Yesterday's Sci-fi is today's reality.

[Chris Hobson]

I'm always amazed by technology. My wife doesn't like dolls. In Japan they now have hotels that have androids as receptionists. In the unlikely event that we ever visit one of these hotels it looks as though I will have to deal with checking in. Me, so excited that things that were only in books and movies when I was a kid have become reality within my lifetime. Her, totally realistic humanoid robots are just too creepy.

 

[Vonny]

I remember when I used to compose music on my piano and then transcribe it onto a score sheet, and thought: wouldn't it be nice if there was something that could do this, but I'll never see it in my lifetime! How wrong I was. Also, I couldn't have foreseen the online midi systems available now, when I was at university patching in the huge synth which took up an entire wall. Real Tomorrow's World stuff today...exciting!

 

[Inka]

I don’t think they’re too creepy, just a bit weird initially. However, realistic humanoid robots can be exploited in all kinds of ways (which I won’t go in to). Be warned if you decide to google.

 

[Chris Hobson]

My digital piano has a sixteen track recording system built in. It's a bit wasted on me, I just use it as a piano. Still, if I ever do want to do the Fairies Air Death Waltze I know that it will, at least in theory, be possible.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I'm always amazed by technology.

I remember the first smartphone I got: magical! £99, slow and (by modern standards) limited, but magical, right out of sci fi. Similarly the iPad. And LLMs, while I think the idea they're about to become super intelligent and kill us all is extremely unlikely, they're amazing and will surely have a long term collection of uses.

 

[Satan’s little helper]

In Japan they now have hotels that have androids as receptionists.

“Blade runner” stuff. The first smartphone I got, it was given. The owner couldn’t get on with it & thrust it at me in a carrier bag with the charger. Previously I had a Nokia with a monochrome screen? Lol, my bank had some set up where I could use this phone for modern banking. Totally unusable. Unlike today with the app.
It’s funny how quickly tech is superseded. MP3 players are gathering dust due to smartphones. I don’t think this tech will “kill us all.” But is tracking us for target marketing & some good stuff like letting me know of an impending traffic jam on my journey. I could deal with a proper “Marvin” style Android. But not anything modelled on the aesthetic “fantasy” of some geek. Which ethically devalues human customer service representatives.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I still remember the 8-year-old-me joy of having folding Star Trek style communicators (a Samsung and later Moto phone), and a little later, the ability to just ask your computer to do things via Siri and such.

Next stop will be just telling your car via your smartwatch to drive to where you are, and meet you in the car park somewhere like Michael Knight. 😱

 

[Chris Hobson]

I was visiting my daughter whose partner is very tech savvy. I mentioned that my old git daily pill box was getting a bit past its best. He shows me some pictures of pill boxes on his phone, asks me to pick one. What colour would I like, blue OK you got it. Sets the 3D printer going. Following morning I have a new pill box.