This was a wish list that was originally intended to provide inspiration for inventors. First written in April of 1997, I thought it might be fun to follow-up each year and find out if anyone has been working on these ideas for future technology. I have included websites for you to "check out" inventions that are, are close to, or kinda close to what I am hoping will soon exist in the technology available to us presently.

1. Future Technology - Free Energy

I want my energy bill to come only once, not every month. So be it solar or electro-magnetic, please make it personal and portable with batteries that keep going and going. Check out - D.O.E. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

2. Future Technology - Transporter

What kind of technology is required to scramble a person's atoms and send them for regrouping in foreign lands all in the blink of an eye? Imagine, I could work in Tokyo and sleep in Paris. Beam me up. Check out - Quantum Teleportation or Scientists Report 'Teleported' Data

3. Future Technology - Replicator Technology (Stuff for Free)

Every time I saw Captain Picard (Star Trek Next Generation) ordering his Earl Grey Tea or Councilor Troy getting a triple alien fudge dessert from one of those replicators on the Enterprise, it made me jealous. I imagine you could send the dirty dishes back to the void where they came from. BTW, a replicator is a device that uses transporter technology to dematerialize quantities of matter and then rematerialize that matter in another form.

4. Future Technology - Universal Communicator

Forget long distant bills and roaming charges (especially with me working in Tokyo and sleeping in Paris). I want a very small device that lets me talk and see anyone, anywhere and anytime. All for the price of the device and please throw in the ability for universal translation for a modest surcharge.

5. Future Technology - The Cure

For you name it. Check out - Curing Brain Diseases by Growing New Cells?

6. Future Technology - Fountain of Youth

As a woman I consider this as a no-brainer desire for future technology. The "Fountain of Youth" was a legendary spring that renders anyone who drinks of its waters permanently young. What is the real future technology that will extend our lives and keep us looking youthful without surgery? Check out - Scientists discover cellular 'fountain of youth' and Anti-Aging Medicine or Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine.

7. Future Technology - Protective Force Field

To shield me from the sticks and stones. Check out - A Force Field for Astronauts?

8. Future Technology - Flying Cars

I want a smooth ride all the way and I hope it's a convertible. Check out - How Flying Cars Will Work, Flying Cars Ready To Take Off, Flying car more economical than SUV.

9. Future Technology - The Battery Operated Butler Did It

What can I say - housework sucks. Check out - Robotics and Robots

10. Future Technology - The Time Machine

I have a few famous inventors I would love to meet in person and the idea of messing with the time-space continuum is exciting as well. Check out - Attention Chronic Argonauts and fellow Time Travelers

Future Technology

Related Guide Picks

Other Related Resources & Guide Picks

Future Technology - Product Reviews

"Snail" Braille Reader: Syncs with a Bluetooth Headset

August 18th, 2011

No comments

Features like kinetic recharging and pressure sensitive reading make it the ideal companion for a bookworm. The Snail can record the text as it reads for future playback and it even syncs with a Bluetooth headset so the visually impaired can listen to the book without disturbing others.

Concept media player.

August 16th, 2011

No comments

The portable media player has been designed as a university project about sci-fi movies. The technology used to carve this eye-appealing multimedia player is quite different from that of a traditional headphone. The skill projects music, video and image, which threw nodes directly into the brain. The product does not involve the use of ears, but just to make the design more acceptable, a typical headphone look was adopted. This look will easily form a connection with people, just like other products in the same league.

Power Snap Battery Fastener

August 10th, 2011

No comments

Power Snap battery a smart idea to overcome the difficulties connecting several batteray a unity that can be used optimally. The idea of Gao Meng for ease of use AA battery into a series of more powerful battery that easily arranged. Ease of use Battery Snap It will inspire you to work faster and better. Power Snap battery can be used for your current home, at work, in car, on trips, in laboratoirum experiments, dikapus, at school, and elsewhere. Easily portable and easily stored in a bag, a suitcase, in a table and shelves in your pocket if it is an emergency to be a good helper.

Future Robot Vacuum Cleaner "Robo TAP Cleaner"

August 10th, 2011

No comments

Robo TAP makes use of an indoor positioning system as it follows its own route to vacuum household floors. This design improves upon automatic vacuums like Roomba by giving users more hands-on control. When you want it to pay attention to a particularly dirty spot, you just tap your foot twice to summon it. The foot-controlled Robo TAP keeps you on your toes.

Futuristic Mouse "Bend-and-Snap"

August 10th, 2011

No comments

Innovative features include a touch sensitive scroll function, and a blue light tracking system that allows it to scroll on a broad range of surfaces. The Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse is a mere 15 mm thick, and composed primarily of flexible silicon, designed for on-the-go users, and can fold flat when not in use, making it effortlessly portable while achieving necessary ergonomics.

Concept A multifunctional gadget!

August 7th, 2011

1 comment

The ingenious gadget is a conceptual cell phone and tablet computer clubbed in one. The attention-grabbing concept has two elements: dynamic and microphone. So, either design a mini cell phone sized 22mm X 44mm X 6mm or a tablet with a maximum size of 1.5m X 2m. The tablet is capable of responding to wireless communications like Wi-Fi. Mobikom’s key elements have programmed buttons while others have been devoid of them. Each element has its own power supply and computing processor. A user can feed individual parts with a SIM card and store all necessary details in the phone memory.

Concept Sketches Future Mobile Device – URSLA & BERTHA.

August 4th, 2011

No comments

URSLA is a future pendant that emits 3D projections in the air. BERTHA is a future mobile phone that works with URSLA. 3D projections from the pendant can be ‘captured’ in the air with this phone to see what the notification is about in detail on the screen. The device shows notifications regarding emails, phone calls, schedule and much more, that will appear in the air for a few seconds. As far as BERTHA goes, the futuristic handset works with the 3D pendant and looks like a pretty hot transparent device. This looks like an iPhone from the future, to be honest and a very cool one for that matter, that looks like it’s made from some crystal or sort of glass.

Innovative Trash Bin and Vacuum Cleaner "Cuum"

August 2nd, 2011

4 comments

The design principle behind this, according to the designers were more or less an ergonomic issues of when the user is required to bend down with the dustpan to collect the debris. “Cuum” is actually designed as a trash bin with a vacuum cleaner embedded as its base. With the vacuum unit incorporated at the trash bin base, it solved that ergonomic issues immediately as the debris are sucked into the unit as it is swept closed to the base of the bin which could then be emptied like your everyday household vacuum cleaner.

Concept flexible AMOLED Smartphone!

July 27th, 2011

No comments

The key technology of the device is the “Galaxy Skin” that transforms the entire body of the handset by sending an electronic signal. As far as specs go, the display is a 4 inch WVGA one of the flexible kind and the Samsung Galaxy Skin also comes with a 1GHz CPU, a projector, augmented reality and the customized Android Flexy OS. This concept should appeal to all. The construction is very surprising and interesting.

Human Like Robots

A life-like robot girl greets visitors at a world expo. To make it easier for us to warm up to a cold machine, future robots will look, feel and act more human. Robotics

Smart Homes

My home is not very smart. It does not know when to start my coffee or how to clean the floor. It has difficulty distinguishing between a roaring grease fire and a steamy shower, which makes it a good thing it can't remember the number to call in an emergency. What can we expect to experience in the smart home of the future? Smart Home

future timeline technology humanity predictions 2050

Browse by subject ...

	AI & Robots		Biology & Medicine
	Business & Politics		Computers & the Internet
	Energy & the Environment		Home & Leisure
	Military & War		Nanotechnology
	Society & demographics		Space

21st century

An increasingly globalised humanity is faced with climate change,
dwindling resources, overpopulation and technological upheaval.

2000-2009

2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014

2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019

2020-2029 | 2030-2039 | 2040-2049 | 2050-2059

2060-2069 | 2070-2079 | 2080-2089 | 2090-2099

future timeline technology humanity predictions 2020 2050

22nd century

Diverging paths for humans and transhumans, as conditions on Earth continue to deteriorate.

2100-2149 | 2150-2199

23rd century

Humanity spreads throughout the local stellar neighbourhood,
as Earth is restored to its former beauty.

2200-2249 | 2250-2299

The Far Future

Post-biological humanity begins to spread throughout the Galaxy, transforming dead worlds into computational substrates.

2300-10,000 AD

Beyond 10,000 AD...
A future timeline of the Universe and its ultimate

Google's Street View Project Goes Off-Road to Document Remote Villages of the Amazon River Basin

By Rebecca Boyle Posted 08.19.2011 at 4:33 pm 2 Comments

Google’s Street View is already available on all seven continents, providing pedestrian-level vistas of everything from Stonehenge to Antarctica to your own childhood cul-de-sac. Soon, it will be available in some of the planet’s most remote places: The villages of the Amazon rainforest.

[ Read Full Story ]

read more about > amazon, amazon rainforest, brazil, google, google earth, google street view, rivers, street view

Science

Dogs Can Reliably Sniff Out Lung Cancer, German Study Shows

By Rebecca Boyle Posted 08.19.2011 at 3:54 pm 2 Comments

A dog can accurately detect the early presence of lung cancer by sniffing patients’ breath, doctors in Germany say. While researchers have known for some time that dogs can sniff out the telltale signs of other forms of cancer, this is the first study that proves dogs can reliably smell this particular kind.

[ Read Full Story ]

read more about > breath test, cancer, dogs, lung cancer, sniff detector, sniffers, volatile organic compounds

Science

Endangered Wild Horses Get a Health Check

By Madhumita Venkataramanan Posted 08.19.2011 at 3:03 pm 0 Comments

In June, veterinarians at the Prague Zoo administered a check-up to Cassovia, a 550-pound female Przewalski’s horse, before moving her to a new home on the Asian steppe. Natives of Mongolia, China, Russia and Eastern Europe, Przewalski’s (pronounced “shah-val-ski”) horses are the last wild horses left on Earth. Unlike the feral horse population of North America, the species has no domestic ancestors. Hunters and environmental pressures all but wiped out the animals by the 1970s, but about 1,500 remain in captivity.

[ Read Full Story ]

read more about > endangered animals, megapixels, september 2011, veterinarians, wild horses

Technology

The Recession's Toll on the Green Economy

Home energy-monitoring systems have wilted, green job growth is lackluster, and we're left to worry about the state of green tech

By Rebecca Boyle Posted 08.19.2011 at 2:00 pm 13 Comments

For all their promise to save money and energy use, household energy management systems apparently can’t catch on. Do consumers just not want to know how much power their electronics guzzle on a daily basis?

[ Read Full Story ]

read more about > cisco, electricity meter, energy monitor, energy use, google, hohm, household tools, microsoft, smart grid

Gadgets

Sony's Binoculars Can Record Full HD and 3-D Video, Perfect for Amateur Nature Films

We'll be filming New York City pigeons...from very far away...in 3-D. Nature!

By Dan Nosowitz Posted 08.19.2011 at 12:55 pm 2 Comments

Digital recording binoculars aren't really new--there are some cheapie versions available--but Sony's new DEV-3 and DEV-5 binoculars lift that humble tech into some really impressive new places.

[ Read Full Story ]

read more about > 3-D, 3-d binoculars, 3d, 3d binoculars, binoculars, camcorders, cameras, hd, Photos, sony, sony dev-3, sony dev-5, Videos

Technology

13-Year-Old Designs Super-Efficient Solar Array Based on the Fibonacci Sequence

By Rebecca Boyle Posted 08.19.2011 at 11:48 am 17 Comments

Plenty of us head into the woods to find inspiration. Aidan Dwyer, 13, went to the woods and had a eureka moment that could be a major breakthrough in solar panel design.
On a bleak winter hiking trip to the Catskill Mountains, the 7th-grader from New York noticed a pattern among tree branches, and determined (as naturalist Charles Bonnet did in 1754) that the pattern represented the Fibonacci sequence of numbers. Aidan wondered why, and figured it had something to do with photosynthesis.

[ Read Full Story ]

read more about > awards, Fibonacci sequence, innovator, solar cells, solar panels, solar power, students, trees, whiz kids

DIY

Archive Gallery: The Weirdest Ways to Get a Tan

Milk spray, coin-operated tanning lamps, supersized aluminum bowls, and other devices created to help our readers achieve a healthy summer glow

By Denise Ngo Posted 08.19.2011 at 11:08 am 1 Comment

Once upon a time, achieving the perfect tan involved basking outdoors with a paperback and a sheet of aluminum foil. But towing the line between a healthy glow and a blistering sunburn proved more challenging than expected. The further paleness fell out of vogue, the more interested we became in products and devices that could brown our skin without burning it to a crisp.
Nowadays, those of us without adequate sun exposure can visit tanning salons to attain a glowing complexion, but those living in decades past had to practice a little more creativity. Now that we're in the last month of summer, we thought we'd pay homage to the sunny days of yore by collecting some of the most enterprising suntanning technologies from our archives.

Click to launch the photo gallery.

[ Read Full Story ]

read more about > archive gallery, archives, future then, summer, tanning session, unprotected sun exposure

Technology

A Chinese Solar Sailing Scheme to Divert the Asteroid Apophis from its Collision Course with Earth

By Clay Dillow Posted 08.19.2011 at 10:02 am 22 Comments

For all the apocalypse talk that gets tossed around by psuedo-scientists and religious blowhards, rarely do we hear mention of Apophis, the 50 million-ton asteroid that actually might come close enough to Earth to warrant an end-of-the-world scare sometime in 2029. In that year it will pass so close to us that we’ll be able figure the trajectory for its return trip in 2036. If it passes through an area of space near our home planet known as the “keyhole,” it spells doom--on its return pass in 2036 it likely would strike us.

[ Read Full Story ]

read more about > apophis, asteroid apophis, asteroids, solar sail spacecraft, solar sailing, Space

Gadgets

RIP WebOS, the Best Smartphone Platform Nobody Used

You were too good for this world. At least, too good for HP

By Dan Nosowitz Posted 08.18.2011 at 6:16 pm 7 Comments

Today, in an almost insultingly brief statement in the middle of a press release about something else entirely, HP killed off its most recent acquisition, and perhaps its most beloved platform: WebOS, the mobile OS designed by the scrappy gurus at Palm. It's a bitter, inconsequential end for an OS that in its own way paved as much ground as the iPhone, and that even in its current decrepit state is a damn fine platform. WebOS, you deserved better.

[ Read Full Story ]

read more about > hewlett-packard, hp, hp touchpad, mobile oses, oses, palm, palm pre, phones, pre, rip, smartphones, touchpad, webOS

Computer vs. brain

Similiarities and differences

I.		Generally Speaking
II.		The Similarities
III.		The Differences
IV.		The Bottom Line

Generally Speaking
For centuries, the brain has been compared with all types of inventions. For example, in the past if you heard a comment about an intelligent man, it would sound like : "His brain goes like clockwork". Nowadays, what you'll probably hear would be : "Wow! His brain is as fast as a computer" Here, we'll be showing you the similarities and differences between the human brain and the modern computer.
Note: if you're only looking for the comparison in speed, processing power and superiority of the human brain and computer, please proceed to the next section ::: Man Vs Machine :::
The Similarities
a) Functions and Purpose
Both are used for storage of information, to process information and to run tasks.
In terms of the functions, both are used for mathematical calculations, carrying out complex algorithms and to storing of crucial information.
a) Role in society
Both play extremely important roles in society, comerce, entertainment and science
Every single living creature survive by quick thinking and reflexes, that inculdes us. The computer today plays the most important roles from specialised systems controlling entire production factories to little "fuzzy logic" chips in washing machines that intelligenty monitor the washing process.
b) Combining components
Both work by combining the processes of several components and parts to perform their tasks.
I.e. A computer consists of many many parts, including a motherboard(which itself would is made up of many parts), the disk drives, the processor, graphic cards and many more ... all of which has its own roles in the computer's processes. ( Refer to :: Workings of the Computer :: for details)
Like a computer, the brain is formed out of parts. Besides having the left and right brain, there are also parts of the brain that take care of emotions, mathematical calculations, body CO-ordinations and many other tasks needed for our daily activities. ( Refer to :: Workings of the Brain :: for details)
a) Eletrical signals
Both work by transmitting "logic signals" to each of their parts. Signals are both electrical
i.e. A computer works by using binary ("on"/"off" logical signals known as "bits", put together as "bytes" to represent data.) To communicate internally between components, represent information and store data.
In a way, neurons in the brain are either "on" or "off" by either firing an action potential or not firing an action potential. (However, there are some differences between the workings of the signals of the brain and the computer. This will be discussed in the next part ::differences::)
c) Upgrading and Evolution
Both can change with time. (the brain evolves, while the computer upgrades with technological advances)
i.e. When any computer gets outdated, there are always options To upgrade, parts To replace faster newer models To choose from. The brain of modern man is found To be significantly larger than those of 1.7 million years ago.
Newsweek article "The first Wanderers" (22/5/2000 issue): May, 2000 a team of scientists uncovered two 1.7 million year old dmanisi skulls of Homo ergasters, notably smaller with only with 780cc of capacity compared with the 1500cc of modern man's skull capacity; proof of the human brain's evolution)
a) Memory capacity
Both can increase their memory storage capacity.
Computer memory grows by adding computer chips. Memories in the brain grow by stronger synaptic connections.

d) self-maintenance
Both computers and brain have repair and "backup" systems.
The brain has "built-in back up systems" in some cases. If one pathway in the brain is damaged, there is often another pathway that will take over this function of the damaged pathway.
a) Degrading with time
Both can degrade. Computers break down and brain cells deteriorate
I.e. Like all machinery, computers break down with time. Brains also deteriorate with age, losing their functions and slowing down because of lower counts of chemicals and hormones (e.g. testosterone )
Newsweek article "How Alzheimer's Lay Siege to the brain" (20/4/2000 issue): Alzheimer's occur because of clogging of excessive built-up masses of Amyloid plagues (brain protein in charge of growth & maintenance of neurons) and collapse of microtubules because of break away s of their supporting structures,"Tau protein". )

TECH & ROBOTS

An artist's illustration of the Russian Express-AM4 telecommunications satellite in Earth orbit.

Lost Russian Communications Satellite Found in Wrong Orbit
The $300 million Express-AM4 satellite was found by the U.S. space surveillance network. Read More »

US military to launch fastest-ever plane

Unmanned Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 can travel from London to Sydney in less than an hour

Alok Jha, science correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 10 August 2011 19.53 BST
Article history

Artist's rendition of the Falcon HTV-2, an unmanned, rocket-launched aircraft that flies at approximately 13,000 miles per hour. Photograph: AP/DARPA) Photograph: AP

By the time you finish reading this sentence, the Falcon HTV-2, the fastest plane ever built, could have flown 18 miles. It would get from London to Sydney in less than an hour, while withstanding temperatures of almost 2,000C, hotter than the melting point of steel. At 3pm BST on Thursday , the US Defence Advance Research Projects Agency will launch the Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 on the back of a rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. If all goes to plan, engineers will launch the Falcon HTV-2 to the edge of space, before detaching the plane and guiding it on a hypersonic flight that will reach speeds of 13,000mph (about 20 times the speed of sound) on its return to Earth. The Falcon started life in 2003, part of a US military research project to build a plane that could reach (and potentially deliver bombs to) any part of the world in less than an hour. The plane has been tested in computer models and wind tunnels, but they can only simulate speeds up to Mach 15 (11,400mph). A real test is the only way to determine if the plane will remain flying at high speeds. Thursday's flight will also test the carbon composite materials designed to withstand the extreme temperatures the plane will experience on its skin and also the navigation systems that will control its trajectory as it moves at almost four miles per second. The design and flight pattern of the plane has been tweaked since an aborted test flight in April last year. Nine minutes into that mission, which succeeded in flying for 139 seconds at Mach 22 (16,700mph), the onboard computer detected an anomaly and ordered the plane to ditch into the ocean for safety reasons. Unlike most other rocket launches, this one will not be shown live online, though it will be possible to follow the plane's progress via tweets from @DARPA_News.

EM news

Friday, 19 August 2011

Future Technology

1. Future Technology - Free Energy

Sponsored Links

2. Future Technology - Transporter

3. Future Technology - Replicator Technology (Stuff for Free)

4. Future Technology - Universal Communicator

5. Future Technology - The Cure

6. Future Technology - Fountain of Youth

7. Future Technology - Protective Force Field

8. Future Technology - Flying Cars

Sponsored Links

9. Future Technology - The Battery Operated Butler Did It

10. Future Technology - The Time Machine

Future Technology

Related Guide Picks

Other Related Resources & Guide Picks

"Snail" Braille Reader: Syncs with a Bluetooth Headset

Concept media player.

Power Snap Battery Fastener

Future Robot Vacuum Cleaner "Robo TAP Cleaner"

Futuristic Mouse "Bend-and-Snap"

Concept A multifunctional gadget!

Concept Sketches Future Mobile Device – URSLA & BERTHA.

Innovative Trash Bin and Vacuum Cleaner "Cuum"

Concept flexible AMOLED Smartphone!

Human Like Robots

Smart Homes

Google's Street View Project Goes Off-Road to Document Remote Villages of the Amazon River Basin

Dogs Can Reliably Sniff Out Lung Cancer, German Study Shows

Endangered Wild Horses Get a Health Check

The Recession's Toll on the Green Economy

Sony's Binoculars Can Record Full HD and 3-D Video, Perfect for Amateur Nature Films

13-Year-Old Designs Super-Efficient Solar Array Based on the Fibonacci Sequence

Archive Gallery: The Weirdest Ways to Get a Tan

A Chinese Solar Sailing Scheme to Divert the Asteroid Apophis from its Collision Course with Earth

RIP WebOS, the Best Smartphone Platform Nobody Used

TECH & ROBOTS

US military to launch fastest-ever plane