New to The Genre Traveler? Then you'll want to subscribe using the box to your right. That way you'll never miss an issue. Thanks for visiting!

Welcome to The Genre Traveler! Please sign up using the form to the right so that you'll get all the latest updates to the site. You also might want to sign up for the RSS feed, which you can do via email or your favorite RSS Reader.

In the science fiction thriller Minority Report, Tom Cruise' character interacts with a computer via a three-dimensional touch screen interface. Accenture, a global technology and corporate consulting agency, has brought a similar technology to life and installed it at Terminal 3 of Chicago's O'Hare airport.

The high-definition, interactive screen, which is 10 feet wide and 7 feet tall, is aimed primarily at business travelers and allows users to access information such as stock quotes, news, lifestyle tips, and sports updates. It is operated by touch and can be accessed by two people at one time.

"Accenture has already partnered with CNN Pipeline and the Weather Channel," said Dale Herigstad, executive creative director at Schematic, the company that developed the technology for Accenture.

Accenture hopes this new technology could evolve into a network of interactive, wall-sized screens. The Accenture Interactive Network could one day link multiple screens at airports, shopping malls and other locations. And, because they are so large, the person interacting is not the only one who will view the content, as passersby will also be able to see what is going on on the screen.

"It's going in two directions," Herigstad said, "completely private, where you're doing your own thing, but public as well."

"The immersive experience fosters collaboration by allowing multiple users to simultaneously manipulate content, a feature lacking in other commercially-available, wall-sized screens," Accenture published in a press release.

"Video is wallpaper," said Herigstad, who consulted on Minority Report, "screens are getting better and cheaper."

"Accenture has been a pioneer in airport billboard advertising and we view the Interactive Network as another example of our ability to use innovation to cut through the clutter," said Teresa Poggenpohl, Executive Director, Global Advertising & Brand Management, Accenture. "It entertains travelers, while
simultaneously delivering our advertising featuring Tiger Woods. In the future, users might be able to request a brochure or white paper, or even order a product or service."

The O'Hare screen was unveiled in May and Accenture plans to install another interactive screen at New York's JFK airport, as well.

For more information, visit www.accenture.com/xd/xd.asp?it=enweb&xd=newsroom%5Cepresskit%5Cinteractive_network%5Cinteractive_network.xml.

---

A majority of American families take a variety of electronic gadgets with them on vacation, a new study released yesterday found.

• 85 percent bring cell phones
• 75 percent bring digital cameras
• 35 percent bring portable CD players
• 33 percent bring portable gaming devices

On top of that, 87 percent of those surveyed said they plan to check personal e-mail, with 36 percent keeping up on work-related e-mail.

“In this age of connectivity, it's not surprising that 63% of all respondents and a full 75% of the ‘wired vacationers’ own three or more electronic devices,” InsightExpress, the online market research firm who conducted the study, reported in a press release.

InsightExpress surveyed 530 adults over the age of 18. Each participant had at least one child under the age of 18 and planned on taking a family vacation this summer.

“Although the study deliberately focused on families,” Erik Sass wrote in his article about the survey in Online Media Daily, “it contradicted conventional wisdom that children adopt gadgets more readily than adults: according to Insight, only 7 percent of respondents said that "love of technology is just a kid thing" during vacations.”

“As technology continues to creep into every aspect of our lives,” said Kevin Kruper, Group Director of the Technology Sector at InsightExpress, “it's clearly becoming harder for Americans to take a vacation without it."

Of course, as genre travelers, we probably were ahead of the back, since people with an interest in speculative fiction are more likely to be early adopters of technology products.

"While some vacation purists might balk at the idea of packing a charger in their carry-on,” said Kruper, “the reality is that Americans embrace technology because it makes their lives easier. And since the point of most vacations is to relax and have fun, it makes a lot of sense for families to incorporate their favorite devices into travel plans."

The online study was conducted from June 15 – 22, 2006.

For More Information:
InsightExpress: www.insightexpress.com
Online Media Daily Article: publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=45139&Nid=21415&p=361241

---

In 1966, the original Star Trek hit the airwaves. Among the many futuristic devices was a communicator. Many were the times Captain Kirk would flip open this device and say, “Three to beam up,” or something like that.

This cool device, called a communicator, inspired the individuals who pioneered cell phone technology and so we now have the flip phone. Last month, Sona Mobile and Viacom Consumer Products (VCP) announced that they would develop a mobile phone modeled after the Star Trek Communicator. In addition to standard cell phone features, the new phone will have a custom Star Trek faceplate and other themed features, including the ability to play a multiplayer online Trek game, stream real-time video and surf the Internet. Star Trek ring tones, wallpapers, news, information and other fan activities will also be available.

“This not only promotes the Star Trek spirit,” says Sandi Isaacs, VP of Interactive at VCP, “but creates a new paradigm for the wireless community.” I find this interesting because of its circularity – like the alchemists symbol of a snake eating its tail. And it only took 39 years! The Star Trek Communicator Phone should be available this week.

UPDATE: November 2005 -- Apparently, they spoke too soon. The phone has been delayed until 2006. Read more at SyFyPortal.com.