The speed at which consumer technology has improved over the last decade has been genuinely amazing. Very few people could ever have predicted just how many advances would happen in such a short period of time. There’s a joke that people tend to make a lot that they feel as though society should have more of the kinds of technology that we see in movies, without realizing that much of that kind of tech is already in our hands! It might not be things quite as ridiculous as flying cars or teleportation, but there are plenty of tech advances that a Hollywood hero would love to have. Here are just a few pieces of tech that you can buy right now that feel like they’ve been taken straight out of the silver screen.
Bionic limbs
Anyone who ever watched the classic TV The Six Million Dollar Man knows the exciting at the idea of someone with bionic limbs that allow them to achieve extraordinary feats. Of course, there aren’t people wandering around with telescopic vision or super strength, but bionic limbs are very much a reality. The reason you might not usually think of them is that they are often being used for a much less glamorous, but much more important reason: this is one of many pieces of tech revolutionising healthcare. Bionic limbs are being made and used to help anyone without a limb, whether they are an amputee or suffer from some form of disability, to function more easily in their everyday life. Many of these limbs are advanced enough to respond to tiny muscle movements in your arm and can move with a remarkable degree of precision.
Spy tech
Who hasn’t watched something like a classic James Bond movie and wished that they had some of his amazing tech at their disposal? Well, spy tech has been on the forefront of most technological advances for years now. It’s reached the point where many pieces of spy tech are actually available on the consumer market as well. Whether you want to spy on text messages between your friends, defend your home computer from surveillance, or even listen in on private conversations, there’s plenty of tech out there capable of making anyone feel like a secret agent. Of course, it’s important to remember that there’s a fine line between having some innocent fun and actually committing a crime so be careful!
Retinal scanners
There’s that moment in any movie featuring advanced tech where a character has to access something by using a retinal scanner. It’s a sci-fi staple used in everything from Minority Report to Batman! Despite seeming like one of the most remarkable and futuristic pieces of movie tech, retinal scanners have actually been something in the real world for nearly fifty years. Retinae are often completely unique, much like fingerprints, so it’s possible to use them as an incredibly accurate and reliable identification system. This kind of tech is used by organizations including medical professionals as well the military. Of course, it’s a pretty expensive and complicated piece of tech so don’t expect to see it around the office anytime soon.
