5 ms·

Ask HN: What is technologically possible today that wasn't possible 3 years ago?

20 points by fargo 8y ago

romanovcode 8y ago
Real time raytracing? https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/graphics-cards/rtx-2080-ti/ https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/graphics-cards/rtx-2080...
ainiriand 8y ago
Fully mobile banking solutions? Revolut, N26, Monzo...
- Rjevski 8y ago
  Technologically this was possible a decade ago or more. This was an issue with mindset (the old banks don’t want to invest in user experience) and the huge barrier to enter the banking market.
robbyt 8y ago
Buying a mobile phone with a large notch at the top of the screen?
znpy 8y ago
quantum computing, maybe?
- swyea 8y ago
  I still haven't seen any applications of qc, one day...
  - brador 8y ago
    Breaking common encryption is the usually cited use case.
    - earenndil 8y ago
      Maybe, but it doesn't look like quantum computers are yet able to break any form of encryption.
    - swyea 8y ago
      that's still theoretical IIRC
nunobrito 8y ago
Moving an airplane on its own without moving parts. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/nov/21/first-ever-plane-with-no-moving-parts-takes-flight https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/nov/21/first-ever-p... That is the future of aerospace right there.
- ralusek 8y ago
  Turbulence on a bad boy that light would not be fun.
  - nunobrito 8y ago
    Indeed. Still it is the beginning in either case. With this propulsion technique you potentially break free from the traditional designs and can fly into any given direction.
    - world32 8y ago
      what? today's planes can fly in any direction?
toomuchtodo 8y ago
The use of the immune system to target cancer for clinical use.
petercooper 8y ago
Using optics to detect radio signals, perhaps? https://www.technologyreview.com/s/611977/get-ready-for-atomic-radio/ https://www.technologyreview.com/s/611977/get-ready-for-atom... Also, a tongue in cheek answer, being able to get a company into big trouble for mishandling data via the GDPR ;-)
bsvalley 8y ago
What would technologically be possible in 3 years from now? :) Sounds more like a million dollar question.
implying 8y ago
Getting scammed by an "ICO", perhaps?
DrNuke 8y ago
Deep learning for the masses, thanks to cheap GPUs?
gitgud 8y ago
Technology is incremental these days, even with the flood of news and development it's hard to see actual technological changes in the past few years. For everything you can suggest, someone will have an example of how it was technologically possible 3 years ago... I guess it's obvious but from 3 years ago; hardware is faster, cheaper, and software is easier to develop...
egberts1 8y ago
Malicious Attacks by JavaScript
richardxlin 8y ago
- Crispr gene editing. - responsive computer brain interface - building a value layer in top of tcp/ip - AR/VR taking off - today.
halis 8y ago
Presidents can tweet about grabbing pussies.
- farseer 8y ago
  No they can't! That alleged incident was over a private chat, not a public tweet.

20 points by fargo 8y ago

Real time raytracing? https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/graphics-cards/rtx-2080-ti/ https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/graphics-cards/rtx-2080...

ainiriand 8y ago

Fully mobile banking solutions? Revolut, N26, Monzo...

Rjevski 8y ago
Technologically this was possible a decade ago or more. This was an issue with mindset (the old banks don’t want to invest in user experience) and the huge barrier to enter the banking market.

robbyt 8y ago

Buying a mobile phone with a large notch at the top of the screen?

znpy 8y ago

quantum computing, maybe?

swyea 8y ago
I still haven't seen any applications of qc, one day...
- brador 8y ago
  Breaking common encryption is the usually cited use case.
  - earenndil 8y ago
    Maybe, but it doesn't look like quantum computers are yet able to break any form of encryption.
  - swyea 8y ago
    that's still theoretical IIRC

nunobrito 8y ago

Moving an airplane on its own without moving parts. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/nov/21/first-ever-plane-with-no-moving-parts-takes-flight https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/nov/21/first-ever-p... That is the future of aerospace right there.

ralusek 8y ago
Turbulence on a bad boy that light would not be fun.
- nunobrito 8y ago
  Indeed. Still it is the beginning in either case. With this propulsion technique you potentially break free from the traditional designs and can fly into any given direction.
  - world32 8y ago
    what? today's planes can fly in any direction?

toomuchtodo 8y ago

The use of the immune system to target cancer for clinical use.

petercooper 8y ago

Using optics to detect radio signals, perhaps? https://www.technologyreview.com/s/611977/get-ready-for-atomic-radio/ https://www.technologyreview.com/s/611977/get-ready-for-atom... Also, a tongue in cheek answer, being able to get a company into big trouble for mishandling data via the GDPR ;-)

bsvalley 8y ago

What would technologically be possible in 3 years from now? :) Sounds more like a million dollar question.

implying 8y ago

Getting scammed by an "ICO", perhaps?

DrNuke 8y ago

Deep learning for the masses, thanks to cheap GPUs?

gitgud 8y ago

Technology is incremental these days, even with the flood of news and development it's hard to see actual technological changes in the past few years. For everything you can suggest, someone will have an example of how it was technologically possible 3 years ago... I guess it's obvious but from 3 years ago; hardware is faster, cheaper, and software is easier to develop...

egberts1 8y ago

Malicious Attacks by JavaScript

richardxlin 8y ago

- Crispr gene editing. - responsive computer brain interface - building a value layer in top of tcp/ip - AR/VR taking off - today.

halis 8y ago

Presidents can tweet about grabbing pussies.

farseer 8y ago
No they can't! That alleged incident was over a private chat, not a public tweet.