'Holographic' interface developed

A US INVENTOR called Chad Dyner has developed a holographic looking display which projects a 22-inch diagonal image that floats above your computer, it appears.

The images, which appear brighter the lower the ambient light, enable you to interact with the image as if it were a virtual touchscreen, without needing gloves or glasses, or false noses.

According to Dyner's site, here, his Heliodisplay connects to a "Windows" computer through a USB port. It sucks in air and illuminates it to produce the image. If a Heliodisplay were left running for a week in a hermetically sealed room, the only change to the room`s environment would be from the electricity used to run the device, and we assume a power bill.

The system isn't quite the 3d holographic display seen in Star Wars, but Dyner said that the images appear 3D when viewed from more than a few feet away because there is no physical depth reference. You can also watch TV with it -- if you like watching in the dark. µ