The Omnibus

Issue date: 2/3/10 Section: Forum

Here I sit, in the year 2010, feeling like my civilization has let me down. Where are the flying cars my grandfather dreamed of when he was my age?
What happened to time travel? How are we supposed to get to Mars before the rapture comes if NASA can't decide whether to go to the moon or snap pretty pictures of it?
Yet, some hope waits to be found. A lot of amazing booms in the way we think about technology are promised for this year. I have found a few that may be able to lead us into a new technological society.
Apple just released news on its most anticipated computer, the iPad; a ½ inch thick, mobile computing, 10" touch-screen wonder which allows you to do everything from editing word documents, playing real computer games, surfing the web on lightning fast 3G connection and even everything else that a full size computer does.
Even better, the iPad has a ten hour battery life and a crystal clear display. Not only is hand-held technology changing, but larger-than-life changes are emerging as well.
Decent electric vehicles with zero emissions and wide range seem like a far off dream, but the THINK company of Washington, D.C. has just released news to EVworld.com about the THINK City, a Volkswagon-style electric car with a 100 mile range and a top speed of 70 mph.
This is the first truly practical electric car the U.S. has ever seen and promises to lead the way into affordable and friendly driving with a ticket price of only $15,000 and a charge time of 15 minutes.
Fifteen minutes at a gas station and only $5 or so later you are ready for another 100 miles with a few more dollars in your wallet.
Music is also an area that changes for the consumer's convenience.
MusicDNA.com and Wired.com have some great information about the music revolution. Many are saying that MusicDNA will replace the old MP3 system we use every day.
MusicDNA is like an MP3, but when downloaded from a legal source it comes with covers, lyrics, info and quizzes about the album or song you downloaded.
This is all for the same price as a normal MP3 and gives money back to the record labels and artists.
Most promising is that any MusicDNA you have will automatically update itself with new art, info and quizzes day-by-day whenever you have access to the internet.
Light Blue Optics out of Chicago has created the LightTouch, a laser projector that puts a touch screen mini-computer up on any flat surface you sit it on. You can work it just like you would an iPhone and even update Facebook and surf the web.
Now although none of these are space cars, I'd be amazed if we don't see more amazing things soon.

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