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Future of computers

GreenGiant

Feb 9, 2012
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So I know I'm probably way more excited about this than a lot of others but have any of you ever seen Minority Report? Specifically do you remember the scene where Tom Cruise is wearing the special gloves and is able to manipulate things on the screen with his hands heald in front of him?

Like so:
minority-report-ui.jpg


well I know that when I saw this I drooled over it wishing for it to be a real piece of technology, and guess what... now it is

I've known about this for a little over a year now, and have had it pre-ordered since I heard of it, it comes out next month and in the next year or so (probably less) these things will be shipped with HP and ASUS computers, as well as potentially being integrated into the laptops they sell, built right into them above the screen.

I personally cannot wait to fool around with it and make use of this awesome technology.

Thought I would share, enjoy!
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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Google "gorilla arm"
 

GreenGiant

Feb 9, 2012
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You know I knew that someone was going to say something like that and I was going to post something about it but I forgot.
That's the main problem people have with it, but I think that its something cool to have, and for certain things it will be useful, like they showed google maps, that looks like so much fun, and then 3D modelling, no you wouldnt necessarily want to use that for everything but for some things itll be great.
 

donkey

Feb 26, 2011
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I like touchscreens but as stated for quick drawing and the like. it would never replace a keyboard and mouse totally for me however
having said that the only thing I want for a computer is a holographic projector. that will be awesome. seeing your cad design in true 3d before printing it. games will be so awesome.... and movies with hot chicks will always be viewed from underneath.... bring on the future
 

GreenGiant

Feb 9, 2012
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Definitely not replace altogether, although there have been talks with this device of developing a system where you turn it sideways and use it on a surface as an invisible keyboard and mouse.

People have developed systems that change the scope of the sense area to only a fraction of an inch in depth so it acts just like a touchscreen where it only senses the "touch" right next to the monitor
 

Six_Shooter

Nov 16, 2012
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It's actually been out for a few years.

It's called the Xbox Kinect.

No seriously, if you draw the lines between the dots, going back to the TED talk where this was shown off, you can see that the Kinect is a direct descendant of this. If you do watch the TED talk, pay very close attention to the end of the TED talk and who asks a very specific question about it.
 

GreenGiant

Feb 9, 2012
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it is very similar to the Kinect, but it works using slightly different technology, and its also thousands of times more accurate (were talking millimeters vs 6 inches or so).

I am familiar with Ted talks, they are wonderful things, there are a lot of "new" technology that has been talked about in them before but is then "invented" again later on, take the multitouch screen, 2 or 3 years prior to Apple coming out with the multitouch screen there was a guy who had one, at a mobile platform size, at a Ted talk.
 

GreenGiant

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it's of no doubt that technical things have proved a boon for simplifying many complexities but at the same time it has caused the havoc in form of green house gases and extreme consumption of natural resources and the same is very about computers..

I see your point, BUT more technology these days has become much more powerful while decreasing the power consumption, therefor "greener". The transportation methods (trains and trucks) have become more fuel efficient over the last fea years, and if you look at the recent studies the amount of GreenHouse Gases in the atmosphere has gone down for the first time in nearly a decade. To be honest some of the real big contributors to the problem are hybrids (Prius and Insight specifically) you would have to drive a Prius 300,000+ miles averaging 45+ MPG the entire time in order to start off balancing the carbon footprint created while making that car, and thats not even accounting for replacement batteries over the years. Whereas my car (2011 Ford Fiesta) I would have to drive about 120,000+ Miles averaging 35+ MPG before its carbon footprint is off balanced.
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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I'm not sure how driving a car _more_ reduces its carbon footprint.

How far do I have to ride my bicycle to balance it's carbon footprint?

I'm sure you mean balanced with something else. But unless you specify what that something else is...

The person that buys a Prius is more than likely the sort of person who would otherwise have gone out and bought an equivalently expensive car that had lots of effort go into its manufacture. So buying a more efficient car must be a benefit.

I believe the batteries are recycled (and indeed they are). If you are worried about the cost (in energy or otherwise) about the recycling, consider that it is far less costly than digging the raw materials out of the ground. The Ni, for example goes into steel manufacturing.
 

GreenGiant

Feb 9, 2012
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I'm not sure how driving a car _more_ reduces its carbon footprint.

How far do I have to ride my bicycle to balance it's carbon footprint?

I'm sure you mean balanced with something else. But unless you specify what that something else is...

The person that buys a Prius is more than likely the sort of person who would otherwise have gone out and bought an equivalently expensive car that had lots of effort go into its manufacture. So buying a more efficient car must be a benefit.

I believe the batteries are recycled (and indeed they are). If you are worried about the cost (in energy or otherwise) about the recycling, consider that it is far less costly than digging the raw materials out of the ground. The Ni, for example goes into steel manufacturing.

It means how far you have to drive it before you have saved on carbon emissions, so the average car puts out X amount of carbon, my car puts out X minus 1 as I drive it, but the initial carbon output due to assembly of the car and its parts is lets say 1500X, now you look at the Prius, and it outputs X minus 5, so its a lot better for the environment, but the initial cost is 10000X so the initial cost is a lot heavier on the environment, hence you have to drive it farther to start actually doing any good for the environment.

The initial increased carbon output to the environment comes from the production of batteries, specialized lights and metals (for increased life span, and corrosion resistance), things like that. This output is called the carbon footprint, so yes a bicycle may have a carbon footprint but it will be relatively small compared to a car, and you arent generating any carbon while riding so you will outweigh the footprint really quickly (though it can be argued that any plastic bottles that you throw away, and anything bought for bike riding will be added to the footprint)
 
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