What's Ahead?

It is human nature to be curious about the future. As we get close to the end of this gloomy year 2009, predictions for 2010 are pouring in from various sources. How far these predictions will come true is anybody's guess. Take a look at some the predictions made ten years ago for 2010:

• "Smellyvision' ... technology will be available to plant microchips loaded with chemicals into our TVs so we can enjoy the aromas that go with fashion, cookery, travel and gardening."
  

• "Kids' dolls, trucks and other toys will use artificial intelligence to talk and "evolve" with your child as he grows, a process you'll be able to track dramatically with holographic photos."
  

• "Land line phones will be a thing of the past."
  

• "There will probably be a single international currency."
  

One thing seems most likely - 3D television will enter the market with both Sky and Panasonic indicating that they will release 3D TVs.

While most of us are concerned about what's ahead in 2010, it is amusing to read the following past predictions on technology in an interesting article in WSJ.

2005: "Next Christmas, the iPod will be dead, finished, gone, kaput" - Sir Alan Sugar, British entrepreneur.

1981: " No one will need more than 637 kb of memory for a personal computer" - Bill Gates

1977: " There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home" - Ken Olsen, founder of mainframe-producer Digital Equipment Corpn.

1959: "The world potential for copying machines is 5,000 at most" - IBM executives to the eventual founders of Xerox.

1946: "Television won't be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night," Darryl Zanuck, 20th Century Fox.

Whether predictions come true or not, they certainly provide entertainment to many of us. Let's enjoy them.

Wishing everybody a very Happy New Year!