AfterDawn: Tech news

IBM reveals their annual '5 in 5' predicitions

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 19 Dec 2011 2:40 User comments (5)

IBM reveals their annual '5 in 5' predicitions

As part of their annual '5 in 5' predictions, IBM says mind reading is coming sooner than you think.
The list is the company's way to predict 5 pieces of technology or services that will emerge five years into the future. The list also helps keep IBM focused on its "Smarter Planet" initiatives.

Here is this year's list:
Mind reading is no longer science fiction.
You will be able to power your home with the energy you create yourself.
You will never need a password again.
The digital divide will cease to exist.
Junk mail will become priority mail.


When speaking about mind reading, IBM doesn't mean getting to look at someone else and immediately hear what they are thinking. What they mean is your brain could be synced to portable devices. IBM explains: "If you just need to think about calling someone, it happens. Or you can control the cursor on a computer screen just by thinking about where you want to move it. Scientists in the field of bioinformatics have designed headsets with advanced sensors to read electrical brain activity that can recognize facial expressions, excitement and concentration levels, and thoughts of a person without them physically taking any actions."



Don't take it from me, however, here is the list with full explanations from IBM: Science fiction becomes reality. Worlds collide. The future is now...or within five years, at least.

Previous Next  

5 user comments

119.12.2011 20:07

interesting

220.12.2011 03:02

How long until I can blow s**t up with my eyes???

320.12.2011 04:06

mind reading could be good but could be bad.people when stressed,angry,emotional,anxious dont think clearly and logically.

420.12.2011 06:13

The 2006 predictions were not exactly stellar...

The first was that we would have remote healthcare access, that we would be able to do video check-ins with doctors, and that we would have electronic health records...at least half a FAIL.

The second is that we would have 3D internet; the internet would be like a virtual world where all websites appeared like store fronts...FAIL.

The third is that we would have context-aware mobile phones. While there are some apps that are semi-aware, they rarely work and use so much battery power that they are practically useless. On top of that, they generally miss what you are looking for any direct you to some far away store that paid to be featured and does not have what you want...FAIL.

The fourth is that we would have real-time speech translation...total FAIL; even text to text translations are still downright useless.

The fifth is that we would have nanotechnology improving water quality and solar power...we do now have nano solar panels, but they cost more than the old designs...and the nanobots for water purification still don't exist...half fail.

So, 5 years later and two of their predictions came true half-way.

521.12.2011 04:44

IBM should make that 5 in 50.

Comments have been disabled for this article.

Latest news

Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets (06 Jun 2023 9:19)
Roomba Combo j7+ is the very first Roomba model to combine robot vacuum with mopping features. And Roomba Combo j7+ does all that with a very clever trick, which tackles the problem with mopping and carpets. But is it any good? We found out.
Neato, the robot vacuum company, ends its operations Neato, the robot vacuum company, ends its operations (02 May 2023 3:38)
Neato Robotics has ceased its operations. American robot vacuum pioneer founded in 2005 has finally called it quits and company will cease its operations and sales. Only a skeleton crew will remain who will keep the servers running until 2028.
5 user comments
How to Send Messages to Yourself on WhatsApp How to Send Messages to Yourself on WhatsApp (20 Mar 2023 1:25)
The world's most popular messaging platform, Meta-owned WhatsApp has enabled sending messages to yourself. While at first, this might seem like an odd feature, it can be very useful in a lot of situations. ....
18 user comments
How to Enable Bluetooth on Stadia Controller How to Enable Bluetooth on Stadia Controller (11 Feb 2023 1:04)
Google shut down its streaming game service Stadia late last month and this means that some people have Stadia controllers lying around that seem to be of no use. That is fortunately not the ....
2 user comments
Guide: How to Kick Unwanted Guests from Your Netflix Account Guide: How to Kick Unwanted Guests from Your Netflix Account (26 Jan 2023 2:14)
Sharing a Netflix account with a person in a different location is possible and indeed very common, although the company doesn't necessarily enjoy this behavior from their customers. However, ....

News archive