SURRENDERING to TECHNOLOGY

2007-2013
In the context of global competition world leading governments (EU, USA, Japan, south Korea, China) in order to realize higher economic growth, through improved competitiveness and productivity, understood that they must adjust to the changing economic realities caused by the very fast pace of technological change.

This adjustment procedure, in addition with the urgent need to solve significant social problems and the security regulations after the 9/11 era, resulted not only in investing almost half of their research budget in new ICT technologies but also in formulating the proper regulations that trigger the ICT entrepreneurship.

Researchers both in leading universities and R&D departments recognized that till now, the interaction with the computers was very immature and indeed very limiting. They realized the competitive advantage that lies in the disappearing computer, a computer that is embedded everywhere in the things of everyday life.

Bill Gates, at the CES 2007 announces that their next version of their leading operational systems will be in the direction of supporting ubiquitous computing. The above mentioned environment triggers the birth of many innovative technologies like IPv6, Electronic Labeling, and different kinds of high speed wireless internet access. These technologies slowly and silently start to be utilized not only by governments but also by leading multinational corporations. Multinational companies have fully integrated their logistics systems with the RFID technology in order to increase the efficiency of their operations and for the same reason the leading supermarket companies have replaced bar-code cards with the RFID tags. In addition, after increased security concerns governments managed to implant RFID tags in the passports of their citizens. Microsoft announces that next the new version, windows UBI, a compatible version with the emerging trend of ubiquitous computing and Galileo satellites are launched this year by ESA

2013-2019
The long lived, diplomatic discussions with IRAN fail. The USA president is thinking the scenario of a war conflict similar to the one in the beginning of the century with IRAK. Military investment reaches extraordinary levels. Technology is embedded everywhere from the military clothing to their weapons.

The aging population is increasing by a fast growth rate both in Japan and in EU and on the one hand forces EU to think seriously the entrance of Turkey as member state whilst on the other forces Japan to invest even more money.

Leading technology exhibitions like CEBIT and CES increasingly show embedded technologies in our clothes a capability that attracts not only the interest of the visitors but also of the media.

After long discussions EU votes that Turkey will not be a part of the European Union since Turkey didn’t manage to succeed in meeting the appropriate criteria. This decision has dramatic impact on the aging population problem and governments invest about 70% of their research in finding ways to deal with the problem.

Shock to the world!! A very strong earthquake of 8.4 of Richter scale occurs in the sea between South Korea and Japan. Thousands of Koreans and Japanese died, not only by the earthquake but also because the artificial technological mechanisms that failed to inform people in time about the very fast moving tsunami. World governments started to research for a more embedded technology that informs people for the disaster within the appropriate time.

2019-2025
Hollywood movies are deeply compatible with the new age of ubiquitous computing. Its characteristics are apparent in almost every successful movie. Hollywood stars wear clothes with embedded chips that perform many kinds of tasks. In addition, the apparel industry uses is it intensively and all the famous fashion designers in Milan, Paris use only clothes with embedded technology. Everyone is speaking about it, newspapers articles, TV shows, even children are fully aware of its capabilities.

Governments created the proper competitive regulations to ensure compatibility of products from different companies, which resulted in a world of easier and more integral communication. Increased competition forced the conversion of many technologies and multi-tasked embedded gadgets became available to the public at a low price

Additionally the government and the majority of the political parties accepted some privacy invasion due to the increasing demand to attack terrorism, which in the end became indeed plausible. There were no place that they could hide, a situation that enabled the technologically advanced police to arrest them.

The aging population found a powerful ally in the hands of technology and the life of disabled people become much easier. A mature technology infrastructure was for first time able to assist human beings to increase the quality of their life.

Ubiquitous computing has already started to be apparent in our everyday life. It is apparent everywhere from public transportation to our very own houses. The world is totally different and the society continues to change with exponential rates. How will the world be in 2050..?