"In the next few years we'll see liquid lenses, larger memories, built-in positioning systems that will even tell us where the picture was taken and ultimately,  the camera may be able to identify who was in the picture."

 

What revolutionary changes are in store for consumer technology?
High definition television (HDTV), three years from now,will be an important center of most family homes since digital television will be the only TV. Screen materials such as OLED will provide us with bright screens using less power and will be viewable in normally-lit rooms. The big-living-room-box will become the flat-wall imaging device. The advent of laser projectors in 2007 will further revolutionize the area of high-definition television. A major change will occur in storage material. New holographic CD-sized discs will store hundreds of gigabytes of information and new solid-state storage will continue to evolve, and all will come with higher capacity at lower costs.

What is the future of talking to a computer (voice-to-text)?
Voice-to-text has made slow progress. I just purchased Dragon Dictate 9 software and am using it to write what you are reading. What computer dictation requires is patience, training, and learning key commands. I have tried to use computer dictation before and quickly gave up on every program.  This new program gives me high hopes for the future.

What should modern etiquette policy be for cellphone and PDA use in public?
When it comes to cell telephones, we forget that everything we say at our end is heard by everyone around us. How many times have you been disturbed by some of the wild ring tones on someone else's cellphone in a restaurant, theater, meeting, or even your church or synagogue? With the addition of Bluetooth headsets, people have become even more forgetful of the people around them.

PDAs are beginning to become a concern for the physical safety of the owner.  The small keyboards appear to be producing finger joint problems and should be used with caution. Have you been in a meeting where one or more people, who should be paying attention, are sitting there reading their mail on their PDA?  They are wonderful inventions, but should be used and not abused in public.

When using your cellphone, remember that there are people around you most of the time who do not want to be part of your phone call. With your PDA, it is an equal discourtesy having you keying when the people you are with expect you to be part of their conversation or an active participant in meetings you attend.

Does technology simplify or run your life?
I must really say that at times, what I do and how I do it are ruled by technology.  Yet technology is allowing me to speak directly to a computer and allowing me to think about what I am writing. Technology also lets me do in-depth searches, on a single subject or a multitude of subjects, and I find the most amazing amounts of information on projects that I am working on. For that, I am grateful to technology.

Back in 1989, you said Kodak needed to shake up its culture in order to be identified as the imaging leader.  How do you view that statement nearly two decades later?
In 2006, I stand by the statement I made in 1989. Certainly, Kodak's board of directors affirmed that culture change need with the selection of George Fisher as CEO.  In looking at the Kodak culture of today, I might use the old phrase, "Throwing the baby out with the bathwater." Changing a culture or shaking it up does not mean throwing everything out. The dedication of Kodak employees, their love of photography, and their relationship with customers were unmatched. Today, much of that has been weakened or lost.

What do you see as the future of digital photography?
Many people today are saying that all of our family pictures will be taken by cellphone cameras. Certainly, cellphone cameras have improved tremendously, yet they are a long way from reasonably priced, good digital cameras. We are also seeing another phenomenon occurringÑthere is more interest in cellphones for music and, in some analysts view, this is taking interest away from cellphone photography.

Digital cameras have gone through a tremendous metamorphosis in the last couple of years and can be expected to improve still further. Single-lens reflex cameras that cost many thousands of dollars a couple of years ago are now priced at under $1,000. 

Even pocketable, digital, still-cameras have improved in quality with larger viewing screens and lower prices as well. Add to this, the ability to make digital movies in the same camera, and you have a wonderful family tool. 

Things we will see in the next few years include: liquid lenses, larger memories, built-in positioning systems telling us where a picture was taken, and ultimately, cameras able to identify who was in the picture. All of these things are being worked on right now, and you can expect to see them in the next five years.
Companies like Kodak, who are now depending on outside suppliers for so much of their creativity, will have to build totally new organizations that can respond rapidly to the changes in the marketplace and provide meaningful cost-effective solutions for their future customers.

It is a challenging, but wonderful, new, and exciting, time that will greet the new generation.

With all the changes in the local economy, what could the economic future of Rochester look like? 
There is no question that Rochester can no longer live with the title, "Photo Capital of the World."  Rochester is blessed with tens of thousands of young people attending colleges and universities in this area. We need to encourage them to stay and build their new companies here in our beautiful environment. 
We may not be Silicon Valley, but in many ways we are far better. We have a wonderful supply of dedicated hard-working people, who are smart, and have learned to look to new areas like biotechnology, software, and other products, many from university development projects. 

We are a community with great and affordable housing. Students who have graduated from area colleges and universities are the first to tell you that this is a great place to raise and educate a family. 

Rochester must recognize the changing times and push to be recognized as a world development center for new ideas and concepts.