We are the Jetsons

It’s a phrase that’s been used around the office quite a bit over the years as technology has gotten more and more advanced & crept into our daily lives. With the official announcement of Apple’s 3rd generation iPhone looming, speculation of its improvements has been rampant on various blogs & chat rooms. In addition to some cosmetic modifications, one that seems universal is a real GPS navigation feature. It kind of seems a bit like a no brainer since the technology seems to be fairly common these days.
Although I will have to admit, the current quasi-GPS isn’t bad. On a recent trip, I found it hugely helpful in finding my way around & getting me pointed in the right direction. It may not have pinpointed my exact location, but once I found a cross street or two, I had no problems. Plus it kept me from carrying the massive map that just screams tourist – ok, I like to blend in & feel like a local.
But to me, the most exciting speculative new feature is an improved camera for video calling. Seriously, video calling. I remember watching all of those great 1980’s SciFi tv shows as a kid that all spawned from the popularity of Star Wars & ALL of them had video phones of some sort. If rumors are true, in a few months we’ll all be walking around having video calls with our handheld comm devices. Can the flying bubble cars and Gary Coleman inspired butler robots really be that far behind?