Is tech not as exciting anymore?

Post Reply
Captain Picard's Hair
Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Posts: 4042
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:58 am
Location: Right here.

Is tech not as exciting anymore?

Post by Captain Picard's Hair »

This particular subforum has become a bit quiet, but it seems to some extent a microcosm of a larger trend. It's remarkable how quickly it's happened, since all this quantum effect-powered, rapidly shrinking electronic wizardry hasn't been a mainstay of life for all that long. New features and improvements to phones and other computing devices seem more evolutionary for now. Tech that could be more revolutionary in nature is still in development limbo.

VR/AR? Cool but not ready for daily life yet.

Future combined storage - well this one is mostly known only to computer geeks with names like "memristor technology." It's another improvement in speed, but a big one. Currently even SSD are rather slow in comparison with the rest of the PC, but a future generation of non-volatile memory could see the distinction between RAM (working memory, fast) and storage (long term and slow) vanish as the same fast memory tech also holds information without power. This would in effect make loading a program irrelevant: currently launching something involves moving bits from storage into RAM, but a combined fast memory pool would have everything available immediately.

Future batteries -not as geeky to even describe but as important as it is under the radar. Battery tech has been largely stagnant, but a revolution in capacity could have wide ranging impacts.

Quantum computing - will render modern cryptography entirely moot, but offer huge power to scientists too.
"If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wonderous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross... but it's not for the timid." Q, Q Who
User avatar
Graham Kennedy
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 11561
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2007 2:28 pm
Location: Banbury, UK
Contact:

Re: Is tech not as exciting anymore?

Post by Graham Kennedy »

Maybe it's me, but is tech really advancing as fast as it used to?

I mean, I lived through the days when genuine colour TV was introduced. I saw the first video recorders. The first remote controls. I saw the ZX-81 and Dragon 32 and Apple II and BBC Microcomputer come to the market... the first computers that people actually could have in their home. I saw the invention of computer games!

And now... the computers get faster and more powerful every year. The displays get bigger and nicer. The phones can do more than they did.

And... well, what's actually new and revolutionary? I guess you could say the rise of social media and sharing sites for video and images and such.

But beyond that, we seem to be in an era of development of existing technology, with very little revolutionary about it. Or so it seems to me.
Give a man a fire, and you keep him warm for a day. SET a man on fire, and you will keep him warm for the rest of his life...
Mikey
Fleet Admiral
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 35635
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:04 am
Commendations: The Daystrom Award
Location: down the shore, New Jersey, USA
Contact:

Re: Is tech not as exciting anymore?

Post by Mikey »

I thought almost the exact same way... that we’re doing more improvement these days than innovation. But then again, we’ve got real-time feasible AR, portable VR environments, everyday secure and real-world usable RFID... hell, the Coke machine at my store is diagnosable and reparable via an onboard online connection. I truly believe that part of the phenomenon that CPH describes is the fact that we’ve become jaded to such progress.
I can't stand nothing dull
I got the high gloss luster
I'll massacre your ass as fast
as Bull offed Custer
User avatar
00111010 01000100
Lieutenant
Lieutenant
Posts: 404
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2018 10:39 pm
Location: Maine, US

Re: Is tech not as exciting anymore?

Post by 00111010 01000100 »

“Is tech not exciting?”

I don’t know about anyone else but once Quantum computers become widespread, it’ll only be a small step towards FTL computer cores! That’s exciting as heck to me!
“Pull a stunt like this again and I’ll court marshal you... or promote you. Either way you’ll be in big trouble”
User avatar
McAvoy
Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Posts: 6225
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:39 am
Location: East Windsor, NJ

Re: Is tech not as exciting anymore?

Post by McAvoy »

Graham Kennedy wrote: Sat Dec 30, 2017 3:14 am Maybe it's me, but is tech really advancing as fast as it used to?

I mean, I lived through the days when genuine colour TV was introduced. I saw the first video recorders. The first remote controls. I saw the ZX-81 and Dragon 32 and Apple II and BBC Microcomputer come to the market... the first computers that people actually could have in their home. I saw the invention of computer games!

And now... the computers get faster and more powerful every year. The displays get bigger and nicer. The phones can do more than they did.

And... well, what's actually new and revolutionary? I guess you could say the rise of social media and sharing sites for video and images and such.

But beyond that, we seem to be in an era of development of existing technology, with very little revolutionary about it. Or so it seems to me.
Pretty much this. At this point, we are just advancing what we got now. Nothing revolutionary yet at least. The last big thing was the touch screen phone with nearly the same capabilities as a computer.

I think the next big step would be true robots.
"Don't underestimate the power of technobabble: the Federation can win anything with the sheer force of bullshit"
User avatar
00111010 01000100
Lieutenant
Lieutenant
Posts: 404
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2018 10:39 pm
Location: Maine, US

Re: Is tech not as exciting anymore?

Post by 00111010 01000100 »

I mentioned this before and noticing the forum does have some brainy well-educated computer people (either going to college for IT or already working in the field of IT, Programing, and others). So I’ll mention it (quietly) again. Quantum computers = exciting future technology.
My earlier post didn’t seem to get noticed so I’m curious as to if they not considered a breakthrough?

Backstory: I’ve been following the Q.C. idea and later the prototypes papers of building them. At present, some countries and large companies are investing in them and they seem to hold a lot of promise to increase computing abilities light years beyond what present day computers can do.

Thoughts?
“Pull a stunt like this again and I’ll court marshal you... or promote you. Either way you’ll be in big trouble”
Post Reply