Future Culture

Futurist Writer Lei Kalina writes her tongue-in-cheek musings and ramblings on the growing worldwide phenomenon of the growth of the Future Culture in the 21st Century

Future Culture In The 21st Century

Future Culture In the 21st Century

Futures Studies, Foresight, or Futurology , according to Wikipedia, is the science, art and practice of postulating possible, probable, and preferable futures and the worldviews and myths that underlie them. Futures studies (colloquially called "Futures" by many of the field's practitioners) seeks to understand what is likely to continue, what is likely to change, and what is novel. Part of the discipline thus seeks a systematic and pattern-based understanding of past and present, and to determine the likelihood of future events and trends. Futures is an interdisciplinary field, studying yesterday's and today's changes, and aggregating and analyzing both lay and professional strategies, and opinions with respect to tomorrow.
Showing posts with label futurists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label futurists. Show all posts

Monday, August 9, 2010

Sony's Nextep WristWatch Computers by Year 2020




































Photo Credits: YankoDesign.com



YES, IT'S THE HEIGHT of uber-coolness!

Japanese designer Hiromi Kiriki has tapped Sony Nextep wristwatch computers for this breakthrough innovation slated for a year 2020 release : and what a cool sight on your wrist , indeed.

The raves ran the gamut from hush-hush whispers to all-out awe at what could be such a functional piece of digital technology. Check it out:

“As the two worlds of technology and our own personal lives become seemingly ever more connected, the demand for devices that are small, slim, and that serve a variety of internet based functions has risen over the past couple of years and that trend doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Sony is contemplating that very same train of thought and by unveiling the Hiromi Kiriki concept, are showing that they mean business when it comes to embracing innovation.”



sony

Just like a lean-but-mean time machine-cum-wearable technology, making you drool at all the magic this little Sweetie can do. The device, designed to be worn as a bracelet, combines and juggles its digital tricks -- flexible organic light emitting diode or OLED displays along with holographic screen projectors, pull-out keyboards for your fingertips, and the whole hoopla of social networking variety from Facebook to MySpace, just like an all-around sleek device always keeping you in the loop within the no-limits territory of communications technology.


Industry analysts took note that this futuristic concept includes two major technologies being touted as “the big enablers of wearable computing” -- via the flexible and affordable OLED touchscreens, as well as holographic screens ( yes, ala Tom Cruise’s “Minority Report”).



Sony Wrist Computer Concept Sony Wrist Computer Concept Sony Wrist Computer Concept


When news about this beauty spread in techworld circles just last May 2010 after YankoDesign.com’s announcement, shortly after in June TED 2010 featured Minority Report’s highly futuristic data interface concept real-life inventor John Underkoffler -- and clearly a mind-blowing experience for TEDGlobal 2010’s audience.


BoingBoing.com reports:

“John Underkoffler led the team that came up with this point-and-touch interface concept innovation called the G-Speak Spatial Operating Environment. His company, Oblong Industries, was founded to move G-Speak into the real word -- building apps for aerospace, bioinformatics, video editing and more. But the big vision is ubiquity: G-Speak on every laptop, every desktop, every microwave oven, TV, dashboard.

“It has to be like this… We , all of us, everyday feel that. We build starting there. We want to change it all, “ Underkoffler says.



Interestingly, this could be what the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) , the leading United Nations (UN) agency for information and communication technology issues and the global focal point for governments and the private sector in developing networks and services, has observed years back, that more and more of our formerly “offline personal belongings” ( wristwatches, television, even our kitchens, automobiles, telephones) will make the inevitable move from offline to online: yes, the “Internet of Things”.

In an early 2005ITU statement, the agency predicted:


“With the benefit of integrated information processing capacity, industrial products will take on smart capabilities. They may also take on electronic identities that can be queried remotely, or be equipped with sensors for detecting physical changes around them. Such developments will make the merely static objects of today dynamic ones - embedding intelligence in our environment and stimulating the creation of innovative products and new business opportunities. The Internet of Things will enable forms of collaboration and communication between people and things, and between things themselves, hitherto unknown and unimagined.”


“It seems that we are standing on the brink of a new computing and communication era, one that will radically transform our corporate, community, and personal spheres. With continuing developments in miniaturization and declining costs, it is becoming not only technologically possible but also economically feasible to make everyday objects smarter, and to connect the world of people with the world of things.”

Thursday, January 1, 2009

2008: Great Year For MFS




































Hi Manila Futurists!


What a swift year of 2008! It wheezed and swoooshed ... as if in minutes... and then it's gone ...


But quite a full-packed year of seminar-events, discoveries of the "inner futurist" in all of us ... and discovering the wonder of science and technology ...


Last year was a full year for MFS : two seminar-events last January when we "invaded" all-girls school St. Scholastica's College with our "The Future of Medicine" talk by Harvard lady Dr. Divina Gonzalez...

Later in the same month of January , we had our first foray into the wonderful world of Mapua Makati --- discovering our favorite venue AVR-1, and meeting the soon-to-be Manila Futurists Erwin Donovan Ong ( Mapua Prof) , Gabby Manicio (Mapua Webmasters Guild President ) ... and the sweet tech guys of AVR-1 who were "receipients" of my mini-gifts like McChicken meals , simply because they were always so sweet in helping me out with technical stuff during the programs of MFS at Mapua Makati.


By February, we were at University of Batangas ( upon the suggestion of Dr. Divine), bringing the same seminar talk to her friends at UB, most especially UB President and former Justice Secretary Hernani Perez. I even interrupted their whispering chummy talk during the program ( while they were whispering about Hernani's alleged "anomalies" with GMA), when I introduced Sec. Hernani to do his intro speech --- clueless that they were in the middle of their "whispering hope" gossip about this and that ...


March 2008 was a memorable year when we had "close encounters " (!) with the La Sallista "sweet" girls , who took charge of the program and played "Follow Me" by Uncle Cracker over and over again until our ears were about to bleed ... so we just packed up and left ... I received apologies from the mini-group ( start-up university group from DLSU ) much later . I wonder if they ever got past the "probationary period" of being approved as a legit group ?!?!? Hmmmm...

Anyways from DLSU we got Tori Avalon as joining the group ( we'd love to hear from you, man) , who sometimes forward our posts to his DLSU org ....


April 2008 proved to be our best month, what with DLSU Dean Caslon Chua leading the talk on artificial intelligence ( he's still in Australia, I heard) , really sweet and swell guy ( admittedly and unabashedly my favorite ! ) who also had the best and most-loved talk.


Questions, questions, and more outpouring questions overflowed on the floor, as the non-stop Mapua Makati students got all fired up and excited, and kept on hurling queries for him during the talk, which he gamely all answered. Gabby M, Erwin Donovan Ong, and Kim Gargar ( Prof of Mapua Manila and Makati, also of AGHAM ) were in the audience , also later becoming part of the MFS group ...



May 2008 was kinda ho-hum event at Mapua Makati ( maybe we pushed our luck too far, Kim?) when only a few showed up at our event ... The event was probably not too well-promoted and advertised, but fired up by our energetic speaker from UP ITTC REx Rodriguez waking them up with his talk "THe Future of Computers and IT" during the event . Rex later becomes one of our members, too.


And , of course , who could forget to mention : well-respected in IT circles and in the UP IT arena --- UP ITTC PResident Dr. Jimmy Caro ( now also one of our members) . Dr. Caro is also head of Computer Science Department of UP, among other achievements.



By June 2008 , we had a blast at FEU, gaining new friends via FEU AVP Cecille Anido ( the lady who was founder of Philippine Society of IT Educators ) , and our wonderful speaker Dr. Raffy Saldana from ATeneo de Manila University with his talk " The High-Tech Future of Business and Computing In The 21st Century". Dr. RAffy is also from AGHAM... AGHAM lady Natalie later rushes in to attend the event as part of the audience and giving support to Dr. Raffy.


July 2008: the Manila Futurists had an initial entry into Ateneo University, the "Blue Eagle Country" -- where we had a nice experience with the young Ateneo kids , business majors, who gamely helped us in organizing the event, packing the auditorium with their organization members, and inviting some friends to come over. From the audience we also got members --- especially this good-looking IT guy -- really sorry ( my mind has your name but has slipped my memory at the moment --- apologies! ) ... Will remember in a few minutes ...


August 2008 brought us to Manila via the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila... where we again discussed "THe Future of Health and Medicine In The 21st Century" , with our Harvard guy Dr. Paul Reganit leading the talk, also one of our good speakers for the whole year. Inspite of his "lost" (?) powerpoint presentation , we were able to pull it off which his good rapport with the audience ...

And from PLM we got a new member , sweet lady PLM Science Student Rajean ... I wonder if Noli "Brainiac" , PLM Science student org president, has also become a member of MFS ??

By September we were at Mapua Manila --- the unforgettable (!) event ... MFS member and Mapua Prof Erwin Ong is there again ( seemingly a permanent fixture of our MFS talks ... but I didn't see you last Nov at Mapua Makati , Erwin )


Our topic at Mapua Manila was "Humanity Year 3000: Living in the Brave New Digital World" ... with main man and celebrity blogger Abe Olandres ( later becoming our MFS member) leading the talk. Oh yes, we got raised eyebrows in Mapua Manila ... but ... well... we "crawled" out of the university peacefully
, "unscratched", and in one piece. Right, Abe??


October and November we were back at our favorite venue, Mapua Makati's AVR 1 . October was for the Nursing students of the university, with our anti-aging technology talk led by Dr. Florencio Lucero of Beverly Hills 6750, cosmetologist and stem cell therapist of the stars , yet gamely shared his precious time with the Manila Futurists and the Mapua Nursing audience... Mapua Nursing Dean Grace Valderrama was surprised that our speaker was apparently her long-lost friend from way back ... so it became a mini-reunion for the two old friends . And a full-to-the-brim event!


November at Mapua Makati was with Gabby M's Webmasters' Guild... Gabby , cannot thank you enough for all your efforts in this event ... Much thanks to you and your friends ... While we haven't really packed it in full , we had a cozy talk and we're happy that we pulled it off. If ever we come back in Mapua Makati, you guys may have graduated, but I'm pretty sure Mapua Makati has undoubtedly left a nice imprint on my mind as per the guys' sweet and down-to-earth attitude back there ...


And this December ... was busy with work but managed to peep in our Yahoo!Group from time to time ...


Biggest thanks to our speakers who led our talks, and most especially biggest biggest thanks to our sponsors , Korns Associates --- led by Las Vegas futurists Michael Korns and Gilda Cabral ...


Big thanks to the lovable (!) Mike Du, who never fails to encourage everyone in this group, Wendell Cano, Andrew Moris, Brain Project, Beth ( BBetchaByGollyWow) , among others, our friends from UP ITTC ( Joeboy most especially) , friends from AGHAM, Mapua Makati, the different universities where we had our talks ... WOW... this might take me until year 2010 until I stop myself ...)


Mike Du! You're the man, Man! Keep hurling in those posts and keep us "enlightened!"


And before the year ended... we had Las Vegas futurist Eric joining MFS , also friend of our MFS founders -- LV futurists Mike Korns and Ms. Gilda ...


Here's wishing everyone our Best Year Ever for year 2009!


Cheers!


Lei
Future Culture



(PS. Apologies to names which slipped my mind! ... Thanks to you too )


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