By Meghan Zea and Allison Barry
Our team is always reading about the “next big thing” in technology – whether it be the next iPhone, hover boards or online orders that provide a bit of instant gratification with doorstep delivery via drone. The future of technology that was once only conceivable in Sci-Fi movies seems to be approaching at warp speed. For our June news rundown, we collected the most futurist tech news from the last month, providing a glimpse of what the future may hold.
- The next greatest freeway innovation since carpool lanes could be Hyperlanes – lanes exclusively for autonomous vehicles. Inspired by the Japanese bullet train, the goal is to make commuting a breeze—but only if your budget includes a new self-driving car.
- If you thought you could tell the difference between automated bots and humans, think again. Facebook’s Artificial Intelligence Researchers (FAIR) have taught their bots human skills like negotiation and lying. Be careful what you ask for – literally.
- The FCC’s plan to roll-back Net Neutrality could mean bad news for our favorite IoT devices and for IoT devices of the future.
- The wind in your hair, the sand between your toes and the sound of a new filling—eventually dentist appointments could include patients clad in VR headsets. Research shows that virtual reality could make the dentist more bearable and possibly enjoyable? We remain skeptical.
- Boarding passes are so passé. Why waste your time with paper when your boarding pass could be your face? Sounds great but the new push to use facial recognition technology at the airport comes with serious privacy concerns.
There are so many new technologies that are changing the landscape of the future that it can be hard for us to keep up at times. But, if these technologies will make traveling and the dentist more bearable, then sign us up. What new tech are you most excited about?