(Almost) Being There

     Don't look now, but Google just unveiled a new kind of virtual reality. 

    Project Starline allows people to sit down in front of a pane of glass and have a conversation with a distant person who appears to be right in the room. It's remarkable how three-dimensional and life-like the image looks, as you can see here:

     All in all, it looks like something designed by Tony Stark in a Marvel movie: a Skype call dusted with special effects. And no bulky headset is required!

    That's the good news. The bad news is that this tech is very complicated and expensive, requiring a bunch of cameras, "four microphones, two loudspeakers, and infrared projectors" -- not to mention a ton of processing power. You won't be finding Project Starline in a Best Buy anytime soon...but Google has plenty of money to throw at projects like this, so don't be surprised if all your first dates in 2030 take place in front of a magical pane of glass.