When Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and the richest person in the world today, wrote the book “Business at the Speed of Thought: Succeeding in the Digital Age” in 1999, he made fifteen predictions about technology that seemed like science fiction in his day.
Almost 20 years later, it turns out that he was not so wrong about what the digital world would look like in the new millennium. In fact, the percentage of success is high, as revealed by the portal Business Insider after contrasting how much he has come closer to reality.
Personal Assistants and Internet of Things (IoT)
Gates thought in 1999 that they would develop “personal companions” that would connect all the devices of intelligent way. This would be able to synchronize the email and present us the information that interests us. In addition, we would learn our rhythms and schedules to adapt them to our daily tasks.
Attendees like Google Now are starting to move in this direction today. Meanwhile, intelligent assistants already exist able to regulate questions like the temperature of the house. Voice devices such as Amazon Echo or Google Home, for example, can even read email and recipes while we cook.
Online sites to compare prices
Gates noted that an automated price comparison service would be developed that would allow people to check the cost of a single product across multiple web pages and find the cheapest one. This same thing is being done today by giants like Amazon or Google.
Smart Devices
The founder of Microsoft predicted that people could continue to connect, through a smart device, to their businesses and access email no matter where they are. It would be possible to review the news, search for reserved flights or obtain information from the financial markets in a single device.
With the emergence of smartphones, in 2007, and even the smartwatch we have all these possibilities available. Unable to disconnect.
Paying debts through the Internet
People could pay their debts and take care of their finances through online platforms.
Today there are mobile applications and tools that allow the movement of money with a click. Also, the banks themselves offer to perform any type of operation from the home computer.
Social networks
It was said that it would not be too long before the emergence of private web pages to share information with family and friends, and that would allow planning events and chat.
With 2 billion people, Facebook has now become the most popular social network on the planet, while others also use Whatsapp, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat.
Customized tourist offers
When we make a reservation at a hotel or buy a plane ticket, said Gates, the software itself will be able to suggest activities that we can do or restaurants to go to.
Today we have sites able to offer tourist packages based on users’ browsing data. Likewise, Google and Facebook can give users suggestions and promotions depending on where they are.
Online Debates
Citizens of different cities and countries can find a space on the Internet to discuss problems that affect them in their environment, such as politics, security or city planning.
On the Internet there are numerous forums that serve as a space for debate to discuss issues of public interest. In addition, social networks like Facebook and Twitter are a loudspeaker to give voice to political minorities or to denounce unfair situations.
Comment on a live match
The future of the sport did not go unnoticed for Gates, as he talked about that it would be possible to have online conversations about a sporting competition while it happening live.
At the moment it is possible to discuss sport events in real time through platforms like Twitter or in the own webs of the chains that emit the competition.
Smart advertising
Through intelligent devices, which know the interests of users, advertising will tend to be customized to show each person an advertisement based on their tastes.
Just by entering Facebook or Google we can observe how we offer products that are based on our navigation and interests.
Job searches, but online
Just as people move to find jobs, they can also apply for a job through the internet, stating their interests, needs and abilities.
Today you can browse through sites like Linkedin that allow you to find jobs that fit the profile of the applicant.
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