Take the Blue Pill, Neo

Whereas Google Glass fell flat, it seems that Satya Nadella has finally cracked the augmented reality (AR) problem, and in the process, sent television manufacturers into early graves.

What benefits could this have for traders? Just imagine the possibilities. One of the biggest complaints I always hear from desk heads is the real estate issue, or the availability of physical space on screens and desks for more applications, more screens, more functionality.

HoloLens and its ilk potentially offer a solution to that. In the same way that we are now virtualizing computers (and datacenters), can the desk be virtualized, too? It seems likely.

Of course, it's a bit Jonny Quest. Imagine turning up for work, and instead of sitting next to your colleagues, leaning across to chat to them, engaging in rapid-fire discussions, you're just chatting through a virtual interface. A bit sterile, no?

But that is, Marty, the future. No longer will we be slaves to inefficient biological processes. Now literally everything can be monitored and timestamped, as it's all technological. Even watercooler discussions.

I'm being hyperbolic, of course. HoloLens actually has incredible potential for all industries, from design through to trading. Except, maybe, the media, where it just becomes another vector for the death of the print magazine and the supremacy of online.

Just imagine bringing up your OMS by swiping the air. Or your blotter on your desktop, next to your keyboard. Assuming you even have a keyboard, which you probably won't, as that'll be virtualized too. In fact, forget the open-plan office ─ all you need is a blank wall. Cubicle culture takes a new, sinister turn in its ongoing quest toward de-individualization.

But it definitely is the right track for AR, more so than clunky Oculus Rift-style helmets, or the ill-fated Google Glass project, which makes public nuisances of even the most innocent user.

Finally, as I said a few weeks ago, this will be my last Editor's Letter for Sell-Side Technology. Thanks for reading over the past few years, for your tweets and your e-mails. Yes, even the negative ones. I'll be handing over this weekly missive to my US editor, Anthony Malakian as of today.