Photo credit: Steve Jurvetson
I read the other day that by 2013 our car will be the third most connected place in which we spend time.
This sounds great but what are the first two? I just had a wander round my house for inspiration but my bathroom, my kitchen and my bedroom don’t look particularly connected it has to be said. I guess that my living room has a PC, a telly and a phone in it but it still doesn’t feel connected to me.
Perhaps the problem is my idea of being connected. I can’t think of this word without imagining touch screens all round me, electrodes connected my forehead and a floating hologram of a butler in front of me. Is this we are going to be driving next year? Perhaps even more to the point, is that how I am going to be in the bathroom as well?
Personalise Your Car?
It seems that connected cars are more about vehicles which talk to each other and which warn you about things which are outside your range of vision. It looks like the floating butler hologram isn’t an option yet but maybe it will be soon. However, there are suggestions that we could have personalised, digital vehicles which we can adjust to suit our personality and mood. All of the theories I have read so far sound like fun but a bit farfetched if truth be told.
Intel is the latest big name to enter this growing market and it will be interesting to see what they can bring to the party. Most of the things we discuss in this area are pure speculation and the next couple of years will tell us exactly what we can expect from our connected cars of the future. There are sure to be some surprises in store for us along the way.