A look into the future
Prospects for a Computer Future
In five years
A man is sitting at a desk. In front of him is a laptop computer. He has two mice in his hands. Occasionally he gives jerky laconic commands with his voice: close, open, minimize, shutdown, browser.
Everything is very simple. Google is already introducing Internet technology to support two mice (and cursors).
Indeed, why not use two hands for surfing and work? And faster and more useful. As you know, the coordinated work of both hands includes the work of two hemispheres, which leads to an increase in productivity. Already there are voice recognition systems. I think that in the next five years, they will finally reach the masses (although I don’t understand why the computer still doesn’t talk to me ?!). And the main commands (optional) can be performed using voice. Of course, in conditions of office work or noise, voice communication will have to be abandoned.
The system unit itself will continue to decrease in size, combining the functions of mobile devices and computers.
After 10 years
A person with glasses (contact lenses) and with an earphone (headset) sits in a home / office environment and occasionally speaks with jerky teams to someone. Sometimes he taps his fingers on a thin rug, resembling a mouse pad, which is easily folded and put into a pencil case or pocket. He has small clips in his nose. There are no other visible devices nearby.
Everything is very simple. Already now on some cars windshields of cars where computer information is projected are installed ( augmented reality) Soon there will be available glasses with similar glasses. Outwardly they will look like ordinary glasses with transparent or tinted glasses. These glasses will replace the monitors. The mice will be replaced by reading commands (moving the cursor) along the movement of the pupils. (There are currently existing developments).
For example, to open a browser it will be enough to say: “open a browser”. Then pronounce the name of the site "habrahabr". Everything, the site is loaded. Now the cursor follows the movement of the eyes, and when you hover over the link, it will be enough to say: “open”. And the link will open in a new bookmark. Or you can pronounce the name of the link in voice.
However, a keyboard will still be present to enter large-sized texts. It will represent a thin touch mat on which the keyboard will be displayed. (Or the sticker can be replaced with stickers on the nails). All this business will be connected among themselves by wireless channels. Although at first the glasses, due to the large amount of information, may be connected by wire. The system unit will be placed in the temples of glasses, or in a separate case, the size of a book. It can be attached to the belt, or put next to it, hang on the neck. In the system itself, there will be elements with small capacities (processor, memory, etc.). The basis of this device will be a network card + modem, giving access to a single Internet network, where the lion's share of information will already be stored, and donecloud computing .
In addition, aroma synthesizers will be introduced on Internet pages and media products, so that the user can finally “smell the Internet”.
The devices will be powered by solar panels built into the user's clothing. Shirts, suits, jackets with solar cells will be used. Or batteries that convert the energy of body heat into electrical energy. Or dynamos built into sneakers that generate current when walking. Since current consumption will be minimal, and the efficiency of converters will be high, energy will be enough for all portable devices.
In 25 years
A man sits, lies, walks, and has a special rim on his head.
Everything is very simple. Now, the computer will be a regular headset-bezel (made of programmable material ), worn on the head. The headset will have a built-in wave receiver and transmitter of ultra-weak waves, which will directly interact with brain signals, as well as a wireless Internet modem that connects the user to the global network at high speeds. The whole body of a person will serve as an antenna. At the same time, no input devices are required, all control will be carried out at the level of thoughts.
If you put this “bezel” on your head, then you will see augmented reality: see virtual pictures superimposed on the real world, hear sounds (music) in your head, feel synthesized smells. The integration of man with the virtual world will reach its peak. By and large, you will be like a drug addict under a dose that sees hallucinations and can experience the experience of illusions. However, these hallucinations will be controlled and controllable. Semantic.
It is also worth noting that computers will be manufactured from biomaterials, based on living cells. Thus, computers will actually be "grown in test tubes", according to a given digital model, which means they will be safe for nature.
A computer as a bridge between realities
Naturally, at this stage, a person will almost completely be able to immerse himself in virtual reality like a character from the movie "The Lawnmower Man". Entire industries will appear that will work on modeling virtual worlds. For example, going to the cinema will be a meeting of people in one place (cheaper - virtually). Where they will be transferred to their "rims" film (with all kinds of "D" - that is, with complete immersion). People get the opportunity to be present inside the film: look at the heroes from any point, through the eyes of the main characters, from the side of the auditorium. At the same time, the viewer will choose the display position based on his financial capabilities and desires.
In the real world, a computer will become a "bridge" between two realities and civilizations: virtual and real. Life in reality will be the lot of the elite. And the average layman will live and work completely in the virtual world. His body will seem to save living space in a cocoon (like the movie "The Matrix"). And he will go to the real world "on vacation" and relax. Everything in reality will cost much more than in the world of illusions. Yes, many will not need this, because technology will reach such a level that it will be problematic to distinguish reality from the world of illusions.
Changes in the appearance of the real world
I must say, reality itself will increasingly acquire the features of a virtual one. Thanks to programmed matter, the outside world will become more malleable. To some extent, all the creations of human hands in the real world will be a continuation of the virtual world. For example, changing the image of your machine in the virtual world, you will see them on your real machine from programmable matter - the color, shape will change according to changes in the computer model. Example. And you can, waking up in the morning and practicing a hologram of the virtual model of your car, find real changes in the look of your car (plane), which is in the garage.
Shops and retail space, and other buildings will go in 3D format online. Imagine you are sitting at home on a sofa, wearing a “bezel” and connecting via the network, and go to the 3D store, where, just like in a real store, go around, select products and put them in the basket. Then your cart is delivered to you by the delivery service directly to your home, or you pick it yourself.
This means that hypermarkets and other food giants will play the role of entertainment centers. And most of the goods will be delivered from the warehouse immediately to the buyers home. Therefore, trips to the hypermarket will become less frequent. There will be less cars on the streets. Supermarkets, like other grocery stores, will almost disappear from the city streets. There will only be shops where you need to personally pick up goods: try on clothes, choose gifts.
The very idea of the workplace will change. Real offices will replace virtual ones. Those. walking and driving to a real office will no longer be necessary. Now, having put on the “bezel”, you can be in the “virtual office” and work with your colleagues there: to see them and communicate with them, as with real people through the Internet communication. This means that the construction of business centers will become superfluous. It will be cheaper to simulate a virtual office. Already virtual business centers will be built. This means that the look of cities will change. Now all these office buildings and skyscrapers will disappear. Building cities will be similar to Los Angeles (large area and one-story private sector). This will lead to a more even distribution of population density.
In addition, now you can buy any landscape outside the window of your virtual office. This week you can watch the Pacific Ocean from the window, and then the Eiffel Tower, the white snow of the Antarctic or the Martian landscape, and maybe Pandora.
As for the real world, it will present, as before, sectors of the economy related to servicing the human body: heat, water, energy supply networks, law enforcement agencies, transport, restaurants, cafes, healthcare facilities, agriculture, etc. d. I think that people, to relax from the virtual world, will strive to such places where you can gather closer to each other. Something like coworking centers combined with entertainment centers. Where, leaving the "virtual" office, you can swim in the pool or take a walk in the park.
Since most of life a person will arrive in the virtual world, people will less care about the appearance of their real bodies. Preferring to “pump” virtual bodies - buy virtual outfits, change appearance, voice, even gender. Naturally, professionals will have to pay for this. Actually a person in the virtual world will be able to take any form. Try on the bodies of animals, birds, change colors.
Following this, the understanding of the attractiveness and beauty of the human body is changing. The most attractive partners will be those who can afford to create the most beautiful and vibrant virtual body.
The virtual world will beckon with its capabilities. And people are so used to such a life that the ordinary world will seem gray and boring to them. In reality, people will feel lonely and uncomfortable. In that world, the old dream of humanity about an incorporeal existence is realized.
I am attracted to the fact that the time will come when a person through the "rim" will be able to share his thoughts with other people over the network. Then it will be possible to “record thoughts on the recorder”, “rob” your dreams and share them with others on a grid. Telepathy will be possible at great distances. The need for languages will disappear, since communication will occur at the level of thought images, and not through decoded speech symbols, people will communicate in a single language of thoughts. People will be able to “hear” the thoughts of others and therefore people will think very carefully, knowing that all their intentions are in the public domain. Hiding nothing will work. And this means that the purity of thoughts will increase. This means that the number of evil deeds will decrease.