As well as being a hardware editor and lover of all things tech, I also read a lot of science fiction, mostly from the author Peter Hamilton (highly recommended). From this dual influence, I get a unique perspective for technology as I am holding it in the present and technology as it may look in the (not so near) future – depending on the sci-fi book that I’m reading at the moment.

                                             Science fiction at its best.

I’m almost always in a state of amazement at where we are standing right now technologically in relation to what was state-of-the-art back in the 80’s. Modern personal computing is barely two decades old, and we couldn’t have imagined how an iPod would look like when we were staring at a 20” Zenith in a wooden cabinet (not that I actually encountered one of those). This amazement is compounded by the fact that science fiction books give me a general idea of where technology might be headed, especially if the author grounds his or her ideas on actual, existing technology and then extrapolates it into the future.

Take a few examples that I have gathered over many books read and many years spent reading these sometimes prophetic tomes of knowledge:

                                                    Miniaturization at its best?

WiFi Coverage and Gadget Miniaturization – wireless connectivity to the biggest network ever – the internet – has been progressing by leaps and bounds (and sometimes mis-steps) over the years. Draft-N, WiMax, whole-city coverage, faster speeds are all goals that each subsequent release works toward. At the same time, gadgets like cell phones, laptops/UMPC’s and the like are getting smaller and smaller – to the point that what’s usually the limiting factor is the size of the thumbs to be used on the device.

In a sci-fi setting, the equivalent technology would be embedded in what would possibly be called “nano-cells” or even perhaps may even be genetically ingrained to be present at birth. Coverage to the sci-fi equivalent of the internet would be through the time-space continuum, eliminating the coverage question and capacity considerations, since the metaspace used is essentially connected at all points to real space.

Didn’t follow what was just described? Well suffice to say that in this sci-fi world, the characters doesn’t carry any kind of device and there is no such thing as a cell tower or similar, but they are still permanently connected to the “internet” or the future equivalent – simply through technology integrated into themselves and into the “environment” as it is. Wonderful vision? Definitely.

 
Storage and Data Manipulation – my recent blog entry [here] on the Raptor X 150GB hard drive was full of superlatives – fastest consumer drive, best reliability, prettiest ever storage device – but its future equivalent would probably make me swoon.

                                             Hard Disk innards

In a stylized future, this kind of storage – magnetically altered bits on a mechanically actuated, spinning drive, would be laughably archaic. Already, solid state drives are invading the market with hard disk alternatives that does not spin, lacks a moving read arm, and does not fail when dropped from more than a foot. I am referring of course to solid state drives that use flash memory to store data quickly (and expensively, for now).

 
Sci-Fi postulates that data manipulation based on light, electron valence, and other more esoteric means such as storing data in the fabric of space-time - is the way that this technology is going. In connection to the first extrapolation, this would enable the instant access that is essential to a permanent connection.

Philippine passports are currently in the process of being modernized, partly as a deterrence to terrorism, and partly to keep up with the rest of the world. This program initiated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and BPI proposes to make Philippine passports machine-readable within a five-year time frame – to alleviate airport delays and facilitate security processes.

In the same vein, train passes, magnetic-card based entry permits and similar identification means – already abound in more developed countries. We are at the point where these types of technologies are being introduced to a somewhat reluctant and privacy-conscious populace – paper ID’s and train tokens should be enough right? Well, not in the sci-fi future. Not so far-of as the other two extrapolations, ID’s in the future may be embedded either on an arm or in the forehead – or may even be put aside altogether in favor of recognition software or detection machinery such as infrared or x-ray.

                                              RFID tag usually seen on books

There are many possibilities; RFID tags are already in use – these are radio-frequency tags with codes identifying it to special scanners – eliminating the need for written ID’s with data and descriptions. In the same manner as extrapolation number one, you won’t be carrying anything when you want to pass through a checkpoint or an airport terminal – you’ll be carrying everything you need “in” you.

These examples are but a small selection of the technologies that may grow to the point where we won’t be able to tell it apart from science fiction – whether we are still alive when the time comes. As a parting idea, another “cool” technology I read about and wouldn’t mind seeing now would be the cryo-freeze technology for preserving a body for eventual revival in the future – I wouldn’t mind getting frozen for a thousand years or so, so that I’ll be able to see how much technology has advanced in the intervening years.

More "postulations" to come.