The Future of the Fad

Believe it or not, it’s 2012 and there will supposedly be some flying cars around by the end of it.  Driverless cars are around the corner too, as are legions of robots.  It’s the future, kinda.  There’s so much in the works these days it’s difficult to discern what is actually happening and what is just California dreamin’.

If you’re having trouble keeping up, perhaps the Gartner Hype Cycle can help.

To break it down in terms of the news you are used to hearing about new technology, check out the more detailed explanation.

While Gartner gets far more specific about particular industries with its paying clients, once a year they release the Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, evaluating the maturity of the entire field of next big things…

Happy trails to all on the road to the Plateau of Productivity…

[All charts from Gartner]

Turning What-If’s Into When’s

Is it just a matter of time?  Forget your lack of a flying car for a moment and enjoy a speculative look at the future of technology between 2012 and 2040…

(click to view)

Will 4K make today’s movies look like relics by the end of the decade?  Can the utility fog turn us all into Green Lanterns?  And cross your fingers for the 2020 arrival of the Reputation Economy, Ape Con Myth’s favorite, where in a post-scarcity state, “all the necessities (and most of the luxuries) of life are free for the taking,” leaving our reputations as the only guide to our worth.

Dare to dream.

[Chart by Michell Zappa via Visual Complexity]