New Technology is Here

If you ever watch a lot of old sci-fi films or read plenty of sci-fi books, most of them center around the year 2020 as a new time when technology will be futuristic time for society. Here we are, in the year 2010 and there isn't that much of an improvement in technology.........or is there?

If you are a technological savvy person, then you probably haven't noticed any real changes in technology. They are use to everything with wireless connectivity, digital devices, and touch screen cell phones. What about the average person? They are use to wireless home phones, cell phones, and bunches of wires plugged into the back of their flat screen t.v.s This article will cover new technology that should be available by 2020 A.D. to everyone, regardless if you are techno-savvy or not.

Cars
BMW has a few cars powered by hydrogen that are ready for the road. Although hydrogen is very dangerous when hot, it would only make sense to put the hydrogen in the lowest part of the car to be safe. So, how is this car ready for the year 2020? It runs on hydrogen, not gas, and the only emissions that these cars produce is water!

Hybrid cars will be available from most car makers in the U.S. by 2020. The U.S. government is requiring that all new cars must have at least 35 miles per gallon in 10 years. This forces car makers to make their cars lighter, stronger, and aerodynamic. Every year, the concept cars are what grabs everyone's interest. The cars always look sleek and futuristic. To see some examples, do an Internet search of concept cars, and prototype cars. A few Ford cars have voice technology, so you can call someone through your car, or listen to music. Nice. Key less entry is getting to be pretty standard on new cars now. You just have the car keys in your pocket and the car door opens for you. Some vehicles have a little strip that you touch and the doors will unlock. For a glimpse of future cars and concepts, visit this site:www.myride.com/index.cfm

Cell phones
Just about everyone has an I-phone these days. It has touchscreen technology, thousands of applications, and you can even watch movies. A newer cell phone, called the Palm Pre Plus can act as a mobile hot spot for up to five devices. In theory, you can send a Wi-Fi signal to use with another cell phone, a hand-held video game system, a laptop, and other similar devices. Maybe even a Wi-Fi enabled printer?!? Good ol' technology!! Not only do you save time without wires, but you also save some money as well. Since there is less wiring used, less power is used. As radio towers and cellphone towers send their signals through the air, some of the electrical energy is wasted. I read about a cell phone that can gather that unused energy, and use it to charge itself!! Amazing! Soon there will be no need for a cellphone charger anymore!!

Computers
The newest laptops have a fingerprint scanner to lock or unlock users out. Tablets (which are laptops with swiveling screens) now employ touchscreen technology to navigate the programs. The keyboard is now becoming a thing of the past. Smart phones, which is a mini computer with phone capabilities, are becoming more and more GPS enabled. With the Global Positioning System, you now have the option of using it for road trips and to find restaurants. Slowly, computers are taking the place of GPS.

Video games systems
Video game systems are turning into computers themselves, and computers always have the latest computing technology. The systems themselves are highly advanced already as it is, but something new is always coming out. Like 3-d technology. Although it has been around for some time, the important strides in 3-d is with the current films The Final Destination and Avatar. These films are good examples of what 3-d technology can do. I read about a wildly popular hand held gaming system that will use 3-d technology. Without the 3-d glasses!! This is a great tech step forward. If it is successful, then all other hand held systems might want to use the same technology, or risk falling way behind. For now, the interface for the Nintendo DS is touchscreen. Nintendo has also used sunlight as part of some games, and voice commands as well.

Clothing
Anyone who is active outdoors owns at least one Nike Dri-Fit shirt, an Under Armor shirt or some other moisture wicking shirt. The technology used in those shirts are fairly new, they have been around for about 15 years. These shirts do a pretty good job of taking moisture and sweat off of your body, then bringing it up to the surfaces of the shirt so it can dry. All of this keeps you cool and helps you perform longer in outside activities because you are much more comfortable. And then Adidas came along with Tech Fit technology. Custom made for your chest, arms, legs and back, Tech-Fit is an advanced compression garment. With it on, Tech Fit is designed to align your bones and muscles for optimum usage. I read that this reduces oxygen usage, and your body has more energy. Special placed energy bands are specifically designed to store your energy so you can use it when needed. The Adidas website is www.shopadidas.com/home/index.jsp

Wireless
So what is wireless, nowadays? Let's see........ cellphones, computers, laptops, home phones, printers, fax machines, radios, and now flat screen t.v.s Some one smart though about creating a wireless charging pad for hand held accessories. Instead of charging your electronics the old-fashioned way, with a wired charger to plug into your devices- the charging pad is a small area where you simply place your various electronic devices on. The contact between the pad and the device is all you need to charge your hand held electronics. I saw an ad for a charging pad at the airport the other day. A cell phone and a hand held gaming system were on top of the pad in the photo. Imagine how much money you can save by condensing all your chargers into two pads for your home instead using up all of your outlets!!!

Television
With analog TV is practically ancient now, consumers upgraded to flat-screens and plasma screens. Mitsubishi has just made a flat screen that uses lasers instead of what the new televisions have. With lasers, this means that the colors on the screen are richer, and the blacks are darker. So, what does this translate to? It means that plasmas are now a little old. Sharp has a new TV that has Quattro technology. All televisions have the basic color scheme of red, blue, and green to make any color combination possible. Sharp added a fourth color, yellow, to their new Aquos TVs. This produces brighter colors and makes watching TV even more enjoyable. You might scoff and say, feh! What is so special about yellow? Can't you make that color using blue and green? Yes, that is true, but if that was done then the same beams used to project blue and green to make yellow would suffer in quality a little when it is making other colors. With a new, separate beam, all four colors can work to their maximum potential and the desired maximum effect is reached. Which is a brighter, crisper viewing screen. I have seen a few years ago a kit you can attach to your flat screen TVto make it wireless as well!

Artificial Intelligence
Robot arms that put together products in assembly lines are just the beginning. Robot cats and dogs are available as pets, and robots that serve drinks and food are ready for purchase as well. In a few years, a toy should be coming out that looks like a kid, but is clearly a robot! If it is a success, before you know it toy robots will be in many homes around the world. It is only a matter of time before someone, somewhere tries to create an all-thinking, all-doing robot. With many of our electronics currently digital and wireless, I wonder if you can apply that same technology in robots?? Although it is highly controversial to give a machine a "mind" of its own, some people in society still like the fact that they can have a robot 'servant' in their homes.

2020
This is the year when we should see gas less vehicles, redesigned roadways, wireless radio towers, wireless cell phone towers, and touchscreen interfaces for everything that is electronic or digital. In order to have those things and use them, the time to research for new products should be underway as we speak. It takes time and dedication to think up of something entirely new and creative to be used in the near future. What's next for society?