Lenovo is always experimenting, but many of the more esoteric tests are kept behind closed doors. In an effort to give the press a taste of the kinds of technologies we may see in future tech, this week it showed off a couple of neat experiments that could impact the way we use our smartphones and wearables.
The “privacy screen” as seen through a camera lens
The company showed off a seemingly regular rounded Android Wear smartwatch, not unlike the Moto 360, that contained an unassuming gap just below the LCD display. Peering into this chasm reveals a low-resolution colour projection set back from the surface, projecting the equivalent of a 14-inch display right into one’s eye.
Lenovo explained that the combination of an outward-facing display and this “privacy screen” allows users to consume media or messages in a variety of ways while on the go. As we become increasingly reliant on quick access to our content, Lenovo thinks that such a feature could allow us to reference passwords and other concealed content discretely, in formats larger than what a regular smartwatch can offer.
At this point, the product is nothing more than a tech demo, but its existence raises a salient point on the need for discrete content consumption in the wake of a mobile industry with a surfeit of public-facing wearables.
