It’s pretty interesting to take a look back and see just how close classic films came to pinning down the technology that we currently use in the 21st century. From space-age communicators to smart TVs, these sci-fi flicks predicted the future of communications almost spot on—not only for personal communications, but as next-generation business solutions as well.

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March 19, 2014 by Scott Camball
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Three Major Enterprise Technologies That Old Sci-Fi Films Got Right
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Who knew that old-school sci-fi films could be so prophetic?
It’s pretty interesting to take a look back and see just how close classic films came to pinning down the technology that we currently
use in the 21st
century. From space-age communicators to smart TVs, these sci-fi flicks predicted the future of communications
almost spot on—not only for personal communications, but as next­generation business solutions as well.
1. Google Glass
Both Back to the Future II and Star Trek predict variations of what today appears to be Google Glass, a
“wearable computer with an optical head­mounted display” developed by Google that’s making
augmented reality that much more common. In Back to the Future II, Marty Jr. and Marlene both wear
video glasses during dinner.
Meanwhile, Star Trek has had a significant effect on the Google team. In fact, Google VP and Senior Search Engineer Amit Singhal
commented back in 2012 that the Star Trek assistant specifically inspired the Google team to create the Google Glass concept. Most
recently, Google Glass has been touted for assisting cardiologists during surgery and for making bank ATMs more secure.
2. Video Conferencing and Telepresence
The concept of video conferencing was portrayed in a number of films, again including
Star Trek and Back to the Future II. In the latter, Marty videoconferences with his co-
worker Needles; meanwhile, video chatting has been an element of Star Trek since its
inception. In fact, when unveiling the iPhone 4 back in 2010, then-Apple CEO Steve Jobs
is reported as saying: “I grew up here in the U.S. with The Jetsons and Star Trek and
communicators, dreaming about video calling, and it’s real now!”
Today, video chatting is all but the norm for conducting in-person meetings thanks to a
wide array of next-generation solutions. For example, Avaya Scopia Desktop and Mobile
Applications and Polycom RealPresence Desktop Solutions; both of which are accessible through BroadConnect’s Hosted Video
Platform.
3. The Tablet
Released in 1968, the film 2001: A Space Odyssey paves the way for some
seriously futuristic and, at the time, revolutionary predictions. Adapted into
both a film and novel, one of the most notable next-generation
communications predictions is the tablet. In fact, author Arthur C. Clarke
called this paper­sized handheld tablet the “newspad.” Today—as we all
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Released in 1968, the film 2001: A Space Odyssey paves the way for some
seriously futuristic and, at the time, revolutionary predictions. Adapted into
both a film and novel, one of the most notable next-generation
communications predictions is the tablet. In fact, author Arthur C. Clarke
called this paper­sized handheld tablet the “newspad.” Today—as we all
know—it is called the iPad.
Consider the following written by Clarke:
When he tired of official reports and memoranda and minutes, he would plug in his foolscap­size newspad into the ship’s information
circuit and scan the latest reports from Earth. One by one, he would conjure up the world’s major electronic papers…Switching to the
display unit’s short­term memory, he would hold the front page while he quickly searched the headlines and noted the items that
interested him.
Today, tablets are used for personal and work purposes, where the smartphone and tablet both work to define the 21st
century
enterprise bring your own device (BYOD) era. It seems that tablets were also used for enterprise BYOD purposes in the film, as well;
however, it may have been unbeknownst to the character.
Another awesome prediction-come-true includes Total Recall’s full­body scanners, which are now standard when going through
airport security. The film was circa 2084—perhaps a bit too far into the future for such a prediction, but a realistic one nonetheless.
Also, doesn’t the wrist computer in Predator look strikingly similar to a smartwatch?
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