I work with technology everyday, and sometimes I have a hard time convincing people how much technology can improve our lives. Hopefully the articles in this blog will remove all doubt.
As many of you know I have spent a good portion of the summer working on a book about how technology will be replacing human labor. It has been a lot of fun doing the research and writing,
but I think that by the time I finish writing it turn out to be a history book instead of a book about
the future. It seems like every blog I have read over the last week or so has been talking about
robots.
There have been other articles, but those are the ones that just blew me a way, because before I left for summer break I had a hard time convincing people that this kind of technology
even existed. Now it seems like it is everywhere. Great for the world, but horrible for my book.
At least there is a silver lining for my book among all this good news, and though it may not have been technology's fault, it still might slow down the breakneck speed at which automation is coming into our daily lives;
Some people I have spoken with believed that my last blog was cool but unlikely to ever happen. I have to respectfully disagree. I believe that the technology I spoke about will most likely start being massed produced for home bathrooms within the next 10 to 15 years. The technology in todays post might not happen at all, but we can always hope.
The Bathtub
The problem with predicting the future of the bathtub is that its simple design is hard to improve on. They date back over 5000 years and very little has changed about them. Their internal size and shape has varied little, and the exterior changes haven't effected functionality.
It is unlikely that the tub will change very much, but here are a few things that might be altered.
1. Collapsable tubs for small spaces.
My house was built in 1956 and though it is a functional bathroom, it is very small. By being able to remove the tub when not in use, the floor space in my bathroom would almost double. This could be done like a murphy's bed, a collapsible cup for camping, or (my favorite) by have a motorized based that would become the floor (see video)
The Article that first got my attention about bathroom technology was the April edition of Popular Science 2004. They list a few concepts that make mine look practical, but there is one concept in that article that I would really love to see, radio frequency tag readers. I would love to see these things though out the house. Radio frequency tags can identify an item kind of like bar code, but with out the scanning. Popular Science believes that if radio tags, RFID's for short, are added to medicine, your computer could tell you which meds you have taken and when. I think that would be great, but why stop there. Put RFIDs on everything. When you through away that empty bottle of shampoo, your home network could add it to your shopping list, or even better order it for you. In the bathroom this could come in very handy because there are so many different products that you only use occasionally, such as medicines or first aid items. Your home network could tell you when a product is going out of date or has been used up. Now that is a bathroom I would like to have.
When it comes to technology in the home, most of the focus has centered on whatever room you keep your television in. I have to admit that I have been impressed with the improvements to this traditional technology. I have been even more impressed by how quickly the technology has made it into consumers’ homes. The technology is going to get even better with more web interaction and 3D capabilities without the glasses. The problem is that no matter how many improvements they make the television is primarily for entertainment and will stay that way.
The bathroom in contrast currently has had very little technological improvements, but has the potential to be the smartest room in your home. A few years ago I read an article about the bathroom of the future, and it really got me thinking about how beneficial the john can be beyond its current purposes (Popular Science). Ever since then, I have paid a lot more attention to articles that cover the water closet. These are just some of the things that I think will one day be in my lavatory.
A function that has yet to reach the average consumer is the urine/fecal analysis feature. No more going to the doctor and having to pee in a cup. You use the restroom like normal, in the privacy of your own home, and the toilet will know if you are sick, or if you have a dietary deficiency.
Smart mirror
The mirror will look like any other mirror until you set up to it. Built-in cameras will have facial recognition, and personalized information will appear along side of your reflection. You will be able to interact with all the components in your bathroom, the rest of your house, as well as the internet. Once your wardrobe is entered into your home network, you can virtually try on clothes. You then could use an online service like Facebook to know if any of your friends or coworkers are wearing the same outfit. If you need to see how you look from behind your mirror can show you by using a camera behind you. Your mirror will even let you know if what you are wearing is right based on the weather report.
Every new year, many people like to make predictions about what will happen.
I tend to do this year round, but here are a few anyway.
1. A Decrease in Cable and Satellite Subscriptions
There are a slew of new or improved devices that bring online content to your television set. Things like Apple TV, Nintendo Wii, and Xbox 360 are in a good price range, easy to set up, and can access a lot of content.
I have not had a cable bill for over five years. I still watch TV, and I am really not that cheap.
What I have been doing is simple. I watch broadcast television for live shows and events, and use the internet and Netflix to watch the shows I don't get. When I first started, I really did miss out on some of the things I would have liked to watch, but the content that is now being offered on the internet and Netflix has really improved over the last few years. I think that more people are realizing this and will start to drop their paid services.
2. Continued Debate about Net Neutrality
The FCC recently pasted an internet fairness policy. Some of the issues of net neutrality where addressed, but many still remain, and so does the fighting.
3. An Increase in Part-Time, Results Only, and Telecommuting Workers
Most of the headlines about employment is about how many people don't have jobs, but I think that misses the bigger picture. Many major companies have had the funds to hire workers, but they have invested in productivity instead. They are starting to understand that if they give a reliable worker the tools he needs to do his job, you don't need as many workers. The problem is that this keeps the unemployment rate, and a fear of a second recession high. Companies that continue to make huge profits will have a personal relations problem if they don't begin to hire. The result will be more alternative working options.
Part-Time employment could get people working, but in many industries part-time employment isn't beneficial to productivity.
Results-only-employment is great for jobs that are based on tasks. There is not a fixed schedule, so long as you are completing your tasks. In many cases, you can even work from home.
Telecommuting is a great solution for jobs where the employee needs to have a fixed schedule. Companies get the benefit of a full time worker, but don't have to pay for the office space to house them.
