Minority Report's Legacy of Terrible Interfaces

jfruh writes "More than a decade ago, the special effects artists working the Steven Spielberg film Minority Report synthesized experimental thinking about GUIs to produce a floating interface that Tom Cruise manipulated with his hands. In 2013, surrounded by iOS and Android and Windows 8 devices, we use stripped down versions of this interface every day — and commercial artist Christian Brown thinks that's a bad thing. Such devices may look cinematic, he argues, but they completely ignore the kinds of haptic and textured feedback that have defined how we interact with devices for centuries." Speaking of Minority Report interfaces — a new armband sensor using a gesture-based control scheme is the latest gadget to invoke references to the movie.

Re:First

[Anonymous Coward]

Precog

Re:Hollywood Computers

[ColdWetDog]

What's wrong with looking cinematic? At least people would think I'm doing something when I'm trolling around Slashdot.

Re:Hollywood Computers

[Anonymous Coward]

Ya, OK. You just paraphrase the article that no one reads for mod points. Oh slashdot.

Wrong movie to go on!

[Anonymous Coward]

Hackers obviously had the best interface. Why look for a file in an alphabetical list when you can glide around virtual skyscrapers randomly searching for info?

It's perfect.

Re:"centuries"?

[oodaloop]

Your mom?

Re:Cadillac

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Which is why I am stunned that Cadillac is using this in a car. In fact, they are bragging that this is better than buttons. Because what we need in our cars is more shit that takes our eyes off the road.

Luckily, Cadillac's target market of "old guys, soccer moms in mommy tanks, and cognac-swilling rappers' is known for its superb reflexes and incredibly responsible driving. Nothing bad could possibly happen.

Re:NCIS

[Tagged_84]

Their GUI seems pretty damn powerful to me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkDD03yeLnU [youtube.com]

Re:Hollywood Computers

[Jarik C-Bol]

I've never fully understood the need to have little lights on every damn thing. My DSL modem has 5 lights on all the time, some of which blink. My Battery Backup has a light on it, my speakers have a light on them, my Monitor has a light in the power button, my XBox power brick has a light that you might be able to see from orbit, the Power strip in the living room has a light in it, my Laptop has a light that 'breathes' when the computer is asleep. 90% of these device are pretty damn obvious if they are 'On' or 'Off' without a glowing indicator. Hell, I had a router once that had a little blue dome on the top, and inside where about 18 LED's that flashed in some sort of relation to the WIFI activity. Looked like a epileptic stroke at a disco. Later versions of that router came with a button to turn the LED dome off, but the first model just had a little plastic shield you where supposed to clip in place if it was annoying.

Long story short, Foil Tape with tiny pinholes in it has become my friend. I simply cut a bit of tape, poke a tiny needle-hole in it, and affix it over the LED. I can still see the indicator if I need/desire to, but am not barraged with little flickering lights in my bedroom at night.

Re:That and...

[shitzu]

Surely you mean four touchdowns in a single game?

Re:That and...

[tehcyder]

For example, in China a red envelope is a good thing to receive, whereas in the UK it's a final demand for a bill. An owl signifies intelligence in most of Europe, evil in parts of latin America, and stupidity in much of Asia

Yet another reason why there should be one world language (UK English) and one world culture (UK/English).

I leave my location as an exercise for the reader.