Bill Gates entertainment god
A nice article in the last issue of Wired about Bill. I particularly like the start of the story.
It's surely weird, but it give me the feeling that the journalist is entering Starship Enterprise rather than a common neighbourhood house ;-)
Well I remember that sometime ago somebody represent Bill as a B0rg. I prefer myself to say welcome to Captain 'T' Bill Gates pad ;-)
By Jeffrey M. O'Brien
The front door on this house has no keyhole. Which is not to say it's vulnerable. Security couldn't be more important at 16100 NE 159th Avenue. There's the future to protect.
Instead of traditional locks, there's an electronic kiosk with a touchscreen, a biometric scanner, and a smartcard reader. Go ahead and make eye contact; if you're a match, you'll pass through into your future home - a time and place a half-dozen years from now when your living quarters will recognize you, communicate with you, and anticipate your every need.
Your future home may seem familiar at first. You still dig stainless steel appliances, exposed beams, blond hardwood floors, halogen track lighting, and rice-paper shades. But beyond the aesthetics, everything has changed. The lights and heat automatically fine-tune to your preference the moment you cross the threshold. A screen on the wall in the foyer reads your email aloud as you hang your coat. Your kitchen has become your own private sous chef. Run a chicken pot pie beneath the barcode reader on the microwave and it sets the time and temperature. Break out the food processor and some baking material; your home recognizes RFID tags in the bag of flour and offers to help. "How about focaccia?" you suggest. The lights dim, and a recipe shines down from above on your black Corian countertop as the oven begins to preheat.
And digital media is everywhere. "Suspicious Minds" greets you in full-home surround sound. The family's collective music library is accessible from any room, on every device. You can cue up a movie on a kitchen monitor while cooking and finish it on the plasma in the den - or the projection screen in the media room. A central media server supplies entertainment throughout, seamlessly streaming content wherever there is demand.