A demo of a multi-touch display (this is worth watching)

Jeff Han, founder of Perceptive Pixel, gave a 5 minute demo of their 8 foot multi-touch display at the Technology Entertainment Design (TED) 2007 conference. Loic Le Meur (EVP at Six Apart) recorded it and posted it on vpod.tv.

Have you seen the movie Minority Report with Tom Cruise? If so, remember that scene when he’s looking at pictures on a “computer” and he’s using both of his hands to move the pictures around? Well, that’s what this multi-touch display allows you to do. VERY, very cool. In fact, it’s so impressive that even my girlfriend was blown away (and that’s saying something!).

Trust me, it’s worth watching.

The Dilbertization of IT

eWeek has a great article about how IT workplaces have become bureaucratic and emphasize the maintenance of their current technology over creativity and innovation. These excerpts sum it up perfectly:

In the simplest terms: too many IT workplaces have become Dilbert-ized—micromanaged, bureaucratic and stifled creatively. It’s become an environment where busy work is praised and morale is low…

…There’s less emphasis on creativity, and more on maintenance. Tweak this, work on this… In being reactive not proactive, everything is a crisis. Something has to be done right now, putting out fire after fire, going a long way to making IT a less pleasant environment…

…When IT stops interacting with the rest of the company, stops exerting influence by no longer offering innovative technology solutions for business problems, it packages itself in an easily shipped box.

Since the article is titled, “How to Stop the Dilbertization of IT” it gives some recommendations on how to stop it: go back to square one, stop placing the blame elsewhere, let IT be more than firefighters, and better managers get better results.

Apple TV has shipped (for real)

I just checked my order status and I can say with 100% confidence that my Apple TV has been shipped via FedEx with an estimated delivery date of this Friday, March 23. Sweet!

I’m debating whether or not to post un-boxing pics (if you want me to, post a comment!) but I will definitely post my initial impressions by the end of this weekend or early next week so stay tuned!

Update (3/22/2007) My Apple TV was delivered this morning – one day ahead of FedEx’s estimated delivery date.  Nice!  I know what I’m doing when I get home from the office.