That one of the main uses of super advanced AI computers in your pocket would be to take selfies! That people would turn the advanced cameras around and obsessively take photos of themselves instead of others.
And that few would even talk into their phones anymore .
Tell me did even one science fiction writer or journo predict that .
Any other things that surprise you ?
Maybe not difficult to predict, but something that surprises me is that I have nobodyâs phone number memorized anymore. If I were without my smart phone and needed to call a friend for help, either on a pay phone or by borrowing a phone, I absolutely could not do it.
Reflecting on innovations beyond just smartphones, itâs clear that apps, accessories, and services have significantly impacted our daily lives:
Navigating with Ease: No longer do people need to ask for directions or rely on paper maps. Smartphones have revolutionized navigation with GPS and mapping apps.
Online Shopping: The convenience of entering credit card/debit card information into an app for seamless online purchases was unimaginable before smartphones.
Customizable Entertainment: Smartphones allow us to effortlessly control and select our preferred forms of online entertainment, from movies to games.
Music Access: The ability to stream any music instantly on platforms like YouTube and other music services has transformed how we listen to and discover new tunes. However, it can sometimes feel more challenging to find new music compared to the past when listening to the radio provided a more straightforward way to encounter new tracks.
Instant Information: The ability to quickly search for information contrasts sharply with the days of relying on libraries and encyclopedias for research.
Real-Time News: Smartphones provide rapid news updates, eliminating the wait for next-day newspapers or cable news. However, this speed can also contribute to the spread of misinformation through social media, bots, and trolls.
We couldnât predict that we still wouldnt have flying cars and widely available jet packs. Thats a huge disappointment. Drone tech might be making some progress in those areas though it is pretty slow.
Im pretty surprised supersonic flight hasnât been re-introduced either. Crazy that you could fly from london to new york in 2 hours back in the 80s.
What is the point of replying using chat gtp?
I feel the need to always turn on my (phone based) navigation system when driving even if I perfectly know the route I will be using.
As if we need instant news at all. I think news actually add to stress and makes us think the world is a much worse place than it actually is. It also makes people more paranoid. If one thing that needs to change, is that news need to be toned down a bit. Not saying it should be all good news like Xinhua or something, but fear based journalism is bad for everyoneâs mental health.
This summer in Canada is the first time Iâve ever used those systems driving. I enjoyed it, not so much to find my way but because it sometimes suggested alternate routes I didnât know or had forgotten. It gave me more variety in the driving.
I couldnât predict that we would be talking about things we couldnât predict before smartphones.
They couldnât predict that we would be looking at cat picture on the phone.
But I could predict I wouldnât be looking at cat pictures at least
You seem to get city folk who use video calls but have the screen focused on themselves while they are using it, or they are on speakerphone and holding the phone out in front of their face and mumbling into it some incoherent shit, seemingly for hours on end.
Would get high school classes in Taiwan to list five or ten uses of smartphones. They rarely answered âmake a phone call.â
Ok.
Show of hands.
How do you feel when you get a voice call on your âsmart phoneâ?
9 times out of 10 the voice call is banks and dodgy financial companies offering loans.
I agree wholeheartedly with this.
My solution is to read the news not watch it. That way I can skip the fear mongering.
We couldnât predict that we would be able communicate with people who donât speak the same language as us with relative ease
I guess my bigger concern is how the news shape society or policies. You couldnât change that by not watching the news.
Voting can. And my country has compulsory voting for all citizens within Australia over the age of 18.
And a handful of British subjects prior to the passing of the Australia acts
Itâs not all doom and gloom.
I said it affects policy because people watch all the bad news and so demand/vote for more authoritarian âtough on crimeâ laws even if they are not warranted. Lots of laws today punish you for what you MIGHT do rather than what you would actually do. For example, in the US if you just sleep in your car because youâre drunk, you still get charged with DUI. You have to make a concerted effort to hide your key (like lock it in the trunk) to hopefully avoid this. You can thank orgs like MADD for this.
Ainât nobody talking on the phone in sci fi.