ERMUSR MISC MEMO 01-15-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Personal communicator in hand, you're ready to take on the world. The device is practically part of you now: It's your ID, phone, text messager, Internet connection, camera, credit card and much more. As an ID, it clears you for entry into your home, car, office, clubs... and even gets you through airport security checkpoints. The communicator also remotely controls household and workplace electronics and robots. With it, you can command machines to perform tasks at arranged times. The communicator's digital display window also shows merchants' ads and tailored sales pitches: "Hey look, your favorite yogurt is on sale." Job No. 1: Check up on mom, who has had some health troubles. A webcam connection shows that she's up and preparing a cup of tea. Your communicator can also tell you whether she has taken her pills. Breakfast is a chance for virtual quality time with sis, as well. Though both live in other states, that's no barrier to communication. Pop-up screens built into dining tables allow everyone to see each other as they talk. You also use the screens for other types of conferences. Connections are Web based, but they don't require any computer know-how. So what's for breakfast? Typically, it's already prepared at the store and just needs reheating. Grocery outlets take online orders and customize the meals to suit your dietary needs and preferences. The food can be delivered to your home or held for you to pick up. Tedious and laborious grocery shopping is largely a thing of the past. Time to hit the road: What color car do you want to drive today? Materials embedded in the paint let you change colors on a whim. The same option is available on a number of other consumer products. It works by sending a low-voltage electric current through tiny wires in the paint, which contains chemicals that react to the charges. You're among the 25% of motorists sporting a hybrid model. It's not a plug-in, though. Those have only just begun to catch on. The car is nearly 100% recyclable, vs. 50%-60% around 2007. But alas, STILL no flying cars. They're in the works, though. Driving is safer, with fewer hassles, thanks to computers. One warns you, via a windshield display, that a pedestrian, an animal or other obstacle is coming up. Another wired gadget is programmed to provide real-time information on roadblocks or accidents up ahead. A sobriety sensor keeps your car from starting if you've had too many. Insurers will give you a break if you agree to use it regularly.. And voice commands to your personal communicator, now docked in the car and connected to speakers, let you hold conversations more safely. Road traffic is under tight control by monitoring agencies, thanks to global positioning data coming in from all cars on the road. Managers adjust traffic lights and take other steps to ease bottlenecks. Time lost to backups is down a third from what it was a decade or so ago. Few people drive downtown to work anymore. It costs a fortune. High fees to access roads and bridges deter a lot of private commuting. It's easier on the wallet to drive partway to a convenient bus station. Buses that burn clean fuel are a maior transportation option. They travel in bus-only lanes...a much more cost-effective alternative to building rail lines. Plus bus schedules and stops are easier to change as ridership evolves. So you grab your personal communicator and hop on for the ride. More buses also spell less gridlock in metro areas. Remember, your subscription includes The Kiplinger Letter online --