My Favorite New Technology Developments

1. Natal Milo - Those of you who have read my blog, or follow gaming technology, won't be surprised at this selection. Natal is a new add-on for XBox that will allow the system to respond to the user with such sophistication that controllers won't be needed in most cases, and natural verbal interaction with on-screen characters will create an unprecedented illusion. If this comes through as demonstrated, the result my very well be an entirely new form of entertainment beyond traditional gaming.
2. As a filmmaker, smartphone tools like the Artemis Digital Directors Viewfinder and, from the same company, the Helios Sun Calculator (which determines the position of the sun at any given time of day) are very cool Iphone apps that have a real practical use for the film/video professional. The whole "apps" thing, whether it's Iphone related or not, is really a whole new world (and a whole new business). The computer / high-tech industry continues to develop in directions we couldn't have anticipated just a few years ago. The tablet computer - which is midway between a digital book reader (like the Kindle) and a laptop computer, is said to be the Next Big Thing on the horizon - I'll be curious how that product will fit into the rapidly expanding landscape of -dare I say it- gadgets. I don't mean that in a negative way, either - we live and die in the gadget universe. We've come to live in a James Bond movie, with technology beyond anything "Q" could have imagined.