Here’s the video:

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Isn’t it funny, yet inevitable, that our visions of the future are always constrained by what’s in our present? For example, why are the interfaces so reliant on touchscreens? Did you see how inconvenient it was for the mom to type on her bathroom mirror and set up the map in her car? We already have voice-recognition software like Dragon Dictation; I’d like to think that the future will have more of that. Why type when you can dictate? Hell, KITT exchanged witty banter with Michael Knight.

What about wild ideas like controlling computers with your eyes, or with your thoughts? Or phones that don’t look like transparent iPhones? What about a phone that’s embedded in our ears and eyes? Where are the holograms? And where are the actual keyboards?

But I may be asking too much of Corning, because the video is an advertisement more than anything else. And as I said the company does have a few neat ideas, especially when it comes to what they know best – tough glass, large seamless displays, appliances with multipurpose glass parts – but I’d like to think that the future of computing is not just more of what we have now, but something better.

[via Emergent Futures]

No doubt, our generation marks the breakout era of video games, transitioning from the nerd’s basement to your uncle’s Facebook account. But will we really like a Grand Theft Auto-esque life? Here’s Schell’s vision of life as a series of mini games, as he stated in DICE 2010:

You see, the problem with Schell’s ideas is that they come after the fact, after the success of Facebook et al. Schell himself acknowledges that today’s big hits came from nowhere, things that even veterans wouldn’t have bet a cent on. So why is he so certain that this extrapolated future will come true? I have no doubt that Schell is a genius, and that what he said may very well come true. But I’m also sure that I, an avid gamer, would hate the life that he is talking about.

Despite it’s many similarities, life isn’t really a video game, not even a series of games. Unless you kill yourself, you cannot always take a break from life. In life the consequences are, well, real. The future that Schell talks about will drive many people insane with its incessant nagging and challenging, but you can’t just shut it off because it’s everywhere and it’s your actual world. The points from ads and companies will give people false values of their worth, in the same way that Xbox 360 Achievements add that shallow validation to gamers, when in fact a lot of the achievements and trophies are given for moronic tasks, trampling on the fact that gamers can and should be able to judge if they’ve accomplished something difficult without needing a virtual trophy.

At the end of his presentation, Schell exclaims, “…I do know this stuff is coming. It’s gotta come. What’s to stop it from coming?” I have one word for Mr. Schell: customers. Businesses and companies have pitched a lot of ideas time and again that exuded nothing but pure awesome when they thought of it, only to be shot down by the paying public. What Schell’s future will do is drive people away from gaming. Video games are not just about rewards and challenges: they’re about stories and epic moments, orchestrated and accidental. And yes, despite the many addicted gamers, pro gamers, hardcore gamers out there, for me and many other people games do offer a way to relax and take time off from life.

I will be utterly disgusted if Life turns out to be The Game of the Future. Points for brushing my teeth? Screw that. Unless I get a Gold Chocobo that can walk anywhere, then I’m all for Toothbrush Points.

[via G4TV]

Or maybe this is just proof of how mainstream video games have become. Whatever the reason, it’s one more opportunity for us to catch a glimpse of the much-maligned RPG in action. Sit back and enjoy…

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[via Gamersyde]

Enemies put down their lightsabers and sat down to enjoy a meal together. There was much dancing and posing and who the hell is that dude in the back supposed to be?

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If only the Jedi council knew that all they needed was some Sea Chicken.

[via Neatorama]

Here’s a party that millions of pirates will surely be having: a Windows 7 torrenting party! As if giving out tips on how to download illegal stuff wasn’t enough, there’s some (unnecessary) f-bombs at the end of the clip, so watch out mom & dad.

Seriously though, have you or anyone you know actually set up a Windows 7 party? Was the food any good?

[via TechCrunch]

Some of the songs that the sometimes bewildered citizens heard were from Bob Dylan, Death in Vegas and the Guillemots. And some Mastodon in the morning. I’m kidding. I don’t think any of the music was heavy or aggressive, what with the sheep and snow.

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Did you watch it? Which is more awesome – the concept of the ad or Seydisfjordur? I want to live there. Seems like a laidback, sleepy town.

[via swissmiss]

Let’s look at the first Laptop Hunter ad. Basically, Lauren the laptop hunter is looking for a decent laptop with a comfortable keyboard and a 17-in. screen. For under $1,000 USD.   So she visits an Apple store first. Oops.

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Several months ago Gizmodo released a pricing chart that reveals the Apple tax, or just how much extra a customer is paying for Apple laptops. Based on their chart, the lower-end Macbooks are the ones that have the lowest value for money. Although I think that’s changed over the Macbook spec bumps that have occurred since that chart was released, the chart also points out one other thing: yes there is an Apple tax, but at the same time it doesn’t necessarily mean that all the other PC or laptop makers offer better value for money; it still varies from brand to brand.

So I guess that was one mistake that Microsoft made with the ad, treating all PC makers as one giant, unified team against Apple. Lauren’s requirements were pretty vague as well, but hey, I think a lot of people do shop for a laptop and go “I need something with speed, a comfortable keyboard and a big screen.”As for the two operating systems, I think it’s up for debate, especially with Windows 7′s well-received beta edition.

As the Daily Show puts it, we’re on a clusterfrak to the poor house, so the ad gets it message across: Apple has a great 17-in. laptop at $2799, but at the same time you can get a decent 17-in. laptop for $699. A friendly reminder from the Microsoft Says Apple Sux Research Foundation.

[via newlaunches]

Using AR tracking technology, as you hold the ad up to your computer’s webcam, you’ll see a 3-D model of a MINI Cabrio convertible that moves as you turn the sheet of paper around.

All you need is a copy of the ad, a webcam, and a web browser (sorry, Internet Explorer/ActiveX only) to view the 3-D AR effect. It won’t hurt if you can read German too.

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The ad campaign was created by Munich, Germany agencies Buzzin Monkey and die agentour GmbH.

The ad appeared recently in three German automotive magazines: Auto, Motor und Sport, Werben & Verkaufen and Autobild, but if you want to see how it works right now you can print out a PDF of the ad and head on over to the MINI augmented reality web site to check it out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

[via MediaPost via ARTweets]

In this video clip by the guys over at Phone Losers of America, the E-Ink display is subject to various torture tests, including bending, flexing, knife cuts, drilling, water, and fire. Amazingly, the display continues to operate throughout much of the destruction.

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Color me impressed. I can only imagine this technology powering a bendy digital newspaper which could be rolled up, thrown in your bag, read in the shower, and even carried around in my dog’s mouth just like the real paper.

The only question I have is… but will it blend?