The tech world is a constant swarm of rumors. Most are honestly just crap, promising the sun and stars for our little mobile devices and telling us that we’re only a short time away from being able to do just about anything with that magic box in your pocket.
But let’s face it, those of us that believe this stuff completely are being obtuse. We all, however, do enjoy the idea that our smartphones are quickly turning into some form of supercomputer capable of taking over the world.
What does this mean exactly? Where do we find ourselves expecting too much from our mobile phones, tablets, phablets, Chromebooks/Surfaces/Macbooks, and laptops?
Did I forget something? Likely.
Seriously. I think I forgot something.
I think the problem lies in what the phones themselves have already brought us. The concepts of instant gratification used to be mostly limited to fast food joints and, after CDs came along, skipping ahead to our favorite song. Now, it’s anything and everything we can consume. If I tell Google to find the nearest Thai restaurant, waiting longer than three or four seconds is uncomfortable and weird. If I order the latest season of Game of Thrones on Amazon well, I want it tomorrow, not 2 to 3 days from now. And if I update Facebook, woe be unto the small patch of land that doesn’t have my 4G perfectly in sync with the picture of my dinner that my friends must see.
Your Emperor is displeased.
It’s ruined us and spoiled us and most everyone, on some level, will agree. And, in turn, most everyone will also agree that they fall into the numbers of folks that are ruined and spoiled. I am not exempt. You, my loyal reader, are not exempt. None of us are.
After a lot of thought on the matter, however, I find that this may not be a completely bad thing.
This brings me back around to the idea of the rumor in the tech world.
For example, Dyson (yes, the vacuum cleaner makers) are investing a great deal of money into research that promises a new kind of battery, a solid state battery (whatever that may be) that will double the usage time of a smartphone.
So, does this mean that they have it in hand, ready to market?
No. It does not.
What it means is that the hype exists. The tech itself may even exist, but we’ve been clamoring for longer battery life since batteries came to be. And there are always those few that start the whole “Well, I heard that they’re making better batteries!” that is always met with “Well, I heard they’re making batteries that will last weeks!”
What do I mean by this?
Simple. Exaggeration leads to innovation. If we hear enough about someone creating the bigger and better something but never see, eventually one of us going to get tired of waiting and make it themselves. It’s a beautiful cycle, albeit an frustrating one at times.
So I say we let the rumors fly. Believe them all, no matter how far-fetched, and spread them to the hills and back. Because one of those people that reads them will be inspired by them on some level.
And folks, that’s how we get real hoverboards.
It won’t go on water, though. UNLESS YOU GOT POWER.
