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Ask HN: What tech that's right around the corner are you most excited about?

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Re: Ask HN: What tech that's right around the corner are you most excited about?

#151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> We'll be deciding that for future generations. Isn't the premise that they can decide for themselves?

There is the possibility of editing the germline so that all future generations will have the improvement. Now imagine parents deciding this for their future kids, grandkids, etc.

Every decision we make effects future generations, this one is only more direct.

Re: Ask HN: What tech that's right around the corner are you most excited about?

#152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

can't tell if you're being serious or not...

Are you guys for real? This is ridiculous! I've been on the old Nexus 5 for ages. I think, if we aren't going to get Android 7, then maybe it will be time for me to switch to one of the fringe mobile operating systems. I get about 20 - 40 hours between charges, depending on whether or not I need to use Google Maps that day, and I often stay in airplane mode when I am working.

Airplane mode is cheating. My Nokia 920 lasted for a literal week during my honeymoon. It sat in the room in airplane mode and zero usage other than an alarm clock and a few dozen pictures. No one cares how long a smartphone lasts when you're not doing smartphone things with it.

Re: Ask HN: What tech that's right around the corner are you most excited about?

#153

Much of what people have mentioned here will be really great. I think self-driving cars have the most potential to impact people lives day to day, followed by AR. I guess infinite, cheap, clean energy could also spark another industrial revolution. But all these things aren't likely to impact the happiness and life satisfaction of those living in the developed world. The internet has been huge, but it really hasn't m…

If you want to bring people physically closer together, just lean into NIMBYism and keep housing supply small. As current trends continue and require more people to live in city centers, we'll see more and more instances of people forced to have roommates when they'd rather not, multiple families forced to share a single apartment when they'd rather have their own, etc.

But somehow I think you will actually create conflict, tension, and claustrophobia, not happiness.

Re: Ask HN: What tech that's right around the corner are you most excited about?

#155

ARKit. Apple has solved few real world AR problems, which were usually hard for an average app developer to get started with. But with ARKit, apple, is "trying" to do the heavy lifting in terms of plane and object recognition etc. Another thing is the platform of distribution. People will use AR apps, which will hit the app store after September like crazy. And these same people, will be primary audience for Apple he…

I just wish Apple allow devs to built apps into the build in camera vs. having to open tons of apps.

Camera's on all smartphones is the most used app why not make even more useful and fun to use?

Also, wearing any AR or VR headset is a horrible experience. AR needs to be created where it's seen and enjoyed without a headset! It just needs to blend in with daily life sans the need to wear a headset.

Re: Ask HN: What tech that's right around the corner are you most excited about?

#156

ARKit. Apple has solved few real world AR problems, which were usually hard for an average app developer to get started with. But with ARKit, apple, is "trying" to do the heavy lifting in terms of plane and object recognition etc. Another thing is the platform of distribution. People will use AR apps, which will hit the app store after September like crazy. And these same people, will be primary audience for Apple he…

Why do you think AR will become a "thing"? Do people really want to run around wearing glasses/headsets all the time? If you'd ask me, this idea could just as well end the same way as 3D TV.

> Do people really want to run around wearing glasses/headsets all the time?

Absolutely! If I could wear some regular looking glasses that could identify objects, give me directions, etc, I would totally wear them.

I'm really good with faces, in that I can see someone after a long time and know that I know them, but I'm really bad with names, so I can never remember their name. If I could have glasses that looked in my contacts or Facebook or whatever and told me the name of the person I'm looking at, that would help me be less awkward at social gatherings.

Re: Ask HN: What tech that's right around the corner are you most excited about?

#157
post #39

Textblade: https://waytools.com/ Single row keyboard that has minimal finger movement. It was to be delivered March 2015 or so, but it has yet to be released. They have testers who rave about it and it looks incredible, but it is perpetually around the corner. Originally designed as an ultra-portable phone keyboard, those who have used it tend to use it for all their machines. It has jump slots to quickly switch from…

When I load it in Firefox for Android, that link pops up with an alert that reads "Please view with Chrome, Firefox, or Safari," and then just presents a blank white page. Using "Request desktop site" seems to fool it.

Re: Ask HN: What tech that's right around the corner are you most excited about?

#158

Much of what people have mentioned here will be really great. I think self-driving cars have the most potential to impact people lives day to day, followed by AR. I guess infinite, cheap, clean energy could also spark another industrial revolution. But all these things aren't likely to impact the happiness and life satisfaction of those living in the developed world. The internet has been huge, but it really hasn't m…

I think one of the under reported aspects of self driving cars is what it might do for urban income inequality. The prices of cars and housing are two big things that keep poor people poor. If you can't afford the upfront or ongoing costs of a car, you need to live along mass transit lines to get to your job or endure a much longer commute which costs extra time and money. Housing along mass transit lines can be much more expensive that housing a good distance away.

Self driving cars can help this in two ways. First, the cost of transit should decrease. Human drivers will no longer be needed and the vehicles can be used more efficiently instead of sitting idle most of the day. Bus, Taxi, and ride-sharing costs should drop dramatically. Secondly commutes by car should become quicker and less of a burden for the driver. This should increase the "acceptable commute" radius for the average person. This adds choices in housing and more uniform demand that isn't as closely tied their proximity to urban areas, mass transit systems, and highways. The end result should hopefully be cheaper housing.

Re: Ask HN: What tech that's right around the corner are you most excited about?

#160

Gene editing, particularly on living people. I'm looking forward to cancer treatments being no more involved than an antibiotics regimen. I don't know if its around the corner, but considering the human genome was completed circa 2003, I'm pretty enthusiastic that it isn't too far away.

I think "around the corner" is a little optimistic, but I totally get you and I think with more computer scientists joining the research in this area we will see tremendous advancement in the near future.
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