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[Telgin]

The US and Western Europe are slowly transforming into a standard cyberpunk dystopia. In about 10-15 years, all of us will probably live in a world similar to the world of Deus Ex (unless everyone will be wiped out by nuclear war, of course).
♫DA-DADADADA-DADA-DADADA-DA!!!♫

I think 30+ years is a more reasonable time frame, but I do find Deus Ex to be a worryingly realistic possibility.  I sort of support transhumanism, but it's still scary because there will be no end to the abuses of it, which is precisely what Deus Ex was based on.  I see a future akin to Deus Ex being almost unavoidable.

Anyway, eyeglass computers sound pretty cool if they can get past all of the hurdles such as power supply, user interface, network connectivity, brain cancer (everyone will claim it causes it) and so on.

I'm just waiting for pew pew laser guns.  It's about dang time we got a laser cannon on a tank or airplane.  I know they've got a large experimental laser turret on a modified 747 (project is cancelled I think), but its time to actually deploy this stuff.

[dizzyelk]

I just hope to see a space elevator in my lifetime.

[Loud Whispers]

Spoiler: The robots, they are here. (click to show/hide)

This is a Canadian-made Aeryon Scout reconnaissance UAV. It's cheap enough and easy enough to use that the Libyan rebels used them during the recent Libyan civil war.

I see your drones.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

And raise you riot police

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I think the reason cyberpunk isn't a very mainstream subgenre is because it makes people too uncomfortable with its accuracy.

CROWBARS AT THE READY!

[Muz]

It's funny, everyone in the past expected aliens, giant robots, and flying cars by now. But instead, what we have is communication technology, the ability to get whole libraries for free, to actually store files the size of entire hard drives in our email. You get to record videos of yourself. I think the present is actually kinda cooler than what it would otherwise be.

I predict that self-holograms will be reality before flying cars, though. And maybe even electric cars. Once fiber optics and hologram data compression becomes common, you can watch holograms of ugly people singing 80s songs badly.


Personally, I put the line for on-the-go entertainment at MP3 players. iPhones are a little overkill when you have nothing to do, google goggles are unnecessary. I'm still the old fashioned 'ponder reality while sitting on the toilet' kind of person. A decent book beats Angry Birds for idle entertainment, IMO. Though it would be amusing watching people play Angry Birds with glasses.

I actually studied my field to someday program virtual glasses and 3D headphones. It took me a while to realize that laptops and other things which put the monitor really close to your eyes are one of the things ruining eyesight. I think something that puts a video screen less than an inch from your eye should be seriously studied for health risks.

[SalmonGod]

I'll skip the glasses and wait until we have computer contact lenses.

Although... the thought of actually wearing contact lenses still scares the crap out of me.  I don't know how people do it.  I can't stand anything touching my eyes.

[MaximumZero]

I'll skip the glasses and wait until we have computer contact lenses.

Although... the thought of actually wearing contact lenses still scares the crap out of me.  I don't know how people do it.  I can't stand anything touching my eyes.

Hear hear, bro. I hear that someone in my favorite company has a flexible wrist/forearm sleeve computer as a pet project, though.

[Frumple]

If they're worth a crap, you won't feel them unless your eyes are incredibly dry. If the contact they had with the eyes were noticeable, it'd drive everyone wearing them right out of their gourd in short order. Getting them in can be a bit of an ordeal though

That said... cyber-eyes, man, Cyber-eyes. I want my built in HUD. But! Contact lenses would be okay, too. We're probably getting closer, really...

[mainiac]

I predict that self-holograms will be reality before flying cars, though. And maybe even electric cars. Once fiber optics and hologram data compression becomes common, you can watch holograms of ugly people singing 80s songs badly.

Can holograms be used for porn?

Then we will have them first.

Somebody needs to figure out how to use the flying car for porn.

[Frumple]

Mile-high drive in theaters?

[SalmonGod]

Somebody needs to figure out how to use the flying car for porn.

Must... resist... OOC quote thread... I'm sure I would get glared at....

[MaximumZero]

Do Frumple's. It's just as good.

[Flying Dice]

For one thing, your parents falling off the hood of a flying car would complicate your future a bit more.

[Itnetlolor]

I predict that self-holograms will be reality before flying cars, though. And maybe even electric cars. Once fiber optics and hologram data compression becomes common, you can watch holograms of ugly people singing 80s songs badly.

Can holograms be used for porn?

Then we will have them first.

Somebody needs to figure out how to use the flying car for porn.

Here's how I see technological development:
The military will most likely be the first to gain access to advanced technology, and then government protection services (to protect them from Anonymous and other hackers, and also to be a bunch of overlords), and then what's leftover for the public will go directly into the adult industry first, and before we get an opportunity to use them for their intended purpose, it will be tainted in more ways than pun. And starting from the military, they'd be sufficiently at least 10-20 years ahead of the public minimum; and if Area 51 is as shady as it seems, then triple that minimum.

Simply put, anything sufficiently advanced will most likely be used for corruption before it can or will be used for peace or original (if initially good) intent. Example: Nuclear technology. First bombs, then cheaper energy.

Just a thought. Things may get bad before they get better tech-wise, as long as we have people willing to exploit the hell out of them still in control and/or without proper regulation. Fuels and power plants (and eventually water purifier/supply plants) are probably the worst offender in this category.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I imagine by the time we have flying cars we'll also have automatic transit networks. You won't even have to "drive" unless you're in a spot that isn't on the network, otherwise it's select and relax.

At least there won't be very many accidents once that gets finished.

[mainiac]

Well the OP link is an example of a technology (the eyeglass head tilt interface) bypassing all those groups and going to the consumer.  Unless you are saying the military secretly developed this technology in the 90s and the porn industry is making secret use of them right now.  Maybe the porn industry uses invisible glasses to feed their actors lines?

I imagine by the time we have flying cars we'll also have automatic transit networks. You won't even have to "drive" unless you're in a spot that isn't on the network, otherwise it's select and relax.

At least there won't be very many accidents once that gets finished.

I have trouble seeing that in the US, what with our reluctance to letting the government run anything it doesn't already run.