The fact that technology is advancing at such a rapid rate is a true testament to human ingenuity. The speed at which we are being propelled through this rabbit hole however is both astounding and frightening. Take a look back to about five years ago and think about what technology was like then. Heck, even about one or two years back you can still see major advances. So what does the future look like? Well IBM has predicted it for us so let’s have a look!
According to IBM in the next five years we will see the current budding technology explode into something that has a significant impact on our daily lives. These predictions were delivered in IBM’s annual “5 in 5” report which describes five different technologies that, according to IBM, have the potential to change our lives.
So whats on the list?
First off is mind reading technology. This may seem far-fetched, but it is already being implemented today by IBM, Mattel, and other companies in the form of headsets that have the ability to read the impulses in our brain, interpret facial expressions, discern mood levels, and even detect people’s thoughts.
This technology is known as bio-informatics and IBM predicts it will be incorporated more into people’s lives via gaming and computing. Additionally IBM remarks that this technology would be incredibly beneficial for doctors as it could be used to discover more about how the brain works.
Next up is the extinction of passwords. Yes we know how tiresome it is to take a few seconds and type in a security password, so don’t worry, your salvation is arriving soon! Instead of using regular passwords to secure devices and information, a genetic password will be used. This genetic password is determined by specific features that are unique to each individual (such as eye patterns and voice). Google is already ahead of the game with their Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS which utilizes the “face unlock” feature.
Ever wanted a home that is powered by kinetic energy? Well, there may soon be one available to you! Kinect energy, the energy created by any type of movement, is a huge untapped source of potential power. The energy created from people alone could generate their entire homes while other sources, such as the ocean, could be tapped into as well.
Fourth on IBM’s list was mobile devices. Yes they are already here, but IBM states that they will lead to the decrease in the information gap. As IBM stated “growth and wealth of economies are increasingly decided by the level of access to information” so with the increased availability of information many countries’ economies can be vastly different here in a few years.
Last on the list comes the annihilation of junk mail. No longer will you grimace at those annoying spam mails in your email; in the future you will receive personalized advertisements that utilize all of your personal information to bring you relevant ads.
In five years we will know if IBM was correct, however at our current rate of advancement some of those predictions may come true sooner than they expected…
