With leading tech figures publicly speaking about near future developments that seem out of science fiction movies, changes are on the horizon. In many fields, core technology is changing rapidly, and the logistics are keeping up. What are the tech revolutions most talked about nowadays? Let’s see…
Omnipresent Internet – the factor driving tech revolutions
This July, Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, talked about using technology for thought transmission. He also mentioned plans for connecting to the Internet via a combination of laser tech, drones and satellites. In view of this, the Facebook launched its Aquila drone for testing.
To fit the expected changes, 5G technology is soon to come, as Samsung joins forces with LG to drive R&D. Already the 4G networks are 12,000 times faster than 2G networks – transmission speed-wise.
Space colonies – utopia or not
A team of scientists from NASA, SETI, and Cambridge University has recently announced the discovery of Kepler 452b, dubbed Earth 2.0, a planet similar to ours, at about 1,400 light-years from Earth.
Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos , on the other hand, is involved in building a new liquid rocket engine called BE-4, via his private spaceflight company, Blue Origin. His dreams of space pioneering are synchronized with his older idea that Earth should be preserved, and humans evacuated.
Artificial Intelligence – already present
The race for AI is clearly ongoing and each of the big players in the tech field is participating one way or another. Stephen Hawking, the theoretical physicist, is rather fearing for the future of humanity once this goal would be attained. He also came up with a statement about humans risking to be superseded and surpassed by the possible consequences.
All these while being part of a new project called Breakthrough Listen, a powerful search initiative for signs of alien intelligent life in the universe. This $100 million search for extraterrestrial life co-supported with Yuri Milner, a billionaire, will allow any smartphone owner to participate.
Via the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing app, available only for Android phones, the data from two massive telescopes scanning the universe would be analyzed by crowd-sourcing.
Enhanced humans – needed to sustain tech revolutions?
Using bionics in healthcare just passed a new landmark on July 23, with the first bionic eye implant in a macular degeneration patient, as part of a feasibility study aiming to evaluate the safety and utility of this innovative system.
Extreme bionics is no longer considered fringe science – and this is just the macro part of how technology boosts healthcare. The challenges that still impede full development in this field, like electrical signaling into and out of the nervous system, are also closer to being overcome.
Researchers have announced creating a remote controlled next-generation tissue implant that allows wireless neural control. The optofluidic implant has been tested on mice and it proves that manipulating neurophysiological systems is possible.
Healthcare is rapidly innovating both in technological devices, gadgets and machines, as well as in digital systems, to coordinate them all.
Enhanced environment
A bit closer to what we can process as immediate future are the changes through which our devices, houses, cities and general everyday environment are going.
Wearables are on the rise and people integrate them in everyday habits. Drones grow in numbers and functions, and regulations barely keep up with them. The number of mobile devices increases exponentially. Technology is reshaping human life, privately and professionally.
Smart devices are followed by smart living spaces and ultimately smart cities. IoT is supposed to connect them all and allow the data exchange flow via the available infrastructure. Smart cars, even smart clothing are to be expected.
Virtual Reality devices also expand research borders, aiming to push limits in medicine, gaming, and entertainment.
The Third Industrial Revolution
Industrial applications of IoT (or IoE – Internet of Everything), point to the third industrial revolution, driven by the new digital algorithms.
Digitalized production flows, integrated markets, different sets of skills needed for the human element – all shape an image of the future that may be just around the corner. Rapid manufacturing, global communication, fast delivery – by 2020, estimations point to connected utilities, manufacturing, and government businesses in the U.S.
The Bigger Picture in tech revolutions
Each of the potential changes mentioned above unfolds a set of micro-changes deep into various fields of activity. The future of business is expected to change, with tech revolutions in sales, marketing, data and applications.
The future of brands is under impact from the digital video revolution. Ongoing debates try to establish a course of action, anticipating customers’ next big shift.
With so many activities to be taken on by machines and devices, there are two main reorientation options for those who will live the changes in their professional capacity. Either prepare in advance for operating the vast potential of technology, either concentrate on the things they can do uniquely well, without ignoring the role of technology. Tech revolutions are a driving factor as soon as they start to unfold.
What are we to prepare for?
Mobile tech is at the core of all these revolutionary changes. Leading the way towards IoT, it allows connectivity regardless of geographical conditioning. Location freedom and, depending on the users’ will, time freedom (always-on connectivity) – here are the two main vectors that make mobility indispensable to all these future developments.
