As developers we are all used to interacting very closely with the devices we are creating, but it seems that this mode of operation is spreading to the real world as well. It is almost the norm anymore to see drivers talking on cell phones. Any fast-food restaurant at lunch will have an assortment of iPods and laptops in evidence, even among groups of people. Our devices are becoming more and more a part of us.

That trend seems sure to continue. The MIT-sponsored Cyber Fashion Show was reported on by Xeni Jardin for Wired and featured a number of beautiful people with devices that ranged from the head-mounted virtual display worn by the hostess (Windows-based, it crashed several times during the show) to a trenchcoat jacket that incorporated ten television cameras. Several of the items were more fashionable than functional, incorporating lightshows and video into jewelry.

Even more personal than these devices are the new generations of hearing aids, as also also reported by Wired. These devices are going to be more common as we baby boomers start paying for our rock-and-roll sins, but they will do more than just boost volume. Smart devices can also prompt with names, rewind conversations, and otherwise enhance memory as well as hearing.

Even deeper connections are envisioned for the next generation of prosthetics. These devices, as reported in CNET, will have direct nervous system connections to enhance the natural feel and operation of the devices. One has to wonder at what point these will cross over from the replacement of missing limbs to the enhancement of normal ones.

Larry Mittag