I'm finally excited about the future of tech again..
I remember when I got my first iPod back in 2003. Whereas other portable MP3 players proudly boasted capacities of 256 mb and 512 mb, my iPod came with a staggering 40GB; that felt like more music than existed in the world!!
I was instantly hooked.
After figuring out how to install iTunes on my Windows desktop and transferring all of my Kazaa-downloaded songs to the iPod, I carried that thing around with me EVERYWHERE. Over time, I became a techie, researching the latest gadgets and applications and being tech support for the family.
But in the last few years, things have started becoming stale.
After buying the iPhone every year for 15 years, the high from buying each one faded more and more quickly.
- Google Search just kept adding more sponsored results to their page
- Microsoft word and powerpoint felt like they were stuck in the 2010s
- The iPad was struggling to find its place in personal computing
- Crypto and Web3 were going through cycles but still no killer use case
- VR had failed multiple times with Google Glass, Magic Leap, PSVR, and more
Tech was exploiting without exploring. Where was the cool future tech we had been promised?
And then the last 12 months have been amazing. A new wave.
- AI has taken off with Dall-E, MidJourney, and of course ChatGPT and kickstarted an entire movement around AI tools
- Google is feeling threatened by Microsoft and smaller competitors leading to bold new product that are still half-baked
- We've gotten a completely new and fresh future vision from Apple with the Vision Pro
- Autonomous vehicles are finally getting out of testing as Waymo and Uber partner for UberEats deliveries and some rides
Perfection in technology is a sign of stagnation. But the current half-baked tech is a sign of risk and excitement.