Augmented reality for the iPhone

from Metaio just a demo, but heading in an interesting direction...

Spacial audio

Another example of an idea I mentioned in my Millicomputing talk turning up at NTT. This is something that could be programmed on an iPhone using OpenAL I think. It's really the idea of using stereo sound to carry conversations, which depends upon people using stereo headsets. I think there needs to be additional value in the headset such as video capture of what I'm looking at, and into-eye video display like the MyVue, then spacial audio is an add-on not the main feature.

Video streaming from phone's

Robert Scoble talks about the capabilities of three services on TechCrunch. When I gave my talk on Millicomputing at the BIL conference, Robert was sitting at the front streaming my talk to Qik from his cellphone.

In the near future I think this will become an important area, as continuously streamed video conferencing becomes ubiquitous, and adds two-way support. The only limitations that prevent it are network bandwidth, battery life and the software that manages the service. Network bandwidth is already sufficient, battery life is improving rapidly, and these three companies (http://qik.com, http://kyte.tv, and http://flixwagon.com) are competing to build the software services that will eventually implement the features I have been talking about. These services are working towards computer assisted telepathy.

eComm08 Millicomputing Talk

Here is a nice picture by Duncan Davidson of me,  speaking at eComm.

The talk went well and the conference was excellent. Very well setup and run as a single stream of short talks. The Computer History Museum in Mountainview was an inspired choice of venue.

My slides in pdf form at at this link.

The talk is a more technical version of the BIL talk I gave a few weeks ago. It is focussed on the next few generations of mobile devices - "The Future In Your Pocket". Some key ideas from the talks and discussions I had on this subject at BIL and eComm08:

• Pocket devices double capacity every year (laptop every two years)
• Intel will drive power down further to compete with ARM
• Intel x86/x64 in my pocket means I can use desktop versions of apps like Skype
• Wireless high-definition video out is a key new feature we could use today
• It's a server in my pocket, web services, video streaming etc.
• More performance at lower power in the future allows always-on services
• Ambient presence placing OpenAL 3D audio sources in the back of your head
• Stereo audio sunglasses with video camera, heads-up display
• Brainwave sensor (See Neurosky) input controller, records your stress/mood
• Lifelogging - permanently archive everything you hear, see and feel
• Telepathy - real-time, many to many lifelogging - immersive relationships
• Virb-ing - virtual/real blending Second Life or WoW into lifelogs and telepathy
• The killer app for teenagers in 2010 perhaps?