NTT DoCoMo's forward-looking video overlooks the present

We've seen prophets get their agendas past the marketing department a time or two before, but NTT DoCoMo's latest peek into the "future" seemingly forgets to look at what's actually available right now. The lengthy spot showcases how mobile phones will "one day" be even more tightly integrated into our everyday lives, and while the ideas of using mobile-based keychains and passwords, geo-locators, and video telephony are certainly novel, deeming them events of the future seems a bit ignorant. Additionally, it demonstrates the phone's ability to assist with grocery shopping, take care of hailing a cab, act as a tutor, and prevent children from straying too far away -- all of which have either already been implemented or are quite a ways along the development pipeline. Of course, the pen-sized handset with retractable holographic display certainly hasn't hit mainstream channels just yet, but otherwise it seems we're all way ahead of our time. The pseudo-futuristic video awaits you in the read link.

[Via PSFK]

[Mike C @ May 30th 2007 7:02PM]

I wish engadget writers would just get to the point and not feel like they have to make full paragraphs for everything when there isn't really that much to say.

[adam @ May 30th 2007 7:20PM]

And I wish all of the whiny babies would stop posting whiny complaints about the writing style of engadget staff.

[kaztm @ May 30th 2007 7:48PM]

Remember, ignorance is golden at Engadget.

[paul34 @ May 30th 2007 7:22PM]

Reminds me a bit of a "2057" documentary I watched (originally on Discovery).

Admittedly, much of it (especially the "body" segment) was disturbing as far as what society would become, but... I don't share their optimism for such advancements in 50 years. But what do I know... so much can change our history (future history? future? ) by then.

[carlo @ May 30th 2007 7:22PM]

But... will the technology be able to find that golden bathtub?

[Ryhan @ May 30th 2007 8:26PM]

I find that "predicting" the future is usually pointless; predictions are either do-able today or far from what actually happens. Priorities/demands and technology change so drastically that they cannot be predicted. Just look at the nuemorous predictions from 1950 ~ 1990 about the year 2000/2001. Have we achieved spaceships controlled by massive, homicidal computers? I think not. Call me a fun-killer, but heh, it's really pointless to even try...

[John Stracke @ May 30th 2007 8:28PM]

Snort. Apparently they didn't watch Boo-Hoo For You.

[Ryhan @ May 30th 2007 9:36PM]

Geez, go ahead... "imagine" what the future holds, instead of actually attempting them...

[Jeff @ May 30th 2007 8:37PM]

"Of course, the pen-sized handset with retractable holographic display certainly hasn't hit mainstream channels just yet, but otherwise it seems we're all way ahead of our time."

Um... yeah, I'm pretty sure my brand new phone doesn't do any of the things you mentioned in the preceding paragraph. Nor do I really know of any phones in the US at all that do a single one of those things. Or even all that many in Japan.

Your links go to a bunch of non-related, non-phone, specialized products. I think the idea that's novel here is that *phones* will do all these things.

So I don't really see how "we're all" way ahead of our time here. Maybe you guys at Engadget are writing from the future and don't even realize it.

[John Stracke @ May 31st 2007 7:19AM]

I started wondering whether maybe this was an old item that was reasonable when it was created. I checked, and the Last-Modified: on the Flash file is 25 September 2006. So it's at least 8 months old; it might even be older, if it was created in, say, 2003, and then modified in 2006.

[AdvidG @ Jun 12th 2007 9:55AM]

Um...Where is the Robotic overthrow? No nuclear ruins aftermath? And, how come all the women Still wear so much clothing?! Is THIS progress?

Will all humans talk like a (Really) bad 80's movies in the future? I didn't see any guns...And, I for one...plan on packing, like 10 of them or something. And, no &%$#! Hover cars?! Face it...this future is SUCKING!