Five Ideas That Will Reinvent Computing

prostoalex writes "PC Magazine looks at 5 ideas that will reinvent computing. IMAX-quality movies at home with new projectors, a mid-air mouse that requires no flat surface, a home quantum computer, a router-based peer-to-peer system, and a man-made brain all made the list."

Reinvent the wheel?

[Anonymous Coward]

Bad phrase: "Reinvent computing".
Good phrase: "Reinvent the wheel".

Writing a list

[kernel_pat]

"IMAX-quality movies at home with new projectors, a mid-air mouse that requires no flat surface, a home quantum computer, a router-based peer-to-peer system, and a man-made brain all made the list."

Surely you just need a bloke with a pen and a piece of paper to make a list.

There can be only one?

[Snad]

FTFA :

A gaming PC with dueling graphics cards can line up 12 projectors in as little as 5 minutes

What if I don't want my graphics cards fighting it out to see who survives? Will it take only 2 minutes if they join forces instead of trying to kill each other?

Yeah, good list....

[ceeam]

... for retarded definition of "computing".

Man-made brain, hmm

[tgv]

I guess by "man-made" they mean artificial and that it will REVOLUTIONIZE(tm) computing since these artificial brains are going to be built in to every PC. Where did I hear that before? I think at the time they grossly overstated the capacity of computers such as the original IBM PC. So perhaps Moore's law applies to hardware, it surely doesn't apply to exaggeration.

Anyway, who needs an electronic brain? Now I can at least yell "idiot" to MS Word when it joins sections or splits pages without it getting offended. Can you imagine Clippy looking angry and saying in this cute cartoon like blob "Now I'm not going to erase your document, you asked for it".

Re:There can be only one?

[asliarun]

"What if I don't want my graphics cards fighting it out to see who survives?"

You're right. It's cruel, especially if one of them decides to fight on the sli.

Re:Mid-air mouse...

[WalterGR]

Take your mouse. Hold it the air for five minutes. For extra effect, wave it about. Now imagine doing this eight hours a day.

Reminds me of this hilarious comic [ok-cancel.com] from OK/Cancel.

(Two guys exit a showing of the movie Minority Report.)

Guy: Mate, that film was brilliant! I reckon that interface'll be the interface of the future!

(Fast forward to 2099...)

Job interviewer, speaking to interviewee: I'm sorry ma'am. Your cognitive scores are incredible but you simply don't have the upper body strength to do this 8 hours a day.

If you're into usability and design, OK/Cancel is a great web comic to check out.

Re:The Future

[Azari]

Absolutely!

I propose we change this terrible chauvinistic term to (wait for it):
'man-made
There you go, centuries of gender bias solved with a simple apostrophe!

Now where's my damned award?

Re:Article Summary

[skribe]

I'm surprised there's no mention of haptics. Secondlife: now with real gyrating motion.

Re:IMAX at home?

[night_flyer]

plus at the theater you get the benefit of screaming kids, someone talking on their cell phone, overpriced concessions and your shoes sticking to the floor!

Re:Printer Friendly

[jginspace]

I didn't immediately know what you meant. Now I see you're referring to the 'a=209783' part. I just spent 2 mins trying to make a link without this but gave up ... and now I see CowboyNeal has edited the summary to use this same link.

12 off-the-shelf projectors,

[niceone]

12 off-the-shelf projectors, for when one projector isn't noisy enough for you.

Re:Mid-air mouse...

[jollyreaper]

Also, hasn't this existed for years now?

But now they're going to put five blades on that fucker, and TWO aloe strips. Whole new product, man.

Re:Mid-air mouse...

[jollyreaper]

Do you even know how the Soap pointing device works? Hint: you don't wave it around in mid air. It's essentially the guts of an optical mouse put into a smooth, clear container and stuck into a sock. The optical sensor tracks the grain of the enclosing sock, and you manipulate it by squeezing the sock gently, causing the "mouse" inside to rotate - much as if you were squeezing a bar of soap (hence the name)

So, once you're done -er, "rotating your 'mouse,'" do you wash the sock out or just throw it in the dirty pile?

Re:Writing a list

[pacalis]

Idea #6 is: a better list

I'd write it but I'm too busy building 22m by 16m screen in my basement.

Re:My Idea...

[maxwell demon]

A hand-carried fusion reactor, unless you want to take down the grid with those ideas...

Well, add on that list: The closed time loop computer. By sending information to the past, it allows to infinitely speed up software: The result of one step is just sent to the past for preparation of the next step. Since also the final result gets sent into the past, you get your result immediatly. Indeed, you can get your result before you even asked the question!

Re:Article Summary

[mdwh2]

Yes, heaven forbid we might want to make use of these new fangled devices known as laptops. When I take my laptop anywhere, I always bring my desk with me just in case.

Re:Mid-air mouse...

[Anonymous Coward]

I tried one of these once and during the presentation...I dropped it. Man was I screwed. Don't drop the soap.

Tired of the Hype

[WED Fan]

The article is clear and utter BS. Poopoo de Toro.

This is akin to "Flying Cars Will Reinvent the Commute", "Water as Fuel Will End the Energy Crisis", "Slapping Wheels on Your Grandmother's Butt Will Make Her a Wagon".

• IMAX on a home computer - Excuse the F&ck out of me, but most homes don't have HDTV or even digital. Then, most don't have the space for a screen larger than 50". IMAX from your home computer isn't really revolutionizing the computer, it's revolutionizing (maybe) home entertainment. MISCATEGORIZED FLYING CAR!!!
• Air mouse - What? What? What!!?!! Has this jerk-off seen the Wii? Great for gaming, but try this exercise, pick up your mouse, wave it in the air as if you were mousing on your screen. Now, imagine doing that all day at work. STOP!!! Did I say put the mouse down, keep it up. I'll let you know when you can put the mouse down. BOOT CAMP PT TORTURE EXERCISE!!!
• Quantum Computers - Yeah maybe, but how about size and form factor improvements while maintaining useability. STAR TREK TELEPORTER!!!
• Extreme Peer to Peer - What?!? Take one of the most overused ideas, slap some lipstick on that pig, and say it will revolutionize computing? PIG IN A DRESS!!!
• The Man-Made Brain - People are having enough difficulties with their nature-made brand, just what I want, Intel making me a brain. I guess if floating point math is no longer important to me, I might care. FLYING F*CKING CAR!!!

Re:Mid-air mouse... Will it re-invent computing?

[phiwum]

No, the mouse won't re-invent computing, but the home imax projector? Man, that will change everything! University curricula will have to be rewritten from scratch!

Re:Article Summary

[Gilmoure]

Yeah, but eXtreme P-2-P comes with a cool X icon. Suite!

Re:Article Summary

[background image]

What about the gyro mouse

Good god. I first read that as 'gyno mouse'...

Re:Tired of the Hype

[Torvaun]

On /., about 90% of the population already has wide experience with rubbing and squeezing a pair of soft squishy balls while using a computer. Don't even get me started on joysticks.

Re:Reinvent the wheel?

[theshowmecanuck]

a man-made brain - Dreaming (Not possible yet - maybe never)

My parents made three of them. They just didn't need "high technology" or scientists to do it.