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Students! Thinking about your future?
Click here for a special
section of our site made just for you. Tons of career
and homework resources.. |
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The
Future of Electronics

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Consumer Electronics of the Future
The future is unfolding all
around us. Over the next decade we will see a slew of
new products that we can hardly imagine today.
Disclaimer: The information and links found on
this site are for educational purposes only. Future For
All makes no endorsement, expressed or implied, of any links
to or from its site.

The ABC's of RFID

Radio Frequency
Identification, (RFID), is poised to play a large role in
improving customer service at your local retail store and
you may never even know it is there.
What is RFID?
The overall concept of RFID
is simple. Identify an object wirelessly. It is not much
different from the bar codes seen on many products today.
The advantage of RFID is the distance at which the product
can be scanned (up to three meters away), and unlike bar
code laser scans, the RFID reader does not need to "see"
the object it is scanning. This allows a RFID reader to
scan every product in your cart at checkout without
removing them, or it can alert an inventory control
manager that he needs to refill the shelves after Mrs.
Jones stocks up on her special brand of cat food.
A RFID system consists of a
RFID tag, which is made up of a tiny microchip and
antenna, and a RFID reader. The RFID tag, which is small
and flexible enough to fit inside a label, has internal
memory that can store information about the product the
label is adhered to. Some "smart labels" do not require
batteries as they get their power from the radio waves
transmitted by the reader. This type of smart labels are
called passive because they don't emit any signal
on their own. The newest RFID smart labels operate near
the same frequency band as a cordless phone.
What are the Benefits of
RFID?
Retail stores say they will
use RFID to improve service and to reduce operating costs
which could help lower prices. The biggest benefit to
consumers will be better merchandise availability by
ensuring that products are available when you need them.
RFID can also keep track of expiration dates and let the
manager know when it is time to remove an item from the
shelves. RFID can be used in many ways to improve customer
service, save time and reduce costs.

Radio
wristbands featuring an RFID chip

World's Largest Laser
The National Ignition Facility (NIF)
is both the largest laser and the largest optical
instrument ever built, requiring 7500 large optics (over
one foot across) and more than
30,000 small optics. The most obvious role of NIF optics
is to steer the 192 laser beams through the 700-foot-long
building onto a
dime-size laser-fusion target. Missions for the giant
laser include demonstrating limitless fusion power
production.
National Ignition Facility |
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Future Phones

Nokia Mobile Device Concept - Morph
Future phones will be more than just phones, they will be
all of your mobile devices combined into one. They may be
transparent, flexible, self-cleaning, and shape-shifting,
but one thing is for sure, they will be cool.
Nokia Morph
Vodaphone's Electronic Future
Best Concept Cellphones
Top 10 concept phones
Concept Phone Design Competition

The Future of Books
Electronic ink, flexible displays and
wireless connections are changing the face of books.
The Future of Reading
Kindle
E Ink, flexible displays, electronic paper

LightSleeper

LightSleeper combines electroluminescent
technology and textiles.


Micro-Generator
A
sugar-cube-sized electric generator that feeds on
vibration could power
swarms of wireless sensors or even medical implants.


Wearable Electronics

Smart clothing design requires a team of artists,
designers, scientists and engineers bringing their
individual talents together to create garments that are as
appealing as they are functional.
Future Fashion

World's Smallest Radio
The Zettl Research Group has crafted a
working radio from a single carbon nanotube.
Nanoradio

Quickies
Quickies are electronic "sticky notes"
being developed at MIT that are like the paper kind, but
offer portability and connectivity to the digital
information world.
Quickies: Intelligent Sticky Notes |