futurist

Futurist Ray Kurzweil on smartphones, AI, and the human brain

MARANA, Ariz.--Inventor, author, and futurist Ray Kurzweil took to the stage here at the Techonomy conference in Tucson to offer his thoughts on a future where humanity is enhanced by technology.

Kurzweil spoke to Techonomy founder David Kirkpatrick about his new book on human thought, "How to Create a Mind," and the various themes that stem from it. Their talk was varied and at times scattered -- with a topic this big, you can imagine the temptation of tangents -- but Kurzweil had a few choice things to say along the way.

The highlights:

• "I'… Read more

Smart homes of the future (video)

The home of the future may be coming to a neighborhood near you.

A number of companies, including AT&T, Comcast, Lowe's, and Verizon are intent on making your home a smart home.

Imagine getting an alert when you leave the garage door open, or when your elderly parents fall down, or when your liquor cabinet is breached by wayward teens. Connected homes give residents the ability to remotely control thermostats, lights, and door locks through mobile devices.

The selling point is convenience; and routine.

"Every single day you get up in the morning and you leave … Read more

Intel showcases futuristic technology

Who doesn't love hypothesizing about our future flying cars or robotic housemaids? Or better yet, seeing an actual demo.

Tuesday's Research@Intel event trotted out the technology we might be using in the next 15 years. Like headlights that adapt to weather conditions. Ever notice that when it's raining, you can't see for toffee? Smart headlights use a high-speed camera and processor to predict the raindrop's location and then turn off the light in that precise spot so instead of seeing a reflection, you can see through the rain. As a San Franciscan, I was … Read more

Intel futurist discusses data's secret life, 'ghost of computing'

In 2010 Brian David Johnson became Intel Corp.'s first futurist, a time-honored title bestowed on prognosticating technology mavens dating back to the likes of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells. Equal parts seer and evangelist, Johnson helps map out the future of technology and then guides his company toward that destination, whether it is five years or even a decade away.

Johnson draws inspiration from science fiction but tries to ground his vision of the future in reality through speaking engagements in front of audiences most likely to be affected by Intel's technology, such as attendees of the … Read more

Vinyl records fight back against digital in clever film

These days it sometimes feels as if the physical world is being colonized by the digital one, what with augmented-reality spectacles and the like. And it's interesting to watch how these two realms are negotiating their coexistence.

A recent project by London-based design studio Us touches on this back-and-forth in a clever way. In it, a small army of vinyl records seems to be staging a rebellion of sorts to reclaim pop-culture territory lost long ago to MP3 files and other forms of digital music.… Read more

Space-age kitchen blends fashion and function

Ever wonder what would happen if Apple did a show on Food Network? Well, nothing about that is on the horizon as of yet, but if the creators of the iPhone put their heads together to develop a design-inspired kitchen creation, my guess is that it would look something like the new futuristic kitchen collection by Gorenje Ora-?to.

European appliance giant Gorenje has already earned a reputation for their signature blend of unique designs and advanced technology, and by enlisting the help of younger French designer Ora-?to, they hope to bring the futuristic kitchen to a younger generation … Read more

Photos: Futuristic concept cars

This year's auto-show season threw up a rich crop of cars that are never likely to make it to production in this decade. But who knows what features future cars will have? Solar panels? Mood-sensors? Video-game controls? Built-in Segways?

Check out our slideshow to see some of the more experimental ideas that major automakers are exploring.