Latest Tecnology
BY
RUKHSAR SHAKEEl AND LAIBA JAMAL
RUKHSAR SHAKEEl AND LAIBA JAMAL
As far as transportation goes, we've got it pretty good. We can get around the world pretty quickly, if we so choose; our ability to hop in a plane and fly across the globe certainly comes in handy for business trips or quickie vacations. Or, we can use alternate strategies, as journalist Seth Stevenson did: for his book "Grounded," he opted to wind his way around the planet without using air travel. Along the way, he mused about the ways that transportation has evolved, and how our travel choices impact humanity. (Heavy topics, but he had plenty of time -- the trip took several months.)Clearly, the concept of "futuristic modes of transport" leaves a lot of room for interpretation. The following list encompasses quite a range. Some fell sadly short of their potential. Others, we're still hoping the promises will come to fruition.
wagon, perhaps? -- you'd be lucky to have a copy of Stevenson's "Grounded" on-hand to pass the time And if you ever end up on a trip, confined by some deathly dull mode of transport -- covered.
wagon, perhaps? -- you'd be lucky to have a copy of Stevenson's "Grounded" on-hand to pass the time And if you ever end up on a trip, confined by some deathly dull mode of transport -- covered. Sounds crazy? Perhaps. None of the technologies we included in our top 5 are likely to rain death and destruction on our little planet, though that doesn't prevent people from being unnerved by them. Read on to find out what weirdness may await in the future.
Sounds crazy? Perhaps. None of the technologies we included in our top 5 are likely to rain death and destruction on our little planet, though that doesn't prevent people from being unnerved by them. Read on to find out what weirdness may await in the future.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
This may not sound so scary, and once you know what's going on, it isn't. But it might be a little unsettling to be walking in a store and hearing voices asking you to buy things. If you look around, you won't see anyone speaking, and none of the other shoppers will seem alarmed -- no one else can hear it but you.
A company called Holosonics developed the Audio Spotlight system, which uses tiny speakers to focus sound into a very narrow beam. Ultrasonic frequencies are too high for the human ear to hear, but as the sound travels from the Audio Spotlight system's speakers, air distorts the sound and makes it audible. It's perfect for in-store advertising, but you'd have to be standing in the right place to hear it. You can learn more about it if you read, Can companies beam advertisements into my brain?
Perhaps hearing voices isn't frightening, but what about having your computer taken away? Keep reading to learn more.
wagon, perhaps? -- you'd be lucky to have a copy of Stevenson's "Grounded" on-hand to pass the time And if you ever end up on a trip, confined by some deathly dull mode of transport -- covered.
wagon, perhaps? -- you'd be lucky to have a copy of Stevenson's "Grounded" on-hand to pass the time And if you ever end up on a trip, confined by some deathly dull mode of transport -- covered. Sounds crazy? Perhaps. None of the technologies we included in our top 5 are likely to rain death and destruction on our little planet, though that doesn't prevent people from being unnerved by them. Read on to find out what weirdness may await in the future.
Sounds crazy? Perhaps. None of the technologies we included in our top 5 are likely to rain death and destruction on our little planet, though that doesn't prevent people from being unnerved by them. Read on to find out what weirdness may await in the future.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
This may not sound so scary, and once you know what's going on, it isn't. But it might be a little unsettling to be walking in a store and hearing voices asking you to buy things. If you look around, you won't see anyone speaking, and none of the other shoppers will seem alarmed -- no one else can hear it but you.
A company called Holosonics developed the Audio Spotlight system, which uses tiny speakers to focus sound into a very narrow beam. Ultrasonic frequencies are too high for the human ear to hear, but as the sound travels from the Audio Spotlight system's speakers, air distorts the sound and makes it audible. It's perfect for in-store advertising, but you'd have to be standing in the right place to hear it. You can learn more about it if you read, Can companies beam advertisements into my brain?
Perhaps hearing voices isn't frightening, but what about having your computer taken away? Keep reading to learn more.