future

Facebook still pitching itself to open-source crowd

MIAMI--The overwhelmingly young and male audience at the Future of Web Apps (FOWA) event this week tells you that it's one of those conferences where the attendees don't tend to be marketers, finance guys, or advertisers: they're the kids who write the code.

A company like Facebook obviously wants to be there, and at past FOWA events it's used the soapbox opportunity to market developer initiatives like its application platform and Facebook Connect log-in tool. But this year the focus was instead on open source, with relatively recent hire David Recordon taking the stage rather than … Read more

Pots and pans have no place in the Electrolux future

The Electrolux Design Lab is at it again. Understanding that the kitchen is a place for inspiration, the Electrolux "Heart of the Home" Kitchen Concept integrates recipe creation into an all-in-one appliance. By combining a cooking surface with a countertop and throwing in a recipe reader for good measure, Electrolux paints a future where kitchen appliances can inspire everything from dinner to the conversation that goes with it.

Meal planning with the "Heart of the Home" starts with, what else, ingredients. The design concept is an imagining of a future where the cookware has a say … Read more

Rescue mission

Data packrats often wade chest-high through swamps of disorganized information to find, say, some old e-mail addresses. It's all in there, safe and sound: until you need it, that is. Then it becomes a clench-jawed search-and-rescue mission straight out of Hollywood, only without the benefit of glitzy special effects--you're on your own on this one. Fortunately, when fantasy fails, software steps up. Easiestutils' Email Data Extractor Pro can accept the mission to mine your system and recover MIA e-mail addresses and Web pages buried deep in archived message folders, mislabeled files, or incorrect directories. It scans for html, … Read more

The future will be...

As we’re nearing the end of a year and the end of a decade, it’s time to look back and ahead. With at least three formative events in this young 21st century (9/11, the Tsunami, and the Great Recession) providing some sort of apocalyptic arch and instilling a profound sense of anxiety, it is no wonder that former visionaries are gathering at conferences asking “Where did the future go?” But, at the end of the day, the end of all days didn’t occur, and as the New York Magazine points out in its comprehensive review of … Read more

Top 5 Predictions for 2010

As part of our cavalcade of year-end Top 5s, I present my crystal ball. I have seen the future...and it is wonderful! It's filled with correct predictions by me. Sure, last year I got like .5 out of 5 right. So what? I predict I will do better this year.

So watch the video and come back hear to answer the trivia question for a chance to win the lame prize. I predict one of you will win!

Going human with Shy-Tech

I attended the Trendforum in Munich last week, a two-day conference that gathered European innovation, marketing, and R&D executives to explore emerging technologies, social trends, and innovative business models. The program was eclectic and the content mostly of high quality. I was particularly intrigued by the opening session that intersected macro-economic forecasting with geeky trend evangelism as well as a humanistic pledge for meaning-driven business (in fact, the other sessions didn’t even come close, including special guest Ray Kurzweil, whose remote keynote, given by way of 3D-holographic projection, remained utterly flat).

As the first speaker, Markku Wilenius, … Read more

The 404 Podcast 478: Where The 404 hoverboard works on water (Prize Giveaway!)

There's so much to do on today's episode of The 404 Podcast that I'm surprised we were able to fit it all into half an hour--we've got 404 listener Leopold's take on our theme song, Back to the Future/The 404 mash up fan art, and a prize giveaway courtesy of Otterbox!

Before we get into all of that, we have to make fun of the new Karate Kid movie coming out next year starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. Slashfilm just released four official photos from the next film in the franchise, and already we're seeing glaringly obvious cultural mix-ups. For instance, one of the training scenes features the young Karate Kid practicing on the Great Wall of China. Karate = Japanese, Great Wall = Chinese. Come on!

And speaking of mistakes, the third installment of "Jackass: The Movie" will premiere in 3-D. Don't get us wrong- The 404 is no stranger to the Jackass movies, but a 3-D view of Chris Pontius' Speedo we do not need!

A big thanks goes out to 404 listener and music student Leopold, who sent in an amazing new theme song for The 404--we'll definitely put it into the song rotation, great work, Leopold! Jim, another talented 404 listener, also deserves our appreciation for the Back To The Future hoverboard mash-up you see up there! Judging by the DeLorean in the background, Jim is obviously a big BTTF fan and so are we, so check out the slideshow for more pictures of The 404 hoverboard, and don't worry--it's got POWER.

Finally, the good folks at OtterBox hooked it up with 10 of their Defender and Commuter cases, so if you have an iPhone and need a case, leave a comment on this blog and tell us why you deserve to win!

Here's what you need to do:

Register as a CNET user. Go to the top of this page and hit the "Join CNET" link to start the registration process. If you're already registered, there's no need to register again. Leave a comment below. You can leave whatever comment you want. If it's funny or insightful it won't help you win, but we're trying to have fun here, so anything entertaining is appreciated. Leave only one comment. You may enter this specific giveaway only once. If you enter more than one comment, you will be automatically disqualified. The winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive (1) Otter Box case for the iPhone 3G/S. Retail value is ~$50. If you are chosen, you will be notified via e-mail. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Friday, December 4, at 12 p.m. EST. Full rules after the jump. EPISODE 478 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Singularity University seasons executives for the future

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--While I'm sure that many of the people in the room were familiar with prediction markets, I wonder how many of them had ever seen an active one up close and personal before.

Providing that sense of deep immersion, of course, was exactly the point of an exercise run Monday during a session of Singularity University's executive program by Melanie Swan, a Silicon Valley hedge fund manager. Swan, the principal of MS Futures Group, had tasked small groups of students with coming up with world-changing product ideas and then simultaneously had the students vote in … Read more

Bar-code coffee bar makes effortless brew

It's always been a dream to have kitchen appliances know what we want for dinner--or if not what we want to eat, at least how to make it. From the popcorn button on our microwaves to toaster ovens with preset functions, kitchen appliances have always strived to be more accommodating to our wants and needs. While we may not yet have fully integrated kitchens, we do at least have a continuing trend of smart appliances geared to automatically make adjustments as needed.

The Bosch Tassimo Titanium Single-Serve Beverage Brewer takes a familiar technology and uses it to facilitate effortless … Read more