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IBM Predicts That Someday Movements Will Power Gadgets

By - Source: IBM | B 17 comments

IBM has released its annual IBM Next 5 in 5 list, which describes five technology visions likely to become reality within five years.

Part of the list is the approach to power mobile devices through energy that is created by the human body and the capability to capture kinetic energy in your environment and convert it to electricity for electronic devices. That energy source could be body movement, water flowing through pipes or even thermal energy emitted by a computer.

IBM Next 5 in 5: 2011

Body power has been published several times by IBM on this list, but there is no information about the progress that has been made or when it could be expected to be commercially available.

Other visions for the future include biometrics that will completely replace the need for passwords, early mind-reading applications in the gaming and entertainment industry, the end of the digital divide as well as a scenario in which spam emails will be personalized to a point where we perceive it to be regular email. However, in a move that his reminiscent of Bill Gates' 2004 prediction that spam would be nonexistent by 2006, IBM said that spam filters will be accurate enough to filter out every email you don't want to get.

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  • 0 Hide
    boju , December 20, 2011 1:25 AM
    ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cdAjmdm5O8]

    Just imagine the POWER you could obtain from this hippo!
  • 2 Hide
    Anonymous , December 20, 2011 1:39 AM
    bojuhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cdAjmdm5O8]Just imagine the POWER you could obtain from this hippo!

    Is anybody else encountering monkeys?
  • 0 Hide
    AznCracker , December 20, 2011 1:52 AM
    I predict someday we will set foot on Mars.
  • Display all 17 comments.
  • 0 Hide
    buzznut , December 20, 2011 1:56 AM
    no duh, they already do. I predict some day all devices will be controlled by the individual's mind-and wirelessly for elective surgery implants. Now that's a prediction!
  • 0 Hide
    Anonymous , December 20, 2011 1:58 AM
    I find most of these inventions to be useless money pits, and they all seem to be easier to hack then the current systems. The only interesting device would be using body motion to power devices.
  • -1 Hide
    Meatymutawings , December 20, 2011 2:13 AM
    buzznutno duh, they already do. I predict some day all devices will be controlled by the individual's mind-and wirelessly for elective surgery implants. Now that's a prediction!


    no man has ever set foot on mars, and it won't happen anytime soon, been watching Sci-fi movies much boy?
  • 0 Hide
    Anonymous , December 20, 2011 3:29 AM
    IBM, please don't get a patent for this idea..
  • 0 Hide
    Anonymous , December 20, 2011 3:42 AM
    What about harnessing sound energy (vibration) and EMF energy?
  • 0 Hide
    de5_Roy , December 20, 2011 4:12 AM
    mind reading?!?!? *puts on tinfoil hat*
  • 1 Hide
    LordConrad , December 20, 2011 4:20 AM
    I just had a movement, but it didn't affect my gadgets.
  • 0 Hide
    jonahkirk , December 20, 2011 5:29 AM
    So now we will be the EverReady for the machines? Sound a little Matrix
  • 0 Hide
    klavis , December 20, 2011 8:12 AM
    I don't think i will ever trust a computing device to just know what I want and to buy it for me automatically. I hope no one gets to that point, allowing such a thing would just make that person an idiot.
  • 0 Hide
    tlmck , December 20, 2011 9:21 AM
    Does bowel movement count?
  • 0 Hide
    claydavis , December 20, 2011 9:24 AM
    Yes Of course. Gadgets are going to rule the world in future.
  • 0 Hide
    hetneo , December 20, 2011 10:35 AM
    Heck my grandpa had watch powered by movement. It is absolutely just question of efficiency of such mechanisms for converting mechanical into electrical power. Or in other words it's just gear ratio that need to be appropriate.
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    g00fysmiley , December 20, 2011 10:35 AM
    I'm holding out for a implant to convert glucose to electricity, that way when I need to charge my phone I can just eat a snickers :)  though i guess overwieght people would have more of an advantage over me, they've been stroing power for just such an occation
  • 0 Hide
    rikperry , December 20, 2011 2:31 PM
    They've been powering watches for years; shouldn't be a great leap to power devices we carry.