IBM predicts how future technology will affect our lives over the next five years.

Have you ever seen one of those movies in which modern characters somehow travel back in time? Knowing the future gives them a huge advantage over still living in the past, although it often causes more trouble than it’s worth. Well every year for the past eight years, IBM has given the world the next best thing: a list of educated predictions about future technology. No, these aren’t half-cocked dreams about flying cars or colonies on Mars. These are systems and gadgets that are very likely to change the way we do things in the next five years.

Surprisingly (or maybe not) many of IBM’s “5 in 5” predictions about future technology have come to fruition, or something close to it. As 2013 draws to a close, let’s take a look at the future technology that will likely become commonplace by the end of the decade.

IBM’s Future Technology Predictions For Education, Retail, Healthcare, Security and Cities

Education

According to IBM, the digitization of classrooms that’s already begun will really take off in the next five years. Future technology in the classroom will learn from the student while he or she is learning their daily lesson. “Cognitive computing, or learning technologies, will help us calculate everything we can about how each student learns and thrives, then create flexibility in the system to continually adapt and fine-tune what we deliver to that student and how this supports teachers and employers,” says Katharine Frase, IBM’s VP and CTO of Global Public Sector.

Retail

How many of us shopped on Amazon this holiday season? It may seem like online behemoth’s are stamping the local brick and mortar businesses out of existence, but IBM says a firm grasp on future technology could change this in the next five years. “Retailers will layer increasing levels of engagement and personalization on top of the shopping experience, ultimately merging the instant gratification of physical shopping with the richness of online shopping and making same-day delivery a snap,” says Sima Nadler, IBM’s Research Lead for Retail. According to Gizmag, “IBM has already demonstrated such technology in the form of an experimental augmented reality app that automatically delivers personalized coupons, offers, customer reviews and hidden product details to shoppers in stores.”

Healthcare

Mortality is a fact of, well, life, but according to IBM, future technology could help us to better prepare for it. The company predicts that DNA testing will move from a costly procedure to a mainstream tool doctors can use to test for cancers, or develop personalized treatment options for conditions such as stroke and heart disease.

Security

In perhaps the most strange and slightly terrifying prediction, IBM says future technology will provide each of us with an “online guardian” that will learn your habits to help protect your identity and sensitive information (I wonder if it works for the NSA too?).

Cities

Smart phones are already ubiquitous in big cities, but in the future, IBM predicts that they’ll making living in dense urban areas easier and more enjoyable. “For citizens, smart phones enabled by cognitive systems will provide a digital key to the city. People can have fingertip access to information about everything that’s happening in the city, whether an experience is right for them, and how best to get there,” says IBM’s Human Systems researcher Sergio Borger.

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Images via keoni101 and IBM

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Lust for Apple’s iPad reached a fevered pitch the second the company allowed pre-orders online (March 12th). We anticipate that the iPad will remain a trending topic on every corner of the internet, as sales begin at Best Buy and Apple stores April 3rd.

Greenpeace has been using iPad buzz to get people thinking about a need for greener information technology.

Are they really trying to take the wind out of Apple’s iPad sails, nee sales? Or is it reasonable to ask Apple fan-girls and -boys to think hard before they buy another wireless gewgaw, with another battery and batch of peripherals and accessories? Or for that matter, to ask us all how many times a day we really need to check our Facebook and Twitter feeds.

A March 30th Greenpeace statement cited research that predicts a triple increase in electricity consumption by data centers and telecommunication networks in the next decade. It called on computing giants, especially Apple, Microsoft, IBM and Google, to “get [their] carbon footprint under control.”

While Greenpeace views the IT industry with a skeptical eye, cloud computing insiders like Sherrie Wu, vice president of product development at AirSet in Berkeley, California thinks the trend of cloud computing – doing everything online, including storing files, accessing and using applications, versus downloading them and working from a hard drive – is already doing more good than harm, environmentally.

Wu explained, “Cloud computing like we offer at AirSet lets office teams collaborate on documents online in an integrated environment. Team members or even family members’ access to information, with cloud computing no longer relies on printed or email copies. Teams can keep their schedules, contacts, files, and all the other digital data that are important in one secure place, again instead of printing or emailing.”

Reduced paper consumption and fewer logins to get to the information you need sounds great. But with all of the electricity consumption, can cloud computing, including the iPad, have a silver-green lining?

Get informed and weigh in below, or Tweet your thoughts our way @ecosalon

Basic Reading:

Official iPad Product Specs

“Apple won’t say how many iPads it has sold in advance of their debut Saturday, and it’s hard to predict how many enthusiasts will camp overnight and swamp Apple stores when the doors open Saturday at 9 a.m., as they did for last summer’s launch of the most recent version of the iPhone”¦” – An Associated Press story by Jessica Mintz anticipating a successful iPad launch.

“The iPad”¦relies on cloud computing – a system where information and core processes are accessed through a network, rather than on a local server. The iPad is only one instance of this type of operation. Google is another, and the practice is increasingly common”¦.” – A Guardian UK story by Vincent Bevins discussing the environmental benefits and potential drawbacks of cloud computing.

“Apple has indicated that the iPad is highly recyclable and free of harmful chemicals. The likely long-term environmental impact of the iPad is nonetheless ambiguous at best”¦ it seems [like] another device that adds to our modern electronic clutter and feeds into the cannibalistic trend of shrinking product lifecycles.” – Change.org writer Giovannia Mejia discusses electronics makers’ use of “conflict” minerals, and compares the IT industry to the diamond industry.

Further Resources:

IPad Accessories Chart on Testfreaks.com, a design blog.

A feature story about Seton Hill University’s Plan to Issue Freshman iPads and MacBooks.

The iPad reviewed from a regular consumer’s and the techie’s point-of-view, by New York Times’ David Pogue.

This is the latest installment of EcoMeme, a column featuring eco news, tech and business highlights by columnist Lora Kolodny.

Image by: curiouslee

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