The internet has sparked a remarkable outpouring of new creativity and provided conventional content owners with exciting new marketplace opportunities.
The following ideas for gadgets of the future are broken into three sections. First, a section with concepts from 2001-2010. Many of these concepts are already in development and will likely become commercially available within the next decade. The next section, 2010-2050, reaches out to explore concepts that could become a part of our lives within the next 50 years. The last section, 2050-2100, is a daring far-reaching look to challenge your own visions of the future.
2001-2010
- Ear mounted telephones are now available and will become even more lightweight and low-powered. They will connect to the net themselves or through a personal digital assistant.
- The development of flexible LCD screens will replace bulky laptop screens with ultra-portable roll-up displays. Home entertainment centers could also use this technology to replace conventional TV and computer monitor displays.
- Faster computer processors will allow for 3-D holographic images to be processed in real time.
- Speech recognition will become a necessity in mobile electronic devices.
- Special pens that capture writing and digitize your messages are available today. They will become more accurate and will connect to personal digital assistants and computers.
- Future personal digital assistants (PDA) will use "rudimentary artificial intelligence". The digital assistants will be highly customized, connected to the net and will communicate with other computers and earphones.
- Future PDAs will have fingerprint, voice, or retinal identification capabilities. They will start to replace ID numbers, credit card numbers and passwords. PDAs will also perform secure e-cash transactions.
- Eyewear will darken and lighten as voltage is sent thought variable-tint lens coatings. Eyewear will shield users from the hectic outside world and contain earpieces that can cancel noise or play sound.
- Cinema films will feature near-perfect animated replications of actors that are alive or already dead.
- Distanced colleagues, relatives and an increasing popularity of videophone sex will drive sales of videophones and internet videophones.
- Motorola is developing on-board vehicle supercomputers that will increase automobile engine efficiency up to 20%.
- Cyberpets, like Sony's AIBO, will perform useful tasks and grow in popularity starting around 2004.
- Analog TV transmissions will be completely replaced by digital broadcasts by 2010. Personal flying cars are currently being developed. They will cost about the same as a Ferrari by around 2006 and could become popular by 2020. Initial models will require only basic training and will provide adequate safety.
- A second-generation swing-wing Concord jet should arrive by 2010. It will attain speeds up to Mach 2.4.
2010-2050
- Quantum encryption will be used to safeguard data. Eavesdroppers will automatically alter a message just by listening to it, revealing their intrusion.
- A "sober-up pill" could be available by 2015. The pill would stop certain chemical reactions of the brain that cause intoxication.
- Communication systems could regularly use virtual reality interfaces by 2030. TVs will also incorporate holography and virtual reality programming.
- Internal combustion engines could be heavily taxed or become outlawed by 2040. Land transport will rely on environmentally friendly alternatives.
2050-2100
- Telepathy helmets will record your feelings and thoughts and broadcast them to a friend wearing a similar setup. Note: Basic telepathy is currently being used to restore muscular communication to paralysis patients.
- Electronic call-girls and call-boys will offer virtual reality sex that realistically stimulates the five senses.
- Quantum computer enabled video games will "achieve new heights of reality". Virtual reality games will tap directly into the brain's sensory system. Suits and helmets won't be necessary. Note: See the offbeat movie, Existenz, recently released on video.
- Teleporting machines could transport objects and live people atom by atom. Note: Teleportation of individual atoms through short trips was achieved in 1999. Also, you can read Michael Chrichton's book, Timeline.
(COURTESY-http://pages.prodigy.net/imagiweb/reports/file00/jun1.htm)
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