What do you do to keep your mind fresh and open to new ideas? For me, I like to read and understand what trends are coming down the road in the future. Some of these things challenge our beliefs, spawn new ideas, and open our eyes to the fact that we only work in a very narrow sliver of what is happening in the world. Here are some eye-opening, thought-provoking advances and technological trends you should know about.
Rex Robo Legs – How about an advancement that could greatly increase the mobility of persons confined to a wheelchair? The Rex was designed so the user can transfer from the wheelchair into the robo legs, strap in and go. The robo legs are powered by battery and “driven” by a control pad and joystick. http://singularityhub.com/2010/07/23/new-zealands-robot-legs-let-paraplegics-walk-for-150000-video/
FireSheep – Have you heard how even the novice can easily capture social media credentials over WiFi through Firefox using an add-on called Firesheep? This proves the industry still has a long way to go in protecting the use of data. This type of tool creates a number of ramifications for companies and individuals alike. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/oct/25/firefox-extension-firesheep-wi-fi
Maintenance Debt – According to a recent Gartner study, companies are incurring an “IT Debt” totaling $500 billion this year. This debt is compiled due to tight budgets which have kept companies from upgrading their software. The report goes on to state that the debt could rise to $1 trillion by 2015. Besides the long-term debt, which may need to be paid later when upgrades are needed, there is an associated risk of letting the software get so out of date that tax, legal and various bugs and other security concerns result from the unaddressed issues and unaware IT staffs.
Canon Wonder Camera – “Never take a picture the same way again.” Should I shoot a still picture or a video? How about both, and never have to choose which one you want to take? This concept camera is something Canon thinks is possible to bring to market within the next 20 years with many elements of it making it to market even sooner. http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/07/06/canon.wonder.would.have.instant.focus.huge.zoom/
InteraXon Thought Controlled Computing – Look mom no hands! Though this technology holds potential for many applications, the company is focusing on deploying into the video game market first. http://www.slashgear.com/interaxon-shows-off-thought-controlled-in-flight-entertainment-system-0692861/
What have you seen lately that has you thinking about the future?
