Can we keep up with technology?

I always marvel at the advances in technology as they affect our everyday lives. 

We have cars that can park themselves. 

We can have a map of our trip plotted before we even get started and get a nice lady (or guy) to give us directions as we drive. (Can we work on the “tone” on the female voice?  She sounds a little pissed off)

Our cars have sensors that can adjust our distance between our car and the car in front of us.  The same sensors can let us know if we are backing up too close to a wall or another car.  It can brake if we get too close.  It will let us know if we wander from our travel lane or if we start to nod off while driving.

IBM has developed an artificial passenger that verbally interacts with the driver to prevent the driver from falling asleep.  It can play verbal games, control the stereo, etc.  It also monitors the driver’s speech patterns to detect fatigue and can recommend the driver take a break or get some sleep.  The system can be programmed to provide wireless services such as weather reports, road info and directions, too.

My question is: does the artificial passenger (AP) remember things?

Picture this.

You get into your vehicle and start it.  “Good morning, Dave.  Glad to have you driving.  I missed you”.

“You missed me?”

“Yes, the other gentleman was a dullard.”

“What other gentleman?”

“The gentleman that was with your wife yesterday.  He was not very talkative.  Always whispering”.

“Thank you.  He won’t be bothering you again”. 

Most everyone now engages in some social media of one sort or other (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and they will post pictures now and then.

The pictures show various things, locations, people, pets, valuables, etc.

Welcome “GeoTagging”.

GeoTagging is defined as the process of adding geographical identification metadata to various media. 

Basically, someone can read the exact location that you took the photo, including longitude and latitude coordinates, altitude, bearings, distance accuracy data and place names.

GeoCoding can provide addresses.

So, if someone were to take a Christmas day photo of their freshly unwrapped 1,000 watt surround sound system with the 95” LCD 360 HZ HD television and post it on their “Facebook” page, some unscrupulous character can access that location where the picture was taken and pay you a visit.

Your smartphone (smarter than most) is not just a phone. In fact, if you watch the television  commercials; they tout features usually reserved for the latest hi-tech computers or televisions.  Never do they mention anything about the TELEPHONE feature.

It’s now a video/still camera, recording device, gaming console, GPS device (tracking you also), calendar, information highway, note taker, mini-computer, internet surfer, social media device, portable radio/listening device, alarm clock, news source, etc. etc.  Oh yeah, a telephone too.

How about a cell phone implanted in your tooth?

The vibrate feature must be a pain.

It’s so addicting that we now have to make laws to take our attention from our phones so we can divert our attention to other things, such as driving. 

Everyone says if you buy an electronic item, it becomes obsolete within a month and is replaced by newer technology.  Computers are a prime example. 

I’ve been holding out for a new phone until the new I-Phone 5 release in the summer of 2012.   It’s been a pain to buy accessories for my old cell phone because of all the newer model phones since I bought mine.  When I ask for any kind of service or parts for my phone, I get that “raised eyebrow” look from the technician.

My personal computers are pretty much the same story.  In fact, I’m not allowed to touch my friend’s computers. 

Every time I’m around a computer, they tend to crash or lockup.

I’m still waiting for my probationary period to end so I can purchase an up-to-date computer. Didn’t realize having bad computer “mojo” was a crime.

Medical advances?

How about man-made skin? (wikipedia.org)  It can be grown from the patient’s own skin cells or there is a spray-on skin replacement currently under development.

Mechanical organs have been around for a while.  Remember the “Jarvik” artificial heart?

Artificial lungs?  Awaiting FDA approval. Artificial kidneys?  Currently in development.  Right now the working model is the size of a small room.  All sorts of artificial body limbs are available that look realistic and can move similar to a real body part.

Okay.  Yes, there is an artificial penis.  Visit your local adult “novelty” store for visuals.

Sorry. No artificial brains are available yet.  

The question remains.  How far will the advances take us?  At what price? 

We modify our cars, electronics, bodies, food. 

The human body isn’t able to adapt to certain types of advancements, but yet we purposely punish it every day.

Do we get brain cancer from cell phones?  Microwaves?

What happens to our bodies when we eat “modified” or “genetically engineered”  foods? 

Our bodies were never able to process and adapt to the new “technology” we encounter.  We ate natural foods, not processed, modified or genetically engineered. 

May be with the new artificial internal organs, we will be able to process the processed foods.

We cannot shield ourselves from the artificial radiation that we constantly bombard ourselves with every day, several times a day.  Cell phones have been documented to generate radiation.  Same with microwaves.  Take a look at your blood cells if you have a close relationship with your microwave, they are abnormally shaped.

Hopefully when the emerging and existing technologies show damaging effects on the human body, there should be the same research and development for the protection of the consumers.

After all, don’t they want the repeat business?