Hardware is evolving. We spent years turning a computer from a room-sized machine that could print out a few bits of data, to a small component that can handle the most complex tasks and fit into any other machine. And connect itself wirelessly to all the other machines.
We were just making the brains for what we really want to build. We're branching out in multiple directions at once.
The hardware of the present is VR/ AR, robotics, 3D printers, bioprinters, new modes of transport, drones, and biotechnology.
Tablets, phones, desktop computers - anyone can throw those together. They're archaic.
A full body haptic feedback suit/ exoskeleton to work with the Oculus Rift. It will give the player the sensation of running, jumping, flying, holding (crowbars) and being hit by objects etc. All in complete safety.
The exterior design will be based on the HEV suit, and will be launched with Half Life 3 as a Steam for Linux exclusive.
And in Half Life 3 the HEV suit will incorporate a short-range jetpack, allowing the player to leap between rooftops and fly for short distances.
In this scenario instead of releasing a novel, it would be more like allowing a manuscript to be read with an attached NDA.
If an individual owns their own data, they can make a service click the 'I agree' button, and set their own standards on security, data handling, sharing with third parties, and so on.
Yes, they may be able to copy parts of your data and share it with third parties, but you would have grounds to hold them accountable.
We spent a lot of time making PCs powerful. Then we spent more time to shrink them in size. Now they're just components to be combined with other hardware to make new tech.
PCs, smart phones, tablets have pretty much run their course.
What excites me is that it’s anyone’s game to build the next hardware. And we're not going to just seeing one new technology being built - we have the tools to branch off into all sorts of hardware - 3D printers, wearable computers, robotics, home automation, autonomous vehicles, biotechnology.
Personally the only thing I need a powerful desktop PC for is video editing. For everything else - writing, drawing, communications, there’s no reason I should be chained to a desk for the sake of power. All I need is a basic HUD, LEAP motion and a virtual keyboard, which aren’t too far off. If I need to do something intensive I can just tell my desktop or a network to get to work and send me back the results.
The idea of having to sit down at a desk and look at a flat panel, or being crippled by a half-assed mobile device seems antiquated.
These "games" that exploit simple addictive behaviour have definitely run their course.
I think the next big thing will be creative games and programs similar to Minecraft, From Dust, The Incredible Machine, Little Big Planet, HyperCard, and programs to assist in building 3D printable objects.
We have all kinds of new software to build worlds, make models, music, movies. With Raspberry Pi, the computer is now just another component to be put into other machines. We have 3D printing, Arduinos, Sensordrone, submarine and quadcopter drones. Whole new areas for creative exploration that merge the virtual and physical worlds are opening up.
There are all kinds of games you could create that work towards hardware design, world-building, music production, exploration, or controlling the devices in your home. Just make it simple for anyone to jump in and start experimenting and get feedback on their creations.
There's also stuff like EyeWire - we can make games out of research in neuroscience. Or make a game out of tagging objects in data captured by underwater drones.
I'm thinking the different models will work for some classes/ students, and not for others.
I just signed up for the "Fantasy and Science Fiction" class on Coursera. The professor seems to be intelligent and well-spoken. And the traditional lecture style works for me because I'll be listening while at work, and won't be able to have the video onscreen.
On the other hand, the intro video for the physics class on Udacity seems very engaging. The teacher is moving about, showing experiments, and will be travelling around the world, interviewing experts while teaching the class.
It makes me think about the evolution of writing from the stage to the screen. When actors were confined to a stage, dialogue was just between a few people sitting in a static scene - actions were kept to a minimum. The story was divided into distinct acts for set changes. With modern films, actors perform complex actions while speaking, we can have close-ups to show details, video and audio tracks can be separated, we can jump from a living room to Space battle and back again in a couple of seconds.
Udacity seems to have made that realisation - that they're not confined to that single medium shot of the desk. They can make material more engaging, incorporate other media, props; instantly change locations, or teach through visual demonstration rather than speech.
I'm not very technical, but I did try the AI class - it felt a little dumbed down to me so I lost interest.
It will be interesting to see what other websites and services people come up with to add value to online education. I'm thinking of things like:
* Study group sites: people meet in cafes or libraries to go through class materials together. To work on class projects, or build business ideas together. You could have people with complimentary knowledge meeting up to collaborate on projects.
* Career guidance: You could do a test to determine what your strengths and interests are, and the site would give you career and education options - then select courses for you to complete with certification.
* Education portfolio: A student may want to have a collection of their best essays and projects to demonstrate their knowledge to gain employment or an internship.
* Research projects: There could be a site which shows the premise of student's research topics. Labs or real-world universities could headhunt people with promising ideas.
Actually, what I really want out of these online universities is an archive of endangered courses. A lot of people seem to want pure technical skills at the moment. But there are so many niche courses in the arts and humanities which are difficult to maintain in real-world universities, and lot of them go extinct.
I hope one of these sites reaches out to professors who are no longer teaching, and get all of their coursework online. I want to have entire courses on, say, a small tribe in Papua New Guinea, concepts of gender and sexuality in some fallen civilisation.
And I also want to have courses from different cultures and languages subtitled with English - bush survival knowledge of indigenous Australians; or old Japanese art techniques.
One of the flaws Kickstarter projects is they have very limited testing phases.
Projects start with an almost-ready prototype which just needs a few touches before it goes into production. But in those final stages, like with anything, there are unforeseen obstacles and problems that come up. Backers have been given a release date, they've paid their money, and product development is very public.
After a product has "finished" development it needs lengthy and rigorous testing, rethinking and redevelopment. Large numbers of users are very quick at finding bugs the devs never noticed. Sometimes products just aren't ready to be released - they need more time and money put into them. Private companies have the advantage of being able to push back release dates, or cancelling the project without ever announcing it to the public.
A lot of Kickstarter comments are from people who paid X dollars, the release date has passed, and they want their product NOW. Or they've received their product, but it has some kind of flaw.
If I was going to back a project I wouldn't do it with the intention of pre-ordering a working product. I would pay as much as I was willing to lose on a project I believe in - I see myself more as a supporter and beta-tester to get the product to where it needs to be.
Maybe Kickstarter projects could elect to add a testing phase? A dev could ask for initial funding to produce a limited number of beta products, which would be sent out to selected testers who use the product, submit issues, and give feedback. After the bugs are worked out the product goes into full production. It could involve the community more in the development process, shift the expectation of receiving a perfectly working product, and improve the quality of the product.
The last piece in the puzzle for the global supercomputer grew itself into place today -- newly developed organic cables that mimic human neural pathways have finished literally growing their way along the seabed.
The vast network connects a number of supercomputers globally, which are tasked with emulating different areas of the brain.
When the system goes live, it is said the network will be aware of its own consciousness to precisely the same degree as us regular folk.
So how do we speak to this newborn adult? As part of a requirement for stabilizing his concept of self with mind and body, his consciousness will be beamed into a physical avatar. So, no he won't be talking to you through your computer, or beaming himself around the world just yet.
While he is able to understand language and text just like you or I, he doesn't communicate through speech or writing.
Due to patents taken out by a number of former large tech companies in the early century - who are now major players in the algae industry, our new friend will have to be creative in his communication. He won't be permitted to use most kinds of direct communication. One of the infringements is defined as "face-like circles that display a variety of humanish facial muscle positions with eyes, a nose, or a mouth".
He will be able to communicate any way his imagination desires without using voice, writing, gestures, or swipes.
For example, he may click through links in Wikipedia articles to form sentences, watch a series of videos on YouHologram to convey his feelings (providing the work is not copyrighted), or perform interpretive dance. He may also use the symbolic placement of objects in juxtaposition, or arranged by feeling and theme.
I know I can't wait until next week to see our new friend howl at the moon, while showering in baked beans next to a tall man in a short suit who sings in a pitch only dogs can hear.
It's going to be a bright future for creators and audiences when the physical and political barriers to entry come down.
I’m imagining a digital version of the entire Hollywood/ gaming worlds: online planning and development, digital movie/ game locations, acted in, tested, filmed all at the same time. Then films/ games can be distributed, and artists, developers, screenwriters, etc. can receive a passive income when a product containing their work is sold.
In the beginning we're going to see some amateur work, like the beginnings of the physical film and game industries. But as it starts to mature we'll have new specialists in direction, acting, writing and world design.
Think about what can do with elements of massively multiplayer online collaboration, LEAP, home motion/ model capture (Kinect 2.0).
We were just making the brains for what we really want to build. We're branching out in multiple directions at once.
The hardware of the present is VR/ AR, robotics, 3D printers, bioprinters, new modes of transport, drones, and biotechnology.
Tablets, phones, desktop computers - anyone can throw those together. They're archaic.