The Neon Rush

When movie technology becomes reality

Sep 28, 2009 14:53

Back to the Future II was such an awesome movie for one reason: Marty McFly's hoverboard.

Being an impressionable young lad, I remember visiting several malls to beg Santa Claus to float one under the tree. It still pains me that he never got the message, and the day after "my hoverboardless Christmas" was likely when my faith in the man went south.

Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on Old Saint Nick. It's those clever Hollywood writers that seduce us into craving the impossible. Flight of the Navigator, Short Circuit, and Mannequin are other notable movies that set the bar high but failed to deliver, much to my disappointment.

Those are just some examples of Hollywood letting the air out of my tires, but what happens when they do manage to predict fiction turning to reality?

Cue the following scene from Minority Report (2002).



John Anderton (Tom Cruise) enters a shopping mall and is bombarded by targeted advertising. A quick pupil scan determines his gender, age, and race. This info is cross-referenced in the ad database and a series 3-second clips appear on numerous screens as he walks by.

Now check out this video from Intel, watch for the keywords "video analytics".



It has less than 1,000 views, but what it lacks in popularity is more than made up for in its futuristic implications.

How long until these "smart screens" are installed in a supermarket near you? I'm all for advancement and innovation, but a part of me already feels a bit annoyed by targeted digital signage. However, companies like Google have managed to mine all of our online data, so it comes as no surprise that Intel is pushing technology to fine-tune advertising in real life.

From the Taiwan perspective, I can tell you that digital signage is a thriving market for many medium-sized manufacturers. But as the video from Intel shows, hardware is only one facet of targeted advertising. There are already many established customers, especially in Europe, serving as the one-stop shop for digital signage installation, as well as advertising production and promotion.

Combining all of this together, I'm led to believe that we'll be seeing Minority Report-like scenarios in the not-too-distant future.

I guess I can live with a store guiding me to a brand of ketchup that best matches my "target demographic"; but if you really want to change my life, Intel, then please, oh please, just figure out a way to let me take a spin that hoverboard before I die.

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