The Future of Apple?

I'll end my personal tribute to the legendary co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, by looking forward.

As a college student, one of my senior design projects was to design a computer of the future. This was around 2000, & our labs had the original iMacs & G4 Powermacs.  Cell phones weren't common at all & the Internet was just becoming the eminent communication & information tool it is today.

My design for a futuristic computer used a portable handheld device w/ peripherals like a touchscreen monitor w/ embedded speakers & an immersive eyepiece that that was another interface option.

I'll post the renders I made of the concept when I get around to it. Anyway, that project inspired me a few years ago to imagine an Apple-branded computer of the future, called the Apple iThink. It's been featured on websites & magazines around the world.

Apple iThink

My "iThink" concept pics & the imaginary specs are at the bottom of the post. I'm determined to update the graphics one of these days.

I've been talking to people this weekend about the impact of Steve Jobs and Apple & no one can really say for certain how the computer interface will be improved after the touchscreen. Perhaps 3D or holographic technology is the next step. However, interfaces that connect directly to the brain seem to be inevitable. Then, our thoughts may be augmented by digital systems. Maybe our memory & perceptions could even be enhanced.

Here's a list of links to stories that I think herald the coming of future devices with iThink Tech:

CNN:

The Future of Brain-controlled Devices

BBC:

Chemical computer that mimics neurons to be created

PopSci:

The World's First Commercial Brain-Computer Interface 

Wired:

Pentagon Turns to Brain Implants to Repair Damaged Minds 

Design Mind:

Envisioning Your Future in 2020

Discover:

How to Plug in a Brain

PopSci:

New Brain-Machine Interface Taps Human Smarts to Enhance Computers' Abilities

BoingBoing:

Method for wiring chips with nerve cells

MSNBC:

FDA approves computer chip for humans

Huffington Post:

IBM 'Synapse' Chips Mimic Human Brain

 

Apple "iThink" Technical Specifications

• Size:
1.5 x 1.5 x .5 inches

• Symbiosis™ Neural Interface:
Direct brain-computer link means your mind and computer are one!

• Intel Fusion™ Quantum Processing:
Uses the power of the atom to instantly compute at the speed of thought.

• Holographic Data Storage:
The iThink’s tiny internal holochip has a staggering individual capacity of over 666 Yottabytes (1000^8), for seemingly infinite augmented memory

• Intra-neural Communication:
Mentally allow or block any kind of signal you want to send or recieve instantly over the wireless iThink global network

• Perceptual Immersion:
Images, sound, & other data are projected virtually into your sensory fields by directly connecting into your brain’s activity

• Integrated GPS and Google Earth:
Receive directions and location information anywhere on the planet, and the ability to be located in case of an emergency

Why I'm Not Getting an Apple iPad

So Steve Jobs has finally unveiled his portable touchscreen computer, the iPad.

I did a Blogger search at the top of the page & my first post on this blog about the possibility of an Apple branded tablet PC was in 1996 - 4 friggin years ago! That is an epoch in 'computer time'.

It is definitely a cool device that makes me feel like I'm actually living in "The Future". It's basically an upscaled iPhone that is more suited for applications like Internet & digital books. What is really interesting is the huge potential for improvement now that the initial version has been produced.

However... as cool as I think this creation is, there is no way I'd buy one right now. I'm a professed Mac computer fan, but I'm not an insane Apple junkie. Besides sounding like how a person from Boston would pronounce "iPod," there are significant reasons an "iPad" isn't in my immediate future.

First of all, I don't need one!

Second of all, there are too many limitations in this Alpha version & that loses most the appeal for me. Not being able to multi-task between apps is weak. Not supporting Photoshop, Illustrator, or 3D software is major dealbreaker because I'd want to be able to use them if I'm using this great touchscreen computer. It has some paint app called Brushes, but I'd have to try it out before saying it wouldn't be useful.

Third, I'm not trying to spend hundreds of dollars, given issues #1 & #2.

Fourth, I usually don't buy the 1st version of anything.

Even though it may currently not be worth the money to some (like me), & other touchscreens have already been on the market, it is still a pretty amazing piece of technology. Apple has been successful at projecting their products as cutting-edge, yet intuitively functional.

This is the computer that I have long realized would eventually be pervasive once Apple functionality was applied.

For what it's worth, in my opinion the next revolution in computers will probably be wearable computers w/ eyepieces or retinal bionic implants. (...the iEye?)

After that... the Apple iThink!





After that, the phenomenon we call mankind will experience "i∞", which looks like this.

iThink Tech 2015

In my last post, I shared a project from my college years, called the Omega Computer.

"Omega Computer" Concept

The project assignment was to design a computer of the future. Years later, I revisited the challenge of imagining futuristic computer technology & took it a step farther.

Instead of the external, portable devices used in the Omega Computer concept, I designed a computer brain implant called the "Apple iThink". You can see the specs of the iThink in my original post:

Apple iThink- Upgraded

Since I made those graphics, I've closely followed developments in science and technology that are leading toward a brain-computer interface, like the iThink.

I see technology, like my iPhone or computer, as extensions of my mind. The mystic sentiment that "consciousness is in all things" seems more true, the more I look into Reality. The Universe is made up of something more fundamental than particles or atoms- The Universe is made of information.

Human consciousness is just one manifestation of the Universal Information Field (UIF), that can manifest in infinite varieties. There is no reason why the ordinary conscious experience of the biological brain cannot be modified or enhanced to create novel states of being.

Of course, every step of the way there will be problems and questions that have to be addressed. Certain choices and directions may have unintended or negative consequences. However, I think it is inevitable for humanity to continue to seek new abilities, information, & understanding. We have uniquely mastered technology for this end, and will continue to expand both the individual and collective consciousness through technological means. Perhaps suprisingly to some, this technological innovation will be continue to be simultaneous, and perhaps symbiotic, with deeper spiritual and philosophical understanding about the nature of ourselves and our world.

I've collected links which, individually, are amazing developments. However, when seen as precursors to technologically-augmented consciousness, these scientific breakthroughs signal new frontiers in the human experience.

Time:
• 2045: Kurzweil on When Humans, Machines Merge


New Scientist:
• Cyborg Tissue is Half Living Cells, Half Electronics

Extreme Tech:
• MIT Creates Glucose Fuel Cell to power Implanted Brain-Computer interfaces

Daily Mail:
• The Groundbreaking Microscopic Thread That Could Let Us Plug Our Brain Into a Computer

Waking Times
• Decoded Neurofeedback: Matrix-like Learning With No Conscious Effort
 
Extreme Tech:
• Brown University Creates First Wireless, Implanted Brain-computer Interface

The White House:
• BRAIN Initiative Challenges Researchers to Unlock Mysteries of Human Mind

Kurzweil AI
• Organic transistors for brain mapping

Popular Mechanics:
• Going Wireless and Restoring Memories: The Incredible Future of Brain Implants

CNet:
• What Google Glass Aspires to Be

Technooccult:
• DARPA Wants to Fit Soldiers with a Little Black Box Brain Implant

The Atlantic:
•  The Not-So-Distant Future When We Can All Upgrade Our Brains

DefenseOne:
• The Military Is Building Brain Chips to Treat PTSD

The Verge:
• Google Leads $542 Million Funding of Mysterious Augmented Reality Firm Magic Leap

Techcrunch:
• The Ongoing Quest For The ‘Brain’ Chip

H+
• Biology is Technology — DARPA is Back in the Game With A Big Vision

BBC Future:
• The Code That May Treat Blindness

Smithsonian:
• A Flexible Circuit Has Been Injected Into Living Brains

Aeon:
• Hive consciousness: Do We Really Want to Fuse Our Minds Together?

Apple I Advertisement

Currently, I'm reading the biography of Steve Jobs on my lunch breaks.

Steve Jobs

by Walter Isaacson

Despite already knowing alot about the founder of Apple Computers, I'm really enjoying the read. It's a great story that gives enthralling insight into the creation of what I consider to be the greatest creative tool ever produced- the Mac computer.

My life has run parallel to the development of microcomputers. The Apple II was shipped around the time I was born. The early encounters I had with Macintosh computers were in elementary school, & later we used them in our high school science classes. I was using Windows PCs at home, though, & they sucked.
It wasn't until my design classes in college that I began using Apple G4 computers regularly. In my career as a professional designer, I've used Power Macs exclusively. Windows is like a leper to me, I don't even want to touch it.

On fusion anomalog I saw this ad from 1976, featuring the original Apple I homemade computer. It was basically a circuitboard, but it could be attached to a keyboard & a TV or monitor, which was revolutionary at the time.

The original Apple logo is on there, too. It has the look of an engraving & is much different than the iconic apple with the 'byte' taken out of it.

I've recently read the section of the book about the start-up of Apple, in the garage of Steve Job's parents. Steve Wozniak basically engineered the computer components & Jobs was the one who figured out how to market it.

Despite being a weird mix of a guru-like personality & a completely insufferable jerk, Steve Jobs had an indomitable will that obviously produced amazing results.
Even with his many flaws, Jobs really was a genius. He's influenced the course of human events as much as any single person in the modern age.

iThink Tech 2016

Back in 2008, I introduced my concept for an Apple-branded computer brain implant, the "Apple iThink".

The Monkey Buddha Archives:

Apple iThink

(Click to Enlarge)

iThink Technical Specifications

• Size:
1.5 x 1.5 x .5 inches

• Symbiosis™ Neural Interface:
Direct brain-computer link means your mind and computer are one!

• Intel Fusion™ Quantum Processing:
Uses the power of the atom to instantly compute at the speed of thought.

• Holographic Data Storage:
The iThink’s tiny internal holochip has a staggering individual capacity of over 666 Yottabytes (1000^8), for seemingly infinite augmented memory

• Intra-neural Communication:
Mentally allow or block any kind of signal you want to send or recieve instantly over the wireless iThink global network

• Perceptual Immersion: Images, sound, & other data are projected virtually into your sensory fields by directly connecting into your brain’s activity

• Integrated GPS and Google Earth:
Receive directions and location information anywhere on the planet, and the ability to be located in case of an emergency
_____________________________________

Since I originally created these graphics, I've watched technology continue to advance, as different fields converge to making such a neural implant possible.

Although there are now implants in use that allow communication by thought and remote control of software, we are still a long way off from a device that contains the many features of the iThink.

Without some cataclysmic event happening on a global scale, I don't see the progress of this kind of research ever stopping. There will always be resistance to any kind of implantable devices, and there might eventually be a "Deus Ex" scenario where humans create social distinctions based on cybernetic augmentations. There may be conflict between implant-free "Naturals," and "Enhanced" (or "Cyber") humans with neural or physiological augmentations. Any new technology, no matter how beneficial, usually brings with it slight uncertainty and the potential for misuse.

My iPhone and Mac computer are extensions of my cognitive and creative processes. I feel like these  devices are portals into the global consciousness, while simultaneously augmenting the functions of the brain. However, I often think about whether the digital techno-sphere is a trap for individual consciousness, preventing it from finding freedom in the more spiritual sense. My personal feeling is that digital technology and mobile devices are enhancements, more than they are traps. It depends on how they are used, of course, but I feel that their benefits outweigh the potential danger.

Anyway, I love to speculate on the future of humanity and the new ideas that will lead to revolutions in our world. I have been floating around ideas for even more advanced tech & features, that would be in an Apple iThink 2.0. However, seeing as we haven't come close to reaching even this stage in implantable technology, I haven't created graphics for the next version yet.

In the meantime, I've been compiling "iThink Tech"- scientific & technological advancements that are leading us down a road toward implantable computers which will interact with our brains directly, for completely immersive computing.

Here are the relevant links I've found from the past year:

 Singularity Hub:

The Brain Tech to Merge Humans and AI Is Already Being Developed

Digital Trends:

Gamers learn to control characters strictly through direct brain stimulation 

Big Think:

A New Implant is Being Developed for Enhancing Human Memory

New York Times:

Implant Eases Communication by Late-Stage ALS Patient

(Thanks to my good friend Dr. Phil for this link)

PBS Newshour:

Wireless brain implant allows paralyzed woman to communicate, but is it safe?

BoingBoing:

Neurosurgeon had brain-computer interface installed in his own head

Inhabitat:

 US govt developing brain implants that give humans the ability to never forget

BoingBoing:

Brainjacking: the future of software security for neural implants

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

"As our minds will attain the non-linear associative powers 

that will do away with the static mold of analog information,

we will finally break through the speed barrier of thought."

-rene

iPhone 4S: Full Review

 Last week, my old phone finally got to the point of being unusable. Since my next phone was inevitably going to be an iPhone, on Tuesday I took another step deeper into Apple's digital clutches & purchased the 4S.

Apple iPhone

As much as I love technology & novelty, I also appreciate the Zen approach to simplicity. Not having a million streams of constant input can go a long way to maintaining mental calm. I was quite content with using my LG Vue only for calls, texts, & occasional lo-res pictures.

I know enough people with iPhones to know its capabilities, so I was already very familiar with their awesomeness. Since I use Macs at home & at work, I also buy into Steve Jobs' lasting vision of integrated digital devices, and nobody else has achieved the superb functionality that Apple has implemented.

For the past week I've been able to dig into the iPhone's features, download a bunch of apps, use it thoroughly, and think about it's pros & cons.

First of all, one of the points that salespeople were making in the store is absolutely true: the iPhone is a portable computer... with functions like phone, camera, etc.

After using it for a week, I'm even more awestruck at what such a compact device can do. People are making all kinds of great apps that take advantage of the hardware in creative ways. The magnetometer is used for digital compasses & Teslameters. The camera flash can be used for a bright flashlight or strobe function. The accelerometer is used for game controls. GPS is integrated with navigation apps. Combinations of these various powerful features can be used for amazing things like augmented reality software.


There are alot of good apps, but I'm going to save my recommendations for another post. Even though there are plenty of games & frivolous time-wasters, there are also ones that are excellent sources of knowledge or information.

Overall, the app-centered interface is simple and effective. It's a way to be packed with features, yet not have a complicated, confusing interface.
I'm glad you can group apps into category icons. I'm all about organization. It's good to now have all my contacts and calendar dates easily synched between my iPhone & Mac. I've also manually transferred my various "To Do", "Graphics Ideas", "Need", & "Want" lists from my old phone to the 'Reminders' app. I use these lists constantly.

I haven't transferred any music yet, but I might put a few playlists on it even though I don't think I'll use it to listen to mp3s alot. Since I use (& love) Sirius satellite radio in my car, I'm considering getting the XM Skydock for the iPhone which acts as a charger & satellite receiver for the iPhone app.

The iPhone's HD camera is great & now I don't have to use my aging Nikon Coolpix camera to take decent photos.

I've used the voice-activated digital assistant, Siri, to write a couple texts & look up contacts. It's a little buggy, but works pretty well for these limited uses. Although it's a developing technology, I can see it as a jumping point to where we are eventually conversing with A.I. as if they are fellow sentient beings. Maybe it's even a step to learning how to communicate with digital devices through thought alone.

There are very few criticisms I can voice concerning this wondrous device...

• My biggest complaint would be the noticeable level of inaccuracy in the typing keypad & touchscreen editing. It's not uncommon for the wrong letter to come up as I type, & I sometimes have trouble getting the cursor to go to the spot I want it to. Maybe it's just me...
• The battery drains pretty fast, but I guess when its doing all sorts of cool crap, that's to be expected.  You can turn apps that are running in the background off, but you don't want be stuck more than a day without a power supply.
• I don't like Apple's aversion to file management for photos & video. Everything has to be managed inside the app, and you have to export an image from iPhoto to free it & make it an independent file. Apple also does this with videos in Final Cut Pro.
• One physical feature I find strange is the extra switch on the side of the phone that slides [on/off] to activate [sound/vibrate] mode. This seems like an unnecessary button. There are already + and - volume buttons on the side. On my old phone you could just hold the (-) button down to lower the volume until you reached "Silent," then "Vibrate".
• There's probably more nitpicky details I could find fault with, but I can't think of any right now.


None these issues are really worth a damn when compared to the iPhone's outstanding overall functionality. I have to marvel at the seamless way all Apple products work together to make a  productive user experience. When I think waaay back to my first personal computer, with the horrific MS-DOS/Windows3.1, it makes me feel fortunate to finally have tech that truly works to my satisfaction.

I have long been a devotee of the Apple brand and Steve Jobs' vision for personal computers. The 'digital hub' consisting of devices such as iPhones & Apple computers are no less than the virtual extension of our biological brains.

We are interfacing with the scaffolding of a global mind that will have results we can barely begin to imagine. As I said in my last post, at some point we are going to require multiple parallel consciousness streams to process & experience the flood of data bombarding our individual sensory systems.

The Apple iThink seems inevitable...

Introducing the "iThink"

I love Apple computers.

Besides providing modern necessities such as internet & email, the computer is pretty much my sole source of creative output. I started using Macs in my college design classes & was glad to be rid of Windows from my life after growing up with DOS & Windows 3.0.

As a senior, one of my semester projects was to design a computer of the future & relevant promo materials. Mine was basically a powerful handheld device with a wireless keyboard and an eye piece for a screen.

Since then, there's been alot of talk about what will happen when the creeping advance of digital technology begins to directly permeate our consciousness. We already have bionic body parts, brain implants, mind-interaction software, primitive AI, and all kinds of other that are signs of the continuing fusion between man and machine.

This also got me thinking about the inevitable augmentation of human experience through computers that will link directly to our conscious thoughts. This web is already being interwoven, so to speak, and there is speculation that some sort of super-consciousness could result. This idea has been given labels such as the Hive Mind, The Singularity, The End of Novelty, etc.

My Dad always jokes that one day, people are just going to be white blobs hooked up to all kinds of computers & electronics. I'd been thinking about the possibility of microchips being implanted that were essentially computers connecting to our brains. I wondered how my favorite brand, Apple, would exist in such circumstances.

That's when I thought up the "iThink":

"The most revolutionary computer in history,
iThink allows you to interact with
unlimited information, virtual imagery & sound,
and even immersive environments,
all within your mind!"

click for larger image (1900x1200)

It's taken me awhile to actually finish these graphics due to procrastination & the interference of life in general. I've been running it around in my head for awhile, though. Anyway, this was just a fun project for me. This all might seem incredibly geeky, but I think it's a pretty intriguing concept that illustrates real possibilities.

We have to ask ourselves what a human being's mental experience will be like when we get to this point. Will we be able to close our eyes and create an environment like a holodeck inside our own headspace? How will we control the data streams and imagery that will be flooding our perceptions? Will any outside source be able to hack into our brains? Will there be different classes of people according to whether they are 'natural' or 'cyber'?

There are millions of questions that only time will answer. For now, we can only imagine how a product like the "iThink" would affect mankind.

In addition to the poster above, I also created a spec sheet to resemble those used for Apple's existing products. Scroll down for text of the tech details...

click for larger image (1900x1200)

iThink Technical Specifications

• Size:
1.5 x 1.5 x .5 inches

• Symbiosis™ Neural Interface:
Direct brain-computer link means your mind and computer are one!

• Intel Fusion™ Quantum Processing:
Uses the power of the atom to instantly compute at the speed of thought.

• Holographic Data Storage:
The iThink’s tiny internal holochip has a staggering individual capacity of over 666 Yottabytes (1000^8), for seemingly infinite augmented memory

• Intra-neural Communication:
Mentally allow or block any kind of signal you want to send or recieve instantly over the wireless iThink global network

• Perceptual Immersion:
Images, sound, & other data are projected virtually into your sensory fields by directly connecting into your brain’s activity

• Integrated GPS and Google Earth:
Receive directions and location information anywhere on the planet, and the ability to be located in case of an emergency

Apple 'iThink' on Gizmondo

About a week ago, my Apple "iThink" computer concept was mentioned on the gadget blog Gizmondo. It was part of a feature about the future of human/machine interaction called "This Cyborg Life."

Apple iThink
(It's Not Real, But You Know You Want It)

The author used the older graphics from before I posted "Apple 'iThink' - Upgraded." It's still cool to see people appreciate the possibilities such a concept presents.

click to enlarge

Apple "iThink" Technical Specifications

• Size:
1.5 x 1.5 x .5 inches

• Symbiosis™ Neural Interface:
Direct brain-computer link means your mind and computer are one!

• Intel Fusion™ Quantum Processing:
Uses the power of the atom to instantly compute at the speed of thought.

• Holographic Data Storage:
The iThink’s tiny internal holochip has a staggering individual capacity of over 666 Yottabytes (1000^8), for seemingly infinite augmented memory

• Intra-neural Communication:
Mentally allow or block any kind of signal you want to send or recieve instantly over the wireless iThink global network

• Perceptual Immersion:
Images, sound, & other data are projected virtually into your sensory fields by directly connecting into your brain’s activity

• Integrated GPS and Google Earth:
Receive directions and location information anywhere on the planet, and the ability to be located in case of an emergency

Foldable Devices & The Omega Concept

I've been seeing a bunch of news stories about the new folding phones & devices that are coming out.

BGR:

Beyond the Galaxy Fold and Mate X: All the Foldable Devices

This is just one of the many technologies that I predicted with the concept computer system I created over 20 years ago, as a college student:

OMEGA COMPUTER SYSTEM

There were several components to the Omega computer system, which were precursors to actual products that ended up coming onto the market:

• Portable computer unit that had integrated cameras & touchscreen (iPhone & all smartphones)

• Foldable keyboard

• Augmented reality eyepiece w/ headphone (Google Glass & Microsoft Hololens)

• ...and now, the folding touchscreen device is coming to the market (Galaxy Fold, Huawei Mate X)

Here is the description that accompanied my product design:

_____________________________

Omega Interactive Display

"Interactive: Omega Interactive Display is a flatscreen, touch-sensitive LCD monitor  that allows you to write, choose items, draw, and navigate directly using the Omega stylus. Input devices such as the mouse and drawing tablets are unnecessary with our easy to use interface.

Compact: Our 17" display is 95% viewing area, with almost no surrounding casing to take up space. You get a combination of sight and sound in one compact unit with the stereo speakers embedded behind the screen. The display also folds in half for easy transportation or storage.

Wireless: Since the Interactive Display is powered by our wireless electricity transmission and also has a wireless data connection to the Omega Computer unit, there are no cords or batteries to deal with. This means you can use it anywhere- on the sofa, in the kitchen, or outside! If you want to stay in the office, you can attach it back to its stand for a space-saving work area.

Multi-media: Our Interactive Display contains high-quality 6"x9" flat stereo speakers to complete the Omega multimedia experience. Watch video, enjoy lifelike gaming, or hear crystal clear music while computing without the burden of seperate speaker hookups!"

_____________________________

There are many technologies that I envisioned for this project that are only now being released or still under development. I'm still kind of surprised at how inventive "past me" was!

The next leap was 10 years ago, when I came up with a concept for an Apple branded brain-computer implant, which is nowhere near being available as a commercial product:

Apple iThink

Apple "iThink" - Upgraded

This past summer, I illustrated a concept I was kicking around in my head for a while - an "Apple iThink" computer of the future that actually fuses with the human nervous system. It connects directly to the brain via a Matrix-like connection in the head.

"Introducing the iThink"

The unit, though, would be wirelessly connected to a global network of both iThink users and other electronic communication devices. Apple's legion of loyal minions would be part of a techno-telepathic hive mind that I wrote about in my last post.

The "Apple iThink" is a thought experiment that should be equally intriguing and terrifying. Since I first posted the concept renderings, science has continued to progressed and made such devices closer to a reality. People have already been putting microchips in their bodies for one reason or another, so it's only a matter of increasing the complexity of the technology.

Even the Daily Show's Samantha Bee followed the rabbit hole to the hysterical(?) possibility of human-cybernetic symbiosis:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Future Shock - Roombas of Doom

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Funny Political News
Joke of the Day

The first image I posted didn't give enough of a sense of the multi-layered interface that a person would perceive in his area of sight.

The iThink would be able to produce as many different visual representations as the user's imagination could handle. Since the iThink should also serve to augment the user's imagination, there is always the possibility that people might find themselves in a catatonic state of infinite visual immersion.

Anyway, to better illustrate the multi-dimensional interface that such a device would create- I added some 'Mind Apps' throughout the model's visual field to get a sense of the multi-tasking such a device would allow. It's like the iThink got an upgrade to its virtual user interface.

(click for full size)

(click for full size)

iThink Technical Specifications

• Size:
1.5 x 1.5 x .5 inches

• Symbiosis™ Neural Interface:
Direct brain-computer link means your mind and computer are one!

• Intel Fusion™ Quantum Processing:
Uses the power of the atom to instantly compute at the speed of thought.

• Holographic Data Storage:
The iThink’s tiny internal holochip has a staggering individual capacity of over 666 Yottabytes (1000^8), for seemingly infinite augmented memory

• Intra-neural Communication:
Mentally allow or block any kind of signal you want to send or recieve instantly over the wireless iThink global network

• Perceptual Immersion:
Images, sound, & other data are projected virtually into your sensory fields by directly connecting into your brain’s activity

• Integrated GPS and Google Earth:
Receive directions and location information anywhere on the planet, and the ability to be located in case of an emergency




***And just for the sake of sharing the creative process, I'm also posting a really early rendering of the iThink, when I briefly considered making it square like a Mac-mini:


I think I improved on it quite a bit...

Apple "iThink" Concept- in MacLife!

(click to enlarge)

It is always cool to see any of my work published, but I was really excited when an editor at the magazine MacLife contacted me - & wanted to include a concept that I created for fun in one of their issues. They ended up publishing my letter, "Future Influencers", and both images!

Unfortunately, I didn't get my hands on a print copy of the magazine, but here is a link to the digital edition that I came across recently:

MacLife
Photo of the Month - "iThink"
February 2009 pgs. 10-12

A year or two ago, I put together some graphics for a concept that I had floating around in my head for awhile: an Apple-branded computer w/ a brain interface, that I dubbed the "iThink".

I am re-posting the 'specs' and the artwork at the bottom of this article. Here is a link to my previous entry where I improved the graphics a little:

Monkeybuddha.com:
Apple iThink-Upgraded

I have seen others comment online about this idea from around the world, which itself is amazing to me. Ex. (1) (2) (3)

People's views have ranged from very enthusiastic to completely horrified at the possibility of our brains being directly connected to The Machines. As one girl I know exclaimed when she saw it, "You thought of this?... My God, you're the enemy!!!" For some reason, I was totally amused by this reaction.

Regardless of how one feels about the inevitable progression of technology, digital-neural interfaces are becoming more of a reality- even since I first posted the original artwork. I saw the following article linked on Monochrom & realized I might not have been all that far-sighted:

Scientific American
"Plug and Play:
Researchers Expand Clinical Study
of Neural Interface Brain Implant"

So here is the iThink, presented again in light of it's print debut in MacLife (as well as the impending Singularity).

click to enlarge

iThink Technical Specifications

• Size:
1.5 x 1.5 x .5 inches

• Symbiosis™ Neural Interface:
Direct brain-computer link means your mind and computer are one!

• Intel Fusion™ Quantum Processing:
Uses the power of the atom to instantly compute at the speed of thought.

• Holographic Data Storage:
The iThink’s tiny internal holochip has a staggering individual capacity of over 666 Yottabytes (1000^8), for seemingly infinite augmented memory

• Intra-neural Communication:
Mentally allow or block any kind of signal you want to send or recieve instantly over the wireless iThink global network

• Perceptual Immersion:
Images, sound, & other data are projected virtually into your sensory fields by directly connecting into your brain’s activity

• Integrated GPS and Google Earth:
Receive directions and location information anywhere on the planet, and the ability to be located in case of an emergency


*My favorite web comment so far:
"This looks much more congenial than the long anticipated converted pneumatic cattle dropper designed to stuff an rs-232 micro socket somewhere above the hairline. And it appears to be short range wireless, which eliminates any need for hygienic socket maintenance. Bravo puppet masters! Soon we’ll all be dancing around like multi-mode idiot savants, knowing all while aware of nothing! Can’t wait for my turn up on the rack."

Neuralink Brain-Computer Interface

Well, it took only 10 years... but technology is finally catching up with my concept for the "iThink" Apple-branded brain/computer interface.

The Neuralink tech that is being developed by Elon Musk's company uses thread-like electrodes that are embedded into the brain using a device similar to a sewing maching. The threads are implanted directly into the brain, but not directly connected to neurons.

Engadget:

Elon Musk's Neuralink Hopes to Put Sensors 

in Human Brains Next Year

This concept is truly dystopian & frightening to many people, but I think it is the next logical step in the "meta-volution" of the human mind.

As much I love the natural world and feel like it is good to disconnect from the web & devices from time to time, the organic structure of the brain will soon need to be augmented beyond the external digital tools we are currently using. The rate of digital information flow and capabilities of A.I. are just advancing too quickly for biological evolution to keep up.

Some of the abilities that could result from tech like Neuralink are:

• "Telepathic" brain-to-brain communication

• Instantaneous mathematical and scientific calculation

• Access to an unlimited databank of multi-sensory media

• Virtual or augmented reality that is directly experienced in the mind

• Expanded multi-dimensional consciousness beyond our current "single point" awareness

• Real-time language translation

• GPS combined with Google Maps to facilitate information-rich navigation

• Etc., etc., etc.

Yes, this technology has the potential for negative uses (mind hacking, unwanted advertising, inability to disconnect)... but ALL tools have that risk. This is the danger that sci-fi classics such as Star Trek's "Borg" and The Matrix have tried to warn us about. However, the same tools that could be extremely dangerous also have the potential to create amazing beauty & benefit for humanity.

As the late, great Timothy Leary said:

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"The level of intelligence has been tremendously increased, because people are thinking and communicating in terms of screens, and not in lettered books. Much of the real action is taking place in what is called cyberspace. People have learned how to boot up, activate, and transmit their brains.  

Essentially, there’s a universe inside your brain. The number of connections possible inside your brain is limitless. And as people have learned to have more managerial and direct creative access to their brains, they have also developed matrices or networks of people that communicate electronically. 

There are direct brain/computer link-ups. You can just jack yourself in and pilot your brain around in cyberspace-electronic space." 

-Timothy Leary (Chaos & Cyber Culture) 

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Below is the Apple iThink concept that I envision back in 2009:

The Monkey Buddha Achives:

Apple "iThink" - Upgraded

"iThink" Tech & The Evolution of the Mind

"I hate this place. This zoo. This prison.
This Reality- whatever you want to call it,
I can't stand it any longer.
It's the smell, if there is such a thing. I feel saturated by it.
I can taste your stink and every time I do,
I fear that I've somehow been infected by it. "
-Agent Smith "The Matrix"

I have been collecting links for awhile about emerging technologies that will inevitably enhance the phenomenon that we call "human consciousness." I think that all of the advancements I'll be listing are leading to the possibility of our minds being augmented by a future technology like my conceptual "Apple iThink."

A couple things led me to finally post what I've found so far. Recently blogger Mac Tonnies passed away unexpectedly, & he was only a few years older than me at 34. His blog Posthuman Blues was a regular read of mine that I enjoyed because of the unorthodox, mind-bending content. It was a great mix of futurism, Fortean speculations, & general weirdness.

The other factor has been my current forced week-long stint at home due to illness. Nothing makes you dream of transcending the mortal confines of the flesh than being seriously sick. I started sympathizing with Agent Smith in the scene above, except he was imagining a trip in the opposite direction- from the digital realm of light into the physical world of the human body.

The mortality & existence of man has been a source of concern since the dawn of time. The Egyptians believed we were spirits of light encased in these bodies. The Gnostics imagined Reality as a type of virtual prison that confines our luminous true selves. The Taoists believe everything is just emanations of the ever-fluctuating, infinite Tao.

Of course, our experience is limited by the sensory nature of our interaction with the world. The universe of information bombarding each of us at each moment is distilled by our physical receptors & organs including the brain. What if we could transcend these limitations? Physics teaches that as a human traveling in a spaceship speeds up and approaches the speed of light, the relative experience of time slows down. However, nothing with mass can actually reach the velocity of electromagnetic energy.

I've always wondered what would happen if the functioning of the human mind were no longer constrained by the chemical & biological processes of the neural connections in the brain. If our thoughts could somehow actually travel uninhibited at the speed of light, how would it affect our perception, & would there even be any perception left as we know it? Perhaps like an inverse, large scale Bose-Einstein condensate, our mind would expand into... everything!

So with these thoughts off my mind, I'll share some fascinating discoveries that have caught my eye- myriad doors all leading to a future in which the human experience may be much different than the limited, localized reality-tunnel that each of us currently knows.

• "Mind Uploading and Mind Children"

• "MIT team develops hi-fi quantum memory"

• Artificial brain '10 years away'

• The Future of Human Enhancement

• Will We Eventually Upload Our Minds?

• Brain-to-brain communication over the Internet

• Multi-contact brain probe can be injected through a needle

• The Psychedelic Transhumanists

• Raytheon's combat simulator offers virtual action in real world

• Scientists hail a thoughtful future with ‘brain-to-brain communication’

• An Input/Output Device for the Brain - Made of Light, Algae, and Bacteria


Here's the Apple iThink concept I came up with:

Apple "iThink" - Upgraded






Apple "iThink" Technical Specifications

• Size:
1.5 x 1.5 x .5 inches

• Symbiosis™ Neural Interface:
Direct brain-computer link means your mind and computer are one!

• Intel Fusion™ Quantum Processing:
Uses the power of the atom to instantly compute at the speed of thought.

• Holographic Data Storage:
The iThink’s tiny internal holochip has a staggering individual capacity of over 666 Yottabytes (1000^8), for seemingly infinite augmented memory

• Intra-neural Communication:
Mentally allow or block any kind of signal you want to send or recieve instantly over the wireless iThink global network

• Perceptual Immersion:
Images, sound, & other data are projected virtually into your sensory fields by directly connecting into your brain’s activity

• Integrated GPS and Google Earth:
Receive directions and location information anywhere on the planet, and the ability to be located in case of an emergency

Evolution of Apple

I consider the Macs I use at home & work to be extensions of my mind. It truly amazes me how much creative potential and information can be unlocked through our magic light boxes.

Often, I feel like my life has run directly parallel to the development of personal computing tech. I was born around the time the Apple II came out. In elementary school, my family had the simple Commodore 64, which we only used to play games. Then around Middle School we got a Windows 3.1 PC that I knew sucked, even at the time, if for nothing else than that I had to learn some DOS programming language.

I knew there would, one day, be computers that were actually user-friendly and productive, but when?!?!

What I didn't know was that the Apple Computer was out there, giving ideas to Microsoft to rip off. In high school physics I was exposed to Macs for the first time. Going into college I had a PC with Windows 95 and eventually got a version of Photoshop that I started to teach myself. As an engineering student in college, I was forced into using PCs only, which in retrospect may explain why I ended up wanting to get wasted all the time. I came to my senses and switched to the Mac-friendly & Paul-friendly major of graphic design. For only taking 5 years to graduate, my wonderful parents got me the innovative G4 Cube, my first Mac. At home I now have a single processor G5 PowerMac that is unacceptably slow. "Give me quantum processing or give me death!" At the very least, I have vowed to not buy another Mac until the iTablet comes out, but Steve Jobs is not making it easy at all. Presenting the iPhone was like a sick taunt...

Anyway, this chart from tofslie.com is a detailed look at the greatest product line, ever.

The Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies

I think I saw this site linked on BoingBoing, & thought it was a cool idea.

The Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies

Around 2000 when I was a design student, computers had already been the primary design tool in the industry. Even though we were using Mac OS9 & Photoshop 6 back then, I could appreciate what a powerful ally the Apple computer is to a designer, or any creative person.

Despite spending 90% of my time as a designer on the computer, I've still become familiar with tools that have been used since the pre-digital design era. The studio I work at has alot of these instruments around from the people I work with. They've explained various functions of these gadgets & it is no wonder graphic art used to look so crappy- graphic design used to be a real pain in the ass! I am truly thankful to be able to create in the infinitely versatile medium of light itself.

I still use some of these tools for things like creating box prototypes, & things like Pantone books or X-acto blades aren't obsolete at all.

Seriously though, who needs computers when you have devices like this?....