WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HAVE IN STORE FOR US?

Comm 303-50Jordon O’Banion

CHANGE IS GOODOne thing we must keep in mind

is that change will lead to innovation. Innovations that will

pave the way for our evolution as a society and as an animal

species on the planet.

THE WORLD OF GAMING The video game industry is not one to be taken lightly these

days. With it once being something only considered to be affiliated with “nerdy” people, it has now bloomed into

something that has become common especially for young adults and teenagers.

The biggest innovation to hit the gaming industry in the next few years is likely to be

virtual reality. This is something that has long been coveted by gamers. It seemed as though it would remain a science fiction

story, until now…

OCULUS RIFT AND PROJECT MORPHEUS

The Oculus Rift (OR) is a device worn around the head

that uses a screen and speakers inside to simulate a virtual reality. It was born from a Kickstarter project that has

sparked interest in the technology.

Not long after the OR was unveiled, another company stood up and attempted to test the waters. Sony reveals

their own virtual reality hardware known as

Project Morpheus. The technology is similar in

concept and will provide the OR with competition

if successful.

THEORIZE THE GAME “Critical Mass Theory” plays its part here as

the OR has allowed Sony to see the interest in virtual reality and prompted them to join the fray. This happened once before in the gaming industry when Nintendo released their Nintendo Wii and Sony followed suite

with their own motion control system known as PlayStation Move.

In addition, you could also apply the “Theory of the Long Tail”. It relates to this idea

because of the potential growth that the product has. It is still in the early stages and

needs time to develop before more experienced hands get ahold of it.

SEARCHIN

G FO

R ANSW

ERS

One thing that most would likely agree on is that we want to be

safe. Technology advances in the police force is

something that will bring about

that safety. Communication between officers

and both the victims and the criminals is key

to providing safety to society.

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY There are many forms of technology that serve to create a safer environment in our

lives. One of the most interesting and beneficial is that of thermal imaging. It allows

us to have advantages in our crime-filled world. With its power, we can locate just about anything more quickly than ever

before! By the time 2024 arrives, we will likely have

new avenues to explore and greater strengths to take advantage of.

THEORY OF A SAFER FUTURE The “Uses and Gratification Theory” is

something that can be used to describe our society when it comes to their safety. They want to know how safe they are. If it is not properly communicated than people may become uneasy. This can lead to major

problems and should be avoided at all costs. Good communication is something that

should be a major focus for the media, but it doesn’t always work out that way,

unfortunately.

HO

W TO

TELL A “STORE-Y

”

Click icon to add picture Storing information is a critical

process for a business. It also very

important to anyone that

has any intention of keeping up with their finances. Filing was once the

main way to do this.

Times have changed, however. Now we

have moved on to new and more advanced ways of keeping track of

information.

FROM FLOPPY TO CLOUDY Many people in our current era are now making use of

cloud-based storage. This allows for instant access to stored information with internet access. The internet

part is both a positive and negative as it makes it impossible to retrieve the information if you do not

have access to the internet. In time cloud-based storage will likely be used for many more things. Video

games are already utilizing it for game save data.

A NEED FOR A NEED When the people of our society form a need, they give birth to the “Media

System Delivery Theory”. Cloud-based storage is still fairly new to our

world, but it is already on track for being something that people depend on. Luckily it seems to be a generally stable form of

storage. Things can always go wrong, and that need may end up

being a thorn in the side of society.

IN CONCLUSION I believe that technology will continue to evolve in a way that allows for us to better

ourselves. However, I also believe that it can also serve to out us at risk of hurting

ourselves if we are not careful. There are conveniences that should never be explored,

as they will ultimately lead to health risks among other things. We just have to ere in

the side of caution!

SOURCES Frontiers of research and future directions in information and

communication technology. (2008). Technology in Society. Retrieved November 30, 2014, from http://www.ri.cmu.edu/pub_files/2008/8/sdarticle.pdf

Schultz, P. (n.d.). The Future Is Here: Technology in Police Departments. Retrieved December 2, 2014, from http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=1527&issue_id=62008

Smith, C. (n.d.). Beyond Oculus: The future of Virtual Reality gaming. Retrieved December 2, 2014, from http://www.techradar.com/us/news/gaming/beyond-oculus-the-future-of-virtual-reality-gaming-1255974

Sterman, J., Jekarl, K., & Reavis, C. (2011). Sony's Battle for Video Game Supremacy. Retrieved December 2, 2014, from https://mitsloan.mit.edu/LearningEdge/CaseDocs/07-046-Sonys-Battle.pdf?v=20120410