In the meantime, the Palo Alto-based XSoft Corp plans to launch a new user interface which the company claims can represent 80 pages of text on a single screen. According to Newsbytes, the Information Cone in Information Visualizer, still under development, shows a directory structure or any other hierarchically organised information as a series of semi-transparent, three-dimensional cones. Directory names or subcategories appear as tags at the open rim of the cone. If these lead to further information, they form the apex of another cone leading to subordinate information. Information Visualiser runs on a Silicon Graphics Inc workstation and is being converted into C++ for use on high-end personal computers and Sun Microsystems Inc workstations. Another interface under study at XSoft is the Perspective Wall, which portrays data as a three-dimensional wall. Information is organised vertically by type of content, and horizontally by time on the wall. The area of immediate interest appears flat-on to the user. Topics that are outside the area of immediate interest are on wings of the wall, which recede into the distance on either side.
