From a $4,000 phone to MIT’s SixthSense, what’s next in mobile technology?

April 16, 2009 by Michael Marlatt · Leave a Comment 





We have come a long way from the world’s first mobile device. In 1983, Motorola launched the DynaTAC 8000x (A.K.A. - the “Brick Phone”) which weighed 2lbs. and retailed for a staggering $3,995. Over the past 25 years, global wireless subscribers have grown from 300,000 (in 1984) to over 4 billion wireless subscribers in 2009.

So What’s Next in Mobile Technology?

We are approaching the day when we no longer need to carry traditional mobile devices. Imagine a world where we can snap photos by simply gesturing with our fingertips, dial a number using digits projected into the palms of our hand, or view tag-clouds projected on a person we have just met. While this may all sound like science fiction, that future scenario is not too far away. In fact, MIT’s Media Lab recently launched a fascinating demo at TED showcasing their vision of the future.

If the advancements in mobile technology over the past 25+ years are any indicator of the future, I look forward to watching its evolution over the next 25+ years. Since we can’t fast forward into the future, how about we rewind and take a look at how we got here…

Filed under: Blog Posts, Emerging Trends, Mobile Trends, On the Radar, Video
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MIT’s SixthSense: The ultimate cloud device at your fingertips?

March 27, 2009 by Michael Marlatt · Leave a Comment 

If you follow my blog, you have likely noticed my earlier posts covering Oblong’s G-Speak, Jeff Han’s Perceptive Pixel, and even mention of Microsoft’s Surface Computer.  While each company has developed their unique versions of dynamic touch technology, MIT’s Media Lab has taken the concept to the next level.

At a recent Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) conference, MIT’s Dr. Pattie Maes unveiled project SixthSense and the Wear Ur World device. Created by Pranav Mistry, ex-Microsoft UX Researcher, the SixthSense prototype is a wearable gestural interface that enables users to interact between the real world and the world of data.

Here are five interesting features of the SixthSense prototype:

1. NewsPaper showing live video news
2. Sixthsense: Taking pictures using framing gesture
3. Using the palm for dialing phone numbers.
4. Reviewing book covers showing Amazon ratings
5. View cloud tags of friends during face-to-face encounters

Unlike other similar touch-technology offered by Apple, Microsoft, G-Speak, Perceptive Pixel, etc., the SixthSense prototype is 100% portable and can be used on a variety of surfaces. So, could this MIT’s newest prototype be the ultimate “cloud” device? While only time will tell, if the buzz across the web offers any indication then there’s a definitely a bright future ahead. For now, consider this quote…

Step aside, Apple and Microsoft. If MIT’s little Sixth Sense gadget sees the commercial light of day, we can toss our multitouch devices out the window. Who needs a Surface or an iPhone when the very idea of being able to access information by turning any flat surface into a touch-screen display sounds far more appealing? No surface available? Simply project a screen onto your hand, and voila. Shades of Minority Report?

-Juniper Foo from CNET

If you missed the unveiling of the MIT’s SixthSense project at TED, you can catch it below or watch it in wide screen mode…



Filed under: Blog Posts, Cloud Computing, Emerging Trends, Mobile Trends, On the Radar, Video, Virtual Work
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