Electronics manufacturer Philips will launch a new solar powered reading light, which enables people to read (and write) after dark. The light – called ‘My Reading Light’ – was developed specifically for the education sector in Africa and will allow a new generation of school children to continue with their homework after sunset.

Future vision by Erwin van Lun

Developments like this will have a tremendous impact on third world countries. Even the most rural areas will be connected by solar lighting and solar internet connections. The world will experience cultural clashes like never before, but it will also balance the knowledge in the world. Combined with the young demographics, Africa will finally be the future continent.

Samsung has created the Blue Earth, a touch screen device that works on solar energy, made from recycled plastic (PCM). The device comes with an energy efficient charger: in stand-by mode it takes up less than 0.03 W.

Future vision by Erwin van Lun

A device from which third world countries, very poor people and the homeless, will profit from the most, when the prices have gone down enough. It’s not a nice gesture; it’s a very important development. It’ll lead to a fundamental change in the world’s balance. And that the Western world wants to call ‘green’ is completely beside the point, but we like to stress it a little.

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The newest Sony Bravia tvs allow widgets. In a widget, an application that appears on screen, a company can show specific (personalized) information. By making a choice of the widgets that can appear we can determine what we want to see on our opening screen.

Future vision by Erwin van Lun

And this gives the concept ‘multimedia’ a whole new meaning for brands. Where first we spoke of text, in combination with pictures, sound and moving images – we think that’s normal now and see it everywhere – now we’re switching to a situation in which text, images and sound are transmitted across a series of difference devices with different properties. The tv is the biggest (consumer) screen, and brands have to earn a place there too. Because the time that you could simply buy 30 seconds in a consumer’s evening is now finally going away.

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CNNIC reports that, end 2008, there were 640 million mobile phone users in China (that's half the entire country's population) of which 117 million have used their mobile phone to access the internet in the past half year. That's double the number last year. 43% uses internet daily. 70% is 19 or younger.

Last year over 130 million missed episodes were watched on Uitzending Gemist, the Dutch equivalent of sites like BBC's iPlayer.

Future vision by Erwin van Lun

Uitzending Gemist is growing into a content database. Later on we’ll also get content that was never aired, we’ll pay for it and, most importantly, watch it on our tv screens.

Based on the post about nanocars combined with programmable material I thought that in our future of 2050 all ugly buildings will disappear from the earth en masse. The current owners may go on vacation for a few weeks and millions, maybe even billions, of microrobots (nano/bio) will be poured over a building that's then broken down molecule by molecule, gets separated and deported immediately to be rebuilt into a new building with the same technology and recycled material. Completely automated. Or a complete city that wants to be moved because it's inconveniently below sea level. Or because the inhabitants would rather live by the sea. Or have some more sun. That's a weird world, isn't it? Or does everything think this is normal? Did it, done it?

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This is one of the most special twists I've ever had. Money will disappear, and property will disappear. That sounds really crazy. Below my reasoning.

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MIT student David Merrill has developed blocks, as big as a cookie, which respond to one another. For example, different videos in different blocks can react to one another, take over each other's colours, you can make a puzzle that needs to be solved in a specific time frame, play games like scrabble and make sums. Below a video.

Future vision by Erwin van Lun

It looks like a game, and it is, but it also shows how all screens react to one another. Later, when we hold a mobile phone about a tv the video will slip straight into it. That’s how simple it’ll be. Piece of cake.

Aangetekend Bellen is a Dutch service which records telephone conversations. The caller and receiver both know that the conversation is recorded and can listen back to the conversation with a text-message code that's only available to them. To create this 'Signed Calling', you call 0900-226 43 83 53 63 with your mobile phone. The caller informs the person receiving the phone call of the recording at the beginning of the conversation and starts it with the # button. The recording is also ended with this button. After ending the conversation, the caller can listen to the phone call again immediately. After the connection is broken both parties get a unique code via text message with which they can relisten to the conversation independently from the other.

Future vision by Erwin van Lun

We’re completely used to the fact that our emails get saved, but later on all phone conversations will be saved and then all video conferences. The big difference is that both parties get access to this communication. Through, what I call, the brand memory. It won’t be long before we can find our complete communication history in ‘my account’ for any brand. That’s text messages, mails, phone conversations and even, yes yes, letters (scanned and all).

Consulting organisation McKinney has turned searching into chatting. The opening screen starts with "Hello, It's Time for a New Conversation", then the questions appear on screen and we see the search box appear. In it is typed: "Ask us about us."

Future vision by Erwin van Lun

This is how brands are starting to see what the dialogue really means. The search box is made central, the place where you as consumer, visitor, can ask questions. The art will be answering questions correctly and that works best if you recognize the consumer and continue the dialogue where you left it off. This is again a step in that direction.

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The amount of people who use Skype is currently growing with 4 million new users in 12 days. That's almost as much as the entire population of Singapore. Almost a third of all registered subscribers now use Skype for their businesses.

Future vision by Erwin van Lun

Phoning someone is now disconnecting itself from the device. Later on we’ll be able to phone from any device (TV, computer, mobile phone, mediaplayer, PSP, e-paper, whatever) using, for instance, Skype. The model of telecom operators will be decimated to offering (very good) connectivity of all those devices.

Using Multicolor Search tool you can look for matching colours instead of subject. By means of a colour palette you can determine which colours you want and you'll immediately get a selection of images.

"Multicolor Search Lab is developed by the Canadian visual search software developer Idée Inc. Their tools are sold to companies like Associated Press, Agence France–Press and Digg, but you can use them for free on Flickr’s database".

Future vision by Erwin van Lun

Currently limited to a few colours, but later on you can search exactly for those colours you want. Later on you’ll just have a megascreen on the wall and say “I want something like that, but then with people” or “Those people are all right, but now laughing or with animals”. You’ll get it exactly how you want it, but typing won’t be part of it anymore. This form of visual searching fits man really well.

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The Termina Kinshicho Fujiya Restaurant in Japan is experimenting with e-paper, here used as an electronic version of the menu. This allows, for example, the latest news to be shown while the order is prepared.

Future vision by Erwin van Lun

Paper will disappear and sometimes make space for e-paper. Currently as a separate device, but later on built into the table or the wall, in combination with many more screens to strengthen the experience and don’t disrupt like ads do. This is a nice example.

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LinkedIn, the professional social network, now lets you make notes that are only visible to you with your contacts.

Future vision by Erwin van Lun

This shows how social networks develop themselves. We’ve been able to look up people quickly for sometime, people keep their own contact data up to date and now we can make notes too. Later on, we can just call Lise, LinkedIn’s brand agent, and say “I want to call that guy I met in January during that CSP unplugged meeting.” After a short dialogue you’re put through. Nice and easy.

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Koopinfo, a new Dutch comparison site, doesn't just compare electronic products, but also takes into account the consumer's personal situation. In the so-called 'Kijkwijzer' (viewing guide) the consumer can enter this situation pretty precisely. You can think of such things as the distance from the couch to the tv or the way the light falls in the room.

Future vision by Erwin van Lun

It’s a nice example of how comparison sites are growing into coaching brands. Later on we’ll buy everything from such sites, but which ones? That’ll be the comparison site that knows most about us, that has helped us best in the past and which our friends have good experiences with. So with which we have a relationship. This example shows how that relationship is created.

In a next step, Koopinfo will combine with housing sites that know your house completely, including the furniture, and you see and hear the effect of a tv in 3D perspective. Through the computer, the tv, mobile phone or holographically projected in the store. This is a step in that direction.

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Timboodle is a musical search engine with which you can find music on 'state of mind' or based on scraps of lyrics. For example you can search for 40 emotions, like melancholy, happy, subdued or excited. Beside that you can refine search queries by giving additional criteria, like genre, timbre, tempo, meter and kind of vocals.

Future vision by Erwin van Lun

In a next step, Timboodle will measure your emotions. For example because webcams (which are available everywhere anyway) or microphones process image and sound with which you emotions can be guessed. And then Timboodle can jump in carefully with music tailored to that. This is how Timboodle can grow into a valuable brand in audio experiences. This is a start.

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