(2013-09-25) Scoble Israel Age Of Context Book

Kira Newman reviews/summarizes Robert Scoble and Shel Israel's Age Of Context (Context) book. *Elevator pitch: Contextual technologies – which “understand” things about you and your environment – are the latest evolution in tech, made popular by Google Glass. This book describes how contextual technology will influence the way you live and work in the future. We already have fridge magnets that can order your favorite pizza, car software that disables the gas on stolen vehicles, and radiation detectors in Japan; imagine what the future will bring.

A big part of the book’s allure is the authors’ ability to imagine the future. We may think we’re so modern nowadays, walking around with our smartphones and their new fingerprint-detection technology. But reading The Age of Context will make you realize how much further we have to go. One idea that struck me was walking into the bathroom in the morning, brushing your teeth with a cavity-detecting toothbrush, and seeing medication reminders on your smart mirror. So futuristic, yet so simple at the same time. And if you like that, you’ll surely enjoy the last fanciful chapter of the book, called “Reunion: 2038.”*