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bnewmanI had a Palm III for a while, but I didn't really use it. Today, I have an iBook, and I use it as a PDA more than I ever did the Palm, because it's a real computer and I don't have to worry about synching it (which never really worked right for me). The thing is, in most situations where I can afford to devote both hands to computing (one for the PDA, one for the stylus), I can afford to sit (or squat) and take out my iBook (I'm typing this on the bus right now). The Palm wasn't more portable in the sense of being more convenient to use, just in the sense of being smaller and lighter, and I have a nice, padded computer backpack and routinely pack my iBook when I'm going anywhere except shopping.
So, what would qualify as more portable than this iBook? A real wearable computer would. I'd like a dataglove (which, now that we have the Wiimote, should be well within reach) and a transparent, binocular heads-up display which places virtual objects at in an arms-length-radius sphere around my head, organizing data using a BumpTop-like spacial persistence model. An Exposé-like show-me-my-desktop gesture moves everything to the periphery so I can see the real world.
The thing is, this doesn't require a new computer — I'm already carrying a computer everywhere that's more than capable of all this. All I need is my bluetooth dataglove and HUD, and an appropriate desktop manager, and I'm good to go. So where are they? The dataglove should be easy after the Wiimote. The HUD will be harder.
Anyway, after we have these the possibilities open up a lot. To the sensor which locates the dataglove and HUD relative to my body, add another that locates them relative to the room. Now I can place objects at fixed locations in space, which would be great for someone like me who likes to pace while developing an idea. I can even save the arrangement of virtual objects and reopen it in another room of the same dimensions. And if any spam gets past my sentient AI secretary, I can crumple it up and throw it into the trash from across the room.
Another killer app would be location-based services — using GPS or, for greater precision, a neighborhood council's localizer grid, I could see Mapquest, Google maps, or Google Earth overlaid on reality. I could click on a restaurant and open a PDF of their menu. This should be enough of a gain for local businesses that it shouldn't be too advertizing-polluted. (I would expect the virtual world to have a bit more advertising density than the real one, but not by that much. This may be hopelessly naive.)
I'd pay $50-$100 for the dataglove and $200-$400 for the HUD, assuming both lived up to my expectations. It should be possible for these technologies to hit those price points within the next 5-10 years... here's hoping.
So, what would qualify as more portable than this iBook? A real wearable computer would. I'd like a dataglove (which, now that we have the Wiimote, should be well within reach) and a transparent, binocular heads-up display which places virtual objects at in an arms-length-radius sphere around my head, organizing data using a BumpTop-like spacial persistence model. An Exposé-like show-me-my-desktop gesture moves everything to the periphery so I can see the real world.
The thing is, this doesn't require a new computer — I'm already carrying a computer everywhere that's more than capable of all this. All I need is my bluetooth dataglove and HUD, and an appropriate desktop manager, and I'm good to go. So where are they? The dataglove should be easy after the Wiimote. The HUD will be harder.
Anyway, after we have these the possibilities open up a lot. To the sensor which locates the dataglove and HUD relative to my body, add another that locates them relative to the room. Now I can place objects at fixed locations in space, which would be great for someone like me who likes to pace while developing an idea. I can even save the arrangement of virtual objects and reopen it in another room of the same dimensions. And if any spam gets past my sentient AI secretary, I can crumple it up and throw it into the trash from across the room.
Another killer app would be location-based services — using GPS or, for greater precision, a neighborhood council's localizer grid, I could see Mapquest, Google maps, or Google Earth overlaid on reality. I could click on a restaurant and open a PDF of their menu. This should be enough of a gain for local businesses that it shouldn't be too advertizing-polluted. (I would expect the virtual world to have a bit more advertising density than the real one, but not by that much. This may be hopelessly naive.)
I'd pay $50-$100 for the dataglove and $200-$400 for the HUD, assuming both lived up to my expectations. It should be possible for these technologies to hit those price points within the next 5-10 years... here's hoping.
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-09 01:52 pm (UTC)I do have both laptop and PDA. The laptop is more luggable than portable though- a compromise since I'm using it as my primary computer, and the extra wide screen is too damned handy to work with multiple windows.
The PDA is an old one and purely and simply for dumping text into when I *do* happen to have a spare moment (I have a keyboard for this- I don't do anything longer than a few words with a stylus). And occasionally as a calculator, datebook and address book. I'm not at all sure how much I'd use the other functions of a PDA. I suspect not much- if I'm at work or at home, which is most of the time, I have a high-speed connection with a better interface on demand.
I'm fascinated with the HUD idea for applications like the GPS/mapquest interface- it'll be interesting to see if better voice interfaces can get fast and accurate enough to challenge a good touch-typist. I'm constantly reminded of the guy who said (of computers) that the things we thought would be difficult are easy and the things we thought would be easy are hard.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-09 04:32 pm (UTC)What I would want is a voice-command/HUD system (and putting a HUD in a car is a lot easier, because you can project things on the windshield) that is reluctant to let me use anything other than navigational and tactical overlays while the car is moving. By tactical overlays, I mean infrared (for poor visibility conditions), rear and side mirrors, relative speed indications, proximity alerts, etc.