Daisy Maldonado
Apr 06, 2022
Video
Bill Gates appears to have predicted the future back in 1995.
Newly resurfaced footage shows how the co-founder of Microsoft, concocted impressive speculations for the future in a keynote speech called 'The Road Ahead," where he shared his thoughts on what would be in store for technological developments.
At the time he said, "It's capable of really replacing everything that you carry with you and more." Gates continued, "So getting messages, seeing the latest news, seeing different locations, keeping track of your schedule, keeping hundreds of pictures of your children stored there, all of those things are easily possible with this kind of technology."
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During his speech, he also seemed to talk about what we now know as Apple Pay or Google Pay by saying that we would eventually be able to use our devices for contactless payments.
While his talk of "wallet PCs" has proved to be a successful tech venture, that's not the only topic he discussed that has similarities to our modern world. Gates notably also described services such as Netflix, that would allow people to watch television shows on-demand instead of as according to a regular TV schedule.
The Road Ahead - Bill Gates Comdex Keynote 1995youtu.be
In his book, which is titled the same as his speech, Gates shared how Wallet PCs would also be "tell you where you are anyplace on the face of the Earth."
"The wallet PC will connect you to the information highway while you travel a real highway and tell you where you are."
Another part reads, "Its built-in speaker will be able to dictate directions to you to let you know that a freeway exit is coming up or that the next intersection has frequent accidents. It will monitor digital traffic reports and warn you that you’d better leave for the airport early or suggest an alternate route."
The tech genius that Gates is, the above predictions might not come as a shock. However, in another part of his speech he described a situation that would have been foreign to many of us should we not have experienced lockdown during Covid-19: widespread working from home.
He said, "Mobile workers of all types will be able to collaborate together, call on expertise throughout the world, bring them up, and not just see their face but look at information..."
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