For those that tuned into Apple’s Keynote you would’ve been dazzled by the product demonstration and the flashy promotional video selling us an advanced new technology that Apple believe will change the world. This is of course what Apple believes about all of their products but that is a different matter. You would’ve struggled to be unimpressed by this technology and how responsive it was during a live demonstration. The majority of Apple commentators were raving about Siri after the Keynote and many suggested it was one of the most significant advances in technology in recent years. Having now tested the product myself and having firsthand experience using Siri I have to admit I wasn’t completely won over by Apple’s latest innovation. Don’t get me wrong, I was impressed by the level of sophistication of the technology and can see obvious room for improvement, but Siri in my opinion doesn’t have that clean cut feel that most Apple products have. However, I firmly believe this is a technology that will change mobile technology forever.

Although Apple have released an unfinished piece of technology that is relatively clumsy and to be honest, not completely user friendly (something that is deeply ingrained into Apple’s mantra). The very idea of Siri has sent the consumer world into a frenzy. Although Siri doesn’t fulfill all our virtual assistant needs similar to what we’ve seen in Star Trek and other sci-fi films, Apple have sold us a concept, a piece of technology that gives us an insight into the mobile devices of tomorrow, and that is what I believe people have fallen for. Apple’s reach into the global population now extends so far that they’re able to create demand for technologies they know they will be able to supply at maximum profit. The other players in the industry will have to follow suit, similar to what Google have done in the search market. Now that people can see the benefits of this technology and can now even play with some of the more basic functions of this technology through the iPhone 4S Apple have created demand for a technology they clearly want to continue developing over the coming years. I’m sure in the iPhone 5 we’ll see a far cleaner version of the technology with much greater capabilities.

Although I question many things regarding Apple’s business ethics and general morals, one thing I do admire is the innovation and presentation of their products and services. People are ready to integrate technology in almost all aspects of their lives and Apple are currently providing the innovations that make this possible. People want their technology to be easy to use and want technology to make their lives easier. Siri gives us an insight into where Apple are clearly planning on taking the company, and ultimately, consumer technology in general. Now that the Siri seed has been sown, watch it grow.

What is your opinion on Siri? Do you own an iPhone 4S and love or hate this technology? Maybe you will never own an iPhone because you believe Apple are the spawn of Satan. Whatever your thoughts, as always, I would love to hear them.

By looking at the ordering process in a restaurant, the stage in the operation that can cause the most amount of confusion and problems, we can see that the technology to automate this process has been available for a number of years. Touchscreen technology opens up the possibility of the customer being able to choose whatever they want off of the menu without any interaction with humans at all. This helps eradicate many of the problems that arise through miscommunication and errors made by waiters and waitresses. Of course there will still be an element of operator error, but as technology continues to become more intuitive and user friendly the number of mistakes will reduce enormously. This technology is already being implemented across the globe and as it grows in sophistication the need for a human to take an order will be all but removed. The automated menu will be a much cheaper option for any restaurant and because of this I’m sure we’ll see this trend grow.

As well as providing a convenient method of ordering, a touchscreen menu can also provide you with a payment method. One of the many frustrations that can occur at a restaurant is waiting to pay the bill, if a restaurant is busy it can take several minutes sometimes longer to be seen by a waiter or waitress and if you have plans after your meal this can act as a real annoyance. With the technologies available today and already being implemented in many places it is possible to pay instantly or in your own time using the sophisticated technology we now have readily available. The truth is it wouldn’t take much more than an iPad to accomplish many of these things, greatly reducing the need for employing real people.

As a race we largely view the preparation of food as an art form and the thought of allowing machines to take over this isn’t a particularly appealing one. Despite this we are beginning to see more and more innovations in food preparation and the idea of automating this process in the not to distant future is not as crazy as it sounds. After all, in the kitchen at home we follow recipes to the gram and stick to a strict process. This is exactly what machines do best. Therefore a head chef could set parameters on machines rather than boss around a team of chefs in the preparation of a meal. In Japan there are currently a number of new technologies in development using robotics that could soon see a drastic reduction in the number of humans required to prepare fast food. As you can see from the video below the technologies in question haven’t reached the level of sophistication required quite yet but it is clear to see that there would be great demand in the industry for a technology that can remove the need for employing people in certain areas of the work.

I’m not suggesting for a moment that we’re going to be seeing robots take over fine dining establishments but the majority of the world’s public tend to eat in low cost eateries, this is also the sector where we employ most people within he industry. Imagine every McDonalds, Burger King and Pizza Hut automating their food preparation process. It isn’t all that hard to imagine as the entire operation is already broken down into simple processes. This would make a huge number of jobs across the globe obsolete. The development of these innovations is speeding up rapidly and as the demand for these technologies rise we’ll soon see the large chain restaurants adopting them.

Another tricky aspect of restaurant automation is the delivery of food to a customer’s table. Now there would probably be a number of ways this could be achieved using various robotic technologies or conveyor belt technology, a restaurant in Germany however has used a different system entirely. The ordering and food delivery process is entirely automated using a unique robotic delivery system. By using a series of rails the chefs in the kitchen are able to deliver the food to their customers directly and without the need of a waiter/waitress. This has the potential to greatly increase the efficiency and also has long term cost benefits. Whether this is a concept that will catch on is yet to be seen but this is yet another example of how the food industry is striving to automate the service process.

Although the fully automated restaurant hasn’t been accomplished quite yet it is clear to see that there have been many innovations that will likely see it become a reality in the not too distant future. The truth is, it doesn’t take total automation to have a drastic effect on the global economy. Millions of people are employed in the restaurant industry globally and if a number of large restaurant chains implemented automation into just one stage of the service process we would see millions of jobs wiped out.

What do you think about all this? Do you believe that automation will begin to take over the food industry or maybe you believe that many of these technologies simply won’t catch on. Whatever your thoughts I’d love to hear them

Retail automation is being adopted on a large scale. I recently wrote an article titled Technological Unemployment and after a mixed response I decided that I would do a series of articles based on how various different employment sectors are removing the human element from the work process. There are a number of issues affecting the global economy and one aspect that economists either disregard or ignore is technological unemployment. Technological unemployment is an inconvenience to modern society because by its very nature has the ability to crash our entire social system. This is the first part of an ongoing series of articles that will be published over time and today I shall concentrate on the retail sector and how retail automation is currently affecting the industry.

In 2008 the retail sector employed over 3 million people in the UK (11% of the national workforce) and a high percentage of these jobs are based on the shop floor. As you can see, retail accounts for a sizeable chunk of employment in the UK, yet there are a number of technological developments that threaten the jobs of these 3 million workers. Whilst it will take time for new technologies to be introduced, as the costs of these technologies fall the benefits and cost reductions will be realised not only by large retailers but also small to medium sized firms also. You’ve probably already seen the introduction of self-service checkouts in a number of small to medium sized stores all over the place.

Smartphone Payments – Near Field Communications (NFC)

One development we’re beginning to see come to fruition is smartphone payment technology such as Near Field Communications (NFC). This technology will greatly make the customer service process far more efficient and helps take away the need for human service. By combining NFC with self-service checkout technology it is clear to see the benefits that can be gained by businesses of all sizes, especially considering the cost to incorporate this technology is falling all the time.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

Whilst smartphone payments offer a small reduction in customer processing time the human service element can almost be entirely removed using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. With RFID technology there is no need to even enter a checkout process as your goods are scanned whether in your pocket or in a basket or cart as you exit the store. RFID is also able to take payment the same way, whether you pay via your smartphone or credit card, it will be possible for the payment to be taken without the need for even reaching into your pocket or bag. By incorporating this technology the checkout process is made far quicker, more efficient and without the need for human intervention. RFID is already beginning to appear in various stores all over the world and this technology offers a logical step into the next generation of retail automation and could potentially eradicate a huge portion of the 3 million jobs currently filled in the UK.

In the not too distant future other identification technology will allow for shoppers to enter a store and be greeted by an electronic display offering special deals related to their buying habits. These will be logged with the company similar to the way Amazon and various other retail websites do now. Customers will then be able to simply tap on the products they want from the electronic display and the order will be sent instantly to a pick up point whilst payment would have already been taken via RFID. This whole system could be automated and I will give an example in a future article regarding automated storage.

Natural User Interface (NFI)

As we’re seeing much greater interactivity with the technology we use on a daily basis it will soon be the case that most of the things we do in a store will be possible to do from the comfort of our own homes. Many of us are already using the internet for most of our retail needs but this is just the first step. Whilst I’m talking of an automation revolution in the retail industry you’re all probably thinking that there are some actions you simply can’t do without physically being in a retail outlet. As an example many people like to try on clothes before making a purchase. However, with the introduction of the Xbox Kinect and the technology this device uses a whole new realm of possibility is thrown into the equation. Imagine being able to try on clothes from the comfort of your own home where the perfect size is selected for you simply by using web cameras and NFI technology. You could place your order through your TV, smartphone, laptop or whatever connected device you have access to and have the garments sent to you safe in the knowledge that you have tried on the outfit and received approval from whoever is on your social network.

Virtual Shopping Malls

As the interactivity of our technologies increase and the social networks become more greatly integrated into the retail process many people will be able to enjoy what could be considered an enhanced retail experience online and the need to visit physical locations will greatly decrease. We could easily be seeing people shopping with their online avatars in the near future, to some extent we’re already seeing this happen. The need for human service is greatly reduced in an online environment and following the phenomenal growth of the online retail sector it makes sense to conclude that this is where the industry is heading.

Now many of you may be thinking that even with all these technological developments humans are still needed in many of the processes that take place behind the scenes and to some extent you’re right. However, as I’ll demonstrate over the coming articles in this series you’ll see that many of the human elements in all areas of a retail business can be removed. I’m not suggesting all jobs will be removed because many of them require people to fill them. Whilst technological development in the past has created employment opportunities, we’re now reaching a point in technological development where human intervention is eradicated. Developed countries are largely reliant on their service industries for employment due to both outsourcing internationally and technological development. As technology continues to develop in the way it has been we’re going to see the service industry turn its back on employment also and millions of people will be left unemployed, replaced by machines that are cheaper and more efficient.

Be sure to check out Terje’s other pieces of work on the link provided above as he demonstrates further how he is one of the finest photographers around.

So how does this driverless car work? Well, The car itself uses Google Maps to navigate its way around and to drive it uses a series of technologies including video cameras, a laser range and radar sensors to be able to see the road and stop if anything is in its path. While this technology is still in development the benefits of a technology like this are obvious. Imagine setting out on a long journey and actually looking forward to the drive, you could sit back and relax on the back seat whilst watching a movie, playing some video games, listening to music or even working on an onboard computer. The thought of letting the car do all the work is a very seductive one and this is surely a technology we’re going to see develop further. This is another example of Google entering a market and literally trying to turn it on its head. The Google car is said to have been tested over around 150,000 miles and so far the road tests have had some very positive results.

Google aren’t the only company testing driverless road vehicles, an organisation called CityMobil have been testing driverless vehicles for a while now but their vision for the future is quite different. CityMobil’s plans are for people to call for a car when they need it maybe through a smartphone or a computer and then only use it to get to where they need to go. This has the potential to largely cut the need for city car ownership drastically, increasing the amount of space available for city development and also helping cut the use of cars running on fossil fuels. Citymobil plan to use electric cars for their automated city car project and if successful the reduction in carbon emissions would be huge. If the driverless car project is successful a number of problems associated with public transportation could be solved, road congestion would be reduced, overcrowding of mass transit systems would be reduced and the air around the city would be cleaner.

The reduction in use of fossil fuels alone should be enough of a reason for the driverless vehicle to be developed further, it is more likely however that the commercial opportunity that this technology presents is what will really drive this concept forward. The chances of us seeing this technology being adopted globally is very high and as the technology improves I’m sure driverless vehicles will become commonplace in large towns and cities, how long it will take for this technology to hit the market is another question but it should be a good few years yet before we see it fully take off. I’m certainly looking forward to see what developments occur over the next few years regarding this technology.

What do you think about the concept of the driverless car? Would you feel safe in a car being driven by a computer? What problems do you see in this technology becoming commonplace around the globe? Whatever your thoughts are regarding the driverless car I would be interested in hearing them. Please leave your comments below.

The video games of the future promise to be remarkable. With the arrival of Microsoft’s Kniect gaming platform the world of video gaming appears to be evolving. Following on from the Nintendo Wii, Xbox Kinect has provided gamers with a truly controller-less gaming experience. With the high graphic capabilities of today’s game consoles and the immersive control systems now being adopted what can we expect to see in the future? There are many avenues that can be explored and this article will cover some of the concepts out there and also some of the current developments. What can we expect from the video games of the future.

3D

The first development we’re already seeing is in 3D capabilities. The Nintendo 3DS has now been released and this new technology makes it possible to view the screen in 3D without the need for glasses. Nintendo have been able to achieve this by using a process called lenticular 3D. As well as Nintendo Sony are moving into the realms of 3D by incorporating 3D capabilities into the Playstation 3. It is still relatively unclear how popular 3D will prove to be with consumers so this technology is very much a case of “watch this space”.

Motion Control

With the current developments in motion control it makes a lot of sense to assume that we’ll see further developments in this field. The enormous popularity of the Nintendo Wii, Xbox Kinect and Playstation Move show that there is still enormous market value in these control systems and there are still obvious improvements that can be made. As the hardware and firmware become more responsive we can expect the functionality of the games available on these systems to improve massively. Over the next couple of years it is likely that these control systems will recognise far more body movement gestures and open up new avenues for developers.

Voice Recognition

To some extent Xbox Kinect promised to deliver effective voice recognition capabilities, but to all those that have tested out the voice system in Kinect will know that it is far from perfect. However, with a number of voice recognition products now gaining interest in the market such as Google’s voice search, it is likely that voice recognition is an area that will continue to be explored by developers. Imagine actually being able to fully interact verbally with characters within a game. It would certainly make for an interesting gaming experience.

Brain Control

There have been a series of recent developments in brain control interfaces. This technology is still very primitive but in the future this is a technology we simply can’t rule out. As our understanding of the human brain improves these devices are only going to get better and more responsive. It seems strange to think that in the future we’d be able to play video games with our minds. As space age as it all sounds this could be a reality sooner than we think and with devices already on the market this could be a potential area of development for games companies.

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) is beginning to find its way into some of the latest devices coming out on the market. For those of you that are unfamiliar with AR technology, AR is basically a display that superimposes simulated imagery onto your real-world surroundings. Similar to what you can see in The Terminator where the Terminator can see his surroundings but also has a number of readings being processed onto his view of the real-world. This technology has a great deal of potential, when we see further developments using AR it is feasible that we’ll one day be able to walk down the street whilst seeing our favourite Star Wars characters do battle around oblivious pedestrians. AR could certainly add another dimension to the gaming industry and although it is in a fairly primitive stage now I would suggest further developments in this area are very likely.

Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) isn’t a new concept and the gaming industry has attempted a VR system unsuccessfully in the past in the form of the Nintendo Virtual Boy. VR has been used in many industries now for years and as gamers look for greater interaction with their games Virtual Reality could provide a viable option. In May 2009 Steve Spielberg spoke to The Guardian saying “I really think virtual reality, which experimentally came and went in the eighties, is going to be redeveloped”. Virtual Reality is the technology that presents the greatest potential for full game immersion. Imagine literally being inside a virtual environment where you are literally part of that environment. VR will give developers limitless opportunity and potential when designing new systems and games and the potential to combine this technology with other current advances is obvious. It is unlikely we’ll see a VR system in the near future but if this is an avenue games companies want to explore the technology is there.

These are just a handful of the technologies currently being developed that could be applied and are being applied to the video games industry. If we wanted to look even further into the future we could look at the potential nanotechnology has in developing a gaming suit that would provide the ability to touch and feel a virtual environment, but I will leave that for another article. In truth the video games industry has played it rather safe so far and in the future I think we can expect the video game giants Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo to move in different directions. As new technologies become more affordable and user friendly the gaming industry will boom and we’ll see a whole new line of development.

What are your thoughts on the video games of the future? How do you see the future of video games changing? I would love to hear your opinion regarding the video games of the future.

What could the phones of tomorrow possibly look like? What will we be able to do with the phones of the future? Well one thing is for sure, we’ll continue to see this integration of online services and other hardware. How many of us now plug our phones into our stereos and TVs to access our music and video collections, and how many of us do most of our web browsing on our phones? The truth is we’re all spending more and more time on our phones because our phones enable us to complete more of our daily tasks. As we’re currently developing newer efficient screen technologies it makes sense that our mobile phones in the future will have even smarter screen capabilities. We may not even need to touch the screens in the future as cameras and sensors now have the ability to recognise a series of hand gestures. The phones in the future are also likely to have better voice recognition capabilities, who knows, your phone may even have a programmed personality and talk back to you, reading you the news, your messages and also the weather. We will probably begin to see holographic 3D technology being incorporated fairly soon providing us with a 3D experience without the need for glasses, and we’ll also no doubt see resolutions grow and grow. The iPhone 4 already has stunning resolution with the retina display so imagine a resolution 3 or 4 times bigger.

Another development we’re likely to see in the next few years is the flexible screen. Sony have already developed this technology and as prices of production decrease we can expect to see a new wave of development in mobile telecommunications. Imagine being able to roll out the screen from your phone so it is closer to the size of a tablet but can be rolled back to fit in your pocket. This kind of technology really does have the potential to make our laptops and desktops obsolete. As screens become more flexible developers are provided with a whole new avenue of potential options. Physical designs of mobile phones will really evolve and we could start to see a whole range of weird and wonderful designs. We could even see phones become fashion accessories as the super flexible screens would be able to display any image you wish. Imagine a phone that could be wrapped around your wrist and used as either a bracelet or a watch that can be customised to look like whatever you want it to.

As technologies continue to develop I’m sure we’ll see the phones of the future incorporating new advanced technologies to enhance their design and usability. Some of the phones currently in development are being designed to incorporate projection technology, so in theory we could begin to see our TVs and projectors being replaced by mobile phones. As well as projection capabilities advances in infrared keyboard projection technology could provide mobile phone users the ability to project a light based keyboard onto a surface which could be used like a regular sized PC keyboard. The problems experienced by people with large fingers would be a thing of the past.

If we look a long way into the future it makes sense that our phones will incorporate highly advanced technologies such as nanotechnology allowing your phone to do tasks such as clean itself, or scan your food for harmful toxins. With nanotechnology the options would literally be endless in developing mobile phone technology. As well as nanotech another conceptual technology for the future of phones is translucent photonic circuitry. Imagine your phone being nothing more than a translucent block with a high resolution display taking all of the energy it needs to run from its surrounding environment. These technologies are being developed right now and I have no doubt we’ll see these in the future. There are an infinite number of potential avenues for the mobile telecommunications industry to explore. I have only covered a few in this article.

What do you think about the future of mobile phones? Do you think we’re going to see some significant developments in this industry or will it evolve into something completely different? Maybe you don’t see any point in advancing the technology any further. Whatever your thoughts are on this I’d love to hear them. Please feel free to leave a comment.

The truth of the matter is that the world is more enslaved today than it has ever been. The unfortunate truth of the matter is that the majority of the global population believe they’re free but in truth there is no freedom. In a global society where 1% of the population possess 40% of the planet’s wealth I can assure you that the vast majority of this planet has never experienced freedom. In a world where a child is dying of starvation or preventable diseases every 5 seconds there is no such thing as freedom. When I started this blog I wanted to take an unbiased approach to my writing after all as I have said I am a firm believer in the idea of a Resource Based Economy but after seeing certain global events unfold over the last few weeks I am more inclined to write truly in favour of a new way of thinking, living and being. Many people find it strange that I believe in a Resource Based Economy as I’m currently studying towards a master’s degree in Business Management, but having now nearly completed my postgraduate education and after undertaking extensive independent research the true nature of the global financial system has become apparent to me and I am truly sickened. There is always talk of corrupt governments in the developing world and how many third world countries are unable to develop because these governments hold them back. The fact of the matter is the opposite is true, the central banking systems that are prevalent right across the globe exemplify the most corrupt system ever devised and the majority of the world’s people don’t even know it.

My only hope is that when the global financial meltdown occurs we take a sensible and pragmatic approach to our world’s future. We’re consuming our world into oblivion and this has to stop. Our capitalist system needs to be eradicated as it is destroying our planet and killing millions of people globally. The truth is we have the resources to feed everyone and live abundant lives, if we take a resource based perspective on our economy we could make efficient use of the world’s resources without depleting them to the point of non-existence. Jacque Fresco presents a viable option with his Resource Based Economy plan for our global society and while he himself admits it isn’t a perfect system it is certainly a much better and more efficient one. My fear is that when the global economy collapses the world will enter into a period of chaos and uncertainty, if this occurs we’re in danger of a third world war and I’m sure we’re in no doubt that a world war in this day and age would almost certainly be nuclear.

What is your opinion of this technology? Would you like to the Shweeb where you live? What problems do you think the company will have when trying to incorporate this into the world’s cities? Would you use this method of transportation if it was available to you? Do you think it will catch on? Please post your views, it’d be great to hear your thoughts on this.

The one thing I love about all this new technology we’re currently being exposed to is that it is literally reconceptualising just about everything. Everything is changing. Looking back, there are many technological breakthroughs even in recent years that have impacted our lives in a big way. Take computers for example, they completely revolutionised the way we work, also look at social networks, they have changed the way we communicate and interact with friends, families and colleagues. The idea behind the smart home in my eyes is that it takes your everyday taken-for-granted objects and completely changes or extends its functionality. Now many of my ideas are conceptual and are based on my own conjecture so please keep that in mind.

Smart Walls - Take walls for example, we are surrounded by walls everywhere we go and yet mostly they are dull, barren spaces with little appeal other than sometimes containing a little colour or rarely a piece of artwork. What if we were to look at walls from a completely different perspective and take the view a graffiti artist might of walls, a blank canvas. As walls will cover a large amount of space in your house imagine if you could make that space an exciting and dynamic one which gives the ability to educate, entertain, inform and inspire. With advances in technologies such as OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen technology and touchscreen technology we will soon have the ability to create low cost screens that are highly energy efficient and are able to cover your walls almost like wallpaper. Imagine being able to fully interact with all the walls of your house, your walls will be able to recognise who you are through retinal scanning or fingerprint recognition software and display your favourite artwork, colours, landscapes, photos, documents, films and TV shows. You would be able to get rid of that large TV that takes up so much space and set whatever size screen you want on your wall. By combining video conferencing technology you could see life-size video feeds of your colleagues, friends, family or fellow gamers right there on your walls almost as though they were there with you.

Every wall in your house or apartment could be used as a highly creative space where you’re free to walk around and aren’t restricted by a keyboard, mouse and monitor. Imagine walking in from work on a horrible rainy day and being able to surround yourself with a wonderful 360 degree landscape of a beach in the Caribbean to help cheer yourself up. Imagine playing a video game set in space where you’re actually surrounded by the game’s environment along with your friends playing online with you. The possibilities are endless with technology like this and would completely revolutionise the TV and Computer industries.

Smart Mirror – There are currently smart mirrors being developed but as I have done with the other concepts let’s take a look into the future. Now we all stand in front of the mirror at some point during the day, some more than others, so this creates a perfect opportunity to do more than just shave or apply make-up. Imagine being able to receive all your latest news and weather updates through your RSS feeds on your mirror, imagine being able to read your emails and see the latest stock update through your mirror. We’re living in an age where we rely on speed in the consumption of information. By digesting this information whilst completing monotonous daily tasks we are able to save time and take the boredom out of those chores we have to complete every day.