A month ago I attended the European tech conference, LeWeb Paris, the theme of which was “The Next 10 Years.” This got me thinking about what the past 10 years of technology has been like, and boy was it like peering into a strange museum of the rapid progression of human behavior. Remember when everyone HAD to have the Razr phone? When you expressed all your deepest feelings through LiveJournal? Or when you couldn’t live another day without a Snorkel FM radio?

Okay maybe not that last one. But you get my point. It’s weird to think those gadgets, which we coveted so badly, seem like children’s toys 10 years later. The scary part of that is, by that logic, the top of the line, state of the art, pride-of-the-early-adopter technological devices that we love right now will be equally laughable in another decade.

So at LeWeb, I had a chance to glimpse what experts believe will be the tech trends to watch out for over the next ten years (until they become obselete), and fortunately it does not include this:

At least not yet, anyway. The next 50 years is still up for debate.

What we can be sure of is that the next ten years will bring us a greater emphasis on technologies that help us to convert everyday activities into meaningful data. This comes in the form of biometric devices like Fitbit, and machines and software that allow us to design and create anything we want via 3D Printing.

As we outfit our bodies with wearables like Bluetooth enabled watches and Internet-accessible eyewear we will bring that approach into our home, wiring our houses to be “smart,” with things like alarm systems and heaters accessible remotely via mobile phone apps.

Of course, I’m personally abstaining from Google Glass, and the eventual Apple alternative (which I predict will simply be called: “i”), for the time being because it’s only a short time until such technology is either in contact lens form, or even implanted directly into the eye, so why spend the money now?

In all seriousness, the next 10 years will bring us many of the things I’ve mentioned, and lots more surprises, too. The recent boom in innovation is only set to grow, and with the resources available to entrepreneurs these days there’s no telling which products will be flooding the marketplace next. And as these technologies develop, we will have to place a greater emphasis on balancing these conveniences with the basic needs of humanity, such as eating and affection.

So while we wait to see what that will be like, you might as well cozy up to your favorite brand new gadget, because in only ten short years it’s going to be the laughing stock of Future You.

Posted on 1/13/2013

Written by Ali Wunderman

According to her mother, “Silicon” Ali is a modern Renaissance woman, with interests ranging from cartography to terrarium architecture. She works as a Marketing Communications Manager at Autodesk, and in her spare time you can find her traveling the world, giving tours of San Francisco, or cuddling with puppies.

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