How Technology Will Transform Retirement

[braumeister]

Nice piece in the WSJ speculating on the future of retirement.

How Technology Will Transform Retirement - WSJ

If you can't use the link, Googling the title should get you there.

 

[NW-Bound]

The first 3 items have something to do with w*rk! They call this retirement?

 

[Winemaker]

The others are a bunch of crap and bs.

 

[Jack_Pine]

Disagree. VR has a lot of potential. It's just in it's infancy.

 

[Hermit]

Thanks, braumeister. The article is actually pretty interesting. Written by JOSEPH F. COUGHLIN who is the director of the Age Lab at MIT. He probably knows what he is talking about.

 

[Ronstar]

The thought of my refrigerator reporting what I eat to my doctor frightens me. Enlightening article.


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[Greencheese]

Honestly this just sounds like how technology will change life in general

 

[harley]

The thought of my refrigerator reporting what I eat to my doctor frightens me. Enlightening article.

I'm going to keep an old-tech refrigerator in the garage to hold the good stuff.

 

[ERD50]

Disagree. VR has a lot of potential. It's just in it's infancy.

Mostly BS, IMO, but some have merit.

I sure could use glasses with face recognition - I'm pathetic with names/faces!

And VR - yes, lots of potential. As an example, I just watched one of those Nova/PBS documentaries about the Terracotta army, buried in China.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army

While there are thousands of soldiers, and they are still evaluating some details, with VR, a tourist could walk around a virtual recreation of what it might have looked like at the time. And they would not have to recreate the whole thing, and could simulate the different thoughts on appearance. I think that would be pretty awesome.

-ERD50

 

[Senator]

Disagree. VR has a lot of potential. It's just in it's infancy.

You are 100% correct. Once the porn industry gets VR figured out, it will fly off the shelves.

The internet is what it is because of porn. Webcams, streaming videos, on-line payments, SnapChat, etc. all were due to the porn industries wide spread adoption.

 

[rdy2go]

Looking at the article, it seems like either a space filler from someone that wanted to make a few buck by getting something published or some academic tripe. The people that dream up some of this stuff must be nineteen years old and look at Granny and think how a refrigerator connected to the internet will improve her life. Instead, Granny will take a fireman's axe to it after she gets frustrated with it ordering her more frozen Brussels sprouts after she threw the last package away because she hates Brussels sprouts.

 

[ERD50]

... Instead, Granny will take a fireman's axe to it after she gets frustrated with it ordering her more frozen Brussels sprouts after she threw the last package away because she hates Brussels sprouts.

Yes, the whole idea of your fridge auto-ordering stuff is pretty crazy. Just because I finish something doesn't mean I want more.

But one thing I've thought through a bit - a simple RFID tag (or equiv), that could be attached to any product (would need some simple attachment device). IT would also need an easy human-readable ID. Then some simple way to swipe the card on a machine, and leave a voice memo about the product, and when it should be thrown out, or a reminder to take a pill, or whatever. The machine could alarm you if you want, and say something like " Milk, on Tag #AB43, is getting old, use it or toss it", or "Time to take one pill from the bottle with tag # ZZ92". Or swipe the tag to get the voice message whenever you want info on that product.

Something like this -

http://www.amazon.com/MAGNIFYING-AI...UTF8&qid=1448943599&sr=1-2&keywords=penfriend

-ERD50

 

[NW-Bound]

The thought of my refrigerator reporting what I eat to my doctor frightens me. Enlightening article.

Not as scary as when it reports to your health insurer. Oh wait! We have no fear now under ACA.

I'm going to keep an old-tech refrigerator in the garage to hold the good stuff.

Yeah, while the main fridge is stuffed full of broccoli, celery stalks, vegetarian lasagna...

"Diamonds cut diamonds." -- English proverb

 

[Throwdownmyaceinthehole]

I'm thinking there will be in home robots to help when you've fallen and can't get up. My mom used a roomba to vacuum and a scooter to get around - both of those are robotish, so the boomer gen should have much improved assistance. Auto delivery of food is already happening, and wine bottles are coming with screw tops. Iwatches track your exercise and calories, what's coming in the next ten years, auto delivery by drones? Who remembers the Jetsons!

 

[rodi]

On the smart fridge front.... In grad school a few decades ago a classmate did a project on this idea of the fridge keeping track of inventory.

I coach FLL robotics and several years ago the theme was food safety... One of the ideas the team tossed out (and didn't use) was a scanner of date codes when you're putting your food into the fridge... it would alert you when food reached the date code.

 

[W2R]

I tend to agree with those who think it is utter rubbish. Some retirees, in some circumstances, might use one or two of those devices but I doubt that many would use more. Personally I have no need or desire for any of them.

Well, perhaps some people might think that eventually I would have a need for the driverless car, but I oppose them (for me), and would rather call a taxi if I need a driver and Frank isn't available.

I think the so-called "smart glasses" are stupid, and if I forget your name once in a while you will just have to endure that awful burden.

 

[NW-Bound]

I think some of the ideas are usable to me, including the self-driving car if they can get it at the end of my life (not in 3 or 4 years as they hype).

The smart clothes with sensors to monitor physical conditions of the wearer and to send out alerts would be useful right now. It would put my wife's mind at ease regarding her mother's condition when we go on travel.

 

[hurricane harry]

smart phones and computers are frustrating enough, I don't think seniors want more complication in their lives

 

[ERD50]

On the smart fridge front.... In grad school a few decades ago a classmate did a project on this idea of the fridge keeping track of inventory.

I coach FLL robotics and several years ago the theme was food safety... One of the ideas the team tossed out (and didn't use) was a scanner of date codes when you're putting your food into the fridge... it would alert you when food reached the date code.

Yes, my MIL has very limited vision, so DW has learned to go through the entire fridge each week when she is there delivering her groceries. MIL just can't see if there is mold on something, or read a date code.

Something along these lines would be helpful - similar to the scanners I linked below - and they actually make a can topper with a little a little recorder in it - no alarm, but you could record when you opened it.

smart phones and computers are frustrating enough, I don't think seniors want more complication in their lives

The key is they need a simple, intuitive user interface. Yep, most of our products are pretty poor in this regard, and we learn to work around them. But occasionally you come across something that really, really 'just works' - it can be done! It is a lot easier if the device is more of a simple, single function type approach, or at least limited function, or clearly separate functions. Even those scanners I linked earlier - seem simple, but I noticed the buttons were not always different shapes/sizes - it helps to pay attention to those details.

-ERD50

 

[HFWR]

As long as the Smartfridge never runs out of beer...

 

[txtig]

I don't think I want my fridge ordering more stuff for me . . . unless maybe . . . it's beer. Actually, I kinda like that idea. Yea, let's get a fridge that never runs out of beer!!


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[marko]

smart phones and computers are frustrating enough, I don't think seniors want more complication in their lives

My mom (age 87) just got her first tablet.

Loves the idea of being able to video conf with me (getting to be a nuisance! I live right down the street, for cry-eye) and get e-books from the library without having to go get them.

She spends the rest of her day playing word games on the tablet and has already figured out that she'll be able to read her local paper online when she heads down to Florida for the winter.

 

[marko]

The title here is "How Technology Will Transform Retirement"

This forum is brought to us via "technology". This forum has sure helped in transforming my retirement!

 

[Mulligan]

I'm thinking there will be in home robots to help when you've fallen and can't get up. My mom used a roomba to vacuum and a scooter to get around - both of those are robotish, so the boomer gen should have much improved assistance. Auto delivery of food is already happening, and wine bottles are coming with screw tops. Iwatches track your exercise and calories, what's coming in the next ten years, auto delivery by drones? Who remembers the Jetsons!

My parents are elderly and struggle with vacuuming. Last week I suggested they buy a Roomba so they would not have to do it anymore. He told me they bought one a few months ago, but couldn't figure out how to use it, so they sent it back. Ugh!


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[W2R]

I'm thinking there will be in home robots to help when you've fallen and can't get up.

Or, we can carry our cell phones and call 911 or someone we know for help.

My mom used a roomba to vacuum and a scooter to get around - both of those are robotish, so the boomer gen should have much improved assistance. Auto delivery of food is already happening,

I'd just like food delivery; the auto part is not necessary or anything I want. We have lots of restaurants here that deliver, but grocery delivery, not so much if at all.

I recently bought a house with hardwood floors, so a broom or dry mop seems to work better than a vacuum. No roomba for me.

Now a scooter - - THAT has some appeal to me for future use.

and wine bottles are coming with screw tops.

My father, who passed away in 1981, drank wine every day at lunch and for the last 20+ years of his life his choice was white Ripple. He was pretty wealthy by my standards, and he could easily have afforded better wine, but loved the screw caps and didn't mind the somewhat unsophisticated taste. As a teen I found it extremely embarrassing that my father drank Ripple, though.

Iwatches track your exercise and calories, what's coming in the next ten years, auto delivery by drones? Who remembers the Jetsons!

Well, I already have a Fitbit. As for the drones, my next door neighbor has quite an arsenal and promises to have a great time engaging in target practice if one approaches his home. Don't know if he'd really DO that, but anyway I doubt autodelivery will hit New Orleans before we shuffle off this mortal coil.