At a recent 80’s themed business event, it was noted that 2015 marks the 30th anniversary of the popular 1985 movie Back to the Future. This thought was worth some fun retrospection — how well did the movie writers and producers do with their space-age predictions when Marty McFly traveled into the future? Let’s take a look.
Video Chat
This one’s a no brainer! With Skype, Facetime, and other online applications, it seems we have mastered the art of video chat featured in the movie.
Finger Recognition
When Doc paid for his cab ride with just his thumb, they weren’t too far off of where we are today. Although we aren’t quite there, we do have machines that swipe cards and read devices for payment, plus apps like Apple Pay and Uber. And, considering that more than 20% of the US population owns an iPhone, you can’t ignore the unlock-the-phone-with-fingerprint feature.
The JAWS 19 Holomax
We may not have Holomax theaters, but we do have 3-D movies. In addition, Microsoft recently released the closest we’ve probably come to a hologram with its Holographic product. See more here: http://money.cnn.com/2015/01/21/technology/innovationnation/microsoft-windows-holographic/
Hoverboards
While we may not have perfected these nifty little traveling devices, we have developed them and there is light at the end of the futuristic tunnel. The closest company to successfully create something similar to a hover board is HENDO. See more here: http://hendohover.com/
Self-Lacing Shoes
Amazingly, this technology is not too far away. Nike recently announced that it will release a self-lacing tennis shoe in 2015! See more here: http://www.iflscience.com/technology/power-laced-sneakers-promised-year
Today’s fashions aren’t as futuristic as Marty saw (in fact, there’s some retro still in style) and automobiles haven’t taken to airborne freeways, but it’s always fun to compare visions of the future with the real thing once it arrives.
In short, we had a blast (pun intended) going Back to the Future!