Datum 2014
INTERAXON MUSE
We may never gain telekinetic powers in
real life, but if InteraXon manages to deliver on its
promises, we may be able to interact with software
using our thoughts in the near future. The Muse, InteraXon's brain-wave-sensing headband, is leading
the way for consumer-grade thought-controlled
interfaces, which may one day find their way into
the realm of gaming peripherals.
Nintendo dabbled in biosensors with the
Japanese-only Tetris 64, a Nintendo 64 game, but
its pulse-sensing accessory failed to leave a mark and was left to wallow in obscurity. InteraXon's focus on brainwave sensors expands the possibilities beyond passive heart-rate monitoring, allowing you to directly control
software by focusing your thoughts. Beyond the example shown in the Zenbound demo, thought control will let
people, especially those with physical disabilities, interact with software in ways many of us have never imagined.
OCULUS RIFT
Head-mounted displays have come and gone over the
years, promising a future where virtual reality will actually be
relevant outside of events like CES and the Electronic Entertainment Expo.
The latest, Palmer Lucky's Oculus Rift, stands a better
chance than most thanks to his experience researching and
developing HMDs for the US military. At 110 degrees, the Rift
totes the widest diagonal field of view for an HMD to date. Its
accelerometers, gyroscopes, and pair of low-latency, stereoscopic 3D displays convincingly re-create your movements
almost as fast as you can make them. With developer kits
potentially shipping in late spring, the Rift may finally bring
VR to the masses as soon as 2014.
MICROSOFT ILLUMIROOM
Microsoft quietly revealed a trailer for a new project during CES that maps the geography of your living
room and projects games onto the surface of your walls and furniture surrounding your TV, mixing re