The Next Big Thing

6E - Writing Assignment 5

Due on the Fifth Peer Review due date

Technology changes faster than you can read this sentence. Software updates weekly, and even hardware is outdated after six months; this constant “evolution” of technology has been the topic of past writing assignments. However, this writing assignment is about what is next, but not just the iphone 6 or another minor update to a current product. It is about the next new idea or concept that is on the horizon, one which will actually change how we experience the world, live our lives, or interface with technology. This new concept/technology may be just around the corner of in the near future, but it must be realistic and practical to eventually apply in everyday life (no hover cars).

In the 90’s, the internet was what was next, in its infancy but with great potential. At its heart, the internet is just a way to access information quickly and communicate with others more efficiently, yet it revolutionized almost every aspect of our lives. Can you imagine your life now without internet and wifi? What will you reference when you say to your kids, “when I was in high school, we didn’t have _______. What will be the next generation’s internet or cell phone?

You are looking for a concept or theme, not a specific hardware device. You are looking for something that will fundamentally change some aspect of our lives. I will use Google Glass as an example (because I don’t want to read more about it, no Google Glass), while this is a hardware device, the concept of a personal, internet linked, interactive heads-up display will (if it catches on) change the way we interface with the world and our data. Instead of hoards of mindless zombies staring down at their phones not paying attention to the world around them, we will have of hoards of mindless zombies staring straight ahead not paying attention to the world around them. But extend that technology to home windows and car windshields and you have a different world.

Do some research, you don’t have to be right about the future, ask me if you are unsure. Your report should answer most of the following questions, but make sure to do it in a narrative form (paragraph, not bullet points).

- What is it?

- What aspect of our life will it change and how?

- How does it work?

* What need if any does it fill?

* What makes this technology special?

* Who is making it, and what does it look like?

* Who is it for, what is the market demographic?

* What are some future applications?

* Will this be a permanent change to the way we live, or is it a fad?

* What is the limiting technology that slows its future development?

Please include two citations from your research.

Typed, TNR or equivalent, 12 point font, 1.5 spacing, 500 words min, proof read and spell checked