The Column
Motto: Watch What I’m About to Do Here
Predicting the future of technology has been a staple of science fiction. I’m running short on time, so I’ll keep this list short.
- 2001: A Space Odyssey predicted the moon landing, space stations, video calls, and the iPad. It also predicted stasis & artificial intelligence that was capable of feeling love.
- Iron Man showed us what a truly intelligent AI companion might be like. In addition, repulsor technology, and whatever the arc reactor is.
- Minority Report showed us that a User Interface can be a beautiful thing. Also - self driving cars. Also, weird clairvoyant slime twins.
- GATTACCA & A Brave New World tell us that genetics aren’t a thing to be inherited, they are a thing to be created.
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy suggested that we would someday be able to carry around a book that contained all the information we would ever need to know. Oh, and -
Dick Tracy, the Jetsons, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Knight Rider, Inspector Gadget, Predator, Star Trek, James Bond, Spy Kids, Futurama, and countless others all predicted that we’d have watches that are capable of much more than just telling the time.
I believe we are about to see the dawn of the first truly good smartwatch. As is the case with many things, it will be thanks to Google:
That’s the developer focused video. I didn’t share the consumer-centric video because I thought it was too flashy, too niche, too kitsch, and not at all my style.
Android Wear: putting something on your wrist that makes sense. Based off the what I’ve seen and read, Google is nailing it in terms of what should actually be in a watch. Samsung tried the smartwatch thing. It has a camera on the strap. That’s idiotic. Full stop.
Quick, contextual, actionable notifications will be the killer app of the coming wave of smartwatches. Secondly, fitness and “the quantified self” (something I know too much about) will also play a big part.
Imagine not having to take your phone out of your pocket to see who texted you.
Imagine being able to ask Google a question without the 8 second barrier to entry.
Imagine your watch telling you not only what time it is now, but what time you need to leave to make it to your doctor’s appointment.
Imagine what else we can do with this.
It’s coming. It’s not science fiction. It’s science fact.
Here’s my response to all of the above:
I’ve been waiting for an excuse to use that GIF for almost a year now.
Top 5: Other Technologies We are Still Waiting For
5. A direct neural interface. Having things literally beamed straight into your mind.
4. A single, cheap food that alone provides all the nutrients that humans need to survive. This was promised to us in the Matrix, Futurama, and a couple other places.
3. Teleportation. Beam me to work, Scotty. Now beam me to the store. Now beam me to the hospital to get treated for teleportation cancer (that’s a Family Guy reference).
2. Flying cars. We have cars. We have things that can fly. What’s the hold up?
1. Super powers. Come on, man. I want one while I’m still young enough to enjoy it.
Quote:
“(Science Fiction) is a precursor to science fact.”
- Jane Foster, notable astrophysicist (in the Marvel Universe) -