The term Internet of Things, or IoT, refers to the network of physical devices around the world now connected to the internet, allowing for communication and data sharing between devices and other devices or the cloud. It is a term that often gets thrown around as “the future of technology,” but it’s not often clear how having an Alexa in your living room play your music for you is changing the world. While applications like these may seem less influential, the technology has already grown rapidly from something niche into something generally useful, so the future is likely to hold very meaningful applications for the technology.

 

History

To start with, let’s go through a brief history of the IoT. Starting in the 1990s, the idea of adding sensors and intelligence to basic objects began to grow in popularity, however, technology wasn’t ready to allow for this. Chips were still too bulky and expensive, and communication between devices was difficult. Advances such as the adoption of RFID tags, which are low-powered, wirelessly communicating chips, increased availability of broadband internet, cellular, and wireless networking, the adoption of IPv6, and improvements to AI and machine learning have helped push the IoT to a feasible, useful point. One of the first applications for it was adding RFID tags to expensive equipment to track their location. Now, the network has reached over 7 billion things and is rapidly expanding, being expected to reach 10 billion by 2025.

 

Applications

Even with all of this said, it still may not be clear how exactly having a connected network is beneficial. One of the most popular examples of IoT devices is the idea of a smart home. From voice assistants to smart lights and appliances to security systems, people are beginning to be able to control their entire homes from apps on their phones and computers. They can automate tedious tasks, keep track of statistics on energy usage, and manage their homes easily. Other applications such as cloud computing, including the Google office suite, and smart, connected cars are more examples of consumer-level IoT.

The topic becomes more interesting when looking at it from an industrial perspective. IoT can be used in industries such as manufacturing to reduce downtime and increase working safety. Nearly every industry can benefit from the numerous statistics and insights that the devices can provide to help businesses run optimally and efficiently. Amazon is using IoT devices for the automation of tracking, locating, sorting, and moving products.

The possibilities for the Internet of Things are endless, and I have no doubt that we cannot even begin to imagine where it may take society in the future. It is at a point now where it is becoming immensely useful for nearly every consumer and industry. I cannot wait to see the role they take on in our future lives.

The idea of cryptocurrency and associated terms, particularly bitcoin, have been some of the most exciting and hyped-up things to come out of the last few years. Many people insist that they are the future of all currency or a better investment than stocks, yet very few people really understand the technology behind it and what it really is. In this post, I want to go over what cryptocurrency is and if it deserves the excitement around it.

 

What is cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency, at its core, is a digital asset that can circulate without the need for a central monetary authority such as a government or bank. The last part is one reason for the excitement of those who understand the technology behind them. Instead of a centralized bank keeping records of all transactions, a technology known as blockchain maintains a tamper-resistant record of all transactions and keeps track of who owns what currencies. The blockchain record is distributed among cryptocurrency users, making it decentralized and secure. Units of cryptocurrency are known as coins or tokens, and there are many different currencies that have different purposes including being used as a unit of exchange or storing value.

Unlike physical money which can be simply printed or created, cryptocurrency is also created digitally, generally through a process known as mining for most cryptocurrencies. In this, users allow their computers to be used to solve complex puzzles which verify the authenticity of blockchain transactions, and then they receive newly created cryptocurrency.

The cryptocurrency can then be sold on exchanges which are also where non-miners, which is most people, can purchase cryptocurrencies. Something important to note is that even though cryptocurrency is a digital asset, it can still be stored physically, or sort of at least. Owners of currency are given a public key, like an email address, which is used to make transactions, and a private key, like a very complex password, that allows you to access your funds. This key can be safely stored offline on something known as a wallet, similar to a flash drive, to secure your funds, or stored in a slightly more risky way on online exchanges.

 

Why use cryptocurrency

One of the biggest draws to cryptocurrency is its decentralized and private nature which removes the governmental or private business oversight of transactions. However, in reality, this does not affect very many people as very few are concerned about this oversight. Blockchain could prove itself to be a more robust system of recording transactions than what banks use now though, and it is less tamper-able.

However, what draws in most people, especially those who are inexperienced, is the fact that they do not have a constant value, and have tended to rise quickly in recent history. With so many people saying that cryptocurrency is the future and the population watching the values skyrocket, it has been hard to resist not investing heavily into coins such as Bitcoin which has increased its value by a whopping 3,700% in the last 5 years. The issue with this is that investing in cryptocurrency is not the same as investing in stocks or bonds because the market is significantly more volatile. We have already seen many drops that have caused people’s life savings to fall apart, including when Bitcoin recently plummeted from a high of $68,000 to less than $30,000. Other smaller cryptocurrencies have been known to scam buyers out of their money. It is clear that cryptocurrency is not nearly as safe as an investment as stocks or bonds, and yet it is being advertised as an activity for people of all knowledge levels.

The future of cryptocurrency

Personally, I have had a hard time deciding what I think will happen to cryptocurrency in the future. If you had asked me last year, I would have said that I thought it was. However, currencies across the board have struggled to recover from drops, making me question my predictions. The price volatility is primarily what worries me as I don’t think that something so which can change so quickly will ever be universally accepted. However, I, along with experts, still see its role in society increasing as regulations are put in place to increase its feasibility. For now, though, you have nothing to worry about. Dollar bills are here to stay.

Everyone knows and loves the computers they use in their daily lives. From their phones and laptops to the servers that hold all of their files to their alarm clocks, it is hard to imagine life without them. But change is coming for the computer of the present. That change is the introduction of quantum computing to the world. Quantum computers use the laws of quantum mechanics to do things that traditional computers cannot do well or even at all. I’ll start with attempting to explain how they work and the differences between them and the computers we are used to. Unfortunately, I don’t know quantum mechanics, so I’d be lying if I said I fully understood how these worked. If you want a description from the experts, here is Microsoft’s official introduction to quantum computing.

Present-day computers, as many people know, operate on purely binary calculations, using ones and zeros. The heart of computer processors uses many semiconductors known as transistors to store a bit, either a 1 or a 0, an on or off, similar to a switch, and the state of these transistors can switch current on or off through them. Combining transistors can create logic gates, which form the basis of all parts of the CPU and are what allow for calculations to be done at lower levels all the way up to playing games and surfing the web.

Quantum computers are entirely different. They use what’s known as quantum bits, or qubits, rather than bits. Qubits do not operate under the same binary laws of bits, but rather use the laws of quantum mechanics, principally superposition. Superposition is the idea that the qubit does not hold just one state, but a combination of all possible states with probabilities assigned for each. This is like the idea of Schrodinger’s cat, which we have no way of knowing if it is dead or alive, so we say it is both at the same time. These qubits can then be entangled which creates a single system where the qubits influence each other, allowing us to use measurements of one to make conclusions about the other. The more entangled qubits there are, the more complex of problems that can be solved. Quantum interference is a property of qubits that can influence the probability of it collapsing one way or another, so computers are built to minimize this interference. In the end, a classical computer can be used to send instructions to the quantum computer and do calculations.

In reality, it really doesn’t matter to most people how quantum computers work. What really matters is that in the future, this new type of computing is bound to make a profound impact on the world, particularly in areas such as simulations, searching through data, optimizing the solution to a problem given a number of factors, cryptography, and machine learning where it performs significantly better than a traditional computer. Quantum computers can do some tasks that take weeks, years, or are not even possible for a classical computer in a matter of seconds. As they continue to improve, they will greatly increase the capabilities of scientists to do research and create better products.

Contrary to what one might think, however, quantum computers aren’t actually better than traditional computers for everything. General tasks are still better done on the cheaper, smaller, and simpler computers that we are used to, meaning they aren’t going away anytime soon. However, the things we do on those computers will be greatly influenced by the results of continued advancements in quantum computing in the coming years and decades. I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish with this new technology.

In recent years, electric cars have been hailed as the future of the automotive industry and the savior of the environment. Whether the latter is actually true is yet to be seen, however, the former is already becoming a reality. As technology has improved rapidly over the last decade, the potential of a switch from gas to electricity has become much more realistic.

 

History

Electric vehicles, or EVs, got their start back in the 1890s, not long after the introduction of gas-powered cars. They were actually very popular in their day, not because of the environmental advantages but instead for not having some of the disadvantages of early combustion engines, such as noise and smell. As more households gained electricity, the EVs continued to grow in popularity, at one point even making up 38% of all cars on the road. Unfortunately, as gasoline cars continued to push forwards in terms of performance and cost-efficiency, EVs fell behind.

That was until the early 21st century when traction picked back up. One company in specific championed the reintroduction of EVs. That company is known by nearly everyone today: Tesla. Founded by a group of engineers, including Elon Musk, Tesla’s goal was to reinvent the electric vehicle into a car that could keep up and surpass the internal combustion engine in terms of performance, max range, and cost. Even though the company started out with only a very expensive sports car on the market, the Tesla Roadster, it found significant success and other companies began to follow, including Nissan with their LEAF. Still, the lack of charging availability outside of the house was a huge deal-breaker for most.

In just the last few years, the EV market has taken huge steps forward, and it seems that the more attention it gets, the faster it improves. Charging networks, especially Tesla’s, are becoming a frequent sight at gas stations, range on many electric cars has now surpassed that of their gas counterparts, and performance metrics are incredible due to the nature of electric motors providing instant torque on the road. The market grew by 117.4% over just the first half of 2021 and is continuing to grow exponentially. Tesla still leads the market by a long shot, now with a full range of more budget and luxury sedans and SUVs, but nearly every car manufacturer has announced their own competitor in the last two years.

Future

The future of EVs is clear then: they will almost undoubtedly take over. Unless something major blocks their path, the momentum behind the market is not stopping anytime soon. Most manufacturers have announced plans to move to a fully electric lineup anywhere between an ambitious 2025 and a distant 2040. The Biden administration has set a 50% EV target by 2030 and is offering things such as subsidies and tax breaks to help incentivize citizens to make the switch. The real question lies in if this is overall a good thing for the world.

Electrics cars have their perks. Their environmentally-friendly aspect is the biggest draw to them for many. On top of that, and not necessarily due to their electric nature but instead just the fact that they are new, EVs tend to be sleeker, more modern, and more technologically advanced than most gas cars on the market. Tesla has been a large reason for this, with many companies following similar design philosophies to Tesla. EVs are famous (or infamous) for their frequently included self-driving features that are rare in gas vehicles. This cool factor is definitely a contributor to their popularity which may wear off as time goes.

They do, unfortunately, still have issues though, which is to be expected for such a new industry. Charging is much better than it used to be, but it still requires a stop of up to 45 minutes at a gas station that may not have been on directly on your route just to recharge on a long road trip. Luckily, so much research and development is invested in this area that soon enough, it will be much more comparable to filling up a gas car. Range will also continue to improve, allowing you to go farther before charging. The other issue relies on their true environmental effect. The electricity they use still relies on oil to be generated almost all of the time. As renewable energy becomes more prevalent, this will improve, and even in its current state, the effects of power plants are less than those of gas cars. The second factor involves the creation and recycling of their batteries. The creation of the batteries themselves is a large source of pollution, but it is still less than gas vehicles. It also strains the supply of rare metals such as lithium, making recycling batteries important. However, the recycling of batteries is an issue that does not have a perfect solution yet, but there is also significant research being done to search for better solutions.

Even with their cons, EVs are the future. Hopefully, science can push them past their limitations of the present and make them the ideal form of transportation. Here’s to an electric future!

Virtual and augmented reality are two terms that have recently become very popular, even among the general population which is not as involved in less popular technology. This has been the result of multiple successful and groundbreaking implementations of forms of extended reality (XR), which includes VR and AR. However, many who have heard about them still do not fully understand how useful they are predicted to be in the future. First, though, let me introduce the two topics.

 

Virtual reality is the most popular form of extended reality. It creates a simulated environment, generally using a head-mounted display, and attempts to make it feel as realistic and immersive as possible. The simulated environment can be anything that can be created on a computer, varying from recreations of our world to ones very different.

This has allowed anybody to experience things that could be difficult or dangerous to do in real life. So far, the biggest use of these devices has been in the entertainment industry, including for video games which have seen the rise of consoles such as the very popular Oculus Rift being used in a variety of games and simulators, and media consumption platforms which have begun to see some 360-degree video being created for watching in VR.

 

 

Augmented reality creates an enhanced version of the physical world by adding simulated elements to your environment. The most popular example of this has been the mobile video game “Pokémon GO” which took over the phones of millions in 2016. The idea of smart eyewear, such as the Google Glass, is another example of AR which has been around for years, but it has never become a useful product. Recently, online shopping websites have begun to implement AR features that allow users to virtually place items into their own rooms and envision what they might look like.

The future of extended reality products is still unclear as the industry is still in its infancy, but it is developing rapidly. While the direction that these products may go may vary, some popular ideas predict what could be done with them.

VR has continued to become more realistic and add sensors and elements to allow for more to be done in the virtual environment. This means that training for many activities, including things from racing to war, can be done safely and effectively using VR. It is also becoming possible to replace humans in dangerous working environments with robots controlled by people in VR. Other predictions suggest that the ability to virtually experience the same things as everyone else could help eliminate issues of bias and inequality.

Augmented reality has been historically been less successful than virtual reality, however, the future could change that. The biggest milestone for augmented reality would be the creation of AR contact lenses, a step above the AR glasses I mentioned above. These could combine nearly all of the benefits of AR into a single, discrete device, allowing you to see information you may normally see on a mobile device, use it as a place for speaking notes, improve sight in low light conditions, or even change the way certain aspects of your life look.

The possibilities for these products are nearly endless. There are currently still many flaws in both, but these will hopefully be worked out over time. Issues with personal rights will also undoubtedly arise with such powerful technology in the palm of our hands, but that bridge will be crossed when humanity gets to it. As for now, all forms of extended reality are rapidly advancing, shrinking in size, increasing in power, and adding onto their feature sets. Whatever happens in the long-term development of extended reality products, the ability to create new worlds at the touch of a button is bound to change the real world drastically.

Artificial intelligence has been described as the end of humans in the workplace, the end of the human race, and everything in between. Clearly, opinions on the subject have been quite mixed, especially as advancements towards an autonomous future have continued. As a computer science student, I find it a particularly interesting topic to study as it could be both the focus of my employment and a threat to my employment at the same time. In this post, I will clear up some of the misinformation surrounding the field of artificial intelligence and make my own predictions about what I think the future of it will be.

 

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence, or AI, can broadly be defined as the use of machines and computers to imitate the decision-making of humans. It can be just software run on a computer or be combined with robotics to create a physical device.

Within this definition are two specific categories of AI that are created. Weak, or narrow, artificial intelligence is trained to complete a specific set of tasks. This is the type of AI that we can observe today, including anything from simple factory automation tasks to fully self-driving cars.

Strong artificial intelligence, on the other hand, has a self-aware consciousness and the ability to accomplish nearly any task. Strong AI can be further broken into Artificial General Intelligence, which would match the intelligence of humans, and Artificial Super Intelligence, which would surpass human intelligence. Strong AI has never been successfully created and remains theoretical, however, examples of it can be seen throughout science fiction, such as C-3PO from the Star Wars series or the machines from The Matrix series. This is generally considered the end goal of AI development where humans would no longer be necessary for most work.

 

What Does It Mean for Us?

In short, AI is coming, and it is really already starting to arrive. There are countless examples of artificial intelligence being used to aid humans in our daily lives. Search engines such as Google, auto-correction engines in Microsoft Word, driver assistance features such as lane-keep-assist,  biometric authentication systems, and more all use forms of AI to make them smarter, faster, and more useful. More extreme forms of artificial intelligence like self-driving cars and factory automation are still far from perfect, but they have made large advancements in recent years.

If you’ll notice, almost all of these have one thing in common: humans. These implementations of AI are meant to enhance humans rather than replace them. This is the sweet spot at the moment where humans are increasing in efficiency without losing precious jobs.

However, this is not to say there have not been downsides to the use of AI. Artificial intelligence and automation have already put 1.7 million out of work since 2000, with up to 25% of jobs at risk of replacement in the coming decades. Luckily, it is predicted that the jobs created by the field will surpass those lost. This means that the biggest risk is for those in occupations at risk of being automated. For us students, it has become important to have a plan for our long-term future to ensure that we will be able to find work in a world that could be dominated by artificial intelligence.

 

Predictions

Personally, I don’t believe that the evolution of artificial intelligence will pose any threat other than job loss to humans during our lifetime. While AI is improving rapidly, the world is still far away from a stable strong AI that could have the possibility of putting humans in real danger.

As for the distant future, I’m undecided. I don’t think I know enough to make a prediction, and I would argue that no technological field could even be thought about that far ahead. Artificial intelligence may become so smart it takes over, or maybe humans just have a very relaxing life while robots do the work. Maybe AI completely flops and we continue life as per usual. Only time will tell.

For now, you’re safe. But I must admit that thinking about a distant future full of robots would be very cool, even if it does mean the end of humans. Maybe that’s just me though.