FuTuRe TeChNOLoGy

Future Car : Eco-Friendly Porsche 918 Spyder

 

Most people wouldn’t expect a car that can go from 0-60 in under 3.2 seconds to be eco-friendly in the least, but the Porsche automakers beg to differ. This future car concept, the 918 Spyder, is supposed to be one of the fastest (if not the fastest) hybrid electric car on the market. This one-of-a-kind ride can teach tops speeds of 200 mph and gets a whopping 78 miles per gallon – double the amount most compact cars achieve on a good day.

This speed demon is charged by a 3.4 liter V8 engine which comes equipped with a lithium ion battery pack that can be charged from almost anywhere, not to mention whenever you hit the brakes as well.  No word yet on the pricing but you can safely assume it will be in the 6 digit field (estimates have been set near the $500,000 mark), and is not expected to be listed for sale on the market for at least another year, probably closer to 2012 or 2013. The bad news is that you probably never will own one of these babies, or anything close to it, but the good news is that future cars will benefit from these technological break-throughs and the overall quality of regular day-to-day cars will be enhanced. Way to go Porsche!

Future Technology : Personal Flying Suit 

  

For the past couple of years the world’s top space program NASA has been working on a future design for the very first personal flying suit. The puffin, as they call it, measures to be approximately 12 feet in length with a 15 foot wingspan. The aircraft module would land vertically, allowing for a person to step directly into it and has blades similar to that of helicopters. The puffin concept would relatively light weight and would use electric motors, allowing for high altitudes as well as being eco-friendly.

Now to another note: is the Puffin concept practical for consumer use? Highly unlikely, or at least not for a long time. First of all, this type of flying suit would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, so not many people would ever get to use one, as least for quite some time. Secondly, if this flying suit were to take the place of automobiles, modern travel would be extremely chaotic and the number of fatalities would drastically increase. Any type of mechanical failure or collision with another flying suit would be devastating and regulating travel would be nearly impossible. Yes, the idea is magnificent and I think most of us would like to have an experience like this someday, so hopefully this type of future technology will be able to advance, thanks to NASA.

Future Technology : 3D TVs

Now that more and more 3D movies have been starting to come out (A Christmas Carol, Avatar, Alice & Wonderland, etc.) is the future technology of home televisions headed the same way? Can we expect to start seeing the next generation gaming consoles to be in 3-D as well? You better believe it and companies like Sony, Samsung, & Nintendo already have some surprises in the works.

By the end of 2010, Sony already plans to begin pushing their new line of 3D TVs to consumers, especially right before the major holidays. Samsung won’t be far behind, as they have taken some major steps in the home theater industry, producing the world’s thinnest LED TV, and also planning to start releasing TV apps (similar to the apps for your iPhone/Palm Pre) come July. The good news for us consumers is that we will have new technology to play around with and prices for regular plasma/LED TVs should go down and become even more affordable. Just make sure to save your 3D glasses the next time you see Avatar, you may just need them for your next TV

Future Gadget : NOOK eBook Reader

 

 Bookstore giant Barnes & Noble just announced today the release of their future eBook reader known as the Nook, and they are already taking orders. Priced competitively at $259, the Nook costs pretty much the same as the once popular Kindle, but offers a whole lot more. Check out some of the coolest specs the Nook has to offer:

• Color Touch Screen – Unlike the other eBooks which are pure black and white
• Screen Display – No glare or backlight with adjustable text size
• Share Books – You can share books you have purchased with your friends and family for free
• Huge Selection – There are over 1,000,000 available books (twice as many as the Kindle)
• Wi-fi Capable – Connect to the internet with local hotspots
• Media Slot – Supports Micro SD cards for extra storage space of up to 17,500 books
• 3G Network – Offered by AT&T so you can buy books from almost anywhere
• Customization – You can get custom covers with different colors as well as upload photos
• Free books – There are over 1,000 free books offered to Nook buyers
• Hands-on Demos – You can test out the Nook before buying at any of the Barnes & Noble stores

Barnes and Noble has chosen a very strategized release date, which comes right before the heavy holiday shopping. For those of you who have held off on buying a Kindle, your patience has just paid off. The Nook will make the perfect holiday gift to those who love to read and travel quite frequently. Additionally, you may find consumer product reviews of eReaders on the Consupo website.