Info Tec

• E-paper & Flat panel displays
  • Xerox: Combines portability of paper with interactivity of an electronic document. Based on "gyricon". A sheet of thin layers of plastic incorporating millions of tiny beads that act like a toner when charge is applied. The beads contained in oil filled cavaties, rotate as electrical charges are applied, showing different colours and creating images.
  • (D'Amico & Ferranti, M, 1999, Jul 12). Xerox epaper : [Online] http://www.parc.xerox.com/epaper.
• Light
  • Optics will change the way everything is done, creating nearly unlimited performance
• Voice recognition
  • Will move into mainstream computing. Expected to be part of the next version of Microsoft office. Already included (1997) with Lotus WordPro 97 (part of SmartSuite) and with OS/2 Warp.
• Really good video
  • Video will become a data type as ubiquitous as voice or numbers. Videoconferencing will become standard, but a larger and richer possibility of video so good that people can share an entire environment. - "being there walls"
  • After that look for halographic or 3D images and sound.
• Networked Airwaves
  • Constant connectivity to the internet. Always connected to eMail and applications.

• Internet become Real
  • Broadband networks will open up a world where Virtual reality, halograms, true voice and full motion are expected.
• Glyphs
  • Computerised hard copy, where a printed document contains computer instructions, everything from fonts and formatting to links to back-end databases. These glyphs can be understood by smart copiers, scanners and fax machines.
• Electric money
  • money will just be information stored in digital memory. Electric money or cybercash is already emerging.
• Smart manufacturing
  • Custom products are built from customer requests. Eg. A customer orders a "Brown Shirt" from a retailer. The order is passed to the manufacturer and the order is confirmed and scheduled. Customers may also be ordering using kiosks or Web sites.
• Universal clients
  • One interface accessing data wherever it resides, and launch applications to work with that data. Lotus hoped Notes would fit, but it seems more likely a WWW browser.
• Distributed objects
  • Allow users to access data, applications and pieces of applications regardless of where they reside. (eg. Microsoft are distributing Word viewers free.)