We live in an age where the only thing that separates us from the animals is the ability to drive, communicate in the blink of an eye, and our oh-so-lovely opposable thumbs. We march onward into the next big thing in technology, from the wheel to space travel to the sweet, sweet wonders of microwaveable pizza. And we still continue. Now bring a steampunk enthusiast, I have a love for all things old and Victorian, but I still have plenty of love left over the next big thing. Unfortunately, we can’t go around in our giant mechs if they run on steam power.

Sony has announced the intention of developing a wristband computer slated for sale by 2020, featuring such lovely features as a holographic projector acting as a screen, a pullout keyboard panel, flexible OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screen, and touch screen social networking on a 3G wireless network. All of this can come in a variety of fetching shades such as the standard glossy black, a lovely white and pink mashup, and (my personal favourite) a highly respectable green and white. It also has a camera built in the hinge that takes pictures by aiming your wrist and shooting, kind of like Astro Boy meets Peter Parker. All of this comes to us from designer Hiromi Kiriki, and I must say it looks exactly how you imagine a future wrist computer to look; sleek and shiny.

But looking at technology that can be used in the very near future can be just as amazing. Soon every gamer, soldier and tech enthusiast on earth may become a Psychonaut. Neuro-Sky, a tech company, developed a helmet-headband crossover that can read the brainwaves you emit and translate that into signals that the receiving piece of tech can interpret. Apparently, Lucas Licensing (Lucas being of George Lucas fame) has snapped up the rights to a new toy that uses this technology to simulate the all powerful “Force.” It allows you to move a ball with your mind through an obstacle course. I expect the packaging will say things like “Force Lightning sold separately.” Or “Lightsaber not included.” Of course, technology like this will have to enter the video game industry. Already there are peripherals that allow the player to control the game with his mind. Emotiv Systems is planning to release a $US299 headset that allows users to control the game with 16 sensors that read the brainwaves later on in the year.

And lastly we have technology that already has been released making innovation in other areas.

Everybody and their grandmother’s right hip knew about the Xbox Kinetc and the things it’s capable of. You can jump, play, dance, kick, swing, and coach tigers. However, some might not know that the Kinetc is being elevated to 1:1 perception, being able to interpret your every move. It’s also being used in the field of medicine. They’re experimenting using the Kinetc as a way to manipulate 3D images of scans instead of a clunky mouse and keyboard.

All of these awesome things are going to propel us skyward! Not like Jetsons skyward, but like a more metaphorical skward. Imagine a ceiling that symbolizes the apex of technological development.

Soon, we’ll all be super android Transforminators. Or just robot slaves. We shall see.