I remember when Bluetooth headsets hit the market and thinking, who would want to look like they are babbling to themselves in public?I also remember just a few months ago when tablet technology was gaining steam and thinking, who would want to carry around an over-sized iPod touch?
With millions of Bluetooth headsets in use and hundreds of thousands of iPads sold (with a surge of other companies ready to launch competing tablets), I can admit that my track record of predicting the future success of technology isn't the greatest.
But now that another emerging technology has caught my attention, it's time to get back on the proverbial horse and try to gauge the success of the latest potential game-changer.
Skinput basically turns your arm and hand into a touchscreen keyboard by utilizing an armband projector to display menu options and buttons on the user's arm that can then be used to control other devices.
While I think it's a neat idea, I wonder whether or not people would want to wear the armband that's required to project the touchscreen, because it is a bit bulky (at least according to the prototype models I've seen).
But my biggest concern is will Skinput will adapt to different skin tones and arm sizes, arm hair and wrinkles, as well as things like wearing watches or bracelets?
Also, will people who have forearm tattoos be able to use the device, or will their ink make the Skinput menu too hard to read?
I know it's a lot of unanswered questions about a technology that's still being developed, but Skinput does provide an interesting solution to alleviating the stress and hassle of tiny touchscreen keyboards, and could definitely give you hand when using your mobile devices.