Many years ago I had a BeoSystem 9500. Of all the music systems I've had over the years it's my favorite even today. In fact I'm wondering if the power supply is dual voltage and if it's worth shipping out from the UK!

It had a couple of features that are strangely topical now which is what's brought it to mind for me recently.

Funnily enough as a style statement it shows a common theme to my watch, my pen and even my dream toaster!

So, why was the BeoCentre so far ahead of it's time?

Well, first off the inductive interface... simply bringing your finger close to the black glass and hovering over the red indicator lights would perform the relevant action. Does that remind you of any of the "cutting edge" mobile entertainment devices on the market today?

The second very cool feature was the 2 way infra-red remote control. It allowed the media center to talk back to the remote control to confirm actions or provide information.

SideShow, the new connected without wires information display technology from Microsoft is incredibly cool and is empowering a whole new range of devices - including Media Center remote controls... bringing the ideas into the 21st century.