Comments | regretfulfanboy: Star Trek, anyone?

regretfulfanboy

Star Trek, anyone?

May 30, 2007 20:08

I was perusing my daily interweb news sites and I came across this video about a new type of computer interface that Microsoft is developing. It takes touch screen to a whole new level. Anyone impressed by the interface for Apple's iPhone will be blown away by this. There are a few things which Microsoft got right here that I would like to ( Read more... )

Comments 4

cherryrose24 May 31 2007, 02:42:36 UTC

Personally, the idea completely freaks me out....while it may seem tantilizing, I can't accept it as a good thing. This could be based on ignorance or the fact that I really do feel we are WAY too dependent on technology already.

regretfulfanboy May 31 2007, 16:41:27 UTC

I agree that dependence on technology is dangerous. It's scary to think that people are not learning basic math skills because they are reliant upon calculators. Will society make itself stupider if there are computers in every flat surface? Arguably so. I believe it will happen. Is this a very cool technology with some seriously cool application possibilities? I argue a strong "hell yes."

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regretfulfanboy May 31 2007, 16:38:46 UTC

In order for that to happen the computer would need a special set of sensors to read the mag strip of the credit card without swiping it and the ability to read IDs through a wallet. I think you're stretching things just a bit. You do bring up a good point, though. Security will become much more of a prevalent issue with pervasive computing like this. Another implication you've made is the possibility of extending security for user identification one step further. The use of an RFID card with specially imprinted graphics as a "key" to the terminal would be interesting. Set your card down on the table top, the card sends its ID signature by passing through a mag field, the computer picks up on that and scans the surface for the matching card. If the card is found then the computer pops up with a password prompt or even a hand print identification. Layers of interlocking security.

griton June 5 2007, 16:34:29 UTC

The funniest thing is that actual government agencies would be extremely reluctant to use them. Accidentally setting a sheet of paper that contained confidential information on a table with a camera underneath poses way too high of a security risk ( ... )