ADV: The Future Is… What?

If we stop and think about it, it’s kinda obscene to see how far technology has come.

When I was first exposed to the Internet at the virginal age of 12, my modem was from a brand called US Robotics. It was 33.6KBps fast, made clunky noises when connecting to the Internet and cost us a hefty RM700.

I remember the price so clearly because back then, my dad gave me a choice between an internet modem and a Sony Playstation (One).

As much as I’d love to see Chun Li fight in pixelated 3D, I instinctively knew I’d have more fun with the Internet.

The day those JARING technicians came to my house to install the modem was the day my life changed forever.

As soon as my modem was installed, I booted up my Pentium II PC, started Windows 95, dialled up 1511, fired up Netscape Navigator, then logged onto Yahoo! and entered into the search engine the magical word every young boy typed when the first got their hands on the Internet.

Come on, you know EVERYONE has done it.

But that was 15 years ago.

Back then, if I wanted to see a picture of Pamela Anderson in her red bikini, I gotta wait AGES for it to load.

The most embarrassing thing is -  just when the picture is about to load up her most interesting bits – SUDDENLY mom walked in!

I panicked as I frantically try to close the window. But then my computer FROZE!

Quickly, I unplugged the computer’s power cord before my mom stared at the screen enough to realise what I was doing.

It’s ridiculous. Come to think of it, we have it so much easier these days.

No longer do we have to limit ourselves watching Pam Anderson in JPEG photos. Thanks to the advancement of broadband, we can in fact now watch Pamela Anderson AND Tommy Lee in full video glory.

That was one of the points I raised at the “Future Is…”  panel discussion co-organized by HP and Microsoft.

I was one of the panel speakers alongside Joyce The Fairy, Cynthia Ong, Red Mummy and Jojo Struys.

Yeah, noticed something?

Thorn among roses.

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Although the event was kicked off by HP and Microsoft, our discussion have absolutely nothing to do with the organizer’s products all.

The “Future Is…” campaign is basically huge online discussion about what we think future trends are. It’s a discussion that spans 4 countries. Apart from us in Malaysia, the online community from China, Korea and Singapore are ALL taking part on this discussion of trends that will shape our future.

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I’d like to invite you to take part in this discussion.

In Malaysia, what we did was just to kickstart the process and get the ball rolling.

For you guys, HP has thrown in some awesome prizes (like a 5,000 buck touchscreen PC), just for pitching in ideas about what you think is gonna be the next big thing.

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You must be wondering – why is HP doing this?

Simple. Because sometimes, even the simplest of ideas can spark a trend and transform the world we live in.

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One example: text messaging. The inventors of SMS originally only intended it to be used for emergency when voice calls break down. Never had they imagined it to be used as such a commonly-used tool of communication these days.

But look at what it has turned into. Instead of having to tell your mom you’re coming home late because you are out partying hard in a noisy nightclub out studying hard in a quiet library, nowadays you can just send her a text without her suspecting anything.

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Ridiculous.

But such are how trends are created, and future trends will be created. What future trends do you foresee? That’s something for us to ponder upon and blog about.

Anyway, just because HP and Microsoft organized this does not mean our discussion was just limited to technology. It could be future of fashion, entertainment, education, music, social media, the environment – basically anything and everything.

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Anyway, we have done our part. The rest, is up to you guys.

Here is your homework for the day.

What is ONE trend you predict that’s gonna take off in a big way in the future? Could this be the future of handphones?

Discuss!

I hadn’t been following the news lately. I can’t believe I missed out on the whole Tiger Woods hoo-ha until earlier today when I managed to read everything from the start to end, and… oh my. So many Tiger Woods jokes. Where to start?

“Everytime Tiger Woods sees a hole, he takes his Tee off.”
”The only person who can beat Tiger Woods using golf clubs, is his wife.”
”Tiger got wood. Many times. That’s why he’s called Tiger Woods.”

42 Replies to “ADV: The Future Is… What?”

  1. errr before I actually start thinking about the future trends…
    just want to sayyyy…
    I can’t believe I’m like in the same generation with youu.. = =
    I came across those when I was in primary school tooooo

  2. “HP… the future is… over easy”
    hmmm… provided their computer/laptop have not so many problems/issues. Do visit their customers service center @ HP Tower you will understand…
    So is it over easy ?

  3. Wut. I used to Internetz on a 14.4 kbps dial-up back in the late 1990s.
    Fast forward to ’09, and my broadband connection’s speed is still equivalent to that of a 56k modem.
    Progress indeed.

  4. Hard to foresee what will happend. But i think handphone will evolves and microsoft will survive as they focus on os and software, and as for HP they need to start their own HandPhone (HP)
    brand name…

  5. oh about ur joke..there’s another one that my friend told me…it was ‘the difference between santa and tigerwoods is that santa only had 3 hos’…haha

  6. Lol. The 33.6kbps does bring back memories. And talk of wifi or wireless connection back then would seem utterly ridiculous.
    The future trend? It’s gotta be death of traditional phonelines as everyone starts skyping instead. Skyping over the iPhones, netbooks and maybe over the touchscreen table top of our schoolchildren’s desks.

  7. Well, I think future trend tend to move to Eco friendly, environmental friendly, this kind of direction. Whether is product, management, design…most people are talking about how to reduce carbon in the air. How to start recycle and not using plactic bags anymore. It is for the good cause, to create a future our next generation but it will be succeed if there is not unity effort from everyone,everywhere…this is what i think lah…

  8. MERRY CHRISTMAS Ras Tafari.
    Cell-phones, hand-phones are nothing more than Marketing “Self Importance”. No doubt there will always be EGOS craving hands-free dick texting or vagina-speed-dials if some fool produced them.
    It is pitiful to observe many denying themselves some Basics just to project a false sense of trendy self.
    If you cannot get me on the house phone, it’s because I’m occupied with necessary shit. Try later if it’s important, friends and associates know my schedule, or better still, I will ding you when I feel the vibe or meet-up in the flesh sometime.
    Don’t have message service either, my number is in the book, same one for years. My priorities are sorted with feet firmly planted on the ground.
    Remember it people; Down the not-too-distant road, Telepathy will outdate all these expensive gadgets, and it will come from some Insignificant nation RICH in Spirituality.
    Take the cell-phone money and Help lift some Needy Soul out of their misery, many have encountered Angels without even knowing it. Will make You feel better, Guaranteed.
    ONE LOVE!

  9. our future… ppl will take every pic of every step they take n upload them in facebook or blog about them. then, nobody talks to anybody coz everybody knows what’s going on in everybody’s life. we no longer talk on the phone, we just text… flooded with texts and words…. no more sound… silence…
    OUR FUTURE

  10. Very Observant.
    Founder of Yahoo stated in a live interview years ago, “Internet Abuse will proove to be the most anti-social invention”, primarily because most lack Discretion.
    Sad but true, Use, Abuse & Discard is the perverted modern yardstick for success, even where poverty is prevalent.

  11. Hi Kenny,
    One thing I’m sure that in coming 10 years, people will throw away the desktop and using less laptop. Cos we will all using the handset that c/w full pc function. 🙂
    [url=http://www.darrenpan.blogspot.com/]My Blog[/url]

  12. Lorraine, i watch the talk on Sixth Sense tech. WOW super amazing! Thanks for your sharing!
    That means in future we dont need computer hardware. all we need is a surface, on palm or paper as screen!
    and… can drag things from real to virtual world! similar to what i saw in movie years ago and now come to real
    what i like is hand and body can move freely and wherever so we dont have to sit in front of computer.
    MIT is one of the top University in the world as i know

  13. Hi Care Bare,
    Yea I don’t wanna be ‘a machine sitting in front of another machine’ either 🙂
    Its like what we see in the movies isn’t it. I love how he can drag things from a piece of paper to the computer.
    While Apple and Microsoft spend billions of dollars and years developing the ‘Apple Tablet’ and ‘Microsoft Courier’, this guy does it with simple and affordable technology- and beats them all!
    He’s like the modern-day Da Vinci..

  14. well, looking at the volume and product that hp is selling, is not supprise you see people in the service center, honestly I work for HP for 12 years in sales division…
    HP sells products from little ink cart, storage tapes to lappies, pcs, servers and bla bla bla…. and hp is the biggest IT HW company in MY and also worldwide.
    I am proud working and associate with hp

  15. If only Apple would be so kind to throw away freebies while asking us “How to further improve iPhone/iPod Touch/Macbooks”. I know they don’t have to, since they already have 48% of the global revenue share for desktop shipments, but hey, with US$30 billion in cash, you’d wish they would give promotions and freebies to increase market share!

  16. I don’t think desktops will go out of style. But they will become home appliances, more stylish in nature (think iMac, but with 30-inch screen), more eco-friendly, or more integrated (small hotel room with fixed screen on the wall, with keyboard and mouse).

  17. Interesting topic and discussion.
    Let’s take handphone as an example:)
    The future handphone is also a fashion trend like a watch that we can wear, brace to have style.
    It could be a “handphone watch” with the collaboration of live video conferencing!
    By then, misplace of handphone can be minimised! So easy & convenient and all we need is just to brace and wear the gear before we go out.
    Yes, I would love to see how this new gadget change our lives!

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