Holographic Keypads Float Into View

prostoalex writes "The New York Times tells the story of a Connecticut-based company called HoloTouch that is developing input devices that literally "float in the air". The technology will be licensed for information kiosks in New York city. Some other sample applications are available from the company's Web site. HoloTouch already managed to secure the patent on its technology."

Disturbing developments

[Dan Rather]

The CEO of International Bomb Corporation dropped a bombshell today, causing an explosion of controversy.

And that's .. part of our world.

Floating in air...

[Anonymous Coward]

Isn't it hard enough surfing for porn with one hand already?

Douglas McPheters' HEAD

[dogas]

I don't know about you, but the first thing I did when I got to that page was download the gigantic 500k image of the Holotouch president's gigantic yellow-toothed bald HEAD. Talk about putting a pretty face on the industry! yeah...

Re:Great...

[larry bagina]

too bad Tom Cruise isn't one step closer to being able to act.

slashdotted

[Anonymous Coward]

And so the CEO discovers the consequences of posting a 450k jpeg of himself.

Gone already

[AtariAmarok]

The site is slashdotted already.

Just imagine the spectacle of "404 error" numbers flashing and floating in mid-air.

Pop-Up Windows Like Never Before!!

[Dr. Shim]

Oh God. Just imagin if you want to go to Google.com but instead land at Gooogle.com... Or pop-ups... Or better yet... Japanese Killer Seizure Robots [seizurebots.com] floating floating in your face!

Yeah so...

[Valiss]

I have a doormat in front of my front door. It's a holodoormat, not a square drawn on the ground with chalk as someone of lesser intelligence might think. When you step on it it'll ring the door bell (after you hit the button). Anyone wanna buy one? Oh and I have 10MB images that you can download of it; and they aren't picture of my front door with a photoshopped square drawn where a doormat should be. I swear.

Go for it Cowboy Neal

[Anonymous Coward]

For some reason, the image comes to mind, unbidden:

Cowboy Neal, marching down the street, wearing display goggles. His special custom hologram GUI/keyboard hovers in front of him (he can see it in his goggles, no one else can).

Trying to keep Slashdot afloat, he is furiously moderating the new posts: both fists are stabbing middle fingers all over the place right and left in front of him in mid-air as he walks down the street.

To passersby, it looks like a cross between Mike Tyson, an NYC cabbie flipping the bird out the window, the the crazy homeless man who walks around talking to himself.

Sweeet...

[MImeKillEr]

Now people won't have to strain their necks to see your pin number while shoulder surfing.

[sarcasm]
I can hardly wait!
[/sarcasm]

Re:look before leap

[Santos L. Halper]

On the upside, however, it would solve the problem of spilling Mountain Dew on the keyboard.

WHOAA!

[mschoolbus]

Is that the dude from Night Rider on this [holotouch.com] page?

Knight Rider 2003! Now with Holographic panel!

Re:One good application

[andyrut]

I can't be the only one that thinks holographic keyboards would be a great idea for public computers, just so we needn't worry about the disgusting pub-funk that seems to coat most public keyboards.

Instead you'll have to worry about the disgusting grunge that literally "floats in the air". :)

Re:Tactile Feedback is important

[aliens]

Maybe they'll come up with force feedback gloves or something.

Man imagine that, a device that displays "keys" to be pressed that have feedback to them. So that there's actual sensation to pressing them.

We'll call it "keyboard"!!

Hehe just being sarcastic, but you get the idea. If you want to really put this to use find a way to change the dynamic of how we interact with computers in a meaningful way.

Re:Website hosted in HK... Fishy?

[Anonymous Coward]

Nah, it's legit. This guy goes to my church in Rowayton. It's all good.

Too bad it doesn't use some kind of mist...

[Shoten]

Then it would give new meaning to the term, "vaporware."

Re:Floating in air...

[grassy_knoll]

porn... well, that explain why everyone keeps posting about tactile feedback.

iLoo finally has hygienic input device!

[puddles]

Remember the iLoo concept from Microsoft UK? This is THE perfect input device. :-)