It's dizzying, trying to keep straight all the myriad interface technologies under development. That's why the "Hype Cycle" created by Gartner is a modern classic: Sure, it's ugly, but it also happens to neatly summarize all of the current trends in computer-interface design. It was recently updated for 2009, and it's got all the usual suspects, from augmented reality to pico projectors and touchscreens.

You'll notice that it's a lot richer in detail than the 2008 version. And a couple technologies, such as AR, seem to be advancing quicker than expected, in the timeline to mainstream adoption. Sure, it's all a wild guess on Gartner's part--and we could quibble with many details--but there's no better guide out there to the relative heat surrounding today's interface inventions.

Check out the full-size version here.

[Via New Scientist]