A Look Back at the Future

Someone shared this YouTube video on Facebook with me.  This is a 1994 video looking into the future at the tablet computer. 



It's pretty neat to see how right-on they were.  Seeing this, also brought back a memory for me.

I remember seeing a prototype tablet newspaper in 1995.  Kent State University's Liquid Crystal Institute had a clunky tablet that they were using to work out the kinks on low-power, color, liquid crystals.

Kent State invented liquid crystals.  Of course, other places have enjoyed the benefit of the technology, but that legacy remains.

I remember that the explanation I was given on predicting that future tablet newspaper envisioned having to go to kiosks in order to obtain your daily newspaper.  Though the Internet was around in 1995, apparently the concept of wireless, high-speed data transfer was too far out.

For another look back at the future, I did a Google search and found this 1997 article from Kent State that, on page 3, talks about their role in perfecting the tablet newspaper.

Neat.