So there I was sitting around thinking about the future, not MY personal future, but the future of technology. I started thinking about things that are within our grasp, that could fundamentally change life, business and the world as we know it. Here are 8 things I can’t wait to see and they’re probably closer than you think.
1. High Definition, Electronic Ink, Capacitive Touch Screen, Displays.
This technology is just out of reach and if it could be made right now it would be frighteningly expensive. However, I think this could be an amazing technology. Electronic Ink displays like the Kindle mimic the look and contrast of paper making reading from the screen easier on the eyes. E-Ink displays also use less power than LCD or OLED displays AND it’s flexible! It can be viewed from nearly any angle. Currently this technology is not available in color displays, but how much longer could it really take to make a color display using this technology? Imagine a flexible, low power display with the contrast of a piece of paper. Now make that display high definition with a touch screen similar to the iPhone or Microsoft Surface and we’ve got a whole new world of computing!
2. Augmented Reality Glasses with HUD
About 3 days after I thought of this, I found an article about the possibility of creating contact lenses with a single LED capable of delivering a basic level augmented reality layer on a contact lens. See the article here. Think about the view that the Terminator had. Yeah, that’s coming. But until then I can’t imagine with the technology showing up in cell phones using augmented reality that there won’t be a stand-alone pair of glasses capable of showing an augmented reality layer.
3. Everything becomes truly wireless: Power, Audio and Video
If you’ve ever seen my amazing Entertainment Center you may be able to understand my frustration with wires. I hate wires, every single one of them. When I’m running on the treadmill at the gym I have numerous times knocked my iPhone to the ground swinging my arms through the wire to my headphones. I hate it. I’m looking forward to fully wireless technology. It is totally possible. “They” are working on Wireless power using induction…I want that! I have more devices than outlets, and I am looking forward to getting rid of the clutter that powering 11-12 devices brings. Couple that with wireless audio and video and we could have total freedom in the way we design structures and layout a room.
4. Wireless Power + Renewables + Smart Grid = a whole new planet.
Try to imagine a world where the next generation has no idea what a “dead battery” is. Cell phones could be “on” all the time, and computers no longer would measure “battery life.” If power became virtually unlimited by way of using renewable sources and coupling that with smart grid technology to use our energy in the most efficient way possible we could change the way we live. Scarcity in power could become a thing of the past. Add that to my previous bullet and you can imagine the possibility.
5. Free WiFi Internet…everywhere.
The internet should not be a privilege. Just like there aren’t normally charges incurred for most roads you drive on, with the exception of every 15 feet in New Jersey, the information super highway should be a public utility covered by taxes to be used for the betterment of commerce, business and the individual’s quality of life.
6. The All in one platform
The Merging of radio, television and computers. This would require a massive upgrade of internet infrastructure to deliver large amounts of data but it seems that ultimately this is where things are headed, we should just embrace it and fast track the project. Hulu, Pandora, Spotify are all examples of things to come.
7. Autopilot for 0-emission cars
I hate traffic. I hate smog and pollution. I guess I’m just one of those gullible people who foolishly believe the overwhelming majority of the scientific community that believe man is contributing to global warming. What can I say, some people will buy anything. But this particular innovation would improve life drastically. Imagine going to a party, getting drunk and hopping into your auto-pilot car, running on GPS. It’s like having a chauffeur, all the time. Not only that, but by designing a traffic system running on auto-pilot, we could continually optimize the system to eliminate or drastically reduce traffic ensuring less wasted time in traffic…everyone wins! I like driving but not enough that I wouldn’t trade it in a heartbeat to be chauffeured around. There is some version of this idea already in the works.
8. Head-tracking for Television.
This one is a you gotta see it to imagine the possibilities.
In conclusion, I’m excited for where things are going and I envision a whole new world in the not-too-distant future, provided we can kick our addiction to existing industries in the name of progress.