10 Tech Concepts You Should Know for 2007

mattnyc99 writes "Popular Mechanics has a new list of wide-ranging technology terms it claims will be big in 2007. From PRAM to BAN and SmartPills to data clouds, it's a pretty nice summary of upcoming and in-the-works trends across the board (with a podcast embedded). Though these aren't technologies they expect to be in everyone's homes next year, they're sure this tech will be in the headlines. How do their predictions from a year ago stack up now?" From the article: "Printed Solar Panels - Tomorrow's solar panels may not need to be produced in high-vacuum conditions in billion-dollar fabrication facilities. If California-based Nanosolar has its way, plants will use a nanostructured "ink" to form semiconductors, which would be printed on flexible sheets. Nanosolar is currently building a plant that will print 430 megawatts' worth of solar cells annually--more than triple the current solar output of the entire country."

a future Ask Slashdot...

[Dystopian Rebel]

I tripled the size of my Body Area Network using the Twinkie Expansion Method so I could have enough bandwidth to access my whole personal Data Cloud.

Now my bed is made of Bendable Concrete and my girlfriend has left me, complaining about my Plasma Arc Gasification.

Now who is going to mend my Printed Solar Panel shirts?

Re:units?

[QuantumRiff]

Thats the equivalent of powering 1.3 Libraries of Congress. Or a string of AA batteries that would wrap around the library of congress 3 times!

#12

[FiveDollarYoBet]

Duke Nukem

Re:units?

[Captain Splendid]

How many times do I have to tell you people? Hogsheads!

Re:Sailor Power is not yet viable

[coldsleep]

Are you kidding me? There's no way they can make sailor power more efficient. It's been in use for thousands of years, and it's not going away any time soon.

Re:smart pills

[whargoul]

I'm amazed these things are just coming around now. I remember seeing them years ago on some disconvery channel show.

Pretty neat things though.. but I don't envy those who 'recover' the pills after theyve passed through someone.

I don't imagine these are "recovered", but can you imagine the conversation in the doctors office when presented with one of these?

Doctor: Well sir, you have 2 options.
Doctor: We can give you this brand new SmartPill for $500
Doctor: or you can take this recycled SmartPill we just "recovered" from an elderly gentleman with chronic diarrhea for $7.50
Patient: uh...I'll take the new one, thanks.

Re:2006's predictions were kind of accurate....

[bitt3n]

screw that.. if I'm buying some fancy Jaguar I want a system that cushions my hood against flying pedestrians.

Re:a future Ask Slashdot...

[Anonymous Coward]

...and my girlfriend has left me...

So in your vision of the future, Slashdotters will be able to get girlfriends? Seems a bit optimistic to me.