The return of crackpot tech

This week marks the triumphant return of crackpot tech, last year’s smash hit, in which we rounded up a motley crew of technology ideas “so crazy they just might work.” The reader response was terrific. Not only did we provoke a lively discussion over the true meaning of “crackpot,” readers were happy to point out many other dodgy schemes deserving of admiration or ridicule.

This year, Senior Editor Jason Snyder gathered more wild and woolly notions — some further along than others — and wrapped them into crackpot tech reloaded. “There are a lot of live wires out there pushing the boundaries of what’s technically possible,” says Jason. “But what’s fascinating about all these out-there ideas is that they show so much inquisitiveness — and a conviction that sometimes you have to get crazy to tackle deeply entrenched, real-world problems.”

As Jason puts its, this year’s batch is “part science fiction, part revolutionary implausibilities, and part enterprise possibilities in search of true, practical application.” My particular favorite: direct brain interfaces. I’ve always preferred thinking to mousing around.

Exiting Windows

Is it time to dump Windows? Personally, I’m not ready. But some people get a load of Vista and decided enough is enough.

Your alternatives: Switch to the Mac or switch to desktop Linux. Executive Editor Galen Gruman wrapped this little package together. “If you’re going to move from Windows to Linux, that’s hard for most users,” says Galen. “If you’re moving to the Mac, it becomes more of a business question: Can your IT organization properly support the Mac?” Either way, says Galen, there’s work involved.

At InfoWorld, we’re comfortable with Windows XP. That’s why we came up with our Save Windows XP campaign. At this writing, more than 92,000 users have signed our petition to convince Microsoft to extend the June 30 deadline. If you haven’t added your name in support, now’s the time.