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News: Technology to pervade deep into daily lives

According to a report by Deloitte, the business advisory firm, by 2010 more people around the world will use a growing number of technology products and services more often, in more locations, and for more purposes than ever before.

A typical day in 2010 is unlikely to feel much different to today. We won’t be watching holographic TV or travelling to work in flying cars. "However," said Jolyon Barker, head of the technology, media and telecommunications practice at Deloitte, "technology will be far more involved in our everyday lives than ever before. From the car to the classroom, the living room to the office and essentially everywhere in between."

Established technologies – from mobile phones to desktop computers – will still dominate, but they will increasingly be used alongside a growing range of supporting devices. With connectivity becoming ever more widespread, and content increasingly digital, it should be possible to access and consume services and content almost anywhere, whether we are stationary or on the move.

How we will work in 2010

The growing ubiquity of technology will have a number of impacts on our everyday lives. Work place boundaries will blur, both socially and geographically. Offshoring, remote working and virtual teams will become more widespread. As the consequence of this, the division between work and private time will probably become yet more opaque as the ability to connect and communication becomes increasingly universal.

How we will communicate in 2010

The number of tools used for communication will continue to proliferate, although consumers will probably settle on a preferred set of communication tools which serves their particular needs best.

Email will continue to grow in popularity and usage, but voice (and in particular mobile voice) will still dominate revenue-generating applications. By the end of the decade half of the world’s population will have access to telecommunications services.

How we will be educated in 2010

By 2010, education will have undertaken a rapid – and sometimes controversial – adoption of technology innovations. Digital whiteboards, extranets for parents and typed coursework will have become commonplace. But alongside this, cheating will have become easier than it ever has been.

Wireless technologies may facilitate communication between students taking exams; improvements in search engines might catalyze plagiarism. Furthermore, where podcasts, online notes and other electronic aids are provided to supplement classroom teaching, some students may choose to use these as a substitute for attendance.

Education may also be provided on emerging devices, particularly Digital Video Recorders (DVRs), in the home. The video game sector may broaden its appeal – and also its reputation among parents – by launching games with a specific educational intent. Devices which once only exercised thumbs may also increasingly be used to exercise bodies as well as stimulate minds, with a growing range of games requiring players to use their bodies to control their virtual player.

How we will be entertained in 2010

Despite the growing range of alternative distractions, television will continue to dominate our entertainment, locking-in our attention by offering high definition content delivered to ever larger, flat-panel screens. On-demand television and video will likely grow in popularity, and will be selected and delivered using a variety of technologies and transports.

Although on-demand programming and interactive television will grow, the scheduler’s job will remain. The effort involved in choosing what to watch may well be too much for people, who will default to whatever happens to be on.

The Internet will make strong gains in popularity, and in some markets may even displace television as the most popular form of entertainment. Its power as a distribution medium for a huge and growing variety of content and services should be consolidated by 2010.

How we will travel in 2010

Another key development in the use of technology will be safety, particularly within the context of transport. Robotic systems will increasingly support drivers, alerting them to hazards and even taking over steering and braking when circumstances require.

Head up displays (HUDs) will present critical information on the windshield – allowing the drivers to keep their eyes on the road. Haptic systems will use drivers’ sense of touch to issue warnings, and even wake up drowsy drivers.

Drivers will increasingly use speech recognition to control satellite navigation systems and text to speech to listen to e-mail messages.

Overall, the years to 2010 will see technology innovation as the basis for a quiet revolution. New users, new uses and more frequent use of technology will see the combined technology, telecoms and media sector grow in breadth and depth, creating value across a wider range of products, services, segments and geographic markets.

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