Existing Technologies:
Smart phone (1992) [1] Cody
Cell phone with additional features such as email and calendar
Technology in current smartphones were implemented in Anon (Call, Message, Video)
Instant messaging (1971) [2] Cody
Direct Communication Between 2 people using a computer
Originally made for government use to communicate for disasters
Used in Anon to send messages to each other
GPS (1983 released to the public) [3] Cody
Originally used for government use
Now used for directions
Used in Anon to send location for emergency vehicles and directions
Facial/Image Recognition (1964) Bryce
Experiments were done in 1964 and 66’ that were unsuccessful[4]
Used a rudimentary scanner to map hairline, nose, and eyes[4]
2d technology
Creates a flat image of the face and maps ‘nodal points’ matches this against database of stored faces[4]
Liveness technology
Checks for live images, asks user to blink or move[4]
3d tech (modern/Iphone X)
Uses infrared based Face ID, maps the pattern of superficial blood vessels under the skin[4]
Facial recognition technology is close enough to how it is used in the
Video Call/ Facetime (1970) Aaron
Invented in 1970 that allowed direct communication that allows for the users to see each other [5].
Exists today, in the movie this technology is implemented in the Mind’s eye
Telepathic payment (2014) Aaron
The closest thing we have in today’s world would be apple pay. September 9, 2014―Apple® today announced Apple Pay™, a new category of service that will transform mobile payments with an easy, secure and private way to pay [6].
The movie’s depiction of this technology was unrealistic as there was no interaction between the sale and the customer.
Augmented reality (1968) Aaron
Augmented reality is a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world. The first AR technology was developed in 1968 at Harvard when computer scientist Ivan Sutherland created an AR head-mounted display system [7].
Technology in the movie was more advanced than what we have today, but I think it was depicted in a realistic way
Futuristic Technologies (Michael) :
The Mind's Eye:
An optical implant that projects a Head-Up Display (HUD) on whatever the user is looking at using seamless virtual and augmented reality
Forced to be used by the government
Provides with a simple glace of a person's face:
Current occupation
Criminal history
Family tree
Bio-data
Height
Weight
Relationship status
Inanimate Object Information:
Nutritional data from foods
Make and model of a car
Pay a street vendor
Most similar technologies we have to the Mind's Eye:
Focals by North [8]
Project a HUD straight onto the user's retina
Neuralink
Put a chip in a monkey and analyzed the brain waves to teach an algorithm pong [9]
Ether:
A government database that contains the entire history of what a person has seen through their mind’s eye, as well as has the ability to view what the person can see in real-time at any time. There is currently nothing similar to the Ether due to the sheer amount of data that would have to be stored in real-time high-quality footage was saved every second of every day. Along with this, given how it was manipulated in the film I doubt anything close to the ether will exist for years.
A quick history of smartphones (cellular sales 2021) https://www.cellularsales.com/blog/a-mostly-quick-history-of-smartphones/#:~:text=When%20was%20the%20first%20smartphone,by%20the%20tens%20of%20thousands. 12 Oct 2022.
Gary W. Larson, Instant Messaging, (Briticanna 2016) https://www.britannica.com/topic/instant-messaging 9 Oct 2022.
Juquai McDuffie, Why the military released gps to the public, (Popular Mechanics 2017) https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a26980/why-the-military-released-gps-to-the-public/ 9 Oct 2022.
Facial recognition history. Thales Group. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2022, from https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/markets/digital-identity-and-security/government/inspired/history-of-facial-recognition.
Khanna, Monit. “World’s First Video Call Took Place 50 Years Ago Today Using Picturephone Mod ll.” IT Technology, https://www.indiatimes.com/technology/news/worlds-first-video-call-picturephone-mod-ii-516937.html . Accessed 12 Oct. 2022.
“Apple Announces Apple Pay.” Apple, https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2014/09/09Apple-Announces-Apple-Pay/#:~:text=CUPERTINO%2C%20California%E2%80%95September%209%2C,and%20private%20way%20to%20pay. Accessed 12 Oct. 2022.
Javornik, Ana. “The Mainstreaming of Augmented Reality: A Brief History.” Harvard Business Review, https://hbr.org/2016/10/the-mainstreaming-of-augmented-reality-a-brief-history#:~:text=The%20first%20AR%20technology%20was,for%20wearables%20and%20digital%20displays. Accessed 12 Oct. 2022.
Focals by North. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2022, from https://www.bynorth.com/ Accessed 10 Oct. 2022
Elon Musk’s Neuralink “shows monkey playing Pong with mind.” (2021, April 9). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56688812 Accessed 10 Oct.2022