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IBM
Next Five in Five
Technology major IBM has unveiled
its annual "IBM Next Five in Five" list of innovations. The list
prophecies the innovations over the next five years that will change the way
we live, work and enjoy.
These
five innovations were selected based on projects in our Research labs,
research conducted by our business think-tank, and ideas pooled from more than
150,000 people from 104 countries who took part in an online brainstorming
session called “IBM InnovationJam.”
The innovations predict a future where people will be able to foresee their
health destiny and use that knowledge to modify their lifestyle, will surf the
Web using their voices and smart appliances will help them guide through their
daily chore list, making sure they forget none.
Here's looking into the five innovations.
Access
Healthcare remotely - A "crystal ball"
What
if you could foresee your health destiny and use that knowledge to modify your
lifestyle? Even though we are told that things like potato chips, cheese and
wine aren’t good for us, what if you could find out specifically that you
are someone who could consume more of those vices without having negative
impact on your health?
In the next five years, your doctor will be able to provide you with a genetic
map that tells you what health risks you are likely to face in your lifetime
and the specific things you can do to prevent them, based on your specific DNA
-- all for less than $200.
Ever since scientists discovered how to map the entire human genome, it has
opened new doors in helping to unlock the secrets our genes hold to predicting
health traits and conditions we may be predisposed to. Doctors can use this
information to recommend lifestyle changes and treatments. Genetic mapping
will radically transform healthcare over the next five years and allow you to
take better care of yourself.
Real-time Speech
translation
“Going”
to the Web will change dramatically in the next five years. In the future, you
will be able to surf the Internet, hands-free, by using your voice --
therefore eliminating the need for visuals or keypads. New technology will
change how people create, build and interact with information and e-commerce
websites -- using speech instead of text.
We know this can happen because the technology is available, but we also know
it can happen because it must. In places like India, where the spoken word is
more prominent than the written word in education, government and culture,
“talking” to the Web is leapfrogging all other interfaces, and the mobile
phone is outpacing the PC.
In the future, through the use of “VoiceSites,” people without access to a
personal computer and Internet, or who are unable to read or write, will be
able to take advantage of all the benefits and conveniences the Web has to
offer. And by the Web becoming more accessible by using voice, it will become
easier to use for everyone.
Personal digital shopping
assistants and 3-D Internet
Ever
find yourself in a fitting room with all the wrong sizes and no salesperson in
sight? And what about affirmation from friends that the outfit you’ve chosen
truly does look good on you? In the next five years, shoppers will
increasingly rely on themselves -- and the opinions of each other -- to make
purchasing decisions rather than wait for help from in-store sales associates.
A combination of new technology and the next wave of mobile devices will give
the in-store shopping experience a significant boost. Fitting rooms soon will
be outfitted with digital shopping assistants -- touchscreen and voice
activated kiosks that will allow you to choose clothing items and accessories
to complement, or replace, what you already selected.
Once you make your selections, a sales associate is notified and will gather
the items and bring them directly to you. You’ll also be able to snap photos
of yourself in different combinations and email or SMS them to your friends
and family for the thumbs up or the thumbs down.
Portable
and stationary smart appliances
Information
overload keeping you up at night? Forget about it. In the next five years, it
will become much easier to remember what to buy at the grocery store, which
errands need to be run, who you spoke with at a conference, where and when you
agreed to meet a friend, or what product you saw advertised at the airport.
That's because such details of everyday life will be recorded, stored,
analysed, and provided at the appropriate time and place by both portable and
stationary smart appliances.
To help make this possible, microphones and video cameras will record each of
your conversations and activities. The information collected will be
automatically stored and analysed on a personal computer. People can then be
prompted to "remember" what discussions they had, for example, with
their daughter or doctor by telephone.
Based on such conversations, smartphones equipped with global-positioning
technology might also remind them to pick up groceries or prescriptions if
they pass a particular store at a particular time.
Solar technology in asphalt,
paint and windows - atoms will address areas of environmental importance
Ever
wonder how much energy could be created by having solar technology embedded in
our sidewalks, driveways, siding, paint, rooftops, and windows? In the next
five years, solar energy will be an affordable option for you and your
neighbors. Until now, the materials and the process of producing solar cells
to convert into solar energy have been too costly for widespread adoption.
But now this is changing with the creation of “thin-film” solar cells, a
new type of cost-efficient solar cell that can be 100 times thinner than
silicon-wafer cells and produced at a lower cost.
These new thin-film solar cells can be “printed” and arranged on a
flexible backing, suitable for not only the tops, but also the sides of
buildings, tinted windows, cell phones, notebook computers, cars, and even
clothing. [Source:
IBM and Agencies]
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