Solar energy: Harness the power of 2,300 suns

Imagine a child pointing a magnifying glass at a leaf. The glass concentrates the sun's rays, making it powerful enough to start a fire. That's what IBM researchers are doing with their new photovoltaic, or solar, cells.

In the next five years, we will use innovative technology to capture the equivalent of 2,300 suns—the most ever in the space of a one centimeter square.

Of course, the real trick lies in keeping that tiny cell from bursting into flame. Pointing the equivalent of 2,300 suns at such a small area generates enough heat to melt stainless steel (something the researchers experienced first hand in their experiments). But by borrowing innovations from IBM's own research in cooling computer chips, the team is able to cool the solar cell from more than 1600 degrees Celsius to just 85 degrees Celsius.

So what will we do with these solar cells? For starters, we can generate more energy for less. That energy these cells capture is converted into 70 watts of usable electrical power, which is about five times the electrical power density generated by typical cells in solar farms.

IBM scientists are also creating brand new "thin-film" solar cells that can be arranged on a flexible backing, suitable for not only the tops but also the sides of buildings, tinted windows, cell phones, notebook computers, cars and even the clothing you wear.

Voice browsing: Talk to the Web, and it will talk back

Controlling a computer with your voice isn't new, but it is about to get a whole lot more interactive. IBM has developed a new technology to make the Internet affordable, accessible and available to more than a billion new users around the world, without the need for a traditional computer.

In the next five years, you will be able to surf the Internet, hands-free, by using your voice. New technology will change how people create, build and interact with information and e-commerce Web sites—using speech instead of text.

If you can talk to the Web and then listen to what you find, keyboards and typing skills aren't necessary—and that opens up the Web to entire communities of people. (In fact, today just 17 percent of the world's population has access to the Internet.) Dubbed the "Spoken Web," this technology will transform how people create Web content, access information and transact through the use of voice interactions over mobile phones instead of computer and textual interfaces.

Imagine being a phone call away from the ability to:

• Post, scan and respond to online advertisements.
• Access your favorite recipe while cooking to confirm baking temperature or missing ingredients.
• Update your favorite online social network site or blog.
• Obtain driving directions to your destination, and make restaurant reservations based on proximity and reviews.

Through the use of these "VoiceSites," people without access to a Web-enabled computer, or who have handicaps or are unable to read or write, will be able to take advantage of all the benefits and conveniences the Web has to offer. And that makes the world Web even wider.

Digital assistants: Enter the digitalized dressing room

Say you're in the dressing room with some new clothes, but the pants are too big. Or the wrong color. Or maybe they would look great with a new belt. Today, you would need to call out and hope someone comes to help. But that's about to change.

In the next five years, you will simply turn to your dressing room kiosk to choose other items of clothing, shoes and accessories to complement or replace what you already selected.

Then, once you make your selections, a sales associate will be notified and will gather the items and bring them directly to you. And if what you want isn't stocked on the floor, your digital shopping assistant will give you the option to purchase it directly from the kiosk and have it shipped to your home. Or, it can tell you which nearby stores carry the items and offer to place them on hold.

And what happens when you're shopping alone and find yourself in need of a second opinion before splurging on a new outfit? With the digital shopping assistant, you'll be able to snap photos of yourself in different combinations and e-mail or text them to your friends and family, as well as to yourself, for the thumbs up... or thumbs down.

IBM is on its way to transforming the shopping experience in the following ways:

• Guaranteed product availability—As part of a pilot program, approximately 30,000 articles of clothing have been equipped with ultra-high-frequency, second-generation RFID tags. Employees are using the system to find articles that shoppers are looking for and to monitor stock to ensure that popular items are always available.
• Coupons on the go—Retailers will be able to recognize when shoppers are in their stores and send relevant coupons to their mobile phones.

As shopping emerges into a social sport, the digital assistants of the future will be better equipped to anticipate the shopper's every want and need. Ready, set, shop! (Continue to page 2 of 2...)

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