PONG is back. Atari released their version of William Higinbotham’s “Tennis for Two� in 1972. In 2006, Atari has brought PONG back…only this time the game is projected on a wall and players use their hands to move the virtual paddles along the game board. The hand movement is picked up by cameras stationed next to the projector.

There are actually three ways to play PONG (or derivations of it) at NEXTFEST. Atari has their set up, another group has an air hockey game projected on a table, and an artist has a 3-dimensional representation where players move their LCD screens (and bodies) to rebound the ball to their opponent.

A good number of the attendees to NEXTFEST, including myself, were not around to play PONG in the arcades when it debuted. The amount of excitement over the newest iteration is proof that good game play stands the test of time.

I had to moment to chat with Sara Backlund, Studio Director for the Interactive Institute in Sweden. We spoke about her group’s work with technologies that help people visualize how much energy they are consuming. The Interactive Institute is a think tank that tackles many issues – their unique approach begins with an idea, followed by several weeks of surveys and interviews of “regular people�. They use that survey data to guide the research of the Institute and its students.

Among the technologies on display at NEXTFEST was a lamp that opens or closes (think flower petals) based on your home’s energy consumption. Using too much power? You’ll have to cut back before you can light up your living room.

Sara also illustrated the wasted energy in a light bulb. “Only 5% of the energy is used for light…the other 95% is given off as heat,� she explained. To demonstrate the energy “loss� as well as provide a functional appliance, the Institute developed a matrix of light bulbs that act as a light as well as a heater. In the somewhat chilly convention air, several people stopped to warm their hands as if the “Element� was a campfire of sorts.

My chat with Interactive Institute has got me thinking about how design and ecomagination can go together. Certainly, the aesthetics of a GEnx aircraft engine are far less important than safety and efficiency. However, can a wind turbine be both a power generation engine as well as a beautiful part of the landscape? Can it remind us to conserve what power we do have? And will it be NEXT?

After enough time at NEXTFEST to say I’ve gained at lease a cursory understanding of all the exhibits, I’ve come to one conclusion: The world of the future will run on video projectors. Now I’m not one to draw conclusions without collecting data. So, I counted them…as many of them as I could find. There are over 150 exhibits at NEXTFEST and 30 of them use a projector in some way. That’s 20%! If I counted each individual projector that number would be much higher (GE’s Go Big Interactive Video Wall uses four by itself).

My favorite projector-aided exhibit thus far is Sound Flakes an interactive experience that involves water faucets “dripping� colored shapes that can be stirred and lifted from the basin with a ladle. While playing with the flakes was fun, the real exciting part will be engaging my colleagues at edgelab in the quest to figure out how GE can use this art project to make our business stronger.

So is a world full of projectors something to look forward to? Judging by the amount of verbal approval (at NEXTFEST that translates to “oohs�, “aahs�, and “cools�), I’d say so. Well, at least until that $600 bulb burns out.

Well … if you’re a fan of really big rooms with lots and lots of wires, this place is for you. I just finished doing Tai Chi with Robo-Einstein and boy, are my arms tired!

There were some cuddly-looking cat-type things that moved and purred when you held them (my cat could use some consulting from these guys!) and virtual drinks that leave you thirsty after each cup.

But, the diversity of technologies and overall “cool factor� at this conference is amazing – if you stand still and open your ears, you can hear scores of “ah’s� and “wow’s� and kids from 1 to 92 are mesmerized by the atmosphere.

Today (Friday), I spent some of the day manning GE’s Healthcare Pavilion, where we were demonstrating technologies like LightSpace’s DepthCube and Mitsubishi’s DiamondSpin, both of which can be used to manipulate and display medical images. On the other side of the floor is a vein finder, which may just be your best friend next time you visit your doctor.

If you like Tai Chi, Einstein, or even robotic ballroom dancers, this is the place for you!