However, it wasn’t AT&T that got us here — after its breakup, other companies got us to this future present.
Can’t predict everything. Drop me a line at rrollins@coxohio.com.
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The future can be a funny thing. An item at Vox.com recalls an old TV commercial that looked forward and got a lot of things right.
“More than 20 years ago, AT&T ran ads depicting the miraculous things information technology would allow us to do in the future,” Vox writes. “‘Have you ever borrowed a book from thousands of miles away?’ the first ad asks. ‘Crossed the country without stopping for directions? Or sent a fax from the beach? You will. And the company that will bring it to you is AT&T.’ The basic technologies AT&T was describing — e-books, turn-by-turn directions, sending documents via mobile devices — are all commonplace. So, too, are many of the futuristic capabilities depicted: video conferencing, electronic tollbooths, electronic ticket-buying kiosks, on-demand videos.”