Life of the Screen

The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.

William Gibson, author of the award-winning novel “Neuromancer” (1984), described a reality that included virtual reality and and the Internet integrated into our daily lives. He is credited with having coined the term “cyberspace.” Just over a decade later Sherry Turkle, a professor of the sociology of science at MIT, wrote “Life on the Screen” where she discussed identity in the age of the Internet.

A scan of the history of mass media will reveal that the screen has played a key role in the evolution of communication technology. The television and computer screens are just the obvious ones.

Consider the future of the screen:

A Swedish mobile user interface group produced and recently posted this video to illustrate the possibilities for future screens.

What do you think? What’s do you think is realistic? What do you is unrealistic?

A personal library of imagination

This TED talk gives viewers a glimpse into Internet entrepreneur Jay Walker’s personal “Library of Imagination.” If it were possible, I’d take my class on a field trip to see the many innovations Mr. Walker has collected. In the meantime, enjoy this video clip: