Tech marches on...

[Vaarok]

look (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/020319/168/19xte.html)

Yesterday it was retinal holoprojectors.
Day before, it was 3d-gps virtual-reality overlay systems for use with above.
There's the thing about nanotech in this very forum.

Kurzweil was right! Damn, I wish I'd never read that book.

[SquidDNA]

How does it work?

[Stew]

I have always wanted to spend my time in the office typing on my forehead...

[ÜberJumper]

HMMMM looks like the beginning of Final Fantasy (Movie) type interfaces!

[Dawn Falcon]

Now that really IS useful.

I want one. Two, actually ;)

[Mac_Bug]

Vaarok: If you go around interview people in the industry, it doesn't take very much magical looking into the crystal ball to elaborate on things you see right now.

Recall what people in the middle of 20th century or earlier thought about what was going to happen in 2001. To be sure from the turn of the century to today we have changed a lot, and some argue that the growth will be exponential, but I as always, remain a pessimist and a cynic towards these 'prophecies'.

You better hope I'm wrong.

[Vaarok]

Mac, I think the later (third "prophecy") kurzwiel predictions are a bit out there, but we're definitely going to be at at least Earth: Final Conflict tech level in five years, and if we get there, his stuff isn't so unfeasable.

[Nova]

Don't start this 'you should be so lucky' crap agian. Just talk about the wonderful holographic keyboard and hope if doesn't permantly damage your skin after prolonged use.

[Mac_Bug]

The point being there is a long way between what is invented and what you get to use.

[Tronno]

Dear God, it's beautiful. I want that.

But I'm worried about the fact that the individual keys no longer have a distinct tactile shape. I frequently run my fingers across the space bar and the tab, shift and Enter keys to determine my hands' position on the keyboard without looking at the keyboard itself. And of course there are the indispensable bumps on the F and K keys which also provide tactile cues. Losing that may mean a whole new world of spelling mistakes.

I look forward to seeing how (and if) they'll deal with the issue.

[SquidDNA]

The bumps will be replaced by bright dots that will sear your fingernails. How's that for tactile cues?

:D

[Mac_Bug]

I've never actually found uses for the F and J key tactiles, in fact if you didn't mention it, I would've never remembered it existed.

[Tronno]

They play a smaller role. I was just trying to point out that it's rather helpful to feel your way around a keyboard instead of relying on prerehearsed moves to determine where a key is.

[SquidDNA]

Tronno, I dont use the bumps either, but I agree with you. I think every time you touch the key you register where your finger hits it, so your next stroke will be based in part on that information. I think the projectable keyboard will have people mistyping all the time.

On the other hand, there's probably a function to change the size of the projection so you'd have to relearn it anyway..