Well, it's a new year and with it comes the usual pontification by pundits on what the future holds. Take this thread as your opportunity to predict what the future holds, what technological changes you see forthcoming, etc.
Me:
CD's will go out of style and be replaced by a flash drive style media in the next 5 years.
A world economic crisis will cause the merging of several first-world currency systems and economies into a common denomination and system. I.E the US, Australian and Canadian Dollars will merge with the Euro to start a trend towards a one world economic system. Both Dollar and Euro based economies have similar enough values and denominations that it would be simple to do this. The British Pound may also merge as well, but Asian and African currencies will stay distinct. (Not that I want to see this, but I see it coming within 10 years)
The emergence of wireless broadband replacing cable and phone-line based systems as wireless networks increase their bandwidth.
Chinese cars will be sold in the US
Iran will go nuclear
The US will experience a economic depression rivaling the 1930's due to the banking collapse coming from bad mortgage loans and over-speculation in the housing markets.
Diesel vehicles will make a comeback and will outsell hybrids by offering better mileage with lower overall costs.
Iran, Venezuela and several other countries will try to strangle the US economy with a 1970's style oil embargo.
Global Warming will go out of fashion and mankind will be proven not to have caused it in any major way.
Computers will come with 1 terabyte hard drives built in
Portable media players with video capability will become inexpensive items available for under $30
The government will mandate GPS equipment in all new cars that will transmit how the vehicle is being operated to a central location. Tickets will then be issued automatically to anyone the system says broke the law and the government will have the ability to disable your car remotely. This would also apply to emissions controls as new cars will be required to send information from a feedback sensor in the exhaust as to the operational efficiency of each vehicle. The government's computer would then be able to ticket or disable the offending vehicle without any official ever having laid hands on it.
Much like it did during the French Revolution, religious persecution will come to first world countries in the name of misguided "Freedom".
Hydrogen will not become the fuel of the future. The problem of "Global Cooling" due to the excess water vapor released by hydrogen fuel cells will turn them from the darlings of the environmentalists into pariahs.
Biofuels will be synthesized in large quantities from biomass waste recycling.
A reduction in the price of solar technology will lead to it being the rule instead of the exception for home electrical power production. Most single family homes will produce a minimum of 70% of their annual electrical demand with rooftop solar systems or the coming paint on solar systems being used on all exterior surfaces. Improvements in the technology will allow it to look just like regular house paint.
These are just a few of my ideas as to what the future will hold, and no it is not a list off any other website.
Me:
CD's will go out of style and be replaced by a flash drive style media in the next 5 years.
A world economic crisis will cause the merging of several first-world currency systems and economies into a common denomination and system. I.E the US, Australian and Canadian Dollars will merge with the Euro to start a trend towards a one world economic system. Both Dollar and Euro based economies have similar enough values and denominations that it would be simple to do this. The British Pound may also merge as well, but Asian and African currencies will stay distinct. (Not that I want to see this, but I see it coming within 10 years)
The emergence of wireless broadband replacing cable and phone-line based systems as wireless networks increase their bandwidth.
Chinese cars will be sold in the US
Iran will go nuclear
The US will experience a economic depression rivaling the 1930's due to the banking collapse coming from bad mortgage loans and over-speculation in the housing markets.
Diesel vehicles will make a comeback and will outsell hybrids by offering better mileage with lower overall costs.
Iran, Venezuela and several other countries will try to strangle the US economy with a 1970's style oil embargo.
Global Warming will go out of fashion and mankind will be proven not to have caused it in any major way.
Computers will come with 1 terabyte hard drives built in
Portable media players with video capability will become inexpensive items available for under $30
The government will mandate GPS equipment in all new cars that will transmit how the vehicle is being operated to a central location. Tickets will then be issued automatically to anyone the system says broke the law and the government will have the ability to disable your car remotely. This would also apply to emissions controls as new cars will be required to send information from a feedback sensor in the exhaust as to the operational efficiency of each vehicle. The government's computer would then be able to ticket or disable the offending vehicle without any official ever having laid hands on it.
Much like it did during the French Revolution, religious persecution will come to first world countries in the name of misguided "Freedom".
Hydrogen will not become the fuel of the future. The problem of "Global Cooling" due to the excess water vapor released by hydrogen fuel cells will turn them from the darlings of the environmentalists into pariahs.
Biofuels will be synthesized in large quantities from biomass waste recycling.
A reduction in the price of solar technology will lead to it being the rule instead of the exception for home electrical power production. Most single family homes will produce a minimum of 70% of their annual electrical demand with rooftop solar systems or the coming paint on solar systems being used on all exterior surfaces. Improvements in the technology will allow it to look just like regular house paint.
These are just a few of my ideas as to what the future will hold, and no it is not a list off any other website.