concept one step further would be to make the keyboard like the iPhone, where even the location and existence of keys is virtual. If the application only needs 10 keys, there's no need to clutter up your keyboard with the 91 to 94 "extra" keys. Swicth apps, the keyboard reconfigures with the correct number, placement, and display on every key. The downer on this has been mentioned, and that's the tactile feel of pressing keys and the bumps on the F and J keys.

Monkeylizard
Sometimes just a few hours of trial and error debugging can save minutes of reading manuals.

 

[Sleidia]

... where even the location and existence of keys is virtual

That's exactly what I had in mind.
The Micosoft's "Surface" project is only the beginning.

And after that, this technology will be applied to the next super-thin rollable screens. You'll be able to roll a 20inch screen in a stick-shaped container that you could easily carry anywhere.

And lets not forget the progress made on Head Mounted Displays that are becoming lighter and with better screen resolution. It will be like seeing a 1024x760 screen floating 1 meter ahead of you.

 

[Sleidia]

Oh and BTW, voice recognition is totally "has been".

The new stuff is brain controlled interfaces :

http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/dn8826.html

Why talk when you can just think?

 

[burtsbees]

Great...now what happens if this falls into the "wrong hands"???

Burt

 

[Sympology]

The new stuff is brain controlled interfaces

Oh great, now my emails will read:

Can you send me the files for, blimey xxxxx is looking darn fine today, the upgrade tonight....

Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004

 

[Grenage]

I remember the "brain controlled" mouse, about 5-10 years ago. Unfortunately, it took the user about 3 minutes of extreme concentration to move the cursor from one side of the screen to the other.

Carlsberg don't run I.T. departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[Sleidia]

Yeah but it was 10 years ago. And you didn't knew how to type efficiently on a keyboard until you practiced alot.

I advise you read more on what's currently going on in that field.

The gaming business is highly interested and a simplified controller is already out.

New real-time brain scanning technologies are making those researches sky-rocket.

 

[Grenage]

I am aware of this, but I seriously doubt it will be of much use for another 20 years, at least! You might be able to do this and that using a 'brainwave' operated device, but you can still do it 100 times quicker with a keyboard and mouse.

I'd personally never use that kind of equipment; when it gets to the stage where it's good enough, I wouldn't want to use it because it would be so prone to mistakes. When I want to press a button now, I think a hundred different things before I press it, giving me ample time to consider what I am doing. If it's instant, a passing thought such as "what does that button do" could be the end of all my work.

Carlsberg don't run I.T. departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[Sleidia]

I heard people say they would never buy a mobile phone but now they do own one.

And it's fascinating to witness how some people who are in the IT business can have a backward mentality. I mean, when I write something on a keyboard, I'm fully concentrated on this task.
And having my hands typing on a keyboard doesn't prevent me from having different passing thoughts not intefering on what I'm typing.

With brain controlled interfaces, nothing changes except the fact that arms aren't used.

Now something different from

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6287126.stm

...
We're only a few years away from the cost of data storage dropping so far that we can record "everything" that happens to us: our location at any given time, what we are hearing, what we are seeing, and what we are saying or doing.

The storage requirement for a video stream and two audio streams, plus GPS location, is only about 10,000 Gb per year - which will cost about £10 by 2017.
...

Obviously, singularity will happen: human behaviours will be changed by technology.

 

[Sympology]

These predictions are all well and good, but they forget one major thing, humans nature.

Yes we could record everything, but why bother, the human brain has conditioned to reject 99% of the junk we aquire each day. Why on earth would I WANT to record my trip to the grocers to pick up my weeks veg. Why would I WANT to know where I was standing a week last Thursday. I have enough problem organising the junk I aquire now, let alone increasing this a billion fold.
You could argue the same for many technologies. have mobile phones & email REALLY helped us?
You'll say yes of course they have, but think of this.
I now get anywhere between 10 - 200 emails a day, most of it trivial work related junkt, that if it wasn't for email, wouldn't get to me as it would be to much effort for the writer to perform and post. The task of issuing a request outweighs the result. As a result i get bombarded with requests that really are, in the scheme of thing unimportant.
Mobiles (cell phones)... great, now peole can cal me on my lunch "break", I can get called on my way to / from work. On holidays. they can leave messages, then complain that I didn't return their unimportant call.

So is all this wonderful new technology really so great?

Stu..

Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004

 

[Sleidia]

As I said, human nature is getting shaped by technology.

You can ask hundreds of time the "why would I ..." question, in the end, you'll find good reasons to use those "useless" technologies ... just like you're doing with email and other things.

As long as the pros surpasse the cons for a technology, chance are that you'll use it in the future.

People always want to be able to do things they couldn't do before, even if those things are totally trivial. And that's the basis of IT business.

Do people really need a website? No in 90% of the cases. Still, a market for this has been created.

 

[Sleidia]

And the "broadcast yourself" hype isn't going to end soon.
If you can record anything, then you can broadcast anything. People will be able to live the life of others. That's where we're heading.

Anyone will want to earn money just by broadcasting what they do with their life. People will pay to watch. A market based on easy money and voyeurism is bound to succeed.

 

[Sympology]

There is a simple rule in Technology. If we can do something with less effort, then it will succeed.

The web has suceeded, because if I want to know what times a film is showing a various cinemas, it's easier to go to favourites than try and find a dozen phone numbers and phone each cinema.

Email: It's easier to send a quick email, than walk to 200yrds to speak to someone.

Mobiles: Why call the landline when they may not be there when you know you can get them on a mobile (or leave a message, send a txt etc)

So until "brain Power" is easier than using a mouse, then it won't progress at any great pace (that article is mainly about moving a mouse around).



Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004

 

[lionelhill]

Hey, voice recognition could be really useful.

If improvements in technology continue to benefit network reliability at their current rate, we might be very grateful for the opportunity to get one machine equipped with voice synthesis to shout across the building at another machine equipped with speech recognition.

 

[dilettante]

Machines already have WiFi for this, Bluetooth for whispering.

 

[thefourthwall]

maybe a combination of iPhone, Wii and MS Surface technology?