America. Land of the free and home of the…technology? Look around, we are living in a digital world with our brains connected to electronics. Americans demand fast, easy, and efficient solutions to problems and the technology that helps us is only getting more advanced. We are living on the edge of the 2000s and about to take a dive into the hi-tech gadgets of the future. The Email Killer A team of Google engineers asked themselves, "What would email look like if it was invented today?" Their answer definitely made waves, Google Waves to be precise. The Google Wave is a revolutionary communication system designed by technology powerhouse Google. Google boasts that the Wave is the "next generation of internet communication." It works like previous messaging systems such as email, but instead of sending a message along with its entire thread, or storing responses in each user's inbox, messages (referred to as waves) are perpetually fed back and forth immediately. This web-based service is designed to merge e-mail, instant messaging, wikis, and social networking. Google Wave comes equipped with automatic spell checking and translation for over 40 languages. It's more or less instantaneous messaging opposed to instant messaging. You can type someone a response, they can watch you type it, and they start responding even before you finish. Still confused about it? Check out a preview at wave.google.com. Maybe in the future you will be asking people if they want to start a Wave instead of sending an email.
Look Mom, I'm on 3-D TV! Three-dimensional images are expected to jump out of movie theaters and into living rooms by next year. Sony and Panasonic say they will release home 3-D television systems in 2010; Mitsubishi and JVC are reported to be working on similar products. The 3-D transition has been compared to the switch from black-and-white to color television and the shift from standard- to high-definition images. Just imagine watching football games or action movies in 3-D. The price of 3-D TV, which requires a new television, broadcasting content and 3-D glasses, is not expected to be substantially higher than some high-definition televisions on the market now. All 3-D technology relies on is the idea that if separate images are presented to the left and right eyes, the human brain will combine them and create the illusion of a third dimension. The effect moves so quickly that it tricks the brain into merging the images and creates the perspective needed to see images in 3-D. Experts expect 3-D TV to be common in homes within five to 10 years. Technology that will make 3-D TV possible without glasses should be ready in 10 to 15 years. 3-D is expected to be the biggest technology coming to television and home movies in the foreseeable future. Well, at least until we get holograms.
Just in the Nook of time. To compensate for the huge market of technology, Barnes and Noble has released their very own e-book reading device. Barnes and Noble brags that the "Nook" is the "world's most advanced e-book reader." The Nook will compete with the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, and other readers, and will include Wi-Fi and AT&T 3G wireless connectivity, a six inch E Ink display, and a separate, smaller color touchscreen that serves as the primary input device. Although the Nook costs $259, you receive thousands of free e-books such as Treasure Island and Pride and Prejudice. Additional e-books may be purchased for $9.99 or less. Memory chips are available which make your virtual library endless. Users can also lend e-books to friends and listen to 26 hours of audio on the Nook. Read your favorite magazines, newspapers, and books instantly without carrying an entire library. The Nook will be available in all Barnes and Noble stores on Nov. 30 along with demo Nooks to fiddle with. Who knows, maybe in the future a trip to the library will be only a few clicks away.
If you could ask someone 15 years ago about blackberries, podcasts, Twitter, Facebook, Bluray, wikis, or Skype, I am sure they would admit you for psychoanalysis. The world of technology continues to explode with advancements and you can chose either to embrace them or get left in the pixel dust of the 2000's.
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