This year, next, and so forth

Well, I have been on this kind of futurist kick for a while. Taking a graduate level Cyber-Rhetoric class didn't help much. Reading Gibson didn't either. Now, I've just started reading The Singularity is Near by Raymond Kurzweil, and will definitely review on here later (I hear you should at least read a book before you discuss it). Anyway, I'm pretty pumped about the future and I have decided to post my predictions. Partially to be able to look back and say AHA! I called that! You were fools to doubt me! and partially because I really want some of these things to happen and the best way help is to get people ready for it. Some of this stuff already exists in various stages of development, but I am predicting that they will become everyday, mainstream occurrences.

No More Mice - I'm sure a few people will stick to using a mouse for their computer out of habit and reluctance, but touch technology will be the primary interaction. For all-in-one tv/computer/whatever systems a pointer will substitute for the hand (think wiimote). Eye-tracking devices will then become the cutting edge. This will enable users to interface with computers almost as fast as they can think about it. The eye tracking device may be a small camera or sensor placed near the face, or even a contact lens.

Hands-free Internet - Take that eye-tracking technology I just mentioned. Now take a bluetooth earpiece which happens to be attached to an internet-ready phone. Clip on a tiny screen that fits in front of one eye, or integrate the two into sunglasses. People will be able to functionally use the internet while walking down the street.

No More Hard Drives - Well ok, there will be hard drives. They won't be nearly as important though. Memory will be stored elsewhere, accessable via internet and therefore infinitely more convenient. This will help advance the use of net-books and internet-only gadgets. Google will lead the way. By the way this is called cloud computing.

Implants - Slowly but surely we will start to Borgify. It may or may not go well. I would not be surprised by dermal touch screens, implanted authorization chips (for perimeter security programs or debit card information), thought driven mechanical limb replacements or sensory enhancing implants. Most of these are already in development.

Organs - We will grow them in jars (well... that's the basic idea). No more organ shortage, no more organ donors.

3-d - We're already starting to see the re-emergence of the 3-d phenomenon that was a bit of a craze in the mid 90's. Eventually, holographic games and movies will be commonplace, and the internet will be powerful enough to accommodate live holographic transmissions.