tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post6372014412518642726..comments2024-03-18T02:14:57.204-07:00Comments on Google Operating System: Win a Chrome OS NotebookAlex Chituhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618542750965508582noreply@blogger.comBlogger188125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-89729959115497973052010-12-14T14:28:46.305-08:002010-12-14T14:28:46.305-08:00Thank you for all your great comments. I'll an...Thank you for all your great comments. I'll announce the winner tomorrow.Alex Chituhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02618542750965508582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-75130355455616044192010-12-14T14:24:02.687-08:002010-12-14T14:24:02.687-08:00The future of computing is Notepad with built in s...The future of computing is Notepad with built in spell checking. I hope you guys aren't too picky with spelling.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00520884593452425219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-24809108860778873882010-12-14T14:14:59.186-08:002010-12-14T14:14:59.186-08:00The future of computing is one experience, from an...The future of computing is one experience, from any machine. Reliable connectivity will allow all data and preferences to be saved through the cloud ready to go, anywhere. It will be fast, secure, and always up to date with absolutely no effort on the user end.cwachthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02098233890176251327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-42244330480095634622010-12-14T14:02:21.189-08:002010-12-14T14:02:21.189-08:00If you can't post your essay, create a Google ...If you can't post your essay, create a Google Docs document and post the address in a comment. You still have about 15 minutes.Alex Chituhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02618542750965508582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-29003075270301532392010-12-14T14:02:00.899-08:002010-12-14T14:02:00.899-08:00The future of computing?
Chrome OS of course!The future of computing?<br /><br />Chrome OS of course!Jerehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02362638775552865840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-47625920832048689392010-12-14T13:58:15.420-08:002010-12-14T13:58:15.420-08:00Computing to us humans in the past decades has evo...Computing to us humans in the past decades has evolved. From what was once an experiment to something we do every day of our lives. Computing's evolution has not only progressed in the form of processing speed, or size of hardware, it has progressed to almost be another sense to us in our lives.<br /><br />Computings almost become a part of people, like a useful organ. We use technology to run down so much information and gather the bits and pieces we need. It's a guidance we need to get to where we are going, like our eyes will show us the way. Computing shows us the way not only in sight but in knowledge. Knowledge is an extreme entity in the computing world, like the blood of the system. <br /><br />What's even more remarkable is our capability to use computers, technology, data, and compute it all to progress within that very same field. We use technology to build better technology, thus advancing farther and farther. And most of that is all thanks to computing.<br /><br />So what lies in the future? I can't really explain but I know where we are now with technology and computing is astounding and we can figure out the answers to the deepest questions, or calculate the exact data of a complex situation with computing technology. So what ever is in the future of it all, has to be amazing because it only keeps getting better and better.Gabriel Santoshttp://www.facebook.com/Gabesaintsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-46346123753807700492010-12-14T13:58:14.434-08:002010-12-14T13:58:14.434-08:00Future of computing:
As I leave the house for my ...Future of computing:<br /><br />As I leave the house for my morning drive to Calix and step into the Camry, my favorite podcast "Planet Money" has started playing. My Galaxy S phone, sitting snuggly in my pocket, knows to start playing the podcast because it has detected that the bluetooth device it has paired to is a car audio device. I also notice that the display in my Camry has popputed a map with nearby gas stations after calulating the price and the distance to figure out that most cost effective place to fill the tank. I drive to Chevron on the route to my work and as soon as I step out of the car, the NFC reader on the pump has detected who I am and has activted the pump. I just had to tap the "Confirm Transaction" button that popped up my Galaxy S.<br /><br />I'm thankful that my drive to work is short, but still dread the fact that I must drive to work. I curse Comcast and wish for a faster internet connection to my house as I pull up to the parking lot. As I step into the office, thru GPS detection the phone has gone to sleep, saving precious battery life and calls are now now routed to my desk machine running Chrome OS.<br /><br />Wow! I love living in the future. Things work just the way you expect them to.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00520884593452425219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-37037876290051593902010-12-14T13:58:12.442-08:002010-12-14T13:58:12.442-08:00The future of computing will resemble the history ...The future of computing will resemble the history of motors. The vast majority of people don't ever see or think about motors - even though they are present in so many things that affect our daily life. Likewise, in the future, these will be our phones, our new kind of books, our new kinds of television, our new kinds of newly imagined things. Computing itself will only be the concern of those that design or repair our systems, or those who seek a perverse sort of hobby.Andy Khttp://www.google.com/profiles/AndyKowalczyknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-26480689806817909932010-12-14T13:57:57.800-08:002010-12-14T13:57:57.800-08:00This is so unfair. I've just spent the last ho...This is so unfair. I've just spent the last hour writing my essay and the comment form won't accept it.J Kittlenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-80719942856435309542010-12-14T13:56:50.685-08:002010-12-14T13:56:50.685-08:00The future of computing is a giant cloud of integr...The future of computing is a giant cloud of integration between computers, phones, sensors... any electronic device. I'll wake up and my computer will know my breakfast preferences, my morning habits, my commute, the weather, and it will predict my needs and wants. Most of the annoyances of the world - traffic, human forgetfulness (what groceries do I need) - can all be gotten rid of by technology. The cloud will know me, and will do its best to make my life "happy".<br /><br />The future of computing is also a world of information without borders. Instantaneous language translation will allow me to communicate with anyone with ease. An efficient marketplace of ideas will foster innovation and growth, perhaps most importantly in developing nations.<br /><br />I look forward to it all.<br /><br />Andrew Sullivan<br />licyeus@gmail.comAndrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07245298850942205622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-26001888382000576822010-12-14T13:53:57.432-08:002010-12-14T13:53:57.432-08:00With all due respect to my esteemed fellow chrome-...With all due respect to my esteemed fellow chrome-thirsty essayists, many of them are looking at their doorsteps instead of the horizon. Chrome OS, as radical as it is, is still only a sketch of the transformations to come. <br /><br />Cloud computing encompasses data and even software today, but tomorrow, our processing power, memory, GPUs and even hardware drivers will follow our apps and data into the cloud. This will be the Total Cloud, simplifying almost every conceivable aspect of computing. <br /><br />Consumer hardware will be simplified to wireless-enabled screens and lots of them. (Scoble will be in Heaven) - screens for work, screens for entertainment and tv, screens for mobile, with pixel real estate being the only limitation on what can be done on them. When buying computers, we'll be spared the job of cluing up on hardware beforehand. CPUs, RAM, motherboards, Graphics Cards and storage disks will recede from public awareness back into the world of computer engineering or hobbyists. Every gadget and peripheral will be cloud enabled and data transfer will happen in the cloud. For example, cameras will save their photos and videos directly to the cloud rather than to memory cards. USB and other ports will able to disappear from consumer devices. Stripped of these components, there'll be no drivers to boot or checks to run when switching on a computer. As exciting as Chrome OS's rapid boot will be (& my mouth waters Niagaraishly for it), tomorrow it will switch on instantaneously and battery life will be measured in days or weeks. <br /><br />Processing power will be unlimited and free. All software processes will exist in the cloud and code won't ever come near a consumer PC. For instance using the Adobe After Effects cloud app of the future, every effect will be calculated on cloud computers using cloud processes and cloud energy, as fast or faster than they would be on a traditional PC. GPU computations for the latest computer games will happen in the cloud and as a result games will equally fast for all devices. With the burden of processing removed, the sole purpose of user devices will be input. <br /><br />Best of all, with every device plugged into a single hub, real time collaboration will be possible in ways unthinkable today. For example, on Dec 14, 2020, a googler running a fashion magazine picks up a screen at home to see how one of his photographers is doing with a European shoot. It switches on instantly with his preferred apps and websites immediately available. He taps picasa and sees the photos appear in real time as they're taken. He makes an editorial suggestion in a comment, which displays on the photographer's camera screen. Seconds later photos appear reflecting his instructions. He picks out his favourites and his image processing staff are alerted and get to work on them. On his way into work in his self-driven google car he makes adjustments of his own in the photoshop app on his cellphone, using almost no battery power.<br /><br />Of course, drastic innovations will be necessary before all this can happen. Computing vision has always been constrained by the limitations of hardware - and in the same way that huge advances had to happen in order for the two decades-old notion of cloud computing to be realised, huge breakthroughs will be needed for the Total Cloud. If the Total Cloud is to be responsive, connections will need to be extremely fast, and drastic innovations will be necessary to overcome latency limits. Bandwidth will have to be universal and unlimited, and offline will have to be a thing of the past. Net access will have to become a public utility like the roads or streetlighting. This will be no mean breakthrough, but it will come. <br /><br />Beyond that, wireless power from the cloud and the end of power supplies. Shape-shifting displays that can resize from miniature cellphones to 100-inch tv screens.<br /><br />All this is on its way. I'd love to get a foretaste of it in Chrome OS!Jessica Kittlehttp://www.google.com/profiles/102518050702776712040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-84732600392261131862010-12-14T13:00:28.896-08:002010-12-14T13:00:28.896-08:00Pervasive, connected, secure, unified, and transpa...Pervasive, connected, secure, unified, and transparent.<br /><br /><br />We currently have people using computers and not knowing it. People who profess not to know how to use any computer, actually use ATMs, motor vehicles and telephones on a regular basis. Computing is pervasive in almost all societies on the planet. In the future almost all new devices will likely perform some sort of electronic computation.<br /><br />Connectivity will increase to the point of 100% global wireless coverage. By ‘wireless’ I mean some part of the electromagnetic spectrum, not necessarily wi-fi as we have today. All devices will have very high levels of connectivity and reliability will probably exceed 99.99%. Connection speeds will continue to increase geometrically. The increase of connectivity will drive the pervasiveness of devices performing computations dramatically.<br /><br />Each person and device will have a unique identifier. Addresses will no longer be allocated dynamically (like IP addresses), rather they will be allocated when manufactured or born. Unique and invariant identifiers are a prerequisite to secure computing. All communications will be encrypted using the originator’s key and all devices will have hardware based self validation. If will greatly reduce the possibility of spoofing of sender’s names or machines or devices. Though this may sound too much like big brother; I suspect that newborns will have an ID chip implanted after birth in order to obtain a high level of identity integrity that will be needed for computing security - a prerequisite for peaceful commerce and life on the planet. The social debate on this issue will be intense but I see no alternative. To participate in computation, you need to come to the table with you globally issued ID.<br /><br />Global identifiers will unify the multiple identities we have today. Unification will be the logical conclusion that comes from secure identities. For example, if a person uses any device that cares about the user’s identity, the global identifier will allow that person to have a consistent computing experience as their global preferences will be known, their set of applications will be known and their data will be accessible by that person. All data will be owned by its creator and sharable with any other person or device to which access has been granted.<br /><br />The transparency of computing will apply to the masses who are not involved directly in Information Technology. Most people will not event think about credentials, encryption, configuration, deployments and services, it will be like breathing air, it is just there. IT folk will be working to make everything stay transparent but the software team will likely not be doing much low level stuff, but rather reusing components for the plumbing of applications. Hardware folk will be working on some low level stuff including hardware level encryption and self validation.<br /><br />One important aspect of transparency will be the removal of hardware platform and OS boundaries. Cloud computing will let code run on any platform and simply deliver the screen or data output over a common layer to other devices. <br /><br />How do we get there from where we are? First, I suggest that we will only get there with the help of influential organizations (including corporations) which have realized that the world can be made a better place without making a buck on every move. Next, we must start, by taking the first steps - move your data to the cloud, get mobile, use a single identity and most of all - dream!<br /><br />Dale Schultz<br />Google profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/wilsnackDalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03118238226723881637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-47690313847453865472010-12-14T12:49:49.261-08:002010-12-14T12:49:49.261-08:00Presently, average citizens have many embedded com...Presently, average citizens have many embedded computers in their house. They are found in alarm clocks, thermostats, microwaves, cars, and many other household products. The average person doesn't realize how common it is. This is a major accomplishment for computing in itself. In the future embedded computers will be even more prevalent and less discrete. These embedded computers are “hidden,” and I believe that the future of computing should not be hidden, dumbed down, or disguised. Consumers will want a do-it-all device that makes them feel like they can do anything with it. Like calculate the answer to life, the universe and everything, but Google can already do that.<br /><br />In my opinion, for computing to be truly versatile, it must be “open.” Devices will be open source, use open standards, have the ability to integrate, and be easily accessible for families in need. Devices shouldn’t be exclusive or tied to phone carriers either. Due to their “openness,” people will be able to freely develop for the devices. Computing will be more intuitive and “easy” for even the most illiterate, but I believe that there will be a strong margin of “sophisticated” users that demand the most from their hardware. There are already signs of advanced web applications which will undoubtedly increase. Power users will still prefer local apps but secure their data online. This hybrid solution will be more common as Chrome OS or even Jolicloud begin to expand their user database.<br /><br />The future of computing isn’t HIDDEN, it is most definitely OPEN =D<br /><br />danhatch333@gmail.comDan Hatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07581077001923660301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-17416445315459382252010-12-14T12:40:46.972-08:002010-12-14T12:40:46.972-08:00The Future of Computing
By Matthew Barlett
http://...The Future of Computing<br />By Matthew Barlett<br />http://www.google.com/profiles/emeraldinspirations<br />Thursday, December 14th, 2010<br />Abridged<br />Google Docs Format: http://tinyurl.com/37asrks<br /><br />It is hard for me to imagine a day, not so long ago, when writing this essay would have required the owning of a $500 computer, with another $100 each for operating system, document editing software package, and anti-virus application! After waiting for 10 minutes for all this stuff to load, I then was on tender-hooks hoping there wasn’t a power failure, crash, or a virus getting through destroying all my hard work. Then if I wanted to show this essay to someone else, they would have to wait until I got home before I could get it out of my computer, and hope I could export it into a format that they could then read. What a mess!<br /><br />Today I don’t deal with any of that. I take my $300 net-book, with it’s free operating system, over to one of hundreds of free wi-fi hot spots, sit down and enjoy a fresh bagel with cream cheese, and within seconds I am logged into Google Docs typing this essay. If there is a power failure, or my computer is lost, stolen, or breaks; I can simply step over to a different computer and nearly seamlessly keep on working. If someday in the future I want to share this essay with anybody, I can log in through nearly any computer, or smart phone, and send or print a copy off in a wide variety of universal formats. Technology has gotten so much better.<br /><br />However, there are still steps to be taken. The cloud is not yet as rich as the computers of a few years ago, and not all applications are yet available in the cloud. The simplest evolution is already in progress as developers everywhere are moving toward the cloud. I believe that applications will start to be developed to be more seamless between their cloud and desktop editions.<br /><br />As the lines start to blur, how operating systems react and adjust will determine whether they continue to exist or not. I think that operating systems will become much more dynamic and flexible, while user accounts cease to exist solely on one computer or operating system. From a cloud-based perspective, a ‘user’ is a grouping of accounts on various web services, and how those web services are accessed is virtually irrelevant.<br /><br />So if everything is fluid and dynamic, spread out over hundreds of web services, how then can anyone make sense of it? How can anyone track hundreds of user-names and passwords, or which data is on which service? <br /><br />Some standards, like OpenID, are simplifying the process by using one user-name and password to access many different web services. However, a solution would need to also keep track of which services you signed up for and your user-name / password from other websites as well. When you approach a computer, weather you own it or not, you should be able to enter one user-name and one password to bring you into your own personal cloud portal (rendered by the operating system or an installed application) designed to get you to your data.<br /><br />Such a portal may contain many features like the ones I am about to describe. There might be a home page of sorts, that would aggregate relevant data like news feeds, emails, voice messages, social media, current online friends, appointments, etc. There might be a collections zone aggregating all your photo albums, music collection, documents, contacts from across all your web services. There might be a start menu like interface listing all the web services as if they were installed programs, allowing one-click access. There might also be a devices section allowing control and displaying statuses of peripherals like printers, either on the local machine or available through the cloud. Finally, an offline sync system might be included to increase performance and maximize up-time.<br /><br />An interface like this, would simplify the new increasing complexity of the web.emeraldinspirationshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04691924684442053424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-60537379606249989032010-12-14T12:40:34.676-08:002010-12-14T12:40:34.676-08:00From a professional/vocational point of view, the ...From a professional/vocational point of view, the future of computing is the future of productivity. Today, we can do in an hour what used to take a week. <br /><br />We used to be paid for a month of our time to design a structure or a product, today it's a week or in some cases a day. A car can be designed and tested without ever having to go outside. <br /><br />My concern for this productivity from an engineering and societal point of view is simple. Can we continue to financially afford designing and building at the rate that we're capable of designing and building? What do we do with our citizens who are no longer needed because we have to wait before we can afford to build the next road? <br /><br />What are the implications of further growth in productivity? How must we shift our paradigm in order to provide value to our fellow man and in turn a wage for ourselves as Americans?<br /><br />"Computing" in it's best form will be transparent to the user. It will be another tool, like a watch, that we use to function. <br /><br />It will monitor our body and let us understand what our brain might confuse and report to our health care provider should an adjustment in our medication be necessary.<br /><br />It will keep our schedule and automatically sync to our various devices and alert us as to an upcoming event regardless of platform. Again, all transparent to the user of this information.<br /><br />Computing will be as ubiquitous as the sunlight. It's just there and available as our tool and it will touch all aspects of our lives. From the net connected kitchen appliance to the net tracking of our vehicle, we will have information available that will help us be more productive, comfortable, and safe.<br /><br />Today we can, and I do, Google any question that I don't have the answer to. Not only when I'm sitting at my desk, but from my HTC Evo Android phone and my Google connected Garmin GPS receiver. No longer do I need a phone book, map, library, nor encyclopedia to provide my research. This is a glimpse into the future as we continue to forge our path.<br /><br />How we choose to handle our productivity will be up to us as a society. What will it hold for you?<br /><br />KCaudell@gmail.comUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05841030994445909513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-5306668216593929692010-12-14T12:19:08.651-08:002010-12-14T12:19:08.651-08:00The future of computing is definately cloud-based....The future of computing is definately cloud-based. more and more people are relying on smartphones, netbooks and tablets for day to day activities, only using full PCs for work or "serious" gaming. most of what we do on the pc now is in fact online, or moving online via services such as google docs. Really the only daily task I see as not moving entirely online currently is music, because people like to own their collections/have total control over what they listen to. Even this is moving online though, through programs like the zunepass.<br /><br />While full powered pcs will never disappear totally, most users already spend most of their time on the web, and the convenience of being able to access all your data from your phone, your netbook, or the thin-client in your school/local library far outweighs the lack of local processing power. even that doesn't have to be a problem with the cloud, using services such as Amazon's EC2 to handle any computational load needed. Given a connection with enough bandwidth, even intensive things like CAD and gaming might be possible on a thin client.<br /><br />The only current downsides to the cloud model are questions of connectivity/bandwidth, and that of security. With wifi ubiquitous in highly populous areas and high capacity wireless connections such as LTE slowly rolling out, high-quality continuous connectivity seems inevitable. Security is trickier. encryption is slow, but realistically the only option when allowing another complete control over your data storage. On the other hand people have shown through facebook that privacy is of less concern to most than convenience, so in a few years the security issue may not be. Only time will tell<br />http://www.facebook.com/ken.cramerUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03276890411564106383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-34516454992378952112010-12-14T12:08:31.076-08:002010-12-14T12:08:31.076-08:00Smaller, faster and more storage has historically ...Smaller, faster and more storage has historically been what people dream about in regards to the future of technology. The life cycle of the iPod is proof to this mindset among consumers and developers. However times have changed and so have our expectations. We desire to have the latest and greatest right when it comes out. Our hope is that our life will be simpler, more exciting, and entertaining. But as our world becomes more and more based on the consumption of electronics the more we lose apart of who we are. We have exchanged mental memory for wikipedia on our phones, facebook for day to day contact with friends and family, and true adventure for flashing the latest nightly of Cyanogenmod. I don't write these things to condemn computing. In fact I believe that technology is wonderful and exciting. I write this because I believe that the future of computing is limited. Yes, limited. The possibilities of new technologies abound. Wireless charging, e-readers, smart phones, seamless multiplatform experiences, IPV6, and HTML 5, are outstanding and will take us great places. But, they are all limited. They are limited by hardware, physics, software, financing, and a culture that hinders imagination. These obstacles have been overcome in the past and they will be overcome again. This means that the future of computing isn't limited by hardware or software but by our ability creatively fuse technology into our everyday lives. As long as computing is seen as computing and life is seen as life, technology will be limited. For computing to flourish it has to cease being technology and become apart of the physical world around us. As this happens the things that mean the most to us, family, friends and personal development, will be easier to focus on. This is exactly why I enjoy the technology being developed by Google. It isn't made to be cool or trendy, it is made with a purpose. It is made to be simple and to help bridge the gap between ones and zeros and our everyday lives.<br /><br />twitter: johnryanseaman<br />FB:http://www.facebook.com/johnryanseamanJohn Ryan Seamanhttp://www.facebook.com/johnryanseamannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-35095178736711072392010-12-14T11:58:12.929-08:002010-12-14T11:58:12.929-08:00It's difficult to write about the future of co...It's difficult to write about the future of computing with any certainty. Faster, more powerful, and more accessible to the masses has proved true for many years and should continue along that path. Another trend that has continued to play out for years is the increasing role of internet integration in all aspects of computing. On everything from smart phones to super-computers, connecting to and utilizing data stored "in the cloud" is increasing exponentially. Less and less we find the "need" to work is a physically isolated computing environment. And more and more people are finding the advantages to computing on the cloud, such as device and OS independence, automatic data backup, and real-time collaboration and sharing of digital asset with others.<br /><br />The exact future of computing isn't known for sure but it will continue tao rely more and more on the cloud.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03949062008685655863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-26876943198326781032010-12-14T11:56:53.087-08:002010-12-14T11:56:53.087-08:00My father, 70, called in amazement. Gmail, he said...My father, 70, called in amazement. Gmail, he said, had started showing ads for safes at exactly the time he and my brother were emailing back and forth about acquiring a new one for the barbershop. "It's like it read my mind!" he said. "How can it do that!?"<br /><br />That was the moment he got it. We had talked before about the wonder of context-sensitive advertising, but finally it sank in.<br /><br />So we imagined together. We talked about how expert Google is becoming at voice-processing, and how a phone call, really, isn't so different from an email. If today I'm served ads based on my emails, why not tomorrow based on my conversations?<br /><br />We talked about location-sensitive advertising. And about the wonder of on-the-fly translation, and how I (perhaps even Dad?) may live to see the day when the ancient language barrier–the one referenced in Genesis!–disappears.<br /><br />We talked about just how nifty Microsoft's Kinect really is. I speculated about the impact of cheap motion-capture technology. Video is hard for computers to process (though Google is working hard to crack that nut too). Mocap data is easier to store and search and analyze.<br /><br />If my Kinect can identify me and monitor my movements today, then won't it soon be able to watch my sleeping baby's breathing? To issue an alert to security guards when an adult-sized skeleton runs through a bank lobby? And to identify him, simultaneously, maybe by face like Picasa? Won't some Kinecty-thing look out from my TV or down from the store-front to see whether I smile or frown at a humorous ad?<br /><br />And my Dad started to get a little quiet. Because the future of computing, frankly, is creepy. For him monitored conversations and always-on living room cameras call up memories of Soviet totalitarianism.<br /><br />"It's going to be 1984," he blurted. "Misguided people will get hold of it."<br /><br />And I can't disagree. As we going barreling into this always-connected, ever-monitored world, our semi-autonomous cars are sure to miss some potholes and hairpin turns.<br /><br />A laptop that requires Internet connectivity is another step down that road. I shudder with him.<br /><br />And then I look at my daughter, 10. She can't imagine disconnectedness. She's never been in a car when the driver was lost. She can't remember seeing distant family only if they mailed you a photo. She wouldn't tolerate leaving a factual question unanswered because we don't have the right book in the house.<br /><br />Whatever the future of computing holds, it's coming. And getting there is going to be a great ride.Michael Hardthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10750353384537001625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-27839383543164347922010-12-14T11:54:19.755-08:002010-12-14T11:54:19.755-08:00The future of computing can be defined with one wo...The future of computing can be defined with one word: ubiquitous. To get there the browser will need to be changed from something you open to being transparent and everywhere. There is a lot of exciting work looking to take us there, but rethinking the operating system paradigm is a great place to start.<br /><br />http://twitter.com/kaleKalehttp://www.hackernewsletter.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-56145073362264187732010-12-14T11:49:25.172-08:002010-12-14T11:49:25.172-08:00The web has promised platform neurality since the ...The web has promised platform neurality since the coming of Java in the mid nineties. Since then we have seen this convergence in fits and starts with ground-up movements like mp3's displacement of physical media for music--assisted by the development of the iPod but succeeding in spite of that device and its limitations.<br /><br />The web has developed quickly from a curiosity to a source of entertainment and learning to someplace where everyday work can get done, without your hardware getting in the way (unless you're mashing your fingers into an iPhone virtual keyboard!).<br /><br />We have also seen examples of "server-side computing," and its strong advantages and disadvantages. However, the greatest promise of this concept is now manifest in the Chrome OS from Google and its centering on the web and a browser as the focus. <br /><br />Hardware can finally be irrelevant, as it was supposed to be. As it was promised to us so long ago. Our experience of the internet and its full promise can be delivered seamlessly, without any one company or platform coloring that experience. And it's midwifed by the plain search engine that became its own verb.<br /><br />Ah, finally.<br /><br />Jgrow2@gmail.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-60896644707395645512010-12-14T11:21:42.596-08:002010-12-14T11:21:42.596-08:00In the 70's and 80's, BBSes were the rage ...In the 70's and 80's, BBSes were the rage with computer enthusiasts. You needed a computer, a modem, a terminal program, and a friend to give you a few phone numbers to try. In a sense, this was the early days of cloud computing. You would use a thin-client to connect to a BBS and there you would find games, read your electronic messages from other users, participate in forums, real-time chat, and find software and other files to download. As modem speeds increased, new technologies emerged, and terminal emulators improved.<br /><br />In the 90's, this concept started being replaced by the World Wide Web. The terminal application were replaced by web browsers, while BBSes were replaced by websites. As a result, the early days of cloud computing were given an upgrade. Web browsers were now much more capable than terminal programs and broadband was now overtaking slow dial-up connections.<br /><br />Today, with Chrome OS, cloud computing is being given yet another upgrade. Asynchronous technologies such as that which is used in AJAX, the increasing browser capabilities through HTML5, and the improvements in JavaScript speed in V8 have given web applications the status of full computer programs. Now, even complex 3D applications are possible, something which was only being experimented with in the 90's and would be unheard of in the days of BBSes.<br /><br />There are still many more decades to go with this story. As offline storage features of HTML5 are utilized by more web applications, the lines between installed programs and web applications will be blurred. With the eventual proliferation of Native Client applications the lines between native programs and web applications will be blurred even further. History has shown us that no matter how thin the client is, there will still be a desire to beef up hardware capabilities, making the client less "thin". Every time this shift happens, people raise their expectations of what computers should be capable of. Eventually, cloud-based technologies catch-up and take advantage of this improved hardware, and even more power is given back to the cloud.<br /><br />The future holds many more possibilities for upgrades in the cloud computing saga. Products from grocery stores might be identified visually by a camera installed in pantries and refrigerators. As this data is sent back to the cloud, you might get regular reminders about when your milk is about to expire, when it is time to throw away the left-overs, or if you are affected by a recent recall of spinach or meat. Toasters could automatically identify what type of item is being placed into the toaster (bread, a pastry, or a waffle) and cook it to your personal preference, whether it be a toaster at your home, or in the break room at the office. Eventually, houses could be automatically build with technologies such as Ethernet jacks at every electrical outlet, wireless access points installed with every light fixture, etc... Having a connection to the Internet will become as ubiquitous as having electricity or running water. As more and more of our lives are managed through computer technologies, more and more information will exist in the cloud, increasing the possibilities for more advanced cloud-based services that are difficult to fathom.<br /><br />Obviously, there is a certain amount of concern about how much information is "out there", but this has always been a problem for mankind to deal with. Privacy will be important, as will be security. History tells us, however, that the general public will embrace these technologies and advance them further. Every decade brings a new upgrade to cloud computing, distancing each generation further from how computers had been used in previous generations. Many tasks we perform today, on a daily basis, will eventually be automated, and we will wonder how we ever lived before. Our children's children will wonder why we ever needed to program a VCR, or even install a DVR which was separate from the television. Or, they may even wonder what a television was.<br /><br />http://goo.gl/azA7WAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05513910453292285558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-18748786524472848872010-12-14T11:19:25.517-08:002010-12-14T11:19:25.517-08:00I expect Future of Computing will have quantum lea...I expect Future of Computing will have quantum leap in Web search technology. Future computing will relate words to human experiences, and use a large collection of advanced algorithms and an enormous amount of computing power and provide correct web searching answer.<br />http://twitter.com/jagawins<br />jagawins@gmail.comJaggyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02624703896069842549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-4879068099901199322010-12-14T11:15:09.066-08:002010-12-14T11:15:09.066-08:00As I envision it, the future of computing will rel...As I envision it, the future of computing will rely totally on a global network, either the Internet is upgraded, or something better will replace it. The whole system will be unified so that we don't even have to carry our own computers. All we need is a single ID card (banking, social security, and networking) that once sliced into any computer (accompanied with some kind of biometric verification) will give us our own personalized workspace.<br /><br />(I can be reached at duy@buifamily.info)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18157064.post-25471551491595847562010-12-14T11:09:31.786-08:002010-12-14T11:09:31.786-08:00The future of computing will not be in a laptop, o...The future of computing will not be in a laptop, or a phone, or a pad - it won't even be "wearable," per se. It will be embedded - heads-up displays on glasses or better yet, retinal implants. Voices "whispering" real-time info in your ear or directly to your audio nerves. Tactile feedback via sensory implants. Speech recognition? Forget it - how 'bout "sub-vocalization recognition?"<br /><br />As you can tell, I'm a sci-fi/cyberpunk believer. And all of this will be possible because of "the cloud" v10.0, because even with all the advances we'll see in materials engineering, it will be easier to keep all the computing power "off-body," with our senses being I/O devices not only for our brain, but now for our "augmented persona" as well.Jim Lhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02634460171128306060noreply@blogger.com