Military Tech: This DARPA robot can conquer all terrains

The following showcase video released by DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency showcases a highly agile military robot prototype capable of navigating serious obstructions and terrains.

Prepare to witness aimpressive glimpse at our future robot soldier. DARPA released this stunning video showing how an autonomous robot can navigate- and jump over obstacles with ease. The Pet-Proto is a predecessor the Atlas robot which traverses a simulated hallway containing a very tall step and a thin walkway.  It easily uses its strong arms to balance itself as it climbs a step, then perfectly leaps down with a thud. The highly agile walker stretches its legs to continue its way along the thin edges of a gutted hallway floor.

A day in the year 2020; Future life concept video

The future of commercial sex; Future trends that will completely chance the sex industry

A recent study estimates that online porn, which comprises only a single aspect of the commercial sex industry, in 2010 was responsible for as much as 34% of all Internet traffic, which is quite an astonishing number to say the very least. The (commercial) sex industry added close to 14 billion dollar to the US economy, not even counting prostitution in. Commercial sex has a global reach that extends beyond every border. Developments in society and technology have set the commercial sex industry on a path to become more conventional and socially acceptable. 

Now that we know the importance of the sex industry in our society, let's have a look at at the future and highlight a few trends that will shape the next few decades of the commercial sex industry.

Chip implants

Smart-chip implant developed in 2009

Chip implants is a controversial issue in today's society. However in the not-so-distant future we will all be equipped with one. Where currently we make payments using cash money, credit cards or NFC mobile payments, some 20 years into the future we will only have to place our hand on a smart-reader. Passports will globally be replaced as well with the use of this smart-chip implanted in the palm of our hand and even communication and information retrieval is said to start using the same in conjunction with another kind of implants, which directly connects to the brain.

What are your thoughts about this?

BMW i8, scheduled for 2014

2013 Trends, what will be hot in 2013?

Here's a selection of trends in the upcoing year 2013:

5G - Technology - Wireless connectivity with ultra-high speeds
Bada - Technology - Samsung OS for samrt devices, developed in collaboration with Intel
Certified Carbon Free - Lifestyle - Consumer products which are certified to be free of carbon emission during their production and lifespan
Certified Humane – Lifestyle - Certification for products and services that are consideren humane
Certified Organic – Lifestyle - Products that are certified to be produced and/or grown organically

Trends and hypes in 2013 | Technology,
lifestyle, design, health, education

Crash-proof cars - Transportation
Electric cars - Transportation - Also referred to as EV's
Etylline Whiplash Lash Detonator – Makeup
Ex-Men – A CBS TV Series
Gorilla glass - Technology - Super-strong yet ultra-thin display glass
Green cities – Lifestyle
Home-farming - Lifestyle - Small scale food farming in your own garden and/or home
Indoor gardens – Interior design - Small gardens inside the house and/or office enviroment
iPhone 6 - Technology
Interactive YouTube movies - Technology
Korean music and movies - Entertainment
LEGO - Even adults are crazy about it!
Malaysia - Travel and investment destinations
Metro Apps – Windows 8 applications
Nature inspired interiors - Lifestyle
NFC – Near Field Communication mobile payments
Online high schools - Education
p-Si LCD - Technology
Phablets – Smartphone/Tablet morph
Plant-based fabrics / Organic Fabrics - Lifestyle and fashion trends
Raw Gaia – Beauty products
Ride ‘n’ Win – Casino game
Square mobile payments
Wireless charging - Technology

Art in 2020 - 2030; 3D projectable art

While 3D Projectable Art is going to be the most innovating trend in the next upcoming years we are also going to see a comeback of retro-art happening alongside. And merging the two, such as bringing alive an early 1900 pencil-drawing in a three-dimensional setting or projecting the sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh on a real window sill. 3D art projections may either represent a fixed, still object, scene or character, or even be moving around, changing shape, colors or fading away into something different.

Currently, 3D projection is already possible and used on small scale, mainly for night-time advertising and in entertainment shows. But we face some limitations, such as small viewing angles and the need for a certain degree of darkness. Electrical science labs and the electronics industry is now working hard to make these limitations smaller.

3-dimensional paintings are also going to appear on the wall as 3D-screens are getting significantly cheaper, allowing us to change wall-hung art to be changed on demand or in rotation.

2016: Thought Controlled Devices (TCD's)

While we are still using mouses and (virtual) keyboards in most of our digital life, major software and hardware manufacturers are already aiming their focus on something completely new: Thought Controlled Devices or TCD's. Basically, these devices can be anything from phones, latops and phablets to smart fridges, door-locks and smart-tubs. The idea is that thoughts are a way more powerful and efficient method of input then the conventional ways, mainly because we will no longer need an external input device.

How does this all work? We will get to see small devices coming on the market which have to be folded around the ears, allowing reception of one's though, which can then be broadcasted to any TCD device. They will most probably be using NFC (Near Field Communication) for that.

At the moment, Microsoft is already very busy onexperimenting with this new technology for the new Windows 10 operating system (scheduled for 2016), and several manufacturers of electronics such as Samsung, Nokia and Apple are working on implementation as well.

The reality of micro-drones

We are now several years on the way since the discussion about insect-sized micro-drones first started.

Vanessa Alarcon, a college student attended an anti-war protest back in 2007 when she suddenly heard someone shout “Hey! Look at that!” 

She lifted her head up and couldn't believe what she saw: An insect-like helicopter flying around like it was surveying the crowds. Not much larger then a piece of candy and almost soundless.

Anonymous sources withing the CIA later confirmed the existence of micro-drones, used for “internal security purposes” by a handful of elite US-agencies. 

Almost six years down the line we’re learning that these micro-drones have become even smaller and more sophisticated. And the scary part is, it is most probable that you and I have already been watched many times by these micro-drones without even noticing. And it gets more scary, we are even told by experts that the US-government is now in possession of micro-drones that are even able to secretly take DNA samples from object (people) in a similar way like mosquito's take our blood.

Such a device could be controlled from a great distance and is equipped with a camera, microphone. It could land on you and then use its needle to take a DNA sample with the pain of a mosquito bite. Or it could inject a micro RFID tracking device under your skin.It could land on you and stay, so that you take it with you into your home. Or it could fly into a building through a window. There are well-funded research projects working on such devices with such capabilities.

And if you thought the US is the only nation to use this technology...think again. We know that at least Russia, China, South Korea, Japan and Germany are using these micro-drones either actively or in testing enviroments.

Your own nuclear power plant for home use?

Energy prices are sky-rocketing each year, and that is not going to change in the near future as well as world population is growing as never before, oil and gas are becoming increasingly more difficult to harvest and solar/wind power is not soon going to be a 100% solution.

One company, Hyperion is tapping in this demand for cheaper, easier power by developing a home-use nuclear power station, which may soon become availble on the market to meet the increasingly demanding consumer’s wish for off-grid energy.

Scientists at Los Alamos in New Mexico say the plants will be on sale within five years. Hyperion Power Generation, based in New Mexico, said it's already taking orders and will start mass production of its Hyperion Power Module within the same time frame. The goal "is to generate electricity for 10 cents a watt anywhere in the world," according to a Hyperion executive. That same executive also said "you could never have a Chernobyl-type event" with one of the reactors.

Progressing in ages

Every 3 decades or so, something sets the tone when it comes to discoveries, inventions and innovations, call it revolution or scientific era...whatever you name it, this one area of development every some 30 years is crucial for mankind to progress further in life. We need this kind of anchor to get us further in stages.

Let me give you an overview of recent scientific eras:

Around the 1900 we started to roll into the age of chemistry spawning its own research, industry and pivotal weapons of war. Next came the era of physics taming electrons to make them usable for higher tasks such as nuclear energy, and again weapons of war.

Some 50 years ago, we started the era of  technology, I’m quite sure I don’t have to give you an example with this one.

Right now we are slowly making the transition into the biological era, a somewhat 30-year period in time that will focus on biological, bio-technical and medical development. Examples are cloning, neuro-technology, curing cancer and HIV, the introduction of nanobots in our bodies, body modification and cracking the DNA-codes.

That period of time will last until approximately the halfway the 2040’s after which we will make another slow transition into the stellar age, an era in which mankind will be primarily focussed on space and space-travel.

1900 – Chemistry

1930 – Physics

1960 – Technology

1990 – Information technology

2020 – Biology

2040 – Stellar science and technology

And what will be next? Well, try to live long enough to see it happen! By the way, you most probably will have a good chance, since we are expecting to solve the aging problem in the upcoming era!

What's coming up in TV season 2013/2014?

The big networks have only just started their TV-season 2012/2013 while behind the scenes they are already working on next year's schedules. Which new shows can we expect to come to our screens? Here's a list of what we know so far:

CBS is going to bring us a new comedy show called Ex-Men. A funny single camera comedy about a young man who moves into a short-term rental complex and becomes friends with the other men who live there. They all happen to be kicked out by their wives.

Also on CBS Backstrom, which is based on the book series about a House-like detective who tries to change his self-destructive nature.

ABC has been quite busy with Burns & Cooley, a medical procedural about two New York neurosurgeons who compete as they strive to be the top in all aspects of their lives.

Also on ABC in 2013, the all new Founding Fathers, a TV drama about a war veteran whose Texas hometown is in the hands of a militia group led by his older brother!

And finally Dumb f&ck!, a single-camera comedy about an average Joe and his brilliant wife who move in with her intelligent yet emotionally stunted family of geniuses

And then, NBC gives your TV screen Hench, which is based on the comic about a man who becomes a temp for super villains. Written by Alexandra Cunningham (Desperate Housewives), exec produced by Peter Berg and Sarah Aubrey (Prime Suspect).

Also on NBC Cleopatra, a period drama about the Egyptian queen Cleopatra and Pariah, a drama inspired by Freakonomics about a rogue academic who uses economic theory to police San Diego.

And last but certainly not the very least: The Blacklist, a drama about an international criminal who surrenders himself and helps the government hunt down his former cohorts

Future Technology in 2020 - 2040 Part 4: Warp Drive, lasercutter, hyper speed satellite internet & clone organ transplants

In the latter part of the 2030’s we will see extensive testing with a new space-travelling method called warp-drive. You are most probably hearing this term for the first time, so allow me to explain a little more about this concept. Warp-drive is the hypothetical answer to the speed limits we are currently facing in space travel. A faster then light propulsion system, to be visualized as a donut-like ring around the space-craft. The fact that it would be possible to travel faster then light means that we will be able to travel to galaxies many light-years away. In contrast to (other) fictional FTL technologies, such as a jump-drive or the Infinite Improbability Drive, warp-drive doesn’t allow instant travel between two points; instead, warp drive technology creates an artificial "bubble" of normal space-time that surrounds the space-ship (as opposed to entering a separate realm or dimension like hyperspace like we can see in the Star Wars, Stargate franchise, Warhammer 40,000, Babylon 5 and Andromeda universes). Thus, a space-ship at warp velocity can remain to interact with other objects in "normal space".

The lasercutter, laser-saw and laser-drill are currently only used by the mass-production industry mainly due to the high investment costs. But in the 2020’s these high costs will go down dramatically, enabling more and more small companies (mainly in construction and customized fabrication) consumers to benefit from the many advantages. User laser-techniques makes cutting and drilling more accurate, efficient and delivers a much better quality. It also allows the fabrication of smaller end-products.

HSSI, or Hyper Speed Satellite Internet, is a standard which is currently under development by various parties. It is assumed that high speed internet using new generations of micro-satellites (micro-satellice networks) are going to replace all other forms of internet connectivity including 3G, 4G and 5G, cable and fibre optics. Currently, successfull tests have been conducted reaching speeds of up to 50 Mbps. HSSI will most probably be introduced for the first time in or around 2015. The advantages of HSSI are extensive, including have constant internet connection without disruptions, whereever you are. No more roaming, no more hickups and always the same ultra fast speed.

Clone organs are laboratory grown human organs, developed from a person’s own stemcells. In a clinical trial in 2011 the first clone organ has been successfully been transplanted and it is widely assumed that around 2018 at least a number of countries will approve a selected range of clone transplants to be performed as a better alternative to donor organ transplantation.

Moving on...phablets and more

The past few years have been an exciting time, the introduction of quite some new buzz-words and technologoies. But what can we expect just a mile further down the horizon? Here are just a few evolutions we will see in the next 4 years.

Tablets have really been THE thing in these first two years of the 2010's. But the industry has already left this concept way behind and is slowly moving the consumer into the direction of Phablets. They're just a fraction smaller then a regular tablet and just a fraction larger then a regular smartphone. In fact, the Samsung Galaxy Note is the earliest example of a phablet, followed by the iPad mini. The picture on your left shows the 2013 scheduled Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Looks promising doesn't it?


More to come...

Future Technology in 2020 - 2040 Part 3: Smart tubes, CloneBots & Brainwave Information Transfer

This is part 3 in a series of articles showing you which future technologies you can expect to see throughout the 2020's and 2030's. All of these examples are not simply guessed upon, they are real upcoming technologies already in existence and/or in an advanced state of development. Since consumer markets are usually behind some 5 to 10 years to actual technological developments, and all of the below examples have been verified, you can be pretty sure to come across them in the very near future :)

Smart tubes and Smart pipes

Smart tubes or smart pipes will come to houses worldwide, enabling direct and on-demand supply of foods, drinks, household liquids and output of small waste. Smart piping networks connects residential area’s and properties to suppliers and waste collection / recycling facilities. In- and outgoing loads will be transported by small tube-transporters making sure that everything stays seperate and is delivered to the correct destination.

Brain data information transfer,
backup, uupload, download

For hundreds of years, we have relied on visual and audio input to receive information. In the latter part of the 2020’s all of that will change with the introduction of Brainwave Information Transfer. Nano-chips and wireless chips implanted inside the human brain will enable us to receive information in a more advanced, more sophisticated and more vast way. Information will be readily available on-demand without the need for some kind of physical device, instead it will be received directly by the brain. Because this involves a higher stream of data then we are used to, we will most probably in the course of time be getting extra added brainpower and storage in the form of implants.

Clone-bot; Robotic clone copy
of yourself in the 2030's

Halfway the 2030’s we will witness the introduction of CloneBots or CloBo’s. These are bio-technically engineered robot clones / duplicates of real humans which could be controlled by its owner remotely. They will look ex real, feel real (with bio-engineered skin, hair and bones), and act as if they were real. A person would be able to have one or even a dozen of CloneBots, which could even be programmed to act and react the sane as its owner.

Flying spy camera
(artificial mosquito spy camera)
currently use by the CIA

Camera Fly or FlyCam is a small sized flying camera, looking quite similar to an actual fly or mosquito. The camera fly nano-bots will most commonly be used by law enforcement (police) and army for surveillance purposes. There are a lot of actual reports and sightings of these flying mosquito spy camera's being used en-masse by the CIA and FBI all over the US. Carefull folks, there things are smaller then your fingertip and weigh close to nothing, therefor extremely difficult to detect outside or even inside your own house!

Future Technology in 2020 - 2040 Part 2: 3D-TV, OLED, self cleaning clothes & smart adaptable paint

This is part 2 in a series of articles showing you which future technologies you can expect to see throughout the 2020's and 2030's. All of these examples are not simply guessed upon, they are real upcoming technologies already in existence and/or in an advanced state of development. Since consumer markets are usually behind some 5 to 10 years to actual technological developments, and all of the below examples have been verified, you can be pretty sure to come across them in the very near future :)

3D-TV will increasingly replace the traditional TV experience, allowing viewers to get an increasingly realistic TV viewing experience. This will coincide with the expansion of OLED-TV or Organic LED TV.

Self cleaning clothes are getting more and more mainstream. Smart fabrics allow a better and more efficient use of clothing, for example enabling instant color- and pattern changes, change of thickness, change of softness and change of size using smart nano-fiber technology. Please also refer to the terms adaptable fiber, adaptable micro-fiber and adaptable nano-fiber.

Smart road networks will be increasingly more common between 2020 and 2030. They feature embedded tracking, power generating micro-solar surface and automated charging for EV's. Smart roads will make travelling faster, more efficient and more safe. We will also see an introduction of smart tunnels, smart bridges and smart junctions. Micro-chips will be standard in every car allowing automatic toll-charging, speed control and GPS-tracking. We will also see an increasing number of self-driving cars appearing on our roads, making it safer, more convenient and more efficient to travel from A-to-B.

Eco-friendly smart adaptable paint is on the verge to conquer the world! This newly, innovative engineered paint works on a nano-level, consisting of nanoscopic tiny particles that are able to change color, are weather proof and water resistent, self-cleaning and extremely long lasting. By communicating as a nano-network, the smart-paint particles are even able to form colored patterns and adjust to the enviroment’s lighting.

Future Technology in 2020 - 2040 Part 1: SegBots, transformable recumbent bicycle & micro-satellites

This is part 1 in a series of articles showing you which future technologies you can expect to see throughout the 2020's and 2030's. All of these examples are not simply guessed upon, they are real upcoming technologies already in existence and/or in an advanced state of development. Since consumer markets are usually behind some 5 to 10 years to actual technological developments, and all of the below examples have been verified, you can be pretty sure to come across them in the very near future :)

A SegBot, or Segmented Robot is a robot consisting of several individually operating robots, which, when assenbled togethers form one robot. A SegBot Unit may be varying in size from several inches to a small as a hair’s thickness (nano-bot). It is widely believed that the first SegBots will start to see daylight around the year 2020.

A transformable recumbent bicycle or TRB is a transformable bicycle which can be used in upright position, for example in city enviroments, as well as in a recumbent position, for example when used in leisure-biking.

A micro-satellite is a smaller, smarter and more efficient version of the current satellites in use today. They are usually linked together to form a micro-satellite network or smart satellite network. Micro-satellites will initially be the size of a regular storage box, and gradually nearing the 2030 it will be technological possible to make satellites as small as a cookie-jar. Scientists expect the size to furth shrink down to stamp-size by the year 2040, after which we may see the introduction of nano-satellites.

Dental Bots or DentaBots are dental cleaning nano-bots (microscopic small robots) believed to replace the traditional toothpaste and toothbrush. They manifest in a mouthwash-like liquid substance, clensing the teeth at microscopic level. In a later stage, Detal Bots may also be included in drinks and foods, which will abolish the need for saily dental care. Dental Bots may in the future also be able to communicate and work in a smart network which will enable them to provide feedback about the condition of the teeth.

Neuro is the new buzz in 2020

Here are just a few terms you can expect to bubble to the surface in the 2020's...

2020: Neurolink router connects
human brains with external
electronic devices or other brains

The term neurolink or neuro-link refers to the physical or wireless connection between a human brain and an external (electronic) device or media, or between two or more human brains. The word neurolinking or neuro-linking means to connect one or more human brains with other human brains, or external devices or media. Scientists and bio-engineers are currently making giant leaps in the neuro-tech / neuro-link field. In less then five years the first neuro link applications will be ready for trials with humans.

Neuro-technology

Neurosyncing or neuro-syncing is the process of synchronizing a human brain with an external source, or to an external target. It may also become possible to sync a human brain with a backup-brain or clone-brain. A neurosync or neuro-sync is the task of synchronizing a human brain with an external source, or to an external target. It may also become possible to sync a human brain with a backup-brain or clone-brain.

Neuronetic, neuronetics or neuronetica refers to the technological and/or scientific interaction with a human brain, or the overall technological science of the human brain (neurotech or neuro-technology.

A neuroport or neuro-port will enable external devices, data-sources and recording media to be connected to the human brain. We have seen such a pheanomena already featuring in the movie eXistenZ, something that has for long times been a "neuro-scientific dream".