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This page (found at Cynical-C) is from the 1979 book Future Cities: Homes and Living into the 21st Century. It described “the electronic household.” Click the picture to see it full-size. It said in the 21st century, we would enjoy huge flat-screen TVs, discs for recording and playing back TV shows, videocameras (with rerecordable tape instead of film!), electronic mail, videophones, and robots to serve drinks. Four of the six predictions are now common in the living rooms (and bedrooms) of people who can afford them.
The robot who serves our drinks is still a novelty in development. Someone somewhere figured out it was much simpler just to store cold drinks in the living room, or in my case, put a coffeemaker in the bedroom. Besides, a child or a spouse is less likely to trip over the carpet while delivering your Red Bull.
The videophone is available, but never caught on for good reasons. When you are in the comfort of your home, you don’t want to put on makeup, or even clothing, just to answer the phone. For those of us who are domestically-challenged, it’s not worth cleaning up the room, either. The guy in the picture probably wouldn’t even answer the phone, considering that awful tracksuit-and-boots combination he’s wearing!
Comments (9)
Comment
I don’t know Miss Cellania - I thought the guy in the picture looked kind of sexy. I think it’s the hair comboed with the yellow stripe running down his suit that does it for me.
posted by Lindsay D on 8-31-2007 at 10:58 am
A coffee pot in the bedroom? Some wild things must be going on in there.
posted by Dan on 8-31-2007 at 11:15 am
Hey, it’s The Flash™ with his hood off, chillin’ in his RV, wearin’ thermometers over his ears. Wait a minute! Why does The Flash™ need an RV? Why is Little Billy videotaping the neighbors again? Why does The Flash™ need thermometers on his ears? This little scene begs more questions than it answers.
posted by mg on 8-31-2007 at 11:31 am
Oh, but the bartending robot does exist–it’s just not on wheels yet. Presenting the MyFountain Virtual Bartender at a mere 2.5k USD…
posted by Molly on 8-31-2007 at 8:27 pm
Skype is becoming more and a more popular - videophones over the Internet may very well be the way of the future.
posted by Abi on 9-1-2007 at 1:03 am
This was actually one of three or four books collected together in the “Usborne book of the future” or somesuch title. I still have my childhood copy packed away in a box somewhere.
posted by Todd Clayton on 9-1-2007 at 5:51 am
Wow! This is fabulous! The future is going to be awesome!
posted by Omega on 9-1-2007 at 11:58 am
No videophone?? um… Ever met a Deaf person? www.sorenson.com
posted by keinark on 9-4-2007 at 7:36 pm
It’s almost 2008. Where’s my flying car!?
posted by Tdave on 9-5-2007 at 1:30 am