Video: The Sixth Sense
posted at 4:12 pm on March 11, 2009 by Allahpundit
It won’t let you see dead people, but the concept’s so ingenious that I wouldn’t rule it out for v2.0. The clip’s long — eight and a half minutes, with almost three minutes devoted to intro — but bear with it. You won’t be sorry.
I can’t wait for the day when the words “Beta Male” light up across my chest every time I meet an attractive woman. Brave new world!
Blowback
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Man, I wish I was 20 again.
[Projects key pad onto "junk"]: “Hey baby, can I get your number?”
/sarc
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 11, 2009 at 4:18 PM
Virtual reality will NEVER become popular in the mainstream. They’ve been trying for almost 30 years. It won’t be popular. I just wish this was at Ace’s so the vulgar uses for such technology could be discussed at length.
jimmy the notable on March 11, 2009 at 4:18 PM
Wow.
Spirit of 1776 on March 11, 2009 at 4:19 PM
I like how her concern about the toilet paper is whether it’s ecologically responsible. My top concern is whether it chafes my ass.
amerpundit on March 11, 2009 at 4:19 PM
This and the talk by Juan Enriquez about the trans formative nature of advances in cell, tissue, and robot engineering are the best of the bunch for this year. This tech looks so awesome it hurts, and seems like the first practical idea that attempts to cut the keyboard out and make navigating digital information as easy as thinking.
The Enriquez talk is truly mind blowing, insisting that regardless of the short term disaster, technological developments in the ability to create our own custom made cells…create our own genetically identical (or not) custom made tissue…create robots that can interact with the physical world in ways that seem biological…will transform our world (and more importantly, our species) into something we could never have dreamed of say 15 years ago.
ernesto on March 11, 2009 at 4:20 PM
Ok I thought Allah was married? A l.e.d. sign on Allah’s chest worries me…
upinak on March 11, 2009 at 4:20 PM
Of what?
/shudders
DrSteve on March 11, 2009 at 4:21 PM
looks like a knock of of Microsoft Surface and the wiimote hack
gatorboy on March 11, 2009 at 4:21 PM
w o w
Too bad our Dear Leader is destroying our country’s wealth & no one will be able to buy the system.
jgapinoy on March 11, 2009 at 4:21 PM
I’ve got news for you. They already do. You might not be able to see them, but she can.
(I think it’s called pheromones, ore something.)
notropis on March 11, 2009 at 4:22 PM
Yeah, I’m going to pass on having personal information broadcast across my torso as I walk around.
BadgerHawk on March 11, 2009 at 4:22 PM
So this would give us guys a legitimate reason to stare at a womens chest? Sign me up.
portlandon on March 11, 2009 at 4:23 PM
No need AP. The women know. They know.
lorien1973 on March 11, 2009 at 4:23 PM
Yes, we are that good. :)
radiofreevillage on March 11, 2009 at 4:24 PM
Ya, nothing like the star of David showing up on people who happen to blog conservative views
Conservative Voice on March 11, 2009 at 4:24 PM
Wait…what? How could you think that?
jimmy the notable on March 11, 2009 at 4:24 PM
Sixth sense or just no sense.
Dude my battery died and I can’t pick out toilet paper.
FWIW-Northern Quilted
roux on March 11, 2009 at 4:26 PM
Wow.
Esthier on March 11, 2009 at 4:27 PM
TMI
ronsfi on March 11, 2009 at 4:27 PM
Right.
You have to…you know…actually go out of the house once in a while to meet someone in order to get to the “wife” point.
Oh, wait…AP lives in NY, right? I meant apartment.
:)
Bob's Kid on March 11, 2009 at 4:27 PM
OK, that was cool.
jencab on March 11, 2009 at 4:29 PM
Pretty much every video on TED’s website is worth sitting through in its entirety… AWESOME stuff.
Probably the most amazing I’ve seen is this one.
DaveS on March 11, 2009 at 4:29 PM
Michelle put on her site that he had a new bundle of joy!
upinak on March 11, 2009 at 4:29 PM
Needs video glasses instead of a projector.
Then video contacts.
Then a jack in the bone/skull part behind the ear.
Next Gen Blue Tooth connected to the aural and optic nerves.
- The Cat
MirCat on March 11, 2009 at 4:31 PM
Eh. It’d be cool for about a week, then the novelty would wear off. Plus, I’m really not okay with personal info about me flashing on my chest for a bunch of strangers.
Emily M. on March 11, 2009 at 4:32 PM
I wanna be able to pick up a book, have it torrent and play the audio book. :)
- The Cat
MirCat on March 11, 2009 at 4:33 PM
jimmy the notable on March 11, 2009 at 4:18 PM
This isn’t virtual reality; this is augmented reality.
DaveS on March 11, 2009 at 4:35 PM
It’ll make the “squish their heads” game a lot more fun.
lorien1973 on March 11, 2009 at 4:36 PM
Arthur C. Clarke suggested similar technology in “3001: The Final Odyssey” where electronic implants would allow you to imprint an “electronic business card” in your handshake. You shake hands with someone and they immediately know whatever you want them to know about you.
CurtZHP on March 11, 2009 at 4:36 PM
iPhone.
amerpundit on March 11, 2009 at 4:37 PM
Uh… I do… and have (not with toilet paper but for video games and some electronics purchases)
Skywise on March 11, 2009 at 4:37 PM
Yes, the only thing AP has that ever responds to his touches. :P
lorien1973 on March 11, 2009 at 4:40 PM
Believe me, I know.
Allahpundit on March 11, 2009 at 4:41 PM
The ideas are old — I did some work on something related a dozen years ago — but it’s interesting to actually see a whiz-bang good proof of concept.
calbear on March 11, 2009 at 4:41 PM
was it the iphone? LOL, for a while I thought he had a new “baby”, not the elctronic type! LOL my bad!
upinak on March 11, 2009 at 4:42 PM
Tony Stark doesn’t even have this kind of technology.
DarkKnight3565 on March 11, 2009 at 4:42 PM
FTW.
nickj116 on March 11, 2009 at 4:43 PM
Allah, one day dude, one day. Until then it is Sex and the City for you… metrosexual style! :)
upinak on March 11, 2009 at 4:44 PM
The really sad day was when he downloaded the application that says “I Love You” every few minutes.
amerpundit on March 11, 2009 at 4:46 PM
So you can walk up to Obama and it would project “moron” on his tee-shirt?
AmericanUnderground on March 11, 2009 at 4:47 PM
Resistance is futile: You will be assimilated.
AubieJon on March 11, 2009 at 4:48 PM
Oh man. LOL
This could get out of hand really quickly.
lorien1973 on March 11, 2009 at 4:49 PM
Someone get AllahPundit a cigarette.
RightWinged on March 11, 2009 at 4:49 PM
I didn’t think you needed any help Allah.
eaglesdontflock on March 11, 2009 at 4:49 PM
Want proof women rule the world, theres no such thing as iron weave TP.
Speakup on March 11, 2009 at 4:53 PM
I’d rather wear glasses that show me the data as projecting against random objects and walls won’t be practical, especially out in the sun.
toliver on March 11, 2009 at 4:55 PM
When on the cutting edge of technology that will enslave people, you will most certainly find a liberal. They just can’t help themselves.
The next stage of this will incorporate the bionic eye.
csdeven on March 11, 2009 at 4:57 PM
Dude, where have you been? It’s constant source of worry for us loyal Airheads, that AP isn’t getting any. Of course, it would help if he grew some hair and had that mutant hand thing removed from his forehead.
Fortunata on March 11, 2009 at 4:57 PM
Brain implant? No thanks.
The day will come when humanity will have to draw the line between show-off technological innovation and plain common sense, human dignity, and freedom.
Byzantine on March 11, 2009 at 5:01 PM
I see geek people.
soundingboard on March 11, 2009 at 5:04 PM
Didn’t you realize chafe-less paper is worse than driving a Hummer?
How long before this technology is mandated, so Obama’s Cultural Monitors can just walk up to you and see projected whether you have all the proper “cultural awareness” approvals?
eeyore on March 11, 2009 at 5:05 PM
I paid $9.95 for that app. Best money I ever spent.
Allahpundit on March 11, 2009 at 5:07 PM
oh man, I thought you guys were kidding on that app.
upinak on March 11, 2009 at 5:11 PM
24/7/365 internet porn? Don’t fear the peeper.
toliver on March 11, 2009 at 5:11 PM
The very first proto-application of this sort of thing is about 15 years old. The Gaydar device would signal the wearer whenever it was within 15 feet or so of another Gaydar device. This would privately give the user additional information that might not be readily apparent by visual inspection.
gridlock2 on March 11, 2009 at 5:13 PM
Remember when cell phones were big and bulky? Ten years from now, the kids will be making fun of how big and bulky our sixth senses were, instead of the sleek button-sized chips they will have in their eyes.
And the Cingular sixth sense will still charge you your first born for data rates.
Grafted on March 11, 2009 at 5:14 PM
Sorry, I’m not really impressed. I see a PDA w/cam and web access plus some software to identify images and search them via some criteria you define. All available now. The projector is just a gimmick that most people will not prefer. Do you really want the content of your PDA screen projected for everyone to see rather than the private, clear screen you have now.
bagoh20 on March 11, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Picks pockets and bank accounts too… Remember “eye scan ID”?
RalphyBoy on March 11, 2009 at 5:22 PM
Cool stuff but I see allot of things that are just wrong with this whole concept. Who gets to write the info you see? multi-problems there. Umm…in the dead of summer in TX outside, this will work about as good as a…well it won’t work. The navigating finger movements…looked allot more difficult than typing. Wearing a projector around your neck will must likely get you beat up…just sayin. Over all cool stuff…but they should prob keep working on it. ~B
Brian on March 11, 2009 at 5:25 PM
AP doesn’t need women – He has his cats!
FloridaBill on March 11, 2009 at 5:27 PM
For this, I only have one “significant finger.”
dinobalz on March 11, 2009 at 5:32 PM
I use meta data all the time, I profile based on my life experience.
TheSitRep on March 11, 2009 at 5:41 PM
bagoh20 on March 11, 2009 at 5:18 PM
No, it isn’t… the “semantic web” is hypothesized as the next “big thing”, but computer science isn’t there yet.
It’s a visible demo for a very visible conference… they expect you to understand that and to use common sense to deduce what real-life applications might look like. The ability to spatially manipulate the information is cool, the ability to enhance your surroundings with data pulled from the “metaverse” is cool… but what they actually look like after they transition from research to real world remains to be seen.
DaveS on March 11, 2009 at 5:42 PM
The inner super hero in me wants to think about all the ways this device could be used for the forces of good, but my inner evil genius has other ideas. So far pseudo x-ray vision is at the top of the list.
Onus on March 11, 2009 at 5:43 PM
Brian on March 11, 2009 at 5:25 PM
Everyone. It’s metadata. Your comment, which I just quoted, now has potential as “metadata”.
DaveS on March 11, 2009 at 5:45 PM
are we talking furry cute little meow meows?
Or older cougars?
upinak on March 11, 2009 at 5:47 PM
Some people have way too much time on their hands…
CynicalOptimist on March 11, 2009 at 5:51 PM
All the time.
I geeked out something fierce. The day we can assign stat points to people is the day Larping gets even scarier.
TheUnrepentantGeek on March 11, 2009 at 5:52 PM
Kind of like thos people who dress up in animal costumes? ACK!
upinak on March 11, 2009 at 5:56 PM
I’m thinking those are furries. And you can’t get any scarier than furries. (Safe for Work – Essentially)
TheUnrepentantGeek on March 11, 2009 at 5:59 PM
I hope that kid makes a few 100 billion off of his design. I’m an EE in the communications and computing business and I’m **extremely** impressed. That is some amazing combination of technology and appears very useful.
I doubt that anyone that has a MySpace page or Twitters is going to be worried about having someone they meet know a few things they’ve already exposed about themselves to the world via the web.
Movie and game reviews, item reviews when you go to the store to buy something , maybe get a “best price” for an item read-out and the location of that store, get a HUD and directions for finding where to go on a trip (whether you’re on foot or in a car), have a videocam conversation with your family on your way home on a plane trip, get the latest updates on your project while giving a presentation…I see a lot of potential here.
Basically, this is just the next step in the whole media player, phone, pda, camera/video, web access device, data access coming together into a single product. As long as Obambi and the Demoncrats don’t destroy our civilization with their idiotic policies, we’ll all be used to this in 10 years, just like we are with mp3 players and cell phones now.
Geministorm on March 11, 2009 at 6:08 PM
“You’re a gargoyle.” -YT
exception on March 11, 2009 at 6:17 PM
Yaaaaaaawwwwwnnnnnn.
klickink.wordpress.com on March 11, 2009 at 6:25 PM
She lost me at ecologically responsible toilet paper.
keep the change on March 11, 2009 at 6:27 PM
and I thought it couldn’t get any worse!
Where are the “nerdy” internet/iphone junkies?
upinak on March 11, 2009 at 6:36 PM
LOL +10
Seriously, if we didn’t have enough problems connecting face to face with people, now we can still be on the computer even while standing face to face with someone. And eye contact’s always been overrated anyway…
inviolet on March 11, 2009 at 6:51 PM
Watched this a little earlier this week. Neat concept, though the whole presentation looks like a canned demo. There’s nothing ground breaking here, instead of a computer screen there’s a projector onto a surface and instead of a mouse you have four 3-space detectors attached to your fingers. Think Wii.
I guess all anyone on this site would care about was someone’s voting record, but heck, you can pretty much tell that about a person without fancy tech. At least here in the Bay Area. :-)
BVM on March 11, 2009 at 6:53 PM
Collie already tried it. Colle, why don’t you tell them the numerical pattern that was projected onto O’Bummer’s forehead?
My collie says:
CyberCipher on March 11, 2009 at 6:54 PM
New geek hit line?
Hey, you would be perfect from my 3 dimensional surveys presentation, let me show you, just stand right there…
aikidoka on March 11, 2009 at 6:58 PM
The clock on my VCR is still flashing.
Akzed on March 11, 2009 at 6:59 PM
I’ll be more interested when it’s at the level of implants ala Ghost In The Shell
aikidoka on March 11, 2009 at 7:06 PM
I think the potential for this device is pretty damn cool, but I’ve got to agree. The way that this bimbo is pitching this is synonymous with the serious and escalating problem that our society faces today- a total inability to think and make decisions for themselves.
Is it a cool toy? Yup. Do I need an electronic gadget to tell me what toilet paper to buy? No. Nor do I need the internet to tell me whom to vote for, nor do I need a President who thinks that voting “Present” is effective management.
She lost me when she began basing her argument on the most “ecologically friendly” toilet paper to buy.
Damiano on March 11, 2009 at 7:20 PM
I’m not impressed; this is a visual interface for existing technology. There would be huge hurdles to overcome such as data access (continuous)and speed- i.e. I can’t pick out which toilet paper to buy because I only have good reception in the wines area. Battery life would be a major issue also unless you have a belt-mounted battery pack to power all this tech.
We have problems with texting while driving right now-what issues would this cause? How many people walking into walls, into the path of others, etc.
Most of us already have phones with more functions and capabilities than we can use; would a reactive visual interface really be an improvement?
mad scientist on March 11, 2009 at 7:32 PM
Anyone who thinks this is going to be the “next big thing” needs to slap their inner geek around. Cool, very cool, but totally unusable.
Squiggy on March 11, 2009 at 7:44 PM
I already introduce myself ‘Hi, I’m ThackerAgency, beta male’ to avoid any confusion.
Or I’ll say, ‘Hi, I repel women.’
I’ve always thought that honesty was the best policy. . . and the biggest turn off with women.
The video is cool though. We’re getting close to the hologram ‘help me obie wan, you are our only hope’. I’ve been wondering when we will have projection instead of LCD or Plasma. I thought that the brightness limitations of the projector would limit its effectiveness. Maybe I was wrong. Great find. Thanks for sharing.
ThackerAgency on March 11, 2009 at 7:48 PM
Nor do I need the internet to tell me whom to vote for, nor do I need a President who thinks that voting “Present” is effective management.
Damiano on March 11, 2009 at 7:20 PM
Good thought; trust me to look at the tech side first and think about the societal issues afterwards. The question is: who is that little voice in your ear telling you what to buy, what to do, how to think? It is Pelosi? or Limbaugh?
Given the state of our educational system I can guess.
We’ll all be brainwashed union organized little drones who can’t even buy toilet paper without our choices controlled and reported.
mad scientist on March 11, 2009 at 7:54 PM
Who’s the lady with the German accent? What’s “TED?”
philwynk on March 11, 2009 at 7:56 PM
Never mind. The lady is Pattie Maes of MIT, and TED is “Technology, Entertainment, Design,” a conference where very aggressive geeks share ideas for the future. See http://www.ted.com. Some interesting stuff there.
philwynk on March 11, 2009 at 8:01 PM
Seriously cool tech.
After a fashion I already do this with my cellphone (HTC Touch).
Whether it’s surfing to Amazon to check out Blu-ray movies or books or checking Hotair while on the run or finding a local chinese place for some take-out I’m pretty much half-way there.
Whether I’d go around wearing geek-wear™ like this is a different story. After all, I’m past 40. I think that makes me old. heh.
Still, thanks for the link, AP.
Mistahtibbs on March 11, 2009 at 8:14 PM
Awesome.
Tanya on March 11, 2009 at 8:38 PM
1. Allah, I thought you were all set when the Japanese (?)invented that sex robot.
2. It’s strange enough when someone’s on a bluetooth headset but to other people it looks like he’s talking to himself.
3. Six senses? God gave us five. Sorry, you ain’t gonna “evolve” a new one any more than you can “evolve” gills. Be glad you’re not an amoeba and move on.
4. I take that back. Some people have a sixth sense, a.k.a., common sense. But that isn’t something you can “evolve,” either.
cackcon on March 11, 2009 at 8:43 PM
Very cool. A long way from ready, but a very cool beginning . Read Charles Stross’ remarkable novel Halting State for a look at what the world might be like when technology like this is mature. Example: cops walking around with glasses that show annotations over reality from “Cop Space.” The cop sees, say, paroled felons walking down th street with rotating red diamonds over their head, can bring up their priors with a gesture, and so on.
Splunge on March 11, 2009 at 8:58 PM
I’m not going to waste 8 minutes of my time.
iamse7en on March 11, 2009 at 9:12 PM
Like a lot of new technology, the most practical use for this has not even been thought of yet that will make it indispensable.
mike_NC9 on March 11, 2009 at 10:06 PM
Wow, I’ve never seen so many nerds in one area. Of course, I never went to a Trekkie convention.
Sapwolf on March 11, 2009 at 10:08 PM
Yes, but in this economy and future, very few can afford it.
It’s like people who think everyone can afford to pay the extra $7k for a hybrid to save the world.
Sapwolf on March 11, 2009 at 10:09 PM
Reminds me of the FAX machine……………
……….. “WOW”, look what I can do!!!
Ten years from now, thanks to Mr. Teleprompter, we will be using the rotary dial telephone again……….
………… sell it to China, there you can make a buck.
Seven Percent Solution on March 11, 2009 at 10:41 PM
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