Technology: Where will it takes us next?

A lot can happen in 18 years. I should know. That's the age difference between my oldest child, Erin, and my youngest, Katie.

Erin will be 20 in November, and Katie will be 2. That's a big age difference.

I point this out to demonstrate how much technology has changed since 1990, the year Erin was born. In that year, who had a cell phone? Maybe a better question would have been "what IS a cell phone?"

Now the vast majority of Americans feel naked if they don't carry their cell phones 24/7. My 80 year old mother even has one. And if she has one, you know they have reached most of us.

What about cable TV? Sure it was around in 1990, but the number of channels has exploded over the past decade. There is now a channel for almost every interest, from sports and food channels, to music and home channels. And lets not forget History.

Probably the biggest change has come with the personal computer and the Internet. We all have them, desktops and laptops. In fact, without computer and the Internet, I would not be able to communicate with you in this format. The computer and Internet have changed our lives so much, many of us wonder how we got by without them.

My point is what will technology bring our way in 18 years, when Katie is ready to celebrate her 20th birthday. All I can say is stay tuned.