IBM predict holographic cell phones and ‘breathing batteries’ by 2016

IBM are looking towards the future. The company has issued a list of predictions of future technologies culled from a survey of 3,000 IBM scientists.

They placed holographic cell phones and advanced city traffic monitoring as among the prevalent technologies of the next five years.

Batteries that "breathe" air (energy-dense materials which recharge using the air around them) and the proliferation of environmental sensors were also included on the list.

"All this demonstrates a real culture of innovation at IBM and willingness to devote itself to solving some of the world's biggest problems," said Josephine Cheng, a vice president at IBM's Almaden lab.

Obviously these are just 'predictions' but as Paul Saffo, (managing director of investment firm Discern) puts it, "In an era when pessimism is the new black, a little dose of technological optimism is not a bad thing."

He continued "The nice thing about the list is that it provokes thought. If everything came true, they wouldn't be doing their job."

So if it promotes thought, what do you think?

Holographic smartphones just seem too outlandish but then again I'm not an IBM scientist.

In the next few years, I'd like to see some more 3D gaming and super-fast mobile web browsing.

How about you?

Source: eweek