Technology Run a Muck (Part 3 of 3)

So I’m thinking about some of the things that I use today that will probably be obsolete in say, the next 6-12 months. Not the obvious stuff like my car, my stereo, or my MP3 player, but things that seem to have had longevity up until now. Here’s what I’ve come up with…

1. CDs and DVDs—Yes, the media of choice today is getting a bit long in tooth, and it’s only a matter of when the manufacturers will put their collective heads together to create the next medium that has copy protection as a principle feature. SONY has had the mini-disc out there for some time but it hasn’t caught on. And Digital Audio Tape (DAT) has the same sequential access issues regular cassettes had. Don’t look for the return of Betamax tapes, either! Look for the next medium to be smaller, more secure, and capable of playing MPEG4.
   
2. Corded Gadgets of every kind – If you haven’t heard of Bluetooth by now, you should also be that Xerox no longer makes typewriters and bell-bottoms are no longer in vogue. In short, if your gadget has a cord, it’s already passé. Bluetooth is a low cost, short-range wireless technology that allows devices to communicate without the spaghetti of cords that typical of most configurations today. There are already Bluetooth enabled phones, headsets, keyboards, printers, and PDAs. This is the technology that allows buyers of some new cars to skip using their key in an ignition. Walk up to your car with your Bluetooth enabled key in your pocket, and the car unlocks. Get in the vehicle, hit the start button, and you’re off! All without digging in your pocket and fumbling for keys. Very cool. Look for Bluetooth technology to take off in the home entertainment sector as well. In this genre, the manly challenge of wiring surround sound will be reduced to plugging in devices and hitting the “Power” button for THX quality sound.
   
3. POTS – POTS, for those of you work who neither work for the phone company or your company’s I.T. department, stands for Plain Old Telephone Service. POTS has been around since the time of Methuselah, and phone companies are still wringing profits from this infrastructure with the adoption of DSL. As wireless companies like Metro PCS push the envelope for flat rate pricing, the other wireless companies will begin to cave in on measured-rate plans. In doing so, there will be little need to maintain a POTS line unless you have a fax machine, DSL, or a payphone in your family room like the Brady Bunch.
   
4. CRTs – Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) televisions and computer monitors are on their last legs. The next time you see a flat-screen television in Best Buy, ask the salesman, “How much are you going to give me to take that monitor off your hands?” He won't appreciate your sarcasm, but he'll understand where you're coming from. CRTs are big, hot, heavy, and inefficient. Yes, they are getting cheaper, but don’t get sucked in. The picture on LCD and Plasma screens are usually superior and typically support various high-definition formats.
   
5. Social Security Numbers – Don’t even get me started on the identity theft issues with this antiquated system of marking Americans for life and then “recycling” the numbers. Social Security Numbers have become the identity theft poster child. Let’s hope that the future holds something a little more distinctive—for instance, something you have, like your thumbprint or DNA (a la Gattaca) in conjunction with something you know, like a PIN or password. Two-part authentication in all facets of electronic transactions should be the norm, but most of the major players—MasterCard, American Express, and VISA—are waiting for the “other guy” to take the plunge on fears that Americans will reject the technology. Let’s see…show my card…enter a pin…I buy stuff and my money doesn’t get stolen. Simple. What’s not to like?
   

Next on the horizon? Devices I’d like to see built…

Peace,
+THINKER