New York Times R&D Lab: Retail and the “magic mirror” from Nieman Journalism Lab on Vimeo.

You weren’t thinking tablets and smart phones would stay cool forever, were you? They’ll go the way of the Apple Newton and the Commodore soon enough, and the New York Times will be prepared, reports Neiman Labs. The ol’ Gray Lady is preparing for the next great revolution: bathroom mirrors.

In this video taken at the paper’s R&D labs, Megan Graber of Neiman watches NYT Creative Technologist Brian House put the bathroom mirror 2.0 (codenamed “the magic mirror”) through its paces, showing how the device can respond to voice commands and even take note of RFID-tagged medicine bottles resting nearby, pulling up coupons from manufacturers and prescription information a la Internet of Things. Like the giant-iPad-style table top they’re also working on at the lab, the mirror can show you the Times front page, the latest videos, and so on while you’re brushing your teeth or having breakfast.

Some newshounds will no doubt thrill at having the latest info right there in the bathroom. Myself, I’m not sure about the wisdom of seeing the morning’s civil wars, famines, and ...