Early in my computing days, I read predictions about the future of computing from people who had thought for years about "ubiquitous computing." They predicted that computers would be incorporated into more and more devices -- into telephones, refrigerators, toasters -- and that eventually computers would be everywhere, reduced to nothing more than "bumps on wires."
That sounded ridiculous at the time, but it seems to be happening.
But, our fingers to control these little things are't keeping up (or down). I mean there is really going to be a rethinking on how we interface with this stuff. Ugh!
Mine is bigger than yours. It actually has a screen. And it's much harder to lose. Or to accidentally inhale...
You'll see. Some day soon, they'll offer a model you can have implanted under your skin. Perhaps even thought-activated by direct brain interface, and with output sent straight to the auditive nerves. In stereo. Oh, and glucose-powered thanks to enzyme catalytic batteries. It's all under development at some stage or another. And you thought there was no topping the cellphone implanted in your molar?... "I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking. And I plan on finding out what that is."
I remember what a magazine warned about when the Nintendo DS came out, with game cartridges far tinier than the Game Boy Advance's, but holding a lot more memory: "Watch out that the dog doesn't mistake them for treats!" Or that they don't slip between the cracks of the couch, eh? Or worse, between skin folds. :-p
Michael, As you can plainly see, these predictionnists were hopping delirious. What next? Talking cars? Cordless telephones? Closed-body surgery? Color-changing paint? Little stickers of stars and the moon that glow in the dark? Life-like movie creature effects? Non-crap japanese electronics? Chatting with 100 persons at once across the planet? Capitalism in China? Robot dogs playing football? TV eyeglasses? Clone pets? Glowing green mice? Bombs that think? I'll believe it the day the North Pole melts. No, better yet: the day a Black guy sits in the White House, yo! Get back to Earth, people. Start having realistic expectations, like peace in the Middle East.
Early in my computing days, I read predictions about the future of computing from people who had thought for years about "ubiquitous computing." They predicted that computers would be incorporated into more and more devices -- into telephones, refrigerators, toasters -- and that eventually computers would be everywhere, reduced to nothing more than "bumps on wires."
ReplyDeleteThat sounded ridiculous at the time, but it seems to be happening.
But, our fingers to control these little things are't keeping up (or down). I mean there is really going to be a rethinking on how we interface with this stuff. Ugh!
ReplyDeleteMine is bigger than yours. It actually has a screen. And it's much harder to lose. Or to accidentally inhale...
ReplyDeleteYou'll see. Some day soon, they'll offer a model you can have implanted under your skin. Perhaps even thought-activated by direct brain interface, and with output sent straight to the auditive nerves. In stereo. Oh, and glucose-powered thanks to enzyme catalytic batteries. It's all under development at some stage or another.
And you thought there was no topping the cellphone implanted in your molar?... "I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking. And I plan on finding out what that is."
I remember what a magazine warned about when the Nintendo DS came out, with game cartridges far tinier than the Game Boy Advance's, but holding a lot more memory: "Watch out that the dog doesn't mistake them for treats!"
Or that they don't slip between the cracks of the couch, eh?
Or worse, between skin folds. :-p
Michael,
As you can plainly see, these predictionnists were hopping delirious.
What next? Talking cars? Cordless telephones? Closed-body surgery? Color-changing paint? Little stickers of stars and the moon that glow in the dark? Life-like movie creature effects? Non-crap japanese electronics? Chatting with 100 persons at once across the planet? Capitalism in China? Robot dogs playing football? TV eyeglasses? Clone pets? Glowing green mice? Bombs that think?
I'll believe it the day the North Pole melts.
No, better yet: the day a Black guy sits in the White House, yo!
Get back to Earth, people. Start having realistic expectations, like peace in the Middle East.
You should read this 8-year-old article:
ReplyDeletehttp://tr.im/hnMT