The near future probably won’t look like the set of a 【D6】___________, but the

The future is coming, but, according to the experts, it probably won’t look like the set of a science fiction film.Everyday items will look pretty much like those we see around us today.But under the surface, things are changing, and in twenty years’ time the products we use will definitely be able to do a lot more than they can today.One place where we are likely to see big changes is the home.Developments in hardware and software will make everyday living simple and easy.When you walk into a room, the lights and heating will come on automatically and your favourite music will start to play without you having to do or say anything.It may even be possible to program the system to display artwork that suits individual family members’ personal tastes as they go around the house.In the living room, pressing a single button on the remote control will lower the lights, close the curtains, and switch off the music as the system realises that a movie is about to start.New touch-screen technology built into the furniture means that the dining room table could become a computer screen.You might be able to place a mobile phone on a table and see digital pictures in its glass surface that were taken with the phone at school or work.In the kitchen, the refrigerator could be connected to the Internet.It would “talk” to the supplier, and order replacement parts without you ever knowing something was wrong.This fridge will be able to tell you what’s inside it, making the job of creating a shopping list much easier.And, as you remove the food from the fridge, and place it on the counter top, another computer there will recognise what it is and begin to suggest recipes.This is all possible because tiny, inexpensive computer chips will be attached to every product in the house, including your clothes.So, the washing machine will know how to wash your favourite linen shirt and your wardrobe will be able to tell you which clothes are at the dry-cleaner’s and when they are due back.An interactive mirror in the bedroom may allow you to see how you look in different clothes without the need to try them on.