Robotic Technology

    Alright, before I begin, I'm going do reply to a post made regarding hoverboards and whether I'll do a post or not on the subject. Sadly, I won't be creating a post dedicated to hoverboards, however amazing they may seem. However, to appease the fans of the hoverboards in the movie "Back to the Future", I've found an entertaining game on a webcomic site, xkcd. Although the only thing related to hoverboards in this game is the hoverboard you ride on, it's still a very fun, amusing and intriguing game.

The image on top is the game area. On the bottom, a zoomed out image of the starship included in the game.

https://xkcd.com/1608/

    Just a side note: Do not be limited to the game area you see. To the left and right of the game there are hundreds of webcomics just waiting to be found. Also, if any of you feel up to the challenge, see if you can beat my score of 87 coins in 1 500 seconds (25 minutes).

    Now, back to this post and it's topic: Robotic technology.

    Robots have been around since the 20th century and have progressed greatly since that time. They have come in many shapes and sizes from the first computer to the industrial machines of today, and have already made a large impact on our society. In fact, robots have created an enormous shift in the workforce because they're replacing humans in many industries (you'll see that the majority of car companies use computers and robots to construct the majority of their vehicles) due to their increased benefits when it comes to production and efficiency. Robots are actually the reason industries are capable of mass production, because they can complete general tasks much quicker than humans.

    However, with increasing development and complexity of our robots, their roles in our lives will become more and more important. This is because robots will be able to perform more complex and precise task, such as invasive surgery, solve a rubiks cube or contribute to the world. A good example of this would be IBM Watson, a supercomputer regarded by most as the most advanced computer of our time, surpassing even humans in some categories. In fact, IBM Watson had defeated the two most prestigious Jeopardy players at their own game in 2011 in a three day Jeopardy challenge. With that being said, it's very clear that robots are very close to being considered equal with humans, if not superior.

This just goes to show how advanced IBM Watson is and how this technology could affect the future.


    That being said, I see the current progression in computer technology as a risk that could benefit us in many ways. We'll be able to find solutions to our world's problems (global warming, cancer, etc.) more efficiently and we'll be able to make changes that would have otherwise been impossible. With computers by our side that can think and process faster than any human, anything is possible.

    However, as I had already said, there are risks. For example, with the advancements in robot technology, I believe we'll see a gradual increase in robots taking over are human jobs. Seeing as this would be cheaper in the long run for many industries (one robot doing the job of many humans at no pay), only the people at the top of the pyramid would keep their job. As a consequence, many humans will go unemployed or will not earn enough money to make a living and our economy will undergo a complete and drastic change.

    On top of that, there's probably one thought that comes into our head when we think of our future technology: Terminator. Of course, this is a vary possible outcome with technology if it learns to adapt and develop on it's own, and this process has already begun. In fact, many companies, like google, are attempting to develop artificial intelligence and robots that can program themselves. As a consequence, many renowned scientist are now talking about how this technology could be the end of us. Even Steven Hawking is against the unrestricted development of this technology, saying : "The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race".

    Fortunately for us, while this problem may arise in the future, it is still a minimal threat today, seeing as there is no real danger if any of our current technology even managed to become artificially intelligent. As a certain webcomic put it:

What Would Happen if Robots Tried to Take Over the World?

Sources:

1. https://what-if.xkcd.com/5/
2. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2857658/Artificial-intelligence-spell-end-human-race-Stephen-Hawking-warns-robotic-uprising-spiral-control.html
3. http://www.techrepublic.com/article/ibm-watson-the-inside-story-of-how-the-jeopardy-winning-supercomputer-was-born-and-what-it-wants-to-do-next/
4. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22429932-200-computer-with-human-like-learning-will-program-itself/
5.https://www.rt.com/news/332522-robots-replace-global-workforce/

Wings + Propeller + Car = A Flying Car !

     Welcome everyone to the second post of my technology blog. Now, as some of you may already know, I lied about the flying cars in the previous post. In fact, seeing as this concept has been around since the dawn of vehicles, it's only logical to assume that we have achieved some sort of prototype or model of the flying car. That being said, there have been many different attempts throughout the XXth century to construct and market these pointless innovations, but all have fallen short of the goal line.  For example, the ConvAir Model 116 flying car, built in 1946, was a flying car that did manage to fly. However, due to a plane crash with one of their prototype models, the flying car never managed to be sold or marketed.

Despite it's lack of creativity (let's be honest...it's a car that's seemingly attached
to a plane), the Convair Model 116 is what I would consider to be the first flying car.

     Nonetheless, people persisted with their efforts towards the flying car until, with the more elaborate and complicated technology of the XXI century, many companies managed to develop and market these futuristic machines. As a matter of fact, Terrafugia, a flying car company, has already released it's flying cars into the world and have been considered completely legal. Another car company, Aeromobil, plans to distribute their flying cars by the year 2017.

     The video up above demonstrates the flying capabilities of Aeromobil's flying car: the aeromobil 2.5. This is one of many prototypes that have led to the creation of the Aeromobil 3.0, the machine that will be released later in the year 2017.

     If I do say so myself, the car itself is very sleek in design, and brings out the very definition of the future. It brings hope to the people of the world by presenting us with a glimpse of the possibilities that lie ahead of us.

     Unfortunately, despite the impressive appearance of these machines (at least the ones of the XXI century), these flying cars will be nothing but trouble in the future, due to the fact that the positive contribution they have on the world, even indirectly, is very limited. In truth, seeing as the flying car's base price is near a couple hundred thousand of dollars (the Terrafugia's base price is 279 000$), there are very few people who would even consider purchasing a flying car. In addition, seeing as these vehicles require a pilot's license, that group of people is reduced dramatically. As a consequence, this new and developing industry will never grow to a large enough scale to even scratch the surface of a nations economy.

     Also, due to the fact that flight is less eco-friendly than driving (at least when it only carries one or two people), this car does nothing to contribute to the ongoing efforts to protect the environment (or what's left of it). That being said, the owner of this car will also have to pay a hefty gas bill (it doesn't matter anyway... the people who own these vehicles are rich, remember?)

The first line represents the path we would choose to take
 with a flying car. It isn't very practical when compared to
 the path that we would take when using a regular car. 

     In addition, these vehicles aren't very practical in terms of commute and transportation. In fact, the majority of the world population have relatively short travel times and a flying car wouldn't be of any benefit to them. To add, a flying car would need a place to land, perhaps an airport or an open field a couple of hundred meters long. However, these locations are generally very far out from a work office and would only increase a persons commute time.

     In short, flying cars are a waste of human innovation that, in my opinion, are intended only to be a toy for multimillionaire playboys (no offense, batman), because they have no real benefit or positive impact on the world. Why do we even need flying cars in the first place?

Sources:

1. http://listverse.com/2013/05/17/10-amazing-flying-cars-that-really-existed/
2. http://www.terrafugia.com/aircraft
3. http://www.aeromobil.com/#s-about
4. http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/aeromobil-s-flying-car-will-go-on-sale-in-2017-company-says-1.2996116
5.http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0403/Terrafugia-flying-cars-cost-279-000-each-already-have-100-pre-orders-video
6http://www.slate.com/articles/business/the_juice/2014/07/driving_vs_flying_which_is_more_harmful_to_the_environment.html

Welcome One, Welcome All

We all know that technology has become a large part of our lives. It has shaped society in such a way that we depend on it for our everyday activities. For example, we use our cell phones to communicate with our friends and family, and we use our cars, planes, and other vehicles for transportation. However, what technology does the future have to offer? Will it have any benefit to us? Will it affect us as much as the first technological revolution? 

Hello world! My name is Ryan Beneteau and this is my technology blog. More specifically, this is a blog that focuses on the technology of the future and it's applications, affects and consequences. That being said, I will be generally speaking of things such as cars that run on hydrogen fuel cells, android technology, robots, phones, and anything else relevant to futuristic technology. However, I will also be presenting the ludicrous and more unique ideas that relate to said technology, such as flying cars and other things that are only plausible in movies such as Back to the Future. That being said, I will also be presenting my opinion on this technology and how I think it will impact our world (if it does at all).

I know, pretty awsome. Sadly, this  won't happen for a loooong time, if at all.

Side note: I am not a technology expert, and I probably will never be one. As a consequence, the information presented may not be accurate and my opinion may, and will most likely not be taken seriously. This is alright, because my blog is intended only to be used as a source to inform and show people what to look forward to (and what to fear) in the future. It is also a blog that will act as an outlet for my passion regarding technology and all of it's marvels.