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Ask HN: Future devices

I saw a quote by Tim Cook recently in which he said that if you want to understand Apple's view of the future of computing devices, then look towards the iPad.

I have been getting frustrated by the time I spend maintaining information on too many devices that I own.

Using remote git repositories, cloud storage services, having apps available on all devices (e.g., Office 365) helps but there is a lot of overhead, at least for me, using many devices.

Having one device, perhaps like an iPad, that docks effortlessly with large monitors and keyboards, perhaps becomes an oversized cellphone, etc. is getting to be more appealing to me.

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The future is obvious.

Hardware will become disposable. You won't have to own any hardware, you'll just pick the best hardware for the job right when you need it.

- Need a small display you can attach to your wrist for the run? Grab one from the basket.

- Need to draw something? Grab this tablet and pen.

- Need to read some books at the beach? Grab one of these e-readers.

- Need to play some video games in the train? Grab a controller, there's already a screen in front of your seat.

- Need to listen to some music? No problem, take a pair of wireless headphones (sterilized between every use).

- Need to watch a movie, on a boat, in the middle of the lake at night? No problem, a drone will drop a floating screen and project the movie on it.

- Need music that follows you anywhere in the house without wearing headphones? There's a drone for that.

- Need to assemble this IKEA table? Here's some HoloLens that will get you through the assembly process.

You'll never have to carry a screen with you as you'll find them pretty much anywhere. At the grocery, at the office, at the gym, at home, in the subway, at the hotel, at school. You'll never have to compromise, you just pick the device you need for a given activity. Your device has no power? Just swap it with a new one.

All of this, will be enabled through ubiquitous connectivity and having all your data in the cloud. Any device can become yours in just a few seconds.

Thanks for the ideas.

One thing makes me think that we will however have a physical digital device that we carry around: security. Having a finger print scanner on my android phone and iPad is a nice way to keep some personal data (encrypted) with me. A physical device can authenticate and log me into systems for purchasing groceries, authenticate me to the shared devices that you mentioned, etc. -- seems like a requirement. That said, that physical device could be a ring or a watch.

We will have devices on ourselves at all time to:

- analyze blood sugar

- measure body temperature

- measure heart rate

- measure movements

- track coordinates

- input data (camera, scanner, NFC/RFID reader, microphone)

- get notified (speaker, lights, vibration, beep, display)

- get identified (biometric, key)

Some of these devices will be implemented in the body and fueled through body temperature or even blood.

Some of these devices will be part of our clothing.

Some of these devices we will wear or carry (wrist band, glasses, handheld camera).

I also know that people will be able to get their hands on a "portable internet hub", a wireless device that acts like an internet node when you're offline. It can old any kind of data (i.e., a part of the internet, Wikipedia, your pictures, your music) and will connect your devices together. When a hub connects to the internet, it will sync data in both directions (messages you sent, messages you received). Even when online, this hub will act as a local cache to all of your favorite and most-used content.

on the contrary, i believe the opposite is more likely.

humans will become more connected to the devices they invent -- not less.

food for thought: canonical design will be a thing of the past -- instead, devices will be designed for the user in context.

one day, my device wont even work for anyone else using it, because it responds only to my behavioral or biological signatures. anyone else trying to use it would have to re-train the device.

devices will become more like dogs, less like paper.

this is the next step in devices, and in AI.

You forgot to ask a question

> Having one device, perhaps like an iPad, that docks effortlessly with large monitors and keyboards, perhaps becomes an oversized cellphone, etc. is getting to be more appealing to me.

- You can already do that with the Microsoft Surface

- You can already do that with the Microsoft Lumia 950 XL

Thanks. When I saw the Microsoft Lumia 950 XL demo in Microsoft's web cast the other week (where they introduced the Surface Book) I thought that could be my "one device." I am not sure however how simple the docking procedure is - I should re-watch the web cast.

You plug in the dock.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/mobile/accessory/hd-500/

I think it would be like holo lens or magic leap technology

Or perhaps something like Google glasses without the camera (to avoid social issues)?

It seems reasonable for the next iteration of Google glasses to have an option to not have a camera (and be lighter and smaller) and just provide a great information display with a voice interface. You give up some things not having a camera but this tradeoff might be worthwhile.

You mean something like the Surface Book?

I like the idea of the detachable screen for a more portable device with the full power (better GPU and more battery life) when attached to the keyboard. I look forward to trying one.

I am really looking fo something though that would also replace my phone.

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