You’d have things like the teacher giving out homework by beaming it up to a bubble on the ceiling which beams it out to other people, and kids are actually able to collaborate by beaming something down to one of their friends. They could arrange a lunch date in the middle of class. Without passing notes.
Predictor: Atkinson, Bill
Prediction, in context:In a 1994 article for Wired magazine, Steve Levy interviews hypercard inventor Bill Atkinson and Andy Hertzfeld about the Internet appliance they are working on for General Magic. Levy writes: ”Now that they’ve designed the technology, Bill and Andy love to talk about its implications – how, in effect, General Magic can change the world. ‘I’d be interested to see what happens in schools when enough of the kids have these,’ says Bill. ‘You’d have things like the teacher giving out homework by beaming it up to a bubble on the ceiling which beams it out to other people, and kids are actually able to collaborate by beaming something down to one of their friends. They could arrange a lunch date in the middle of class. Without passing notes.'”
Biography:Bill Atkinson was the man behind many of Apple Computer’s biggest innovations in the 1980s and early ’90s. He was honored with a 1994 EFF Pioneer Award for his work as the graphics-toolbox developer for Apple’s Lisa computers and his application HyperCard, the first truly mass-market hypertext product. In the mid-’90s he became chief scientist at General Magic, a company creating software for personal communicators and digital agents. (Pioneer/Originator.)
Date of prediction: April 1, 1994
Topic of prediction: Information Infrastructure
Subtopic: Internet Appliances
Name of publication: Wired
Title, headline, chapter name: Bill and Andy’s Excellent Adventure II
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/2.04/general.magic_pr.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney