7 Killer Concepts: Peer Into the Future of Notebooks

July 10th, 2010 by TJ Fink

Designers aren’t constrained by rules set down by product managers, engineers, marketing flaks, or dozens of other collaborators who want to put their stamp on a product before it comes to market. They can create fantastical and imaginative hypothetical products that someday, somewhere might come to fruition. These innovative exploits often point the way to gear we never knew we wanted, and getting a sneak peek at that potential future is what spurred us to seek out these inspirational concepts.

For instance, how badly would you want a tablet that sensed where you were and pulled location-relevant information from the cloud? Could a motion-activated cube change the way you think about mobile computing? While all but one of these concept PCs at present reside only in Imaginationland, they’re still indicative of a future that we very much want to arrive sooner than later.

As a slick, lightweight tablet, the Waveface Light relies on advanced location-based technology, dubbed context-based service (CBS). It uses multiple sensors to determine not only your location, but also the moves you make. The concept works folded or flat, and the keyboard could be raised for a familiar typing experience. The soft-touch exterior is composed of a technologically advanced fabric that ASUS says “features improved durability and robustness over current designs.”

Designer: ASUS

Chance of Materializing: Uncertain. ASUS’ CBS would make it smarter than the iPad, but the concept has a long way to go before reaching store shelves.