Introducing Smart Window Technology

Samsung revealed an innovative new product at this year's CES called Smart Window Technology.  The general idea is quite simple really ~ it's essentially a transparent touch-screen monitor.  While their demo doesn't necessarily combine the new technology with any revolutionary uses, it does provide a foundation for a wide gamut of potential opportunities.  Let's have a quick look:



I think the technology is right on point for where it needs to be during it's introductory phase.  I'm certain that we'll be seeing a flood of new products once it's had a chance to become further refined.  For instance, automobile windshields could display GPS navigation, speedometer, road warnings, etc.  Mall directories would benefit from this technology, and storefront businesses could display interactive advertising for people walking by.  There's literally countless uses for transparent, touchscreen computing, and I can't wait to see what trickles out.

The idea itself is by no means new, as there are numerous depictions of similar technology in movies, visionary web videos, and concept advertisements.  Take this ad from Toyota, for instance, that markets a concept vehicle utilizing similar technology:



The educational possibilities alone make the idea worth pursuing.  Can you think of any other uses for this technology?  Feel free to leave a comment below.

Dynamic Imaging from Brain Neuron Activity

Really never thought I'd live to see this technology come to fruition:

"In 1999, researchers led by Yang Dan at University of California, Berkeley decoded neuronal firings to reproduce images seen by cats. The team used an array of electrodes embedded in the thalamus (which integrates all of the brain’s sensory input) of sharp-eyed cats. Researchers targeted 177 brain cells in the thalamus lateral geniculate nucleus area, which decodes signals from the retina. The cats were shown eight short movies, and their neuron firings were recorded. Using mathematical filters, the researchers decoded the signals to generate movies of what the cats saw and were able to reconstruct recognizable scenes and moving objects."


The potential that this technology has in the broad sceme of scientific research is limitless. Truly amazing work. What confuses me is that this work started in 1999, so it really leads to the biggest question of all: what is happening with this technology now?

Light Field Photography Gets Ready for Take Off

If you've visited Binary Crumbs in the past, you may remember reading a previous post that introduced a new type of photographic technology called Light Field Photography. At the time, the technology was so new that a name hadn't even been fully confirmed to describe it.

Here we are, over two years later, and we're starting to see the first glimpse of this technology being available on the consumer market. I'm not going to go into details describing it, as I've already done so in my previous post. However, I wanted to share a video showing the CEO of Lytro (formerly Refocus Imaging), Ren Ng, demonstrating the editing component of Light Field technology.

If Lytro's launch goes as smoothly as they hope, this start-up company is on track to make a lot of money. However, with other players in the game like Adobe Systems Inc., it's hard to say how long their monopoly will last.