You know what smartphones are about. They’re the shiny, techie status symbol of the decade; they Google bizarre factoids when you need them in conversation; and if you’re reading this column there’s a 78% chance you’re using one right now to order scallion pancakes or play “quiz” on a triple word score. But is that … Continue reading
Ah, Christmas lists: the classic childhood tradition of filling a page with all the cool toys you don’t have, then mailing it off to a rotund stranger in a distant land. Well, wishlists aren’t just for kids – here’s one that will satisfy future enthusiasts of any age. Send it to your clueless aunt who … Continue reading
Yep, it’s true: Samsung is planning to release a phone that’s completely bendable. And rumor has it you can get your hands on it as early as next year! Flexible e-ink displays have been in development for nearly half a decade, but it’s only recently that researchers for companies like Samsung and Nokia have turned … Continue reading
Wired is reporting the debut of a tracking bracelet called the Larklife. It’s a simple wristband with an accelerometer that can tell when you’re sleeping, exercising or neither. It comes with a connected iPhone app that allows you to add information about your meals, then crunches all the data for you and reports back. This … Continue reading
Here’s a tasty morsel of future news: The first 3-D scanning apps are making their way to an iPhone near you. 3-D modeling software has been around for years, but it’s generally been complicated, and expensive, enough that only professionals ever bothered. Now that design firm Autodesk is making their “123D Catch” app available for … Continue reading
I’ve been wondering why my post about the alleged iPhone 5 has been getting so many hits lately. It’s always the most-Googled article I’ve ever posted, but the past few weeks it’s been getting clicked through the roof. Now I know why – check out The Chic Gadget: iPhone 5 Announcement on September 12 On … Continue reading
Where else but Japan would such a dream come true? Thanks to company Suidobashi, for the relatively bargain-basement price of around $1.5 million, you can own and pilot a real-life Mecha like the one below. Click here for another video, which, as a bonus, demonstrates some sort of hovering drone as well. The little flying … Continue reading
Everything these days needs a battery. Phones, cars, pacemakers, solar panels. They all need portable electricity storage, but because of the different sizes, shapes and functions, they each need a specially designed battery. What if there was some kind of flexible, modular power storage that could be made to fit any shape? Enter the paintable … Continue reading
This is Future Bites, a clearinghouse for bite-sized morsels of future news. Offered every Monday. To get a mix of Future Bites and future-focused essays delivered to your inbox, click “subscribe” at the right. This week, I offer you the latest in navigation apps. This one can not only route you around traffic jams, it … Continue reading
Don’t look now, but you’re surrounded by hidden messages. Colorful arrows line the sidewalk, menus hover over the diner down the street, and a grand star map looms overhead – even when it’s the middle of the day and overcast. They’re all written out in invisible digital ink, and you can see them all – … Continue reading
Cosmic Revolutions 