future

A computer monitor and keyboard are so yesteryear.

At Microsoft's annual TechForum expo earlier this week, the company showed off several amazing concept products that will have you thinking far into the future. Luckily, we have some great pictures and videos of some of these devices, which deliver a computer experience unlike anything commercially available today.

Buckle up and click on our gallery below to see innovations including a 3D augmented-reality desktop, software that tracks the history of the world, a mirror with holograms, and much more. … Read more

Remember the Board of Awesomeness, the Kinect-controlled motorized skateboard from CES? Well, it just got more awesome.

The creator of this high-tech board, Chaotic Moon Labs, has come up with a new version called the Board of Imagination that works by reading your brain waves. That's right, a mind-controlled skateboard. You simply imagine where you'd like to go and how fast you want to get there, and the Board of Imagination will take care of the rest.

It's powered by the same 800-watt electric motor and Windows 8-enabled Samsung tablet as the Board of Awesomeness, but it … Read more

Fans (present company included) flipped out when Mattel announced that it would release a 1:1 replica of the hoverboard from "Back to the Future II" and "Back to the Future III." However, the replica doesn't actually float, and it's not even clear how it glides over surfaces, which is perhaps why one enterprising individual took matters into his own hands.

Inspired by an art exhibition by Nils Guadagnin, YouTube user dondula7 created a floating hoverboard using an electromagnetic kit. Dondula7 notes on his YouTube page that his replica is still a work in progress, and he's hoping to build a better display to hide the magnets. … Read more

Hand gestures can add a lot to a conversation. They can convey excitement and help you describe a scene or object. And, of course, the simple act of lifting a certain finger can quickly let someone know you're not too happy with them. In all, gestures are an effective form of communication, and now, researchers in Vancouver have found a way to take them to the next level.

A team of engineers from the University of British Columbia has developed a pair of gloves that read hand gestures and convert them to speech and song, potentially giving those with speech and/or hearing disabilities another way to communicate.

The project, called Digital Ventriloquized Actor (DIVA) and led by UBC professor of electrical and computer engineering Sidney Fels, tries to replicate the movements of real vocal cords through the use of hand gestures read by a system of sensors. … Read more

If you're burning to spend this Valentine's Day, Pizza Hut has a $10,000 engagement party package that includes a personal fireworks display, a one-topping pizza, and bread sticks with icing to prep your stomach for a lifetime of loneliness. … Read more

The year 2015 will be here before we know it, and we're still a long way from flying cars, skyways, and auto-drying jackets as imagined by "Back to the Future II." It's depressing, but there is one futuristic piece of tech from the movie that will be available soon: hoverboards.

Mattel announced at Toy Fair 2012 in New York that it will finally release a 1:1 replica of the hoverboard from "Back to the Future II" and "Back to the Future III," and it's set to arrive just in time for the holidays.

The "movie accurate" replica includes such details as a hole at the front of the deck where Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, ripped out the handlebar and pole and features the same neon-rrific coloring. According to Mattel's press release, it also makes multiple whooshing noises and "glides" over most surfaces. The company didn't provide much detail on how it glides, but one thing's for sure: It does not work on water. Dangit! … Read more

Eric and Donald run though the latest in desktop haptic devices, including a weather forecaster you can feel, and a USB kissing robot cow.

"Tron"-inspired electroluminescence makes a comeback with some neat shades and an eco-friendly charging cable. And in Geek News, we take a longer look at "The Avengers" and a preview of the upcoming "Amazing Spider-Man."

Subscribe in iTunes SD Video | Subscribe in RSS SD Video … Read more

Electric vehicles have floundered into obscurity more than once in U.S. history and now they're staging yet another comeback. Regardless how this latest wave of EVs fares, electrification in its many forms is here to stay.

To give CNET readers some perspective, we've assembled a slideshow of the colorful past, hopeful present, and possible future of electric autos.

Last year was a pivotal year in the history of electrical vehicles because of the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt, which became available in late 2010. Sales of these cars are small in the scheme of overall volume and … Read more

"Gorilla Glass" could one day become a household phrase, but Corning has even larger ideas.

"A Day Made of Glass 2" is a montage of "how highly engineered glass, with companion technologies, will help shape our world," according to Corning. It is mind-blowing to imagine everyday objects suddenly having rich, interactive displays and multiple functionalities.

After watching the video, I began to think about how intelligent glass, installed on a broad scale, could change the world. There are two key integrations: in the education and medical fields.

In the video, kids sit in rows … Read more