Vanya Wryter Consulting Services

Category: Technology

  • What’s a piece of technology you’re convinced will exist in 20 years?

    What’s a piece of technology you’re convinced will exist in 20 years?

    If I had to predict one piece of technology that will still exist in 20 years, it would be some futuristic version of the smartphone. It’ll look different from the phones we have today, but it will have more features and plenty more uses.

    The mobile phone has already replaced so many other gadgets since it became more than just a phone. Today, it’s a calculator, flashlight, notepad, phone book, camera, photo album, mini TV, music player, GPS, and email inbox. Instead of carrying several devices, we can simply pull one from our pocket.

    The smartphone is so convenient. If your car breaks down, you can call a tow truck within minutes or search online for a quick repair if it’s something simple enough to fix yourself. If you’re bored while waiting for your appointment, you can stream videos, listen to music, or read a book. You can make payments using apps.

    In 20 years, smartphones will likely become even lighter, smaller, and more powerful. They’ll continue to combine many technologies into one easy-to-use device. One day, they may truly become waterproof. Imagine taking your phone boating, swimming, snorkeling, or even diving without worrying about damaging it. It could provide underwater maps, send SOS signals in emergencies, display important medical information, or simply let you capture photos and videos. 

    Instead of changing what the smartphone is, future technology will likely make it more reliable and useful in places where today’s devices still have limitations. 

    Daily writing prompt
    What’s a piece of technology you’re convinced will exist in 20 years?
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  • What’s a moment that made you question reality?

    What’s a moment that made you question reality?

    More than once these days, I watch a video about something that seems to defy reality and I question what I’m looking at. Is it even real? Can my cat cook me dinner? And then I go to the comments and someone says, “This is AI.” What a trick! It’s scary, the speed at which AI has slipped into everyday life. One minute it was science fiction, and the next it’s everywhere. 

    You can’t even write an email without a recommendation for AI to write it for you. How about doing something more useful? (Please, AI, make me my lunch. I’m too lazy to cook!)

    It’s both fascinating and unsettling.

    AI is Good

    AI can be incredibly useful, especially if you run your own business and you don’t have the funds to hire three staff members without giving up your child’s college tuition. It can handle repetitive office tasks faster than people. It can also analyze data if you prompt it correctly. But you still need human oversight, or it can reach some oddball conclusions.

    One way AI makes you question reality is by generating scenes that never happened. Not fake news. But reenactments of scenes from the past. Reading pages out of history books can be boring. Hiring actors and creating sets can be expensive. So using AI to recreate the past, such as a scene from the Ice Ages, is educational. I call this a benefit.

    But there’s another side to it that makes reality feel a little unstable.

    AI is Bad

    AI systems can “hallucinate,” confidently giving wrong information that sounds completely believable. That means people still need to double-check the AI’s work, even while depending on it more every day. AI once gave me advice to do something real humans wouldn’t do. That really made me question this new reality of AI assistance.

    Another scary moment was when I was watching a video by a creator I follow. Then I clicked on the profile and realized it wasn’t her. It was a series of AI-generated videos using her likeness and voice. I had been deceived!

    Key takeaways

    AI creates moments that make me question reality. Sometimes it’s for a good reason (accurate historical enactment) and sometimes bad (stealing someone’s work). Overall, we’re getting closer to living out those sci-fi movies we used to watch!

    Daily writing prompt
    What’s a moment that made you question reality?
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  • The most important invention in my lifetime is the smartphone

    The most important invention in my lifetime is the smartphone

    The most important invention in my lifetime is the smartphone because it is a true space-saver and an all-in-one tool. Just think of all the things you used to carry around just to do the tasks that the smartphone now offers you: camera, calculator, planner/agenda book, map, etc. (Especially if you had to fit all that in a purse or backpack!) Daily life has become simpler and more efficient.  

    Before smartphones, people needed separate items for each task. Cameras were bulky, paper maps took up space and quickly became outdated, notebooks were needed for ideas (and useless if you forgot your pen), and planners kept track of appointments. Now, all of these functions exist in one device. Online searches allow instant access to information anywhere, and notes can be typed on the go.

    The smartphone camera is especially versatile. It can be used to take photos, scan QR codes as digital business cards, and even act as a magnifying glass to read small text. This makes it useful in both professional and everyday situations. In addition, built-in timers and alarms help with simple tasks, such as knowing when food is finished cooking and when to watch your TV show!

    Overall, the smartphone saves physical space, time, and effort. By combining so many essential tools into one compact device, it has changed how we organize our lives, communicate, and access information, making it one of the most important inventions of our time.

    Daily writing prompt
    The most important invention in your lifetime is…
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  • What Technology Are You Better Off Without?

    What Technology Are You Better Off Without?

    Everywhere you look, you’ll see gadgets, apps, and digital conveniences; it’s easy to feel like every piece of technology is essential. For many of us, tech supports our work, our learning, our communication, and even our creativity. But not every tool is actually useful or helpful… or needed. When I look closely at my own habits and routines, I find two categories of technology I could happily live without: video games, and over-engineered “smart” gadgets that solve problems no one really has.

    Video games are the one form of tech I wouldn’t miss if they disappeared tomorrow. Many people enjoy them but I’d rather read a book. 

    The other unnecessary tech? Fancy gadgets that overcomplicate life. Refrigerators with TV screens so I can stream a show or check what’s inside my fridge? I can spare the extra second to open the door. And we already have smartphones and tablets to stream videos. Watching my fridge is overkill.

    Everything else, though, plays a meaningful role in my day-to-day life. Computers and phones keep my business running through virtual meetings, calendars, photo organization, restaurant menu previews, navigation to places, and quick calculations. YouTube has become a personal classroom for learning languages and new skills. And AI has become an essential partner for speeding up foundational research, streamlining tasks, and helping me work more efficiently.

    In the end, the best technology isn’t the flashiest. It’s the tech that keeps you going from day to day.

    Daily writing prompt
    What technology would you be better off without, why?
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  • Your life without a computer: what does it look like?

    Your life without a computer: what does it look like?

    Life without a computer would be drastically different, almost unrecognizable compared to what I’m used to now. So much of my daily routine revolves around instant access to information, entertainment, and connection that removing the computer feels like stepping back in time.

    For starters, there would be no more YouTube for entertainment. That means no endless videos to relax with, no tutorials to learn from, and no music playlists to stream. In fact, without a computer, I’d have no music at all, unless I went back to CDs or live performances. Reading would also be limited—I wouldn’t have easy access to articles, blogs, or ebooks.

    Staying connected overseas would disappear too. No more instant chats, video calls, or social updates with friends and family abroad. Immediate news updates would also vanish. Instead of knowing what’s happening almost instantly, I’d be stuck waiting for newspapers or the evening news.

    Research would be exhausting. Instead of typing a question into a search bar and getting an instant answer (like how historically accurate is that movie?), I’d have to make trips to the library. Worse, if I got home and realized I wanted to look up something else, I’d have to go back again. That kind of delay makes learning far less spontaneous.

    Everyday conveniences would vanish as well. No maps to check locations before going there, traffic updates to avoid traffic congestion, or online menus to help you decide if you want to go to that restaurant. No online shopping to confirm whether a store has what I need—I’d have to go there in person just to find out if they have what I’m looking for.

    Even hobbies would suffer. I don’t have the patience to handwrite stories. By the time I finish one sentence, my mind has already moved to the next idea. Computers let me type quickly, insert links, and organize research on the spot. Without them, creativity feels trapped in slow motion. So life without a computer wouldn’t be as exciting!

    Daily writing prompt
    Your life without a computer: what does it look like?
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