Los Angeles, Calif. -- A pool of magnetic liquid jumps and spins. “Magic!” one boy says. All he has to do is move a metal arm above the pool of magnetic liquid to transform it into morpho towers, a new idea to change how people might see music in the future.

It’s the first time ferrofluid has been seen inside the U.S.

Other kids wandered through a light harp made of lasers that triggered sound.

Music was never so easy.

It was all part of the future of technology shown off at the 2007 Wired Nextfest at the Los Angeles Convention Center September 14-16.

Images: 2007 Wired Nextfest

Recurrent themes presented technology as ease-of-use and reality-driven products for the future for both consumers and scientists.

One example of an ease-of-use product for science was a NASA and JPL Mars rover robot that adapts to the reality of its environment through complex balancing processes. The all-terrain Rocker-Bogie suspension system keeps all wheels on the ground while crawling over rocky Martian terrain.

JPL used kids as an example of Martian landscape by having them lie next to each other as the complex suspension system allowed the rover to slowly climb its way over them.

Digi-cam Video: "NASA, JPL show off rover all-terrain technology"

On the consumer side, Cynthia Johanson, advanced products product manager for Yahoo.com, discussed a new plug-in for their popular Yahoo Messenger program that allows for easy video viewing between chatting parties.

“A lot of people are finding this kind of thing is perfect for their everyday lives,” Johanson said.

Johanson stood near a computer screen while another Yahoo representative showed a customer that copying a url into a chat window could easily open a youtube video.

Social networking was never so easy.

“We’re trying just really hard to make the Web better for everyone,” Johanson added.

Digi-cam Video: "ABC23 Talks To Yahoo About New Web 2.0 Products"

Wired magazine’s Executive Director for Nextfest, Victor Friedberg talked about reality-driven products in the near future of robotics.

Friedberg said Wired wanted to show off two major themes. He said some robot developers are making robot movement as humanoid as possible, while others are developing robots that are more human in their response through artificial intelligence, behavior and personality.

Digi-cam Video: "Wired Nextfest Executive Director Discusses Tech Future"

While Zou Ren Ti of XSM confused audiences by sitting on a display with his realistic twin android robot, Zou II, tmsuk showed off KIYOMORI, a biped samurai robot with 39 joints within its frame that helps it walk similar to a human.

Digi-cam Video: "XSM Shows Off Zou Ren Ti Android Robot Twin"

Translator Manabu Sakurai quoted a tmsuk representative, who said that most current robots have forward bent knees because of a lack of hip bones. “This KIYOMORI robot has a hip bone as part of the mechanics. So this can walk really human like.” He said no other robots have such a feature.

The balancing and the software required to make the robot seemingly perform simple realistic movement is a result of incredible complex processes.

Digi-cam Video: "ABC23 Discusses Biped Samurai Robot With Tmsuk Robotics"

There was no clear champion of reality-driven robotics at Nextfest, though a clear crowd favorite was Hanson Robotics forthcoming Zeno robots that have facial recognition, artificial intelligence and can converse.

MUST SEE Digi-cam Video: "ABC23 Looks At Zeno Expressions"

Digi-cam Video 2: "Hanson Robotics talks Zeno"

Zeno Info: Zeno's Blog

While Zeno robots look like cartoon characters, they possibly cross ethical boundaries by having realistic skin that displays lifelike expressions.

Could such reality-driven robotics products affect people and whether they choose pets and children in the future?

While ABC’s Nick Belardes wondered about such answers, he observed one female event-goer act motherly toward a Zeno prototype, talking to it in a realistic manner as it made facial expressions.

Is such behavior a sign of times to come?

Maybe. Hanson Robotics has announced their robots will be available for mass consumption in two to three years.

Overall, Friedberg said the event “gives readers a glimpse of what’s coming next; what’s being transformed in commerce and culture.”

Friedberg also said that part of the purpose of the 2007 Wired Nextfest was to provide the public with opportunity to see how the world is changing by showing works created by some of the world’s leading artists, scientists and visionaries. “They’re all special in one way,” he said.