Are You Smarter Than Your Technology?

Technology is getting cheaper, smarter and easier to use. The internet allows greater connectivity amongst people and between machines. And so it is worth considering where it will make a difference in the future.

A healthy life

External technology worn on our bodies and embedded technology worn in our clothes will complement internal technology worn inside our bodies to track our everyday health.

Microscopic smart sensors called nanobots will be used to enter our bloodstream and provide live readings and instant feedback on our state of health.

Such products will monitor and inform our habits and behaviours and the information collected will influence fitness plans, lifestyles and even insurance costs.

Blood pressure and heart rate readings will be readily available from the clothes we wear and help to identify problems early and avoid serious illness.

Medicine and how we manage our health will change as technology in all its forms flags hidden ailments and prevents more serious conditions occurring.

In the home

Greater use of technology in the home has always made life easier as washing machines, hoovers, dishwashers, fridges and other appliances carry out their thankless tasks.

But in the future technology will move to a different level as the home and everything in it is managed from smart devices and smartphones in our pockets.

Smoke alarms will automatically alert homeowners and contact emergency services once a problem is detected.

Heating systems will self-manage and regulate temperature in response to personal preference and efficiency settings.

They will calculate and manage optimum temperatures and individual room settings based on using the least amount of fuel.

Washing machines and dishwashers will be managed from smart devices and linked to overall energy plans to ensure efficiency and cost savings.

Money management

Traditional banking will be done on our smartphones and other devices as people will have little need to visit banks and banks will have little desire to entertain customers in person.

Business models will change too as demand-led pricing systems already used by airlines and hotels that treat customers as commodities to increase yield spread to other industries.

Travel

Driving will change profoundly as driverless cars enter the mainstream and traffic flow is managed to maximise efficiency, improve safety and save the environment.

Cars, trucks, trains and planes will be loaded with all kinds of smart devices to make them safer and more reliable.

Travel information too will be directly available as people gain access to what is happening in real-time to see how it affects their journey plans.

And, of course, shopping

Technology and the internet have already turned shopping and the retail industry on its head but the changes have only just begun and are accelerating quickly.

Greater numbers of people will shop from home and often from their couch by using a range of smart devices that combine to disrupt the traditional shopping experience.

SO, technology is getting smaller and smarter and will soon outwit us all unless we manage it, master it, and make the most of it.