So Intrigued…

I just checked out the website for Microsoft Surface, the new technology being developed by Microsoft. I saw a keynote speech tat was given by some Microsoft employee about a month ago on this tech (definitely not a very exciting speaker, unlike those at Apple) and was amazed. Now that I checked out their demos of the possibilities that Surface can offer, I’m totally floored. Go check it out (a link is at the end of the post). This is my favorite aspect of technology, giving this ease of use with all of the gadgets that are developed all the time and making it visually pleasing.

I love the idea of just placing something (a camera, a phone, or even a glass of liquid) onto the Surface and have it recognise it and react. Especially the way they just place a camera on it and the contents are immediately downloaded and scattered. The touch-manipulation of the contents of the screen is very intuitive, the only two things that separate it from actual documents is being able to hold them and to have tactile feedback.

I want one, plain and simple. There should be one of these at every table in every restaurant. This would be awesome for in a kitchen too, such as in a wall or on a refrigerator. You could have family pictures displayed, scan a child’s work and manipulate it all you like, or write messages and notes on it. Even display a recipe full screen and never have to stain a book with ingredients again!

I love me some geekery.

Check Out Microsoft Surface

Added: I keep thinking of new useful applications of this technology. Imagine a typical office worker’s desk. Papers strewn about, constantly in and out of filing cabinets, having to organize them in your work area, and having to use stands and clips to hold them up for viewing while typing. Now imagine a comfortably angled Surface workspace with some sort of keyboard integration, either onscreen or an actual keyboard. You could scan all of your documents in, presumably able to create a multipage item on the screen, and be able to file the unedited originals away until needed. Then, using a word processing addition, you could make edits to the document or have it expanded on screen while you type in another section. Then simply drag the completed document to mail it off to a contact. I love this idea so much. It would be awesome to be a developer working with this. I can’t wait until this kind of tech is mainstream…

Internet Out, and So is My Entertainment

So the high speed internet modem/router that SBC sent us is officially on the fritz. That means that our house is completely devoid of internet, and that means I can’t check my Myspace, Facebook, of any of the websites for the podcast I listen to (since all of these are blocked at my work) unless I do it at a friend’s house.

Speaking of which, Mel and I are going to go to the mall after I get off work today so that she can get Kira her birthday present. My neice turns 8 on friday! It’s kinda hard to believe. A lot has happened throughout this little girl’s 8 years and I can’t remember what it was like before she came around. Being an uncle is one of the most fulfilling thing’s I’ve ever experienced, and through her I finally realized that I would love to be a daddy one day. But that’s me being mushy because I love that little girl so much. Dunno what I’m getting her yet though. She said she’d love one of those squishy Moshi pillows like I have, so I might stop by Linens and Things and get her a pink or purple Moshi.

I want the settlement from my car accident to come in. I want to be able to make the 3 tech purchases I’m planning (Sidekick 3, external hard drive, iPod) soon, as not having these things is becoming increasingly annoying. But meh, I will survive.

Time to get some work done, I suppose…

Techno-Deprivation

There are four gadgets that would make my life SOOOO much easier…

Sidekick 3:

My Samsung t509 is nice, but with all the work I’m doing with Generation Q, Gay Socialites, Blonde on the Inside, and Mediagasm, not having a smartphone is killing me. And I really like the design of the Sidekick, they’re fun and still really useful. I suppose something with an actual word processor on it would be more practical, but for what I need it for a Sidekick would do just fine.

Note: Just learned about the Sidekick ID. Basically a Sidekick 3 with a better looking design but without the camera or bluetooth, and for about $100 less. If only I could get those two things with the new colorful design…

Mobile Internet for my Laptop:

Having a satellite-connected internet setup with my laptop would be nice too, for a lot of the same reasons as having a Sidekick really. Also, while I’m at work I could slack off more by going on Myspace and being able to not be blocked from anything worthwhile. But the service plans are expensive, and I’m broke.

iPod:

It’s an iPod. Why anyone would not want on is beyond me completely. I could also use it to listen to the music I’m going to be reviewing for Mediagasm while I work out and such. And THEN immediately type up some notes on my Sidekick 3 (that I don’t have…).

Handheld GPS Navigation (for the car):

I used to be a pretty good navigator, but lately (I blame the car accident and head trauma lol) I am TERRIBLE at getting places. I have to look up directions on Mapquest and print them to take them with me, and if the littlest thing is wrong on them (as it usually is), I’m screwed. And if I’m getting the directions from a friend, I have to call them constantly to find my way. Having a Tom Tom or another kind of GPS navigator would save me a lot of time and frustration from not knowing where I’m going.

So there you have it. There’s absolutely no way I can get any of these things, of course, unless someone buys them for me. Once the settlement comes in from my lawsuit (still waiting to hear the response from the other insurance company regarding our initial demand), I might be able to get a new phone and an iPod, but I don’t want to spend too much of the money on gadgets. Most of it (depending on how much I end up with) is paying for college at Sac State, so it’s not pocket money. Whatever is left after college money is going into a high interest bank account to wait and grow.

I’m just killing time. Work ends in 15 minutes and I’m done with all my stuff. No clue what I’m doing after I get off. I called Mel to see if she wants to meet up and work on some ideas I have for Blonde on the Inside, but no dice there. Maybe I’ll visit Edward at Macy’s if he’s working…