Apple envisions a future where users will only interact with computers through touch-based displays, a la the iPad and those badass 3-D holograms in Iron Man. However, Jamie Zigelbaum, a former student at MIT Media Lab, sees it differently.

Before users completely abandon the mouse for touch, Zigelbaum hypothesizes that stopgap technologies, such as Slurp, will be used to seamlessly bridge the interaction between disconnected electronic devices.

According to Zigelbaum, Slurp, is a "tangible interface for manipulating abstract digital information as if it were water.” In other words, the digital eyedropper, utilizing an IR transceiver and a hefty amount of space-age voodoo, can read what’s displayed on a monitor by simply touching it.

Once Slurp reads the file on the monitor, it “sucks” up the information and stores it for later use.

Need to move files between computers? Slurp can store the folder and spit it back out on a second desktop with a simple tap.

Want to play a song that’s stored on your PC on the speakers in the living room? Just “suck” up the music file and point Slurp at the speakers. Done.

Simply amazing.

Check out Zigelbaum's short demonstration below:

[Via Make]