What tech feels like you're living in the future?

[iFish]

Howdy.

So the idea is pretty simple, what do you use on a daily basis that makes you feel like you're living in the future?

For me it is a few things(in no specific order):

1) Gmail's undo send for emails: Because without this, I'd probably go to jail because rage .
2) iCloud / Google Sync services: I use these for all my contacts and calendars. They're on all my devices(Mac, iOS and Android) when I need them.
3) Smartphones in general: Being able to do most if not all tasks I may need on the go it the best thing ever
4) Google Docs: This saved my ass many times for school when I forget to print / bring in my projects / work on my USB stick. I keep all my documents in Google Docs at this point. And I don't see myself changing soon. It makes collaborating a hella lot easier too.
5) Steam: Having to not need to leave home to get almost any PC game my heart desires is a step in the right direction.

I'd love to hear your choices!

 

[R2DJ]

OnLive - I love being able to play AAA games on ANY PC regardless of spec, able to watch other people play something (kind of an uncut version of Let's Play) and the portability it provides. Love it!

3DS - I love seeing how much steps I've taken when I take it for a walk. I get rewarded for going outside by getting StreetPass hits, getting new puzzle pieces, getting new comrades to fight the enemies in the quest. Won't talk about the 3D effect as I think it's not the way forward.

PC - Well, a Macbook, but I'm running Bootcamp. Anyway, I got loads of reasons but one main thing is that I can't imagine doing my Computer Science course...without computers.

 

[FAST6191]

Pretty much all of those have been available for many years if you know what you are doing (or indeed get someone that does to set things up) although I guess the video and higher level internet options of phones are a bit nicer than years past (phones are still pretty locked down to the point I still do not see the need to have one but I guess that is a different discussion). Still I will object to them being made doable for the plebs.

Personally the big boy FPGA/CPLD and similar devices that with not a lot of effort allow me to make untold numbers of custom devices or remake other ones, sure those have also existed for years but nowadays that they do for general computation as well as the specific stuff does well for me. CNC and related technologies being at a moderately priced tool er price is great but I reckon it will be about seven years before it gets very real there.

 

[Depravo]

Anything that works wirelessly. It's still indistinguishable from magic as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Deleted_171835]

Smartphones. I have a full-sized pocket computer that's more powerful than what was used 20 years ago...in the palm of my hand. Without a cord, I can call my cousin in fucking Africa and browse the internet. If I'm feeling hungry, I can use my magic machine to locate all the pizza shops near me and then proceed to order delivery without even leaving the house.

Airplanes. I can go inside a flying metal machine and be flown all across the world...in less than a day.

 

[Blood Fetish]

Batteries. Back in my day we hand to hand crank our personal massage devices.

 

[Deleted User]

My Duel Disk gives me hope that one day virtual reality Yu-Gi-Oh will exist...

I also agree on the smartphone thing. Even though I currently don't own one.

 

[Gahars]

Everything really. It's amazing how stuff that's mundane to us now (like our sophisticated cell phones and tablets) would have been mind blowing only 10 years back.

We're living in the future and we barely even recognize it.

 

[KingVamp]

Everything really. It's amazing how stuff that's mundane to us now (like our sophisticated cell phones and tablets) would have been mind blowing only 10 years back.

We're living in the future and we barely even recognize it.

Where my mass produce self flying cars,holograms,and teleporters. Where my space elevators, space ships, and colonize planets?
Where my ... my unlimited clean energy and next grand life extension? /jk


Yeah phone and even laptops. The growth of my game systems. Every time I hear/read about another scientific breakthrough.
(Specifically if it releases in my lifetime/in a few years.)

 

[Gahars]

This is a bit off topic, but it's worth sharing. If you want an idea of how fast technology develops, think of this: we went from the Wright Brothers' first flight at Kitty Hawk to the Moon Landing in just about 66 years.

 

[chavosaur]

Gahars post kinda leads into mine. Space travel and just NASA in general. We put a dude on the moon, we have satellites and things roaming around our orbit and careening through our galaxy to explore the mass depths of space itself.

 

[Pleng]

1) Gmail's undo send for emails: Because without this, I'd probably go to jail because rage .

Wait what? How on earth does that work? Unless it only works for people who also have Gmail? That's horribly creepy though; I never EVER want a mail service where people can just 'take back' something they've sent me!

 

[ouch123]

1) Gmail's undo send for emails: Because without this, I'd probably go to jail because rage .

Wait what? How on earth does that work? Unless it only works for people who also have Gmail? That's horribly creepy though; I never EVER want a mail service where people can just 'take back' something they've sent me!

Gmail delays the sending of e-mails by a couple of minutes, so you don't actually "unsend," you just take-back your decision to send.

On-topic, though I don't actually own one, 3D printers are simply incredible. I can download physical objects now - how cool is that?!
Oh, and also this:

Everything really. It's amazing how stuff that's mundane to us now (like our sophisticated cell phones and tablets) would have been mind blowing only 10 years back.

We're living in the future and we barely even recognize it.

Though it feels a bit like cheating to respond this way, true as it may be.

 

[Excelsiior]

Tablet PCs. They make me feel like Cpt. Kirk signing off Enterprises logfile. I know it sounds strange, but still.

 

[KingVamp]

On-topic, though I don't actually own one, 3D printers are simply incredible. I can download physical objects now - how cool is that?

True. Can't wait for those to get cheap and mainstream. When they are good enough(if not already),
I can print out a cheap phone or even laptop.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YCeOIXcHVY

 

[Wizerzak]

On-topic, though I don't actually own one, 3D printers are simply incredible. I can download physical objects now - how cool is that?

True. Can't wait for those to get cheap and mainstream. When they are good enough(if not already),
I can print out a cheap phone or even laptop.
--snip--

Errr... you know you'll only be able to print the phone / laptop CASE, you can't print the electronics....

 

[Sicklyboy]

On-topic, though I don't actually own one, 3D printers are simply incredible. I can download physical objects now - how cool is that?!

NOW I CAN

Yeah, I was thinking about them alst night. I really want one, it would be so neat, but DAMN are they expensive. But the concept is simply amazing.

 

[FAST6191]

Errr... you know you'll only be able to print the phone / laptop CASE, you can't print the electronics....

Err pick and place has existed for years, we are rapidly heading towards single chip phones (especially on the low end) and well
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfapBnzLzF4
Also because it is awesome
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7siJLqQvT4

Phones running applications.... sure it took a shift in the software ecosystem but palm computing at least could do email (granted this was over an IR serial port or a cable), calendar and a basic document for some time now.

I realise I am sounding like the "nothing new has been made" crowd which I assure you I am not but most of the examples thus far have existed in one form or another and not usually for an outrageous sum for a decade or more.

Re 3d printers expensive... the reprap, makerbot and co (which can do some serious damage done properly) are about in line with a proper lathe or several other tools these days to say nothing or services like http://www.shapeways.com/
Sure it could still stand to be made cheaper and/or have increased resolution but it is not the days of old where it was industrial machinery with industrial machinery pricetag.
My only real concern is people are heading down the 3d printing path and ignoring/focusing less on some of the CNC, laser milling/cutting and similar such technologies which for my money are complementary and maybe even necessary counterpoints to 3d printing for the near future.

 

[iFish]

I think you're missing the point / what I'm trying to say, FAST.

Not what IS from the future or should be. More like, what makes you feel "futuristic". I know you've mentioned a lot of this stuff was around back in the day. But that doesn't really mean it wasn't as ground breaking then as it is to the casual crowd now. I mean, I guess you're free to you opinion. But it seemed like you were somewhat missing the point. Not to be rude or anything.

 

[Sterling]

Computers in general. I mean, we went from computers that took up ENTIRE FLOORS to computers of similar power that fit in your pocket in pretty much a blip on the proverbial radar... That in itself is amazing. The other thing is that they can only get better. We are rapidly moving towards consumer friendly quantum computers with light based processors even nearer, on the horizon of the technological daybreak at that.