Lifestyle and Leisure
Katie Scott's tech guide to the future
Katie Scott, Wired.co.uk's technology editor, answer our questions about the gadgets that could transform everyday life in the near future
As part of our 20/20 vision feature (see Emigrate magazine, June 2009 issue), Paul Beasley asked Katie Scott of Wired.co.uk questions about the potential impact of new technology on our everyday lives. As you'll see from the answers below, Katie's responses sketch an exciting world just around the corner from today. Disappointingly, Paul's long-held dream of a remote-controlled monkey butler seems no closer to reality, but what does seem clear is that even those who stay put in the UK will encounter a rapidly evolving future.
In what ways could home life be improved by new technology between now and 2020, what technology can we expect and when is it likely to be available?
Between now and 2020 is a very long time in terms of technological developments. Think how quickly the latest compact camera or TV gets superseded. There is R&D [research and development investment] being pumped into every type of gadget you will find in the modern home, and this means there will be massive changes in the next few years, let alone a decade.
For home cinema fans, 3D is already the buzz word. Panasonic announced in February that it plans to launch its first high definition 3D TV next year. But, a TV market analyst told Wired that a more seismic change is going to be that the TV could easily become the hub of the home taking over from your computer for web surfing and game play.
But that is just one gadget in one room. Toshiba is striving ahead with its robot development. It has already created a model that can play the violin, and hints that the very same abilities that allow it to take up an instrument could see this robot deployed as a home help – something the Norwegian government is already researching for its elderly population.
In the kitchen, green white goods are becoming increasingly popular, whether goods that use less electricity or less water. This year will see the arrival, for example, of a Xeros washing machine, which can wash a load using just one cup of water, a pinch of detergent and 2 per cent of the energy of a conventional washing machine.
Throughout the home, touch technology and voice recognition will allow ease of use and quick access to everything you need. And these are just a few of the technologies we know about now.
Do you expect there to be greater integration of humans and personal technology over the next decade, such as microchip implants, smart contact lenses, computers controlled by speech and gestures, etc? If so, when could such tech be available and do these developments constitute a better, happier future?
Right at the beginning of this year, a Canadian film-maker announced his plan to have a tiny wireless video camera embedded in his eye. The camera will be built into a prosthetic eye that he has worn for a couple of years. While this is an extreme example, it shows the extent that we can integrate technology into our lives.
Gesture control computers, alike 3D televisions, are another technology that allows users to feel more immersed in a certain technology-enabled experience. In March, I went to a major annual tradeshow called CeBIT in Hannover. One of the most popular stands was that of a German academic research institution – the Fraunhofer Institute. They unveiled iPoint 3D – a gesture-based computer interface – which had crowds of people unabashedly jumping around, waving their hands. This uses two run-of-the-mill Firewire cameras, coupled with software that detects hand and finger movements, and relays them to a computer.
But it's in the medical world that technology could make the biggest real difference. Computers are already playing a massive part in the operating theatre but everyday devices can be adapted to help save lives.
In February, a British nanotech firm previewed a mobile phone prototype that detects diseases by analysing the breath exhaled by users. Applied Nanodetectors Ltd has placed a nanotech chip inside a normal Nokia phone and this is laced with sensors that can instantly identify CO2, NOx (nitric oxide) and NH3 (ammonia) gases, the early signs of, for example, an impending asthma attack. If the diagnosis is confirmed then the phone will send an instant message to a doctor, which could potentially save lives.
Are we likely to see an increase in greener transport technology, lighter, smaller plug-in cars and traffic zones where cars are centrally controlled? If so, when would the 'tipping point' be reached in terms of such vehicles predominating?
Okay, so things aren't looking too good for Brown and co at the moment, but, should they stay in power, the Government has promised between £2,000 and £5,000 to help individuals buy an electric car. Geoff Hoon and Lord Mandleson may have looked a tad uncomfortable as they squeezed themselves into the new electric Mini to launch the scheme, but the announcement is important. The UK has stringent CO2 emission targets to reach by 2020 (a reduction of 26 per cent from the current levels) but Hoon stated that 58 per cent of these emissions come from cars. The initiative seems to centre on getting UK residents used to the idea of plugging in their motor instead of heading to the petrol station.
I don't think there's going to be a tipping point as such. What is going to drive take-up is electric cars coming down in price. There are all sorts of small companies working away creating hybrid motors. For example, the Rotapower motor from Freedom Motors can run on hydrogen as well as ethanol, biofuels, diesel and petrol. It is said to consume 40 per cent less fuel than its rivals, and put out 40 per cent less carbon in the process, pumping out cleaner air than it takes in. However for companies like this to survive, the large car manufacturers need to swallow their pride and admit some of their proprietary technology is not yet up to scratch. The Rotapower engine was originally designed for the Moller Sky car – a flying car – which has a cruising altitude of 25,000 feet – and is another tantalising glimpse into the future of transport.
To visit the Wired website and get your fix on the latest gadgets and ideas, click here. Wired magazine, which launched in the UK in April and features a range of strong editorial, is available from many good retailers.
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