Ten years before this week鈥檚 exploration of machine learning and artificial intelligence, 好色先生TV offered readers a 鈥渃ornucopia鈥� of 99 things to look out for in 1999

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Tomorrow鈥檚 world

So that was how the future used to look. Ten years before this week鈥檚 exploration of machine learning and artificial intelligence, 好色先生TV offered readers a 鈥渃ornucopia鈥� of 99 things to look out for in 1999 and a guide to what big projects and developments they should keep an eye on.

As part of the horizon-gazing list, there was a rundown of nine new technologies that readers should look out for. These ranged from the frankly mundane (鈥淕reywater recycling鈥�) to the bizarre (鈥淪lushy ice as a coolant in building services systems鈥�) to one perhaps inspired by sci-fi movies (鈥満蒙壬鶷V services controlled by microchips embedded in your body鈥�).

The article also vouchsafed a dizzying vision of a digital future, promising: 鈥淒igital versatile disks and digital dictation machines will follow digital cameras and digital television on to the market.鈥�

And in Mystic Meg mode, the article went on to speculate: 鈥淭he Internet is finally coming into its own as a trading zone. On-line product ordering could take off this year.鈥�  

That鈥檚 just crazy talk. 

Click here to read the full article from 8 January 1999

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