Windows eh? They're a right pane in the glass! But the humble Tommy Trinder could soon be getting a high-tech makeover courtesy of Samsung's Transparent LCD technology. Hit play on the video above to get a sneak peek at the exciting future of looking outside.
We didn't expect to see the window getting a makeover any time soon, but here we stand. Shown off at the CES trade show in Las Vegas, this transparent touchscreen could let you get your Internet kicks while you see what the weather's doing outside.
The see-through screen could be installed in your kitchen and used to access recipes, or placed in your bedroom wall so you can check Twitter before drawing your curtains. Perhaps the weirdest application of the tech we saw was an on-screen switch that 'drew the blinds' -- turning the display black to simulate shutting out light.
Using a weather widget while you're looking out a window might sound like the world's most pointless exercise, but you could use it to check out meteorological happenings elsewhere in the world, to see if your friends abroad are experiencing better or worse weather.
This is all still experimental tech at the moment, but it's already loads of fun to use, and we love the idea of saving space indoors by making our windows into wall-installed TVs. We'd also love to see a touchscreen, interactive fishtank.
What do you think? An erosion of the simple pleasures garnered by peeking at the world outside? Or a fantastically fun window on to the world of tomorrow? Watch the video, then tell us in the comments or on our Facebook wall.
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Comments 9
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anonymous 11 January, 2012 16:54
I want one now!!! :@)
anonymous 11 January, 2012 17:45
Not just one of the coolest windows you'll ever see but one of the coolest pieces of tech ever.
Angelos Bogatinis 12 January, 2012 00:52
Tamara that apple and stuff in ur a@@
anonymous 12 January, 2012 01:26
this is amazing! you could have your coffee table like this! or your car windscreen! or your laptop!!! Minority Report style computing!!
Mat Greenfield 12 January, 2012 07:52
Maybe when the apocalypse comes, Samsung can provide an "everything's fine" theme that replaces the view of burning buildings and baying hordes of Zombies/Robots/Kittens (delete as appropriate) with a beautiful sunlit hillside to subdue us into our accepting our inevitable demise.
Alimus 13 January, 2012 09:54
"turning the display black to simulate shutting out light."
Is it even possible to simulate shutting out light? Surely making the screen opaque actually blocks out the light (or at least part of it).
That aside this is one of the most exciting things I've seen for a while. Hope this actually becomes a reality.
androin 13 January, 2012 21:26
If Samsung don't make this into our reality, I will forever hate them.
york 14 January, 2012 13:15
Simple LCD ON/OFF windows have been around since 1998 and used in some high tech offices. Obviously this is the next step with a visual screen - Great. Are they A rated as a window and could they be installed as double glazing
anonymous 15 January, 2012 08:49
Looks amazing. But why all this talk about the bloody kitchen? Put this on transport. Cars – inbuilt augmented GPS etc. Planes – readings/gauges and warning systems for environments and wind.
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I can imagine even more advance features such as being able to ‘dispel’ a foggy/raining environment or enhance lighting during low light. So much beneficial visual aids for the driver or pilot. If you get A.I. smart enough on it to highlight potential dangers (pedestrian with headphones on not looking at where they’re going) or flash different views of the car (a biker rushing in on the inside lane that you were just going to pull into) then you would have gone beyond Minority Report level of tech.
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Solar powered as well? Car manufcaturers should be clamouring to make there cars smarter with this piece of tech.