No. 4: Personal assistants and the Internet of Things
Gates' prediction: "'Personal companions' will be developed. They will connect and sync all your devices in a smart way, whether they are at home or in the office, and allow them to exchange data. The device will check your email or notifications, and present the information that you need. When you go to the store, you can tell it what recipes you want to prepare, and it will generate a list of ingredients that you need to pick up. It will inform all the devices that you use of your purchases and schedule, allowing them to automatically adjust to what you're doing."
What we see now: Google Now, a smart assistant that runs on mobile devices, is starting to head in this direction. Meanwhile, smart devices like Nest collect data on your daily routines and automatically adjust the house temperature. There's also a wave of voice-controlled devices, like Amazon's Echo and the Google Home, that you can ask to read your email to you or guide you through recipes as you cook.
George Frey/Getty Images
No. 5: Online home-monitoring
Gates' prediction: "Constant video feeds of your house will become common, which inform you when somebody visits while you are not home."
What we see now: Google already bought Dropcam, the maker of a home surveillance camera, for $555 million in 2014. But that was just the beginning. Ring makes a smart doorbell camera that can let you see who is at your door. There's even cameras like the PetCube that let you control a laser so you can play with your pets while you're away.
Dropcam
No. 6: Social media
Gates' prediction: "Private websites for your friends and family will be common, allowing you to chat and plan for events."
What we see now: Two billion people already use Facebook to see what their friends are doing and plan events. There's also Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger alongside an explosion of other smaller social networks that more than cover this prediction.
REUTERS/Robert Galbraith
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