How do viruses accelerate technology?
This is my article from 2013. Unfortunately, still quite relevant.
Microsoft announced that the Kinect interface can now detect small hand gestures, so sooner or later the mouse can be eliminated. I don't agree with that a hundred percent, but I am convinced that Kinect is the most important digital improvement of our era, and not because it will kill other interfaces, but because of a study on office mice and toilet seats.
The main reason why gesture detection will totally change the way we use computers is another invention, the cloud. What is the connection? Cloud services enable you to access data from anywhere, meaning you actually do not need to carry ANY device if you prefer to travel light. You only need your iris, a PIN code or a password, and you can begin working or having fun on the net right away, at any workstation in the world. As a result, public workstations (interactive screens) will be more and more important. At the airport, you do not have to carry around your laptop or tablet, just sit in one of the booths and access all your data immediately. Of course, when you just read a short mail, your phone will be perfect. But what if you have to check huge excel charts or complex architecture plans? You will need a big screen. But in this case, many people use the same device. They will infect each other with H1N1 or some virus that we can't even think of today. Did you know that the office computer mouse contains three times as much bacteria as a toilet seat?
And this is the point Kinect comes into the picture. Detecting movements and hand gestures will be the ultimate way to use devices connected to the cloud in public areas. And this will definitely change the list of devices you want to own and carry with you. To tell you the truth, I look forward to the era when I do not have to take care of any objects. Smartphones have already gave me a great opportunity to leave the laptop home as often as possible, but Kinect will enable me to forget bags and other unnecessary accessories. And that will put bag producers in trouble, but let's discuss that later.