TheFutureLaboratory
Latest
Ikea's kitchen of the future: 3D food printing, mood lighting, virtual Gordon Ramsay
The kids at Ikea would like to float a couple "kitchen of the future" concepts at us. Apparently the Swedish furniture chain commissioned a report from The Future Laboratory (a London-based think tank previously seen in this space warning us of the dangers of "visual pollution" caused by all those pesky pico projectors that everybody has and which work really, really well). The skinny? By 2040, we'll have "mood kitchens" that read our "vibes, man" and adjust lighting and music in the process. Not only that, but you can expect such niceties as dining recommendations, self-cleaning appliances, integrated "sixth generation" iPads, celebrity chefs "hologrammed into" your home, and 3D food printing. These guys are certainly optimistic! Hell, we'll be happy if thirty years hence the typical kitchen isn't a leaking tent in a robot-run internment camp. PR after the break.
More deceased taking cellphones, PMPs to their graves
It's been happening for centuries in one form or another, but packing in a favorite diecast car or trophy just seems a bit different than sending your loved one six feet under with a BlackBerry 7290. According to the London-based The Future Laboratory think tank, the amount of people arranging to have their cellphones or portable media players buried with them is on the rise, with a family service counselor for Hollywood Forever funeral home and cemetery stating that "it seems that everyone under 40 who dies takes their cellphone with them." Truth be told, the psychology behind it isn't all that odd; after all, in today's world, mobile phones go a long way to connecting one person with other loved ones. Just make sure to not go down with a Vertu or the like -- wouldn't want to get unwillingly exhumed, now would we? [Image courtesy of cc275, via The Inquirer]
Mini projectors spark worries about "visual pollution"
Texas Instruments and others have been touting mini (or pico) projectors without hesitation as of late, but it seems that not everyone is quite so excited about them, with some folks now even warning about a number of potential dangers. One of those naysayers is Future Laboratory founder Martin Raymond, who told the BBC that while the projectors (likely to be used primarily in cellphones) are "appealing initially," he has concerns about the devices causing "visual pollution," adding that there could be "inappropriate showing of things that maybe other people shouldn't be seeing." Needless to say, he also foresees new laws and legislation controlling the use of the technology. No matter how things shake out, however, the one thing that seems clear is that the humble laser pointer will soon be about as antiquated as the spitball when it comes to juvenile means of public embarrassment. [Via About Projectors]
