Web 3.0

Ubiquitous sensors, devices, networks and information are paving the way towards a smart world in which computational intelligence is distributed throughout the physical environment to provide reliable and relevant services to people. This ubiquitous intelligence will change the computing landscape because it will enable new breeds of applications and systems to be developed and the realm of computing possibilities will be significantly extended. By enhancing everyday objects with intelligence, many tasks and processes could be simplified, the physical spaces where people interact like the workplaces and homes, could become more efficient, safer and more enjoyable. Ubiquitous computing, or pervasive computing, uses these many "smart things or u-things" to create smart environments, services and applications.

Computer ubiquity, in its numerous forms – augmented reality, wearable computing, tangible interfaces, locative media, near-field communication – is evolving every day, building bridges that bind the virtual world, or “dataspace”, closer and closer to the physical world, so that information is not only accessible from anywhere but also in everything.

When making predictions, I have two criteria: the laws of physics must be obeyed and prototypes must exist that demonstrate “proof of principle.” I’ve interviewed more than 300 of the world’s top scientists, and many allowed me into laboratories where they are inventing the future. Their accomplishments and dreams are eye-opening. From my conversations with them, here’s a glimpse of what to expect in the coming decades: