I learnt about MIT Lab again

I was once a member of MIT Media Lab, known as the mecca of digital technology since the 1980s. Former director of Media Lab, Frank Moss has authored a book titled, “MIT Media Lab”. It is a book deciphering the relationship between universities and the digital world today. 

However, viewing from the conventional image of Media Lab, we can see considerable change in its form. Rather than focusing on media, Media Lab has been focused on robotic prosthetic leg, discovery of incurable diseases, city cars. Rather than media development, the organization is more inclined to the beneficial public application of digital technology. Have we come to the limit of media development? 

In retrospect, the book (used in Kindle) also introduces examples where Media Lab has penetrated the real world, such as e-Ink, Lego Mindstorms, and $100 personal computers. It was 2001 when my group proposed $100 PC. We do not hear much of the results of the lab since then. 

However, the digital realm has developed explosively in the past 10 years, such as multi-display, cloud network and social services. This has changed the PC, mobile and Internet environment 10 years ago. 
Within this media upheaval, Google (Stanford), Facebook (Harvard) has shown output but what has Media Lab produced? To be honest, isn’t it in deep distress as you would expect from a famous lab?

Ten years ago, I published a sketch of Media Lab titled, “Toy Box of the digital world”. At that time, there was a lot of excitement in the research field. By the way, as there is a preface of my humble book here, please take a look to get a reference of the atmosphere at that point of time. 

http://www.ichiya.org/dtb/1e.htm
On the other hand, we are in a situation where large companies are abolishing their research departments. Dr. Negroponte, the founder of Media Lab, mentioned that “it is more effective to invest in MIT than creating a research department”. Will there be any chance for you to come to the university again? Or changing the scene, will you go towards a different direction if you are not able to go back to university with the company’s money?