Going back a couple days of discussion, but it's funny: Windows Vista Speech Recognition Tech in Action! I'll stick to my keyboard kthnx.
I got so frustrated with my homework this weekend that I almost decided to light my New Media Reader on fire, but then I remembered how much it would cost to buy a new one. I find these readings painfully outdated, but I guess that's kind of the point.
Also, all of the anti-television talk bothered me. Moulthrop has no problem referring to TV simply as "the idiot box", and happily reports that hypertext will probably replace TV instead of books. As a fan and TV lover, I find the misconception that TV makes people into idiots and serves no greater intellectual purpose to be kind of offensive. I make a point of only watching shows that I do find intellectually stimulating and smart, and I believe there are a fair amount of such programs out there. It just really gets on my nerves when people see television as the Big Bad. There are plenty of crappy books out there too! And crappy websites!
I had the same realization while reading the Bolter "Seeing and Writing". A simple word processor and spreadsheet blew his mind. He seems so funny talking about the novelty of having consistent letter formation through an entire piece of writing. "The precision of the machine now replaced the organic beauty of the handwritten page."
Echoing your thoughts, I wrote in the margin on one page "Do the writers know they will sound old/outdated/obsolete within ten years?" It almost takes guts to write about new technology because it will be radically simple in just a few years. Speaking of possible future technology seems more appropriate because it takes invention to lead to creation. Someone has to dream of the future.
As a complete side note, relating to nothing about this post, Google is getting closer to creating AI.