While I have dreams which seem a long reach for the next 5 years, there are some I expect we will see within that time period. For me, that dream is simple. Cell phones that are what we think of as our computers, entertainment stations, personal assistant, internet connection, social hub, communications device and everything else – all while connecting to any one of a number of docking stations which provide better input and output. This is possible today, but not in a way that the average person can put it to use in any meaningful way – currently it takes a lot of management and leaves you increasingly isolated while looking like a dweeb. I fully expect that to change in the very near future.
Think about heading to a co-worker’s station, and when you need to get something you simply switch which system is primary on the station – and voila! Your data and apps fill the screen and allow you to access what you needed. Or heading to a friends place and connecting your digital assistant to their systems and sharing that cool photo, video or game with them on their screens and using their remotes to control the action. This should be no more complicated than it is to connect to a USB or Thunderbolt cable, and likely cables would only be needed for data or power intensive activities – standard activities could run wirelessly using the local battery for power. Think of it as if you were trading which machine was plugged in to a docking station, only the docking station also makes the computer faster, have a better network connection, gives it more storage and the like – and all of that is done wirelessly and seamlessly.
In the longer range, I continue to dream of a house that will do the laundry, dishes, shopping, cleaning and the like, but until robotics and related automation catch up I think that will take a bit longer than 5 years to arrive on the doorsteps of those fortunate enough to live in the technologically advanced world.
What are your near and long-term attainable dreams?
