in-car computing - tomorrow's interface frontier

03/29/2005 06:25:00 PM
Why do we think personal computing and driving a car are incompatible? Because we assume that interfacing a PC requires visual attention. But as entertainment companies push toward in-car hard-drives for GPS systems and streaming media, other providers are bound to convert this in-car hard-drive into a mobile workstation. Furthermore, we can count on federal regulations on any screens that are viewable by the driver so the interface on these workstations won't rely on screens. The range of applications will likely grow from entertainment and live traffic advice into other areas that allow people to work during their commute - reading and sending emails, accessing websites and even writing and editing documents.
Article entitled, 'The New Media Hub? Your Car'

So far, outside of developing technologies for the blind, not much R&D spending has been put behind finding intuitive, alternate interfaces that rely on audio for output and voice recognition and gesture for input. But as companies rush to capitalize on the impending opportunity presented by already installed, in-car hard drives and increasing commute times, we will begin to see a few of these interface technologies win favor and become commonplace. These hands-free, eyes-free application interfaces will likely be one of the things at which our kids and grandkids will be far more adept than we who were raised on screens and keyboards which are, after all, one small step away from the typewriter.
Article entitled, 'The Future of the Human-Computer Interface'
Influx article entitled, 'evolving interfaces'
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