Magic Beyond the Screen

In this article, we look at advances and trends in pervasive computing and speculate about the future of multimedia. In the future, our interaction with computers would involve all our senses and emotions, including touch and smell, joy and excitement. The boundaries between the virtual and physical would blur and user interfaces might seem to become magic. Wherever we go, whatever we do, the user interface might surround us and offer its functions and services. In this article, the authors present the transition from screen-based to pervasive, immersive user interfaces and give examples of new magical interfaces in the field.