Concepts

little dog

2010-05-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

ugh, maybe I'll quit posting here altogether. The videos are getting clipped and really, who actually reads this?

original link

Hulc

2010-05-17T04:57:00.000-07:00

Robot Exoskeleton

Armed Robots

Cool gadget for getting around

2010-05-08T06:17:00.000-07:00

I really like this little thing. I love how it's so small that you can carry it like a briefcase. I don't know if I'd want to have one though. It doesn't look like it can go faster then walking speed and really, how lazy would someone have to be to get out of there car and use this thing to go from there car to wherever they're headed.

Stupid blog cutting off the sides...

Here's a link for better viewing

Microsoft's vision of the future

2010-02-21T08:19:00.000-08:00

Microsoft - Manufacturing of the Future - Limbotext from DIGITALKITCHEN on Vimeo.

I love these videos, (click here for bigger version).

morph bot

2009-11-06T04:48:00.000-08:00

10 gooey

2009-10-13T19:39:00.001-07:00

10/GUI from C. Miller on Vimeo.

Looks pretty cool. I wonder how a keyboard could tie in to it, like a touch screen keyboard. Could clean up a lot of desktop space by combining the mouse/keyboard in to it instead of adding their interface like the image at the end.

I wonder how video games could be revolutionized with that kind of multi-touch interface.

Holograph you can feel.

2009-08-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

augmented reality toys

2009-08-05T06:21:00.001-07:00

Augmented Reality Toys.v2 (Work in progress) from Frantz Lasorne on Vimeo.

war machines

2009-05-23T19:04:00.001-07:00

wearable projection

2009-02-07T20:35:00.001-08:00

2009-01-27T04:59:00.001-08:00

I haven't been adding much to this blog, and haven't really put any effort in to clipping and whatever. Let me know if anyone actually reads this and I'll try to update it more.

2009-01-27T04:58:00.000-08:00

http://www.yankodesign.com/images/design_news/2009/01/16/icontact2.jpg

through the looking glass

2009-01-08T07:56:00.000-08:00

Here's a link that expands on the see-through mobile device idea that was introduced a while ago

Very, very cool.

How technology will transform us

2008-12-06T07:05:00.000-08:00

At around 15 minutes in, there's a really cool part showing little machines interacting in our blood stream, releasing oxygen.

"You could run an Olympic sprint without taking a breath. You could sit at the bottom of a pool for fifteen minutes."

Very cool, check it out.

For the majority of the video he shows many different areas that are experiencing exponential growth.

It's really quite mind-boggling to think what could happen in the next ten years.

Future Planes

2008-11-19T05:24:00.000-08:00

When the next-generation aircraft rises over the horizon, one group of people will be able to say they saw it first. That's the U.S. Defense Advance Research Projects Group, or DARPA. A month after the launch of Sputnik, Congress created the Advanced Research Projects Agency to make sure that the United States would never again be surprised by an adversary's technology -- and to prepare surprises of its own for use by the American military.

Today, DARPA has projects going in space science, biomedicine, microelectronics, nanotechnology and just about any other field you can name, including aviation.

Some of the agency's previous successful aviation partnerships include the Saturn rocket that carried men to the moon, the Lockheed F117 "stealth" fighter, and the Northrop Grumman B-2 bomber and the UAV, or unmanned aerial vehicle. None of these pivotal technologies might exist if not for DARPA. As I originally wrote for the May 2008 issue of Professional Pilot magazine, the agency has a number of new aircraft in the works.

The Oblique Flying Wing aircraft, for instance, is an odd-looking number. One wing is swept forward, the other back, and the sweep angle changes with speed to optimize aerodynamic performance. In terms of civilian use, an OFW business jet would have a high purchase price but might offer enough operating efficiency to justify the initial cost.

The Vulture, an autonomous aircraft capable of staying in the air for up to five years at a time, could work cheaper than certain satellites while performing the same function. Innovated for civilian use, the craft could be used as a sort of flying hotel.

But it's the agency's nano air vehicle program that really pushes the limits. The program aims to produce an aircraft less than 3 inches long and weighing about one-third of an ounce. That's under 10 grams. The vehicle wouldn't have room for passengers, of course, but it's still an aircraft and will require fundamental breakthroughs in aerodynamic design, propulsion and power systems, avionics and manufacturing techniques to get off the ground.

Even these technologies will one day be obsolete, and DARPA is planning for the next technological wave thereafter. Early in 2008, the agency issued a request for proposals on experiments related to quantum entanglement. This may be the most ambitious research effort DARPA has ever taken on. The project, called quantum entanglement science and technology (QuEST), could produce such marvels as the Star Trek's transporter. In the meantime, a seat in first class will be good enough for me.

touch screen mirror

2008-11-14T18:08:00.000-08:00

Interactive Mirror from Alpay Kasal on Vimeo.

Could have some potential. Maybe a catchy way to get you in to a clothing store.

Virgin Galactic unveils first space ship

2008-11-04T06:26:00.000-08:00

Tourism flights booking now; first takeoff in mid-2009

Virgin Galactic, the spaceflight division of Richard Branson's Virgin Group, formally unveiled its first spacecraft in New York City today. The ship, named SpaceShipTwo, is nearing the final phases of construction by Scaled Composites.

Today's announcement was bittersweet. In June, the aircraft will begin is mandated 50 test flights before carrying a single passenger. But this incredible success is not without its price: one of SpaceShipTwo's engines killed three Scaled Composites employees during a test last July. Branson and Scaled Composites would not comment if the explosion delayed the project.

Safety is paramount at Virgin Galactic. Branson claimed ex-Trekker William Shatner was scheduled as one of the first to fly on SpaceShipTwo, though Shatner then publicly made the claim, "I do want to go up, but I need guarantees I'll definitely come back."

The risks of spaceflight have not deterred others. Virgin Galactic claims up to 200 people have already booked seats on the sub-orbital craft through 2009. Though the initial ticket price is $200,000, a British businessman named Alan Watts was able to redeem two million frequent flier miles for a 2009 flight. Branson promised that after the first 100 passengers, the deposit cost will dip to $100,000 for the next 400 passengers.

Eventually, Branson hopes to bring suborbital flight to as low as $20,000 per person.

The ship will reach a maximum altitude of 68 miles, just exceeding the formal boundary of space. Total time for each flight is projected to be in the 2.5 hour range, which includes six minutes of weightlessness at the peak of the suborbital phase.

The spacecraft will fold its wings up for reentry into atmosphere, then fold them back again immediately before landing.

Launches will occur from underneath a mother ship known as WhiteKnightTwo, also unveiled in New York today. All flights will originate from Upham, New Mexico.

via

robot drone kills 20; Pakistan cool with it

2008-10-31T21:30:00.000-07:00

A robot plane has killed more than 20 people during an attack on a militant compound in Pakistan in what the US airforce claims is the deadliest drone strike ever.

Officially it is the largest remote control killing conducted by a robot force yet. The raid by US Reaper unmanned aerial planes carrying more than 3,750 pounds of explosives including an assortment of satellite-guided, quarter-ton bombs, and Hellfire missiles carried out the attack.

The US has been increasingly reliant on robotic planes as the preferred method of attacking bases in Pakistan. Politically the Pakistan government does not seem to be so upset when robot planes kill its citizens, but it has been getting cross about US commandos coming and doing it all personally.

The New York Times notes there have been at least 19 UAV attack in Pakistan's tribal areas "since the beginning of August. Some of the attacks are 25 miles into Pakistani territory." And they are growing increasingly deadly. In a single week in September, US drones killed more than 50 people in four attacks.

lil robo wrestlers

2008-10-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

500 terabyte iPod

2008-10-17T05:58:00.001-07:00

via Electricpig

How big is your iPod? Bet it’s not 500 terabytes, but it soon could be, thanks to researchers at the University of Glasgow.

The clever Scots have created new nanotechnology that’ll cram 500,000 GB (or just under 500 terabytes) onto a single chip just one inch square.
That’s enough space to store a mind boggling 127 million songs on a device as small as an iPod shuffle.

Explaining the science behind it all, Professor Lee Cronin said: “What we have done is find a way to potentially increase the data storage capabilities in a radical way. We have been able to assemble a functional nanocluster that incorporates two electron donating groups, and position them precisely 0.32 nm apart so that they can form a totally new type of molecular switching device.

“Molecule sized switches would lead to increasing data storage to say 4 Petabits per square inch… The fact these switches work on carbon means that they could be embedded in plastic chips so silicon is not needed and the system becomes much more flexible both physically and technologically.”

There’s no word on when (or even if) the new technology will go into production, but you can bet Apple’s already eyeing it, along with armies of other tech firms. Watch this space.

TBC | £TBC

University of Glasgow

500 terabyte iPod

2008-10-17T05:58:00.000-07:00

Futuristic Contact Lens

2008-10-12T06:55:00.001-07:00

Via Popular Mechanics

Most advances in retinal implants concentrate on restoring, not enhancing, sight. But there’s hope yet for superhuman vision, and without surgery: A team at the University of Washington has created a contact lens assembled with functional circuitry and LEDs.

Potential uses include virtual displays for pilots, video-game projections and telescopic vision for soldiers. A working prototype of a lens-embedded antenna that draws power for the device from radio frequencies has also been created. The next steps are to build a version that can display several pixels—and then to test it on a person.

The UW team uses a technique called self-assembly to manufacture the eyewear. Researchers dust a specially designed contact lens with microscale components that automatically bond to predetermined receptor sites. The shape of each component dictates where it attaches.

“There’s a lot of room to expand,” Babak Parviz, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at UW, says of the technology. “You can let your imagination run wild.”

star fox AR

2008-10-11T14:31:00.000-07:00

nano carpet

2008-09-28T07:52:00.001-07:00

OCZ's Neural Impulse Actuator

2008-09-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

OCZ's site

"Translate electrical biosignals of your body directly into computer commands and take advantage of total immersion into game play"

from Techreport.com review:

"The NIA software lists eight different inputs in total. The bulk of those inputs are made up by a "muscle" input that tracks facial muscle tension (largely from jaw and eyebrow muscles) and a "glance" control that tracks lateral eye movement. Six brain-wave inputs—three for alpha waves and three for beta waves—fill out the neural control aspect of the NIA. This post by Dr. Schuette suggests alpha waves correspond to aggression and that beta waves can correspond to pain management. For instance, one can trigger the Alpha 2 meter by thinking of an expletive. Schuette told us he successfully used this method to get his character to jump in a game, but I could never get this to work myself."

This reminds me of voice recognition, it sounds like a little bit of a rocky start, but in the future, it should be able to recognize more and more.

Novint Falcon

2008-09-22T12:20:00.000-07:00

"After all, the Falcon is the natural predator of the mouse."

Check out the video at this link for a new controller that could be better then the standard mouse. Force feedback and full 3d control, it has all the specs but will the finicky PC crowd go after it? We are, after all, still using qwerty keyboards when they were designed to keep typewriter parts from smashing in to each other. Converting the PC crowd is tricky business.

Nokia 888: the bendy phone

2008-09-21T07:38:00.000-07:00

Nokia isn't letting Apple take over their industry, that's for sure. They have some of the best and brightest rushing new technologies and bringing them in to the forefront. Case in point: The Nokia 888

This little puppy can change shape, bending to the contours of your face, wrapping around your wrist, or even custom shapes you can program in to it.

Very cool stuff, I can't wait for my new cell phone, I hope by the time my contract runs out there will be something like this available.

magnetic fields

2008-09-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

Magnetic Movie from Semiconductor on Vimeo.

flat plastic reader

2008-09-11T05:53:00.000-07:00

2008-09-07T09:18:00.001-07:00

Found this interesting video about the J-dome, a device that projects your screen on to a dome allowing for a much more realistic experience. With the amount of screen space it provides, it doesn't seem that expensive.

I picked up this video from smashing magazine, click the link to see 9 more futuristic user interfaces

I had to put this quick on in here too. Just like Johnny Lee's head tracking trick with the wii mote, here is the same thing, except all you need is a webcam.

So, who will be the first company to jump on this level of immersion?

Nokia s60

2008-09-03T06:51:00.001-07:00

I'm one of those guys that got really excited about the iPhone but never bothered to get one. Over-hyped and over-priced, average joe's like me will hold on to their current phone. At least until the contract runs out.

The iPhone 3g has some very cool features, but I've been saying that I'll wait until Nokia or Samsung comes out with something equivalent.

Stumbling on this video, It's obvious that I'm part of Nokia's target market:

Mid-range

"Well with Nokia the biggest player in the mobile world, they reckon they can turn average Joe's onto touchscreen tech and build from the bottom. And there's a good chance it'll work."

"Being your regular mid–level Nok, the Tube will almost certainly come free on contract. And we’re not talking an iPhone 3G–style deal, where you have to pony up £45 every month for the privilege of having the phone in your pocket. Plus, it won’t be shackled to one network, giving Nokia the chance to work their magic and get it into every mobile–loving mitt in the country."

SkyHook JHL-40

2008-09-02T05:48:00.000-07:00

SkyHook JHL-40

SkyHook International Inc., a privately owned company located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is receiving a lot of attention as they team up with Boeing to develop the SkyHook JHL-40.

The driving force behind this new twist on an old design is the limited amount of payload a regular heavy-lift helicopter can carry in to such places like the remote oil sands of Alberta. By utilizing the buoyant effect of the blimp, the heavy rotors are only used for cargo, as they carry up to 80,000 lbs. That's around twice as much as the MI-26 helicopter! (currently the largest vertical lift helicopter).

Two production prototypes are under development at its Rotorcraft Systems facility in Ridley Park, PA

Airship's have been getting a little bit more attention lately. Check out the Manned Cloud, a tourist dirigible in the shape of a whale.

waterfall picture machine

2008-08-27T19:44:00.001-07:00

Machine that pours water to create images and text. Very cool.

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

photo tour

2008-08-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

2008-08-21T05:24:00.000-07:00

levelHead v1.0, 3 cube speed-run (spoiler!) from Julian Oliver on Vimeo.

Innovative game where you hold blocks to a webcam. What you see in the video is what you see on your monitor as you play the game.

2008-07-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

Very cool new "body AI" technology

2008-07-08T15:15:00.001-07:00

Terrible, just awful.

Why can't they ever get punch-out right? It was about learning simple patterns and seeing crazy magic moves. If someone was smart, they would take Johnny Lee's technique, and develop that in to a boxing game

One where you actually move your head to dodge. It's so simple, it's genius.

I should really get in to game design. make a fortune....

2008-07-08T05:37:00.000-07:00

Jellyfish robot

2008-06-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

The biggest draws at Festo’s Hannover Fair exhibits have been biologically inspired robotic creatures that show off cutting-edge automation technologies. Turning once again to nature for inspiration, the company’s engineers this year came up with robotic jellyfish that either swim or fly.

They may look whimsical, but the waterborne AquaJelly and airborne AirJelly make use of mechatronic design practices, control strategies and actuation methods that could have serious engineering implications. According to Markus Fischer, Festo’s head of corporate design, these robots have a degree of autonomy and adaptive behavior that “will be very useful in the factory of the future.”

Both the AquaJelly and AirJelly share a basic construction that consists of a sphere-shaped body with eight electrically driven tentacles for propulsion. Both run off rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and are powered by 3V coreless motors. Given the differing mediums in which they travel, the two robots do have different bodies — a laser-sintered pressure vessel for the AquaJelly and a helium balloon measuring 1.35m across for the AirJelly.

Their tentacle construction takes its cues from the functional anatomy of some fish fins. These bio-inspired tentacles consist of two flexible external surfaces connected by a series of internal ribs. When one of the surfaces is put under tension, the entire tentacle bends in the direction of the applied force — a phenomenon that Festo calls the “fin ray effect.”

Festo uses an electric drive, geared power transmission and linkages to actuate the tentacles. Alternating tension between the two external surfaces creates a wave-like motion that propels the robots through the water or air. Fischer describes the resulting movement as “peristaltic” since the waving tentacles seem to move by something like muscle contractions.

Whether they swim or fly, these two types of jellyfish steer themselves by carefully controlled weight shifts. As Fischer explains, their bodies contain a servo-driven swash plate connected to a four-armed pendulum that changes their center of gravity. “The pendulum shifts their weight, and they move in a new direction,” he says.

And for the AquaJelly in particular, that new direction is determined autonomously. This underwater robot guides itself with the help of a sensor array, communications systems and control software based on robotic swarm-intelligence. Fischer notes, for example, multiple AquaJelly robots can avoid each other in the water, using light sensors to pick up the presence of their tank mates. They also have pressure sensors that allow them to gauge their depth within a few mm.

AquaJelly robots also manage their own battery-charging behavior. They communicate with an in-tank charging dock wirelessly via ZigBee, for example, to make sure the dock isn’t occupied when they need to charge.

According to Fischer, giving these robots such a high degree of autonomy required a mechatronic approach in which the mechanical design, sensor engineering and control software were all developed concurrently. “Even simple autonomy is not so simple,” he says.

Moonstream

2008-06-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

sweet.

click here for the big picture.

Hotel on a cloud

2008-06-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

very cool concept

predictions to help boost the US economy

2008-06-03T05:50:00.001-07:00

MIT predicts which technologies will help the US out of their slump.

Methane rocket

2008-05-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

Sweet. The pattern sure looks cool. Isn't methane poo gas? We should start harvesting that shit

Steam console

2008-05-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

IGN released an interesting interview with Doug Lombardi

"Though there are certainly gamepads out there for PC players to use (the Xbox 360 controller, for example), Lombardi states that Valve is very much interested in producing its own. "It's actually something that, I mean there's nothing to announce yet, but it's something we're definitely looking at. You hit the nail right on the head; there's a lot of games coming out right now on Steam that might be better [with a controller]. Everyday Shooter is a perfect example, right? It's something that we're looking at. It's something that these games are showing us there's a need there. They're proving to us that, oh wow, this is pretty cool. If there was a controller set for these things, they'd be even better. It's something we're looking at and something we're going to start talking to those people who specialize in those areas about."

Steam has already created a service similar to Xbox Live, and in a way is turning the PC in to their own console. What kind of controller could they invent? With all the new innovative methods of control being taken advantage by the Wii, I assume that there looking at all the possibilities.

By combining different methods like Johnny Lee has shown can be done, and other unique ideas like this mouse patent, Steam could potentially come up with an actual gamer device for the PC that replaces ye old mouse and keyboard.

While joysticks and gamepads are common in a PC gamers arsenal, most games are played with a mouse and keyboard. Even flight sims like Freespace favored the mouse and keyboard over a joystick. It's odd when you think about the fact that the mouse and keyboard were never designed for games yet PC users tend to favor them over any other control.

Microsoft's mouse patent has potential. The mouse can be replaced, but gamers are still going to need the keyboard in some form or another, so a new motion activated device would need to allow easy typing access. A company like Steam would want to create a controller as similar to the consoles as possible so porting is easy.

Imagine Microsoft's patent on the right, but with one on each hand, and analog joysticks accessible by both thumbs. On top of that there should be 4 buttons in a cross pattern accessible by the thumb, with buttons on the palm section for your fingers. You can imagine that it's just like the Xbox controller above, except separated like the wiimote and nunchuk, and with all the functionality of the wiimote and nunchuk.

This would allow developers to port any console game to the PC and vice versa with out any discrepancy.

Not only does this bring the PC in to the next generation of video game control, but also to a new generation of desktop control. Grabbing objects on your desktop, physically rotating them, activating different commands with different gestures. (imagine deleting content by pretending to throw it over your shoulder)

Another option is providing head tracking, shown here:

This can be done by equipping a headset with some sort of tracking. Perhaps sold in a bundle, this can create an extremely different PC experience. One where your peering in to windows like it actually was a window. Where you can organize your icons in a manner where you can put related material "behind" icons and all you have to do is move your head to see around it.

This could all be easily be done, but it would need to be done by a company like Steam. If Logitech brought out these controls and no one bought them because there were no games available, then no one would make games for them. If Steam could work with developers to port some titles over as well as create their own content through Valve, they could really turn the PC in to their own console.

image resizing

2008-05-13T06:32:00.001-07:00

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

interesting technology. I like how it adapts so quickly.

two cool futuristic technologies

2008-05-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

Digital tattoo and back of your device interaction

BF:Bad company

2008-05-07T05:58:00.001-07:00

Battlefield: Bad Company video

It's disappointing to see a game thats supposed to have realistic damage still have the old vehicle effects. (2 hits, it's fine, no problems, but once it reaches it's threshold, boom, it's destroyed)

While the sound effects are cool, hearing the infantry chatter is annoying, I remember hearing that kind of stuff in Frontlines, and it just gets old fast.

"who do you think would win between a t-rex and a tank, a hyuk."

(It's kind of hard to play when my eyes keep rolling)

more info from IGN

Nissan Terranaut

2008-05-02T06:53:00.000-07:00

Cool vehicle design. Inspired by Star Trek with outdoor professions in mind.

April 26 2008 lesson

2008-04-26T07:25:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you have to take a stand on issues, but far too often we choose a viewpoint while still learning about the facts. Always keep your mind open to both sides of every issue even after you've picked a side.

Grand Theft Auto 4 review

2008-04-26T07:13:00.000-07:00

IGN's GTA4 review

Grand theft auto is a strange beast. Take away all the controversial violence and you still have an absolutely incredible single player experience. The gameplay is varied and unique, and the worlds are open ended and expansive. When your tired of one mission, go try another, when your tired of that, go deliver pizza's. Or, you can just explore and play with the world.

I think a lot of people misinterpret that part. These are not games where the players are fulfilling their sadistic desires, they are playing around in a giant sandbox.

Grand theft auto 4 looks like it takes all that to the next level, and then adds multiplayer. Multiplayer is key for me, sure I love to fuck around with a game for a while, but enjoying a memorable gaming experience with friends is the shit. Similar to the Battlefield games, I foresee many crazy things happening in a game where there are so many things that can be done.

I find it funny how the pre-release hype has been so enthusiastic and positive, without hearing anything from uptight anti-gamers. I think if they want to try and make a message, they've already missed the boat. By the time they start screaming about how the game is making the children evil, the game will be in 1 out of every 5 households.

April 25 2008 lesson

2008-04-25T14:36:00.000-07:00

Just get it done.

Whatever "it" is will change day to day and sometimes there will be many at once. Then it's time to prioritize wisely and before you take too long with the decisions, remember the message.

lesson a day

2008-04-25T04:38:00.000-07:00

So these are lessons for myself, the first one is actually two:

Keep a dream journal.

When you understand how frail and feeble our memories are, then you can really understand the importance of writing things down. Sometimes, we may have the most profound experiences and think that we'll keep that idea, lesson, experience, till our grave just to only forget 5 years down the road. So, write, record, take pictures and video to keep these moments for yourself and anyone else who's interested. Because not only can you review your own lessons but maybe it can serve generations after you, which is truly an amazing feat.

Denmark goes balls out with wind power

2008-04-25T04:29:00.000-07:00

The article.

"Denmark has a problem with their wind turbines. Apparently its generating too much power from wind.

Right now, they are generating about 20% of their total electricity from wind power and on windy days that percentage can double which has placed some strain on the electricity grid due to extreme fluctuations. In western Denmark, the price of electricity can sometimes drop to 0 on a windy day which leaves utilities trying to find ways to offload the excess power. What a “good” problem to have!

To come to the rescue, the Danish utility company Dong Energy has an ingenious plan to build a nationwide system to charge electric cars with the surplus wind power. They are partnering with the start-up company, Project Better Place and plan to build the infrastructure to support the countrywide electric car system by 2010. Charging spot and battery-exchange services would be located across the country.

The Danish government plans to raise its share of electricity from renewable powers to 30 percent by 2025. In addition, Denmark is looking to built stronger connections with nearby countries like Norway, Sweden and Germany to sell excess “cheap” electricity on windy days. "

They make it seem so simple.

hologram vid

2008-04-21T18:08:00.000-07:00

I may have posted a shorter vid of this one already. If the technology is cheap enough, we'll probably see these popping up in casinos and what-not.

interesting mouse patent

2008-04-18T05:22:00.000-07:00

My brother and I used to always talk about different ways to control our media. We were talking about different motion captures similar to the Wii a long time ago. We're probably not alone, so anyone else thats interested in that sort of thing might be interested in this patent.

Wearable mouse

Air car

2008-04-17T17:13:00.001-07:00

Fun with microwaves

2008-04-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

underwater car!

2008-04-15T05:06:00.000-07:00

sweet

Okami for the Wii

2008-04-12T05:53:00.000-07:00

It would be nice if this game sold well. Sadly, since it isn't an existing franchise, it probably will not. If they called it Zelda's Okami, or something similar it would probably be a hit.

MVIS's Pico projector

2008-04-09T05:15:00.000-07:00

tiny projectors coming soon.

"The two things people are buying now are cell phones and big-screen TVs," Hannigan said. "This brings those two together."

They tiny projectors give us access to big screens anywhere.

MVIS's stock has risen from 2.00 to 3.28 since I started this blog. The company should do well this year, but the first generation of pico projectors are looking to cost 300 - 400$. Will people be willing to spend such a large amount for something that only gives a larger screen? I think the company will really shine when the projectors become integrated in to cell phones and media players sometime in the second half of 2009. This will increase the price by one hundred dollars, a much more reasonable amount.

cryengine 2

2008-04-08T05:35:00.000-07:00

Crysis was a decent game, but I think it was grossly over-rated. Most people agree that it was more for it's graphical prowess then anything else. Nevertheless, the team certainly knows how to make a strong engine, and their next one looks incredible.

Project software concept

2008-04-04T05:37:00.000-07:00

So I've been reading about Apple and Google giving away millions of dollars in prize money for software developed for the Iphone and Googles upcoming Android software.

It got me thinking about a concept that I've been working on. I've decided to make it public because I'm getting desperate. I've come to the conclusion that if I'm having back pain now, that I can't do my job for the rest of my life. If anyone reads this idea and sees the potential behind it like I do, please do not steal the idea, but work with me to make it happen. Keep in mind that this is just the basics, that I've thought of many other ideas to add on to it and keep coming up with more. My name is Caleb Friesen, and you can reach me at Calebhatchet@gmail.com

The software connects multiple users who are working on a project together. It's quite simple, but would be extremely useful for many different companies and businesses. It's basically composed of a tree structure, with different tasks branching off to other tasks, and a database of everyone involved.

I'll use my profession as an example (I build homes). When a house is framed, the supervisor needs to make many different phone calls to many different trades (plumbers, electricians, roofers, etc.) to let them know that the house is ready for them. When they finish their jobs, the supervisor needs to know, confirm that they're done, and then phone other people (drywallers).

The software does this all automatically. When the framers are done, they check off a box on their phone to notify the supervisor. The supervisor inspects the job, confirms and can take a picture for the records. Once that particular job is confirmed, it automatically sends emails to each trade following that job.

The email could be customized for each profession. For example, for the construction worker it would say:
"63 suchnsuch drive (with link to map), is available. Click here for the blue print. Click here to order material (with the specific material needed linked to the plan). Click here to notify supervisor when job is completed."

The software uploads the pictures and the date of each job when it is completed. This can help the company see what trade is causing delays, and the photos have many useful applications. If the company wants, they could allow the tradesmen to take photos, and then the supervisor could use the photos to confirm completion so the supervisor doesn't need to drive to each address.

The software could also allow users to contact other users to discuss different issues. For example, the plumber can contact the framer to ask that they leave more room in a specific area to allow space for his pipes and attach a picture to it. The benefits of this are; the disputes are all recorded, and the company can see exactly who is at fault, using pictures allows the trades to see exactly what the issue is with out traveling to the house, to contact another trade any other way is a pain, making the problem more frustrating.

This software can be built upon. I've had many other small ideas to add on to it. Also, each project for different professions are different and would need their own specialized software.

more multi-touch interaction

2008-04-02T06:02:00.000-07:00

Jeff Han's Multitouch Media Wall: Hands-on

Couch surfing

2008-03-31T06:44:00.001-07:00

Here's a cool site. If your looking for a place to crash and people to meet, the site hooks you up with people willing to let you stay at their place.

Dangerous? Maybe, but I think we're all a little too afraid of each other. We're warned to not give our names, addresses, pictures, etc. on the internet, but are we all being too paranoid?

Last week I was helping a friend move. It was only myself and two smaller woman, so I volunteered to take the bulk of the load. I seriously hurt my back. I wished there was some sort of service where you can volunteer to help people move, and in return, they'll help you move when you need it.

I guess I long for the community that we used to have, where neighbors helped each other out.

Blame it on the bad apples of society, I guess.

If we could only pick out all the bad apples and give ourselves "fail-safes" we could be closer and more helpful to each other. What I mean by this, is we need a better justice system. One that doesn't allow high-risk offenders out.

the drop

2008-03-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

If "Everything I know is but a drop in the ocean of knowledge"

Then everything everyone has ever known is a sea.

In the sea of knowledge, there is a fringe, a precipice. Most people can spend their whole lives diving deeper in to different areas of knowledge already discovered, but few dare to push the fringe.

Imagine that the sea of knowledge expands in to the ocean and just keeps going on forever.

Imagine what it must have been like for Columbus when he stared in to the unknown and charged forward.

Imagine what it must of been like for Hubble when he discovered for the first time that there were other galaxies out there, that we weren't the only one.

These are people that pushed the fringe of knowledge. They opened our minds to new concepts. Concepts like the earth is round, or the universe is expanding.

Pushing the fringe at this stage is a remarkable feat since it's been pushed so far. But when you imagine the amount of knowledge that our human civilization hasn't discovered yet and compare it to what we do know, it's actually a very small sea.

When you see the world in this way, it creates quite a different perspective on everything.

Big Dog Parody

2008-03-26T18:41:00.001-07:00

check out this vid from gizmodo

Electric Car CPR

2008-03-26T06:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a movie that everyone should watch:

Who Killed the Electric Car?

Torrent

(The creators of the film deserve the money, purchase it if you can afford it, but if you would have never bought the film anyway, get the torrent)

At the end of the film, they bring up the plug-in hybrids as a compromise. One of the main reasons being that electric cars can only go so far on one charge, and it takes time to recharge them. A plug in hybrid would use the electricity from an over night charge, and then use the gas when it runs out.

Google has taken the initiative by creating RechargeIt.

It's been a while since I've seen "Who killed the electric car?", but if I remember correctly, one of the big problems is the costs of the battery. The costs of the batteries is so high because the oil companies bought them out. While I'm not a hundred percent sure of this, it is plausible, and anything that would save a company millions of dollars and is plausible is most likely happening.

This article addresses the high cost of converting to a plug-in hybrid

Of coarse, the headline, "The payoff for plug-in hybrids: 95 years?" shows the worst possible scenario.

"The good news is that the costs of plug-ins are expected to decline, particularly when manufacturers make cars as plug-ins at the factory. If the premium drops to $5,000 or so, a plug-in fares better in terms of dollars. "You could pay it off in seven or eight years," Proudfoot said."

Seven or eight sounds a lot more realistic then 95.

"On May 7 of last year, Great Barrier, one of the plug-ins, hit 124 miles per gallon on an 18.9-mile jaunt."

Edutainment

2008-03-26T04:41:00.000-07:00

The escapist isn't just for zero punctuation. They also have some interesting articles like this one.

It starts with a dinner party where a man says he's a game designer and is astonished by the negative reaction he gets. So, he seeks to find the root of the hatred towards video games.

It's a very well written article. I pulled this section out because Dave Taylor reflects my views:

"Dave Taylor, who worked on Doom and Quake, and who is currently a producer and agent in the industry, agreed with me that it was sad, but wondered if the industry hadn't set a little bit of this fire, too. "I also feel that the game industry in its greed and desperation for sales has been negligent of this growing issue of the fallout of kids playing games. We're all about how addictive the game is, how much replayability there is and making sure it's a popular genre like FPS. That's fine and all, but the result is that you're creating a program that turns kids into game-playing automatons that spend a lot of time on it because of how addictive and replayable the games are, and that makes them very good at twitch reactions for hiding, jumping, crouching, shooting, lobbing grenades, etc. I agree that a great multiplayer FPS can teach valuable skills when it comes to teamwork and tactics ... but it doesn't improve the basics, like literacy, math skills, physical fitness and diet. These are a lot more important to responsible parents, and if your kid is either playing games all day or pining and whining to play games all day because his friends can, then you're not going to have a lovely view of the medium."

Video games can be used for the basics that Dave mentions. Edutainment, the word itself brings images of cheap, simple games that are made for children and are usually not very fun.

On the other hand, a game like Civilization 4 has a plethora of information just ready and waiting for you. In the game, this tiny button brings you to the civilopedia. So if your playing as the Mongols, and it makes you curious about Ghengis Khan, the information is just a click away.

Lucky for us, Civilization is coming out on the consoles. It'll be called civilization: revolution. If you've never played any civ games, or maybe want something educational and fun for your child, I implore you to play civilization.

One cool thing about playing the civ games, is you can get a perspective on the entire history of the human race, instead of just seeing the world from your limited life time. The game can only do so much, but with a strong imagination, the mind can try.

If there was any game that could help you take your perspective beyond the history of our human race, Spore is coming out this September.

Whenever I think about the lack of imagination and originality in upcoming video games, spore seems to be the only game that says "not me!".

I hope it sells more then The Sims and we see more of the gaming industry to follow suit.

White Space

2008-03-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

A very interesting article courtesy of Reuters.

"Rick Whitt, Google's Washington telecom and media counsel, said this class of Wi-Fi devices could eventually offer data transmission speeds of billions of bits per second -- far faster than the millions of bits per second available on most current broadband networks. Consumers could watch movies on wireless devices and do other things that are currently difficult on slower networks."

"Google sees the white-space spectrum as a natural place to operate a new class of phones and wireless devices based on Android, Google's software that a variety of major equipment makers plan to use to build Internet-ready phones"

Holograms

2008-03-24T05:51:00.001-07:00

It's about time.

This one looks cheaper, and appears to only project simple images.

This one to show off Toyota's new car looks a little more high-end

System
by reelgood0008

Musion
by reelgood0008

Wii tricks

2008-03-24T05:38:00.000-07:00

Here's Johnny Lee with a few tricks for the Wii. Game developers need to use their imagination for future games and take advantage of ideas like these.

Here's a cheap way to use the Wiimote for interactive whiteboards.

Johnny Chung Lee's website.

Microsoft Surface

2008-03-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Surface

It's a big ass table

Here's a cool little game on it

Is anyone else surprised that Microsoft is actually pushing the envelope?

interactive projection.

2008-03-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

Here's something really cool. Similar to Microvision's "Show" technology, except interactive. This could be extremely handy for cell phones.

3d TV

2008-03-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a promising technology that we should be seeing in the near future. Sounds expensive though.

Japanese exoskeleton

2008-03-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

Kudos to my friend Josh for hooking me up with this link.

I wonder how long until we see these things being used in various job sites here in North America.

Cell

2008-03-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

Reading over my blog, I find it interesting how I started talking about cell phones, and am now being amazed by the leukocyte cell.

Calling our cellular phone cell's is misleading, but now that we're using nanotechnology, it's becoming more fitting. I'm not an expert on the subject, but are we not designing our own simple cells?

It's almost scary to think about it. If we're designing cell phones that have their own cell-like structure, we're almost designing a new type of organism.

Sometimes new ideas like these, and particularly biological studies, like cloning and stem cell research, are downright frightening. Terms like "playing God" are thrown around.

We have to remind ourselves that the fear of knowledge is a mistake. Like an evolutionary leftover. A deep sub-conscious irrational fear.

Like the first creature that evolved wings and being afraid of a precipice before it flies for the first time.

I wonder how advanced we could be if the term "tree of knowledge" was never used in the particular version of Genesis which is popular today.

I say this because according to Shai Cherry, one of The Teaching Companie's brilliant professors, there were two very different versions of Genesis. The first one being one where the world was created in one day, not the much more popular seven. The very calendar that we have continued to base our lives on for thousands of generations was based on this story of seven days. Yet, when you think about it, what day are you talking about and from who's perspective. From Einsteins point of view, space-time is not as simple as it looks, and it's difficult for us in our era to comprehend. Never mind the perspective of someone from 6000 or so years ago. So even if someone did get a divine vision from God of how the Earth was created, and wrote it down, we have to assume that he wouldn't have been able to understand what he was seeing. The writing skills were undoubtedly primitive, and he probably couldn't translate what he seen properly, and it just got worse from there as it was passed from person to person.

And yet, somehow, some way, there is this deep fear of knowledge, a fear of getting kicked out of the Garden, a fear of building the tower of Babel. fear of "the number of the beast", like if we put a chip in our skin, we'd some how jump-start the rapture, and all the sinners of the world would die like in the flood. The Y2K scare was inspired from this kind of nonsense. Millions was made on the "Y2K-compliant" scandal. This man-made "doomsday is coming view" has been passed from generation to generation. You can see it in our movies, in the news (Global Warming), and I hear it all the time.

And yet history has shown that technology has made our lives easier. We live longer, see things we'd never see, learn things we'd never be able to know.

For example, if your interested in the alternate version of Genesis, but can't afford to buy it from the link above or perhaps you just want to see if I'm bullshitting you. Youtorrent it, the title is "introduction to Judaism".If you enjoy The Teaching Company, support them in their cause, and buy a few when you can afford it. I highly recommend TTC, I can honestly say I am much more "mentally healthy" since I began to listen to their mp3's.

I can get all that information from electronic signals sent through wires. I listen to it on my tiny cell phone.

I sincerely doubt that a man-made doomsday will come, but we can't ignore the fact that the Earth is not new to mass extinctions.

If we want to survive the next one, we need to change our perspective. We need to dump this fear of the future.

We need to try and view things on the long term.

Ideally, mankind should have two planets, so if a disaster happens on one, the species can continue to exist.

On the very long term, we should have two solar systems, so if a solar disaster happens, we have a back up star.

And if you want to get imaginative, in the extremely long term, we should have two galaxies. Who knows? The milky way could collide in to the Andromeda galaxy in 3 billion years. Perhaps with disaster in all habitable planets.

Freeman Dyson has some interesting far future concepts.

The inside world

2008-03-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

RoboDog, Attack!

2008-03-18T06:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a truly fascinating video demonstrating the abilities of advanced robotics from Boston Dynamics. It's incredible how lifelike the motions are when it slips or is pushed. This video showcases "BigDog". Check this link to see other models from Boston Dynamics

Boston Dynamics is funded by the U.S., and the BigDogs intended use is to take some of the payload off of the soldiers, allowing them to bring more in to a fight when vehicles don't have access.

Although, I wonder what other uses something like this could have. What would it look like with a massive gun on top?

Augmented Reality Soap Opera

2008-03-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

Check this out.

It's still rather primitive, but it's interesting seeing someone interact with people that don't exist. A combination of augmented reality and advanced AI.

2008-03-16T11:32:00.001-07:00

Here's a very interesting article that I 'Stumbled Upon' about cameras and glasses, and remarkable object recognition software.

Imagine being able to access a wealth of information on anything you see instantly.

2008-03-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

I watched Cloverfield last night. It got me thinking about cameras embedded in sun glasses, like in this video.

I predict that in the near future we'll be able to make movies that are real true stories. For example, if a group of people all had a futurist pair of glasses described in previous posts, and if something interesting happens to that group, someone could edit everything they seen in to a movie.

We could watch real life events as they happen.

Hopefully they'll have such a high resolution that the video could be stabilized so it's not as shaky as in Cloverfield.

Virtual intelligence

2008-03-14T19:28:00.001-07:00

Virtual intelligence is evolving

Exoskeletons

2008-03-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

I wonder if we'll see these things in the near future being put to practical use.

Education

2008-03-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

Our society is due for a dramatic change to our education. We need to get rid of old books, crowded classrooms, and the inefficient teachers. Let's face it, we all had our good and bad teachers in school. Some just had a knack for teaching, others repeatedly assumed things, giving false information, etc.

We need to embrace technology. A laptop for every student. Instead of cutting down the trees to print out the textbooks which need to be revised every year, digital textbooks could be uploaded to the internet. Each section could have forums, and discussions for any curious student or teacher. At any point, teachers can add, edit, and re-organize information. Videos add the possibility of students from any part of the world to see lectures being given by the greatest minds. Instant interactivity can quiz every individual child. (As compared to asking only one child in the room, while the rest sit quietly, hoping not to get called upon). I'm sure every teacher would appreciate not having to mark every single test and homework assignment. The computer can do it for you.

By using computer software, this allows for students to specialize in knowledge earlier. If a child loves physics, and wants to specialize in it, he should be encouraged, and allowed to do so.

These methods are much cheaper as well. Instead of printing out thousands of books for each student, once anything is uploaded to the internet, it is completely free to view it on a laptop. Instead of hiring an expensive college professor, a video can be taken, and viewed again and again.

A more immediate idea is that since almost every student already has an mp3 player, courses should be available on mp3, with tests over the internet. The teaching company is a fine example of high quality education available over the internet. This is not only cheaper then our current system but it would also make education much more convenient for students.

Here is an example of a group of students being punished for working together over facebook on their schoolwork. While the assignment may have been designed for the individual, we should be creating a new style of education that teaches people how to work together. Our society has gotten more and more specialized and will continue to do so. Students need to find their specialties and use them to work together to complete a larger goal then any individual could have.

While throwing out the old textbooks and embracing technology has many benefits, including allowing children to do work from home, there are still many reasons for the traditional methods. For example, while a computer can check for grammar in a creative arts assignment, it can't mark the student for elements like intrigue and so on. Of coarse, there are obvious classes like physical education, and drama that can't be done over the computer. A complication that will have to be solved is how to keep a student from cheating. It's hard enough for our current schools as it is, with ipods, online essays, and tricks being posted on the web.

Maybe it's time for students to be taught morality and the importance of learning so that they don't want to cheat. The option will still be there, and there may be methods to test students every so often in a traditional manner to see who's really learning and who's not.

In either case, it's time that we use technology to make our education more advanced, which will in turn, will make our technology more advanced, creating a revolution.

One last thought

2008-03-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

After writing the previous post, I learned a lot about Microvision. Check out their website
If I had a lot of money, I'd invest in them.

Glasses 2

2008-03-13T07:12:00.000-07:00

So in the last post, I brainstormed about some futuristic possibilities, and focused on the positives. Now, I want to take a more realistic approach

The idea of the glasses connecting to any device could be revolutionary. DisplayLink has invented a wireless usb for any display. I think that if they "expanded their view", they could see the technology as more then just a way to get rid of cable clutter.

With that kind of technology, you could be connecting any device to any device. For example, you can have your smaller PSP, or cellphone, connect to a larger computer, and access any of it's data, and run it, just like you were running your home computer. This technology is here. If I had a lot of money, I'd invest in whichever company holds the patent for a cell phone that can run it's own computer in the background, as it connects to a home PC or laptop, and access the entire system. Not just looking in the hard-drive, but actually having a portion of the computers CPU cycles.

For example, your at home with some friends, and you want to show them a video from your vacation. Your cellphone connects to the PC, you access your files, and your PC runs it while your cell phone displays it.

This is one of those technologies that hinges on other technologies. It may be delayed from happening because of our lack of foresight. While I'm sure any gamer would appreciate a significant upgrade to their graphics while playing on a PSP, or DS. Most applications, like those run on Iphones and Blackberries, have enough processing power to run videos and music on their small displays.

That's where other technologies like Microvisions projector technology come in.

Now, when someone is showing off pics, or playing some game, he can press a button and let everyone see what's going on.

You could put a webcam on your roof and project the stars at night as your phone recharges.

Every time you take a picture, you can show everyone the photo in a full screen image, displayed on any surface.

Not only will our new phones need more powerful processors to run applications for large displays, but they'll need more power to run the displays.

Either the product needs to be efficient, the batteries need to be better, or there needs to be a better, faster way to recharge the battery. Or at least "slow the drain".

Smaller, more advanced solar cells may be the answer.

If that technology is promising enough, combined with more efficient batteries and the products that use them, we'll never have to worry about charging our devices.

With unlimited energy, space for data and tiny cameras, people could record their entire lives. Maybe not in the form of glasses, maybe as some other accessory.

How would society react to something like this? People don't like the idea of being recorded all the time. Some may grow comfortable with it, but others may despise those that record everything.

Like any public camera argument, people will say that it's a breach on their privacy. While others will argue, "What have you got to hide?"

Like every technology, the computer, cell phones, a bluetooth headset, people will grow on to them when they experience their potential.

How many times have you been telling a story and you only wished you could show exactly what you seen?

Moving on to the other ideas in my previous post, particularly the virtual display on the glasses. The technology is here , but why hasn't it caught on? I think the resolution needs to get a little higher, and the glasses need to get smaller. Also, this doesn't allow for augmented reality. Augmented reality will allow the user to see through the glasses. There are two ways to do this, one where there is a video camera which records everything and displays it for your eyes, or another way which allows you to see through the glasses.

Here is an interesting article on augmented reality and the challenges they must overcome from howstuffworks.com
Microvision's retina technology is the most promising, but also the most creepy.

"This device actually uses light to paint images onto the retina by rapidly moving the light source across and down the retina. The problem with the Microvision display is that it currently costs about $10,000. MacIntyre says that the retinal-scanning display is promising because it has the potential to be small. He imagines an ordinary-looking pair of glasses that will have a light source on the side to project images on to the retina."

Since Augmented Reality (AR) requires a tracking system, the future will have AR zones where you can access it's features, and some will not. Outdoor locations will be covered first with more tech savvy regions picking it up, with more and more indoor locations following suit whenever its useful for the owner.

A big problem with the current AR models is the massive load you must carry to have the processing power to run it.

Why haven't they tried a wUSB visual connection? If anyone has the details behind the technological restrictions, I'd like to know.

eMotives brain-wave reading technology is one of those things that I would have to experience to understand it's potential better. I imagine that it could be something like voice recognition software, where it doesn't read your message properly half the time. Eventually, both technologies should get more reliable.

Nano technology is extremely promising. We're talking about creating technology in a way that's similar to life itself. Instead of cells, tiny robots. While there is promise to it, and the Nokia video in the last post is exciting, they don't dive in to the challenges they're currently facing. It seems a little too far-fetched for now, some of it may be around the corner, but it may be a long corner.

2008-03-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

Here's some different ideas on what the future will hold in cell phone technology.

Keep in mind that this is all theory, most of these technologies will happen, but it'll be progressively and some may never work out the way we imagine them.

I say cell phone because it's the one tiny computer that everyone carries around with them now. When really, everyone is carrying a small computer that is a powerful multimedia device with many functions, and it will grow even stronger.

I imagine that I-phones, PSP's, cameras, and even laptops will all be in one convenient pair of glasses. With every feature imaginable.

Depending on the model, you can completely customize it to whatever you'll need. The model may be able to connect to any computer, so whenever you want the power that only something large can bring, you just have to get yourself close enough so that it can connect without any wires.

The glasses themselves will be configurable to whatever amount of light you want in. Automatically adjusting to whatever your setting. Maybe even allowing night vision.

On the side, you can have a camera, it's resolution will get higher and higher over time, and the memory card will get larger as well.

One day, people will be able to record everything they see, either uploading it at home when they put it on the charger, or perhaps it's connected wi-fi and can upload the video to the net, either periodically, or streaming. This has incredible potential, here are some exciting examples:

-Imagine you misplaced something important, and you urgently needed to find it. Just look over yesterdays events, on your heads up display.

-What if your hanging with some friends, and you were bragging about the size of fish you caught. Just upload your video to the TV, or project it on a wall with state of the art projection technology.

-Imagine that you made an agreement with someone, now, instead of getting a lawyer to draw up a contract, you could record a verbal agreement fast and easy. (Of coarse, the courts will have to analyze the video to see it's authenticity. Maybe the companies that make the glasses can embed some code that gets destroyed when the original is edited).

-Witnessing a crime, seeing a shooting star, any sort of spontaneous event that you didn't have a camera for, could all be placed on your private hard-drive, or broad-casted to the web.

-Many different jobs could benefit from quick pictures or vids that you could refer to during the day.

The display will be on the back of the glasses. There will be different modes, or user interfaces. One will be like having a large TV in front of you. This will be the kind used for traditional movies and video games. Another mode will be the same thing, except you can see through the TV, this is used for augmented reality, and 3d visuals. For instance, say you were seeing how much space you had left in the system memory, and you viewed it like it was a 3d city, with larger files, being larger buildings. You could walk around it and interact with it.

It would look very strange to an outside viewer.

The potential of augmented reality is amazing. Here are some ideas.

It doesn't end there, imagine your driving your car, and visuals are transferred from your vehicle to your headset.

Let me create a scenario showing just a few possibilities of this.

With your glasses on, you enter your vehicle. For safety reasons, the law requires your glasses to enter "car mode", the heads up display can show much more information then before. Stress, friction, weight, etc. You can instantly see when something in your car is starting to cause problems. Never mind waiting till that mystery noise alerts you, your car will tell you exactly whats wrong when it happens.

Starting your car, you input your destination in an overhead map, maybe even with up to date satellites so you can see exactly when there's bad traffic in an area. When your destination is mapped out, arrows could be visually on the road telling you where to go.

Imagine that a lot of cars are reading a loss of friction on an intersection up ahead. The cars broadcast a warning to all other vehicles and you can see on your visual heads up display where those slippery sections are recorded. For example, there is a patch of black ice ahead that you can't see, but since someone else slipped on it, there is a small exclamation point above it.

Of coarse the display would have to be designed to be reliable and safe.

Interacting with the display could be done in many different ways.

The augmented reality can create an image of a keyboard in front of you, and detect your fingers interacting with the image. Something like this

Brain wave reading interaction may become a real possibility as well.

So imagine that you wanted to send an email to a large group. You first thought, "email" and it popped open, you thought of the people you wanted to send it to, and it shows there name and pictures, as each one is added. (Keep in mind, this could all potentially be done on a 3d display, for example, each image of each person could be placed on a cube, so you can rotate the cube instead of scrolling through a list.) Why? Well, it could be faster to find who your looking for. (If the brain-wave reading software couldn't find it, or you couldn't remember their face).

So anyways, a keyboard is virtually placed in front of you. You can resize it in any way and place it wherever you want. To other people, you would look like a mime as you type your email message. That is, if the brain wave reading software doesn't get advanced enough to automatically detect what you want to say. Which would be incredible. If you wanted to send a message, picture, or video to anyone, and all you had to do was think about it to do it, that would completely change the way we live.

The futuristic possibilities that are coming upon us fast are mind-boggling. I've only published a few of the possibilities. I'm sure if you use your imagination you can see many other concepts.

Here is a video on the possibilities of nano-technology by Nokia.