The last time I wrote about Google’s Project Glass, I called it inspiring but probably more hype than commercial product. Well, the awesome-in-concept augmented reality glasses might be coming to a store near you sooner than I guessed. At least, if we can trust this first-hand account from a writer at the Gothamist (h/t Greg … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Google
Why Driverless Cars Freak You Out
California just became the third state to legalize autonomous cars. They’re not available to consumers yet, but test vehicles can now operate in public there, just as they can in Nevada and Florida. I reacted to this news with delight, while others had a more sober appraisal: I’ve written about the implications of driverless cars … Continue reading
10 Ways Technology Will Change Childhood (for Better and Worse)
Some parts of being a kid never change. Best friends, schoolyard bullies, and after-school snacks will be around for another century at least (speaking from my experience here in the US). But new technology forces us to adapt, and children are not exempt. At the risk of sounding like an old fogey before my time, … Continue reading
7 Future Gadgets (You Can Have Today)
We all know the future is coming (that’s kind of how it works) but sometimes it’s surprising just how fast it shows up. Here are 7 futuristic gadgets you can add to your lifestyle right now. Which ones are on your shopping list? 1. Augmented Reality Glasses. Google’s much-hyped Project Glass may not be available … Continue reading
Curating the Universe
Have you ever posted an article or a video on a social network? If so, congratulations! I’m about to explain how you’re shaping the world to come. You are a curator of the universe, and a herald of the future. I am? What does that mean? It means you collect and share items of your … Continue reading
Information Overload
We’re producing information faster today than ever before. Some studies suggest the amount of data in the world doubles every two years! Certainly between Twitter and Facebook, newsfeeds and friend streams, there’s far more information being thrown at me than I can process. How do we make sense of all this? And what’s the effect … Continue reading
State of the Future Roundup – April
The future, being what it is, has a tendency to become the present. And so it is that although this blog is just half a year old, many things have changed since I last discussed them. Here’s a quick look at the state of the future as it stands today. Driverless Cars and the Law … Continue reading
Beneath the Surface, a Digital World Blooms
Google Wallet May Be Lame… Many of Google’s projects have earth-shaking potential (see here and here), but at first glance, Google Wallet doesn’t seem to fit the bill. Here’s a news article if you need to catch up. The short version is, it replaces all your credit cards with a smartphone. You load your bank … Continue reading
5 Ways Your Life Will Get Smarter When Your Toaster Goes Online
Ever received an email from your toaster? Neither have I, but in a future featuring the Internet of Things, it could become commonplace. What is the Internet of Things? Like the internet itself, it’s about connections. Way back in the ’70’s, ARPANET connected a handful of university mainframes. The internet it grew into connected individual … Continue reading
Who’s Responsible When Your Robot Kills?
Of all the branches of modern philosophy, ethics is both the most practical and the most baffling. For every clear-cut moral choice, there are a thousand what-ifs that cloud the picture. And as the future dawns and automated systems become more common, things will get murkier than ever. I’ll give you an example. Take Google’s … Continue reading