According to the U.S. Business Insider, as early as 1999, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, wrote a book called "Future Speed - Digital Systems and Business New Business @ the Speed of Thought. In this book, Gates made 15 bold predictions about the future.
These predictions at the time seemed somewhat magical, but today they have basically achieved or are nearing completion.
The following are the 15 predictions Gates made nearly 20 years ago and how they approach reality:
- Price comparison website!
Gates predicts: "Automated price comparison services will evolve, allowing people to see product quotes from multiple websites at the same time and effortlessly find the cheapest products in all industries."
Status: You can easily search for the products you want on Amazon (1293.32, -1.68, -0.13%) or Google (1129.79, -2.19, -0.19%) and see different quotes for the same products. There have also been comparative shopping search engines on the Internet, such as NexTag and PriceGrabber.
2.Mobile devices
Deserves to be the richest man: all 15 predictions Bill Gates made 19 years ago
Gates predicts: "People will be carrying smaller, more convenient devices with them wherever they are, keeping in touch with others and engaging in business activities wherever they go. They can also browse the news through this device to confirm that they have booked Flight tickets, access to financial market information, of course, this mobile device will certainly have more features, people can use it to do almost anything.
Status: Smartphones have become popular, and we even have smartwatches.
- Instant payment, online financing and more advanced online medical services
Gates predicts: "People can pay online, process personal finances, and talk online with doctors."
Status: Network medical facilities do not seem to have made much progress, but there are sites like ZocDoc that make it easy to find a doctor and schedule a visit. As for online payments and financing, you can borrow money from websites like Lending Club and make payments online with PayPal or Venmo.
- Personal Assistant and Internet of Things
Gates predicts: "Personal Companions will evolve smarter, and in the near future they will be able to connect and synchronize all your devices and exchange data freely across devices, whether you're at home or at work. 'Personal Companion' can also check your emails or notifications to show the information you need. When you go shopping, you can tell your 'stewards' the recipes you want and it will automatically generate the list of ingredients and you It can inform you about other devices your shopping plan and schedule, so that your device can be adjusted accordingly. "
What's happening: A smart assistant that runs on a mobile device has begun moving in the direction of Gates's prediction; it's called: Google Now. At the same time, smart devices such as Nest automatically adjust the room temperature according to your daily routine. There's also voice controls like Amazon Echo and Google Home that you can have them read for you or guide you through cooking.
5.Online home monitoring
Gates predicts: "Real-time home video surveillance will be popular, and if you're visiting when you're away, the system will notify you in time."
Live: Google acquired Dropcam in 2014, which makes it easy to monitor real-time home with its home surveillance cameras. And that's just the beginning, and Ring's smart doorbell camera lets you see who's in the doorway. There's even a camera like the PetCube that lets you control a laser beam and play with your pet when not home.
- social media
Gates predicted: "Your friends and family will have their own private website, you can chat or planning activities."
Status: Two billion people worldwide are using Facebook (179.8, 2.20, 1.24%) to understand what their friends are doing and to plan their activities. There are also Snap (14.01, 0.49, 3.62%) chat, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and a host of other small social networks.
- Automatic discount promotions
Gates predicts: "As long as you make a good travel plan, there will be a special software through this information, to provide you with advice on the activities after arrival, it can propose activities, inform you about promotions and promotions category, and all the goods Or the lowest price of the service you want to use.
Status: Travel sites such as Expedia and Kayak can advise you on your purchase history. Ads on Google and Facebook also promote promotional ads to users based on their location and interests. Also appeared short-rental Airbnib platform.
8.Sports events live forum
Gates predicted: "When you watch sports on television at the same time, you can discuss in this forum live in the game, you can even vote to discuss who will be the winner."
Status: There are already many social media sites have this feature, Twitter (24.04, -0.52, -2.12%) is clearly one of the best. In addition, you can leave real-time comments on sports websites such as ESPN.
- Smart advertising
Gates predicts: "There are smart ads on many devices that will understand your buying tendencies and show you ads you may be interested in based on your preferences.
Status: Most online ads already have this feature. Advertisers target customers based on their browsing history, personal preferences and buying patterns.
10.Live TV will provide website links
Gates predicted: "Live TV will provide a link to the relevant website, from which you can visit the content of the site you are watching.
Status: Almost all sports events live have advertising capabilities, you can connect to a specific site. Sometimes, the ad also shows the team's Twitter account.
11.Online discussion section
Gates predicted: "City and country residents will be able to discuss topics of their interest online, such as local politics, town planning, or security issues."
Status: Almost all news sites have comment areas where users can discuss online. There are also many websites that also have forums where users can ask or answer a specific question.
12.Based on the user's interest in the site
Gates predicts: "Being able to influence an online community will not only be where you are, but also your hobby."
Status: Today, there are a variety of news sites and online communities that are specifically targeted at a topic. Many news websites have also developed on the basis of this, providing more in-depth analysis and interpretation on this topic. Reddit is one example of this.
13.Project Management Software
Gates predicted: "The project manager will be able to assemble the entire team, discuss the project online, accept the advice and find the talent they recognize.
What's happening: There are hundreds of workflow software in the industry right now, and the ways to recruit people, organize teams, and distribute work have changed radically.
14.online recruitment
Gates predicts: "Job seekers can state their interests, needs and expertise online to find the right job."
Current Status: Users can upload their resumes on websites such as Linkedin and find jobs based on their interests and needs. Recruiters can also search for job seekers based on their expertise.
- Enterprise Community Software!
Gates predicts: "Companies will be able to bid for jobs, whether they are looking for construction projects, film production or advertising, etc. Whether it is for large companies that want to outsource work, businesses looking for new customers, or not The company, this method will be very effective. "
Status: Many enterprise software are very social aspects, so that users can reach other businesses, start a dialogue, so as to achieve a larger project.
据美国《商业内幕》（Business Insider）报道，早在1999年，微软(90.1, -0.04, -0.04%)创始人比尔-盖茨曾写下一本名为《未来时速-数字系统与商务新思维》（Business@ the Speed of Thought）的著作。在此书中，盖茨对未来做出了15个大胆的预言。
这些预言在当时听起来似乎有些不可思议，而如今却基本上都已实现或接近实现。
以下是盖茨近20年前作出的15大预言，以及它们如何接近成为现实：
1．价格比较网站
不愧为首富：19年前比尔盖茨做的15个预言全都实现了
盖茨预测：“自动价格比对服务将会发展，让人们可以同时看到多个网站的产品报价，毫不费力地找到所有行业中最便宜的产品。”
现况：你可以轻松地在亚马逊(1293.32, -1.68, -0.13%)或谷歌(1129.79, -2.19, -0.19%)上搜索你想要的产品，看到相同产品的不同报价。互联网上还出现了比较购物搜索引擎，例如NexTag与PriceGrabber等。
2．移动设备
不愧为首富：19年前比尔盖茨做的15个预言全都实现了
盖茨预测：“人们将会随身携带更小更方便的设备。无论身在何处，都能随时和他人保持联系，并从事商务活动。他们也可以通过这种设备浏览新闻，确认他们预订的航班机票，获取金融市场信息。当然这种移动设备一定会有更多功能，人们几乎可以用它来完成任何事情。“
现况：智能手机已经普及，我们甚至有了智能手表。
3．即时支付、在线融资和更先进的网上医疗服务
不愧为首富：19年前比尔盖茨做的15个预言全都实现了
盖茨预测：“人们可以在网上付款，处理个人财务，并和医生进行在线交流。”
现况：网络医疗设施似乎还没有太大的进步，但已经有了ZocDoc这样的网站，可以让人轻松地找到医生并安排就诊。至于网上付款和融资，你可以在Lending Club这类的网站贷款，用PayPal或者Venmo完成在线付款。
4．个人助理与物联网
不愧为首富：19年前比尔盖茨做的15个预言全都实现了
盖茨预测：”‘个人伴侣’会进化得更智能。在不久的未来，无论你是在家里还是在办公，它们都可以连接和同步你所有的设备，并在设备之间自由地交换数据。‘个人伴侣’也可以查看你的邮件或者通知，显示你所需要的信息。在你去购物的时候，你可以告诉你的‘管家’你想要的食谱，它就会自动生成食材列表和你的购物单。它可以通知你其他设备你的购物计划和日程，这样你的设备就可以作出相应的调整。”
现况：有一款可在移动设备上运行的智能助手已经开始向着盖茨预言的方向发展了；它叫：Google Now。与此同时，像Nest这种智能设备可以根据你的日常生活安排，自动调节室内温度。还有亚马逊Echo和谷歌Home这样的语音控制设备，你可以让它们给你读电子邮件，或者指导你烹饪食物。
5．在线家庭监控
不愧为首富：19年前比尔盖茨做的15个预言全都实现了
盖茨预测：“家庭实时录像监控将会普及。如果在你外出的时候有人来访，系统就会及时通知你。”
实况：谷歌2014年收购了Dropcam，后者生产的家庭监控摄像头可以轻松实现实时家庭监控。而这只是开始，Ring生产的智能门铃相机让你能够看到谁在门口。甚至有PetCube这样的相机，让你能够控制一束激光，不在家时也能与你的宠物玩耍。
6．社交媒体
不愧为首富：19年前比尔盖茨做的15个预言全都实现了
盖茨预测：“你的朋友和家人都将会有他们专属的私人网站，你们可以私聊或者策划活动。”
现况：全球有20亿人在使用Facebook(179.8, 2.20, 1.24%)了解他们的朋友在做什么，并策划活动。还有Snap(14.01, 0.49, 3.62%)chat、Instagram、WhatsApp、Messenger，以及一大批其他小型社交网络。
7．自动优惠促销
不愧为首富：19年前比尔盖茨做的15个预言全都实现了
盖茨预言：“只要你制定好旅行计划，就会有专门的软件通过这些信息，为你提供到达目的地后的活动建议。它可以提议活动，通知你优惠和促销类的信息，以及所有商品或是你想使用的服务的最低价格。
现况：Expedia和Kayak等旅游网站可以根据你的购买记录向你提供建议。Google和Facebook的广告也会通过用户的所在地和兴趣爱好，向他们推送促销广告。还出现了Airbnib这样的短租平台。
8．体育赛事直播论坛
不愧为首富：19年前比尔盖茨做的15个预言全都实现了
盖茨预言：“当你在电视上收看体育赛事的同时，你可以在这种论坛上讨论直播中的比赛情况，甚至可以投票讨论谁会成为赢家。”
现况：已经有很多社交媒体网站具备了这一功能，Twitter(24.04, -0.52, -2.12%)显然是其中的佼佼者。除此之外，你也可以在ESPN之类的体育网站上留下实时评论。
9．智能广告
不愧为首富：19年前比尔盖茨做的15个预言全都实现了
盖茨预言：“很多设备上都会出现智能广告。它们将了解你的购买倾向，根据你的喜好，向你展示你可能感兴趣的广告。
现况：大多数在线广告都已具备了这项功能。广告商会根据人们的浏览记录，个人喜好和购买模式锁定目标客户群。
10．电视直播将提供网站链接
不愧为首富：19年前比尔盖茨做的15个预言全都实现了
盖茨预言：“电视直播将会提供相关网站的链接，你可以由此访问你所收看的内容的相关网站。
现况：几乎所有的体育赛事直播都有广告功能，可以连接到某个特定的网站。有时候，广告也会显示参赛队伍的Twitter帐号。
11．在线讨论板块
不愧为首富：19年前比尔盖茨做的15个预言全都实现了
盖茨预言：“城市乃至国家的居民都将能够在网上讨论他们感兴趣的话题，例如当地政治，城市规划，或是安全问题等等。”
现况：几乎所有的新闻网站都有了评论区，用户可以那里进行在线讨论。还有很多网站也设立了论坛，用户可以在那里提问或解答某个特定问题。
12．基于用户兴趣的网站
不愧为首富：19年前比尔盖茨做的15个预言全都实现了
盖茨预言：“能影响在线社区的将不仅会是你的所在地，更是你的兴趣爱好。”
现况：如今，网上有各种新闻网站和在线社区都是专门针对一个话题的。有不少新闻网站还在此基础上纵向发展，提供关于该话题的更深入的分析和解读。Reddit就是其中一个例子。
13．项目管理软件
不愧为首富：19年前比尔盖茨做的15个预言全都实现了
盖茨预言：“项目经理将能集合整个团队，在线讨论项目，接受建议，并找到他们认可的人才。
现况：现在业界内有成百上千个工作流程软件，而招募人员、组织团队和分配工作的方式已彻底改变。
14．在线招聘
不愧为首富：19年前比尔盖茨做的15个预言全都实现了
盖茨预言：“求职者可以在网上注明他们的兴趣、需求和专业技能，寻找合适的就业机会。”
现况：用户可以在Linkedin一类的网站上传他们的履历，根据个人兴趣和需求找到工作。招聘者也可以根据专业技能来搜寻相对应的求职者。
15．企业社区软件
不愧为首富：19年前比尔盖茨做的15个预言全都实现了
盖茨预言：“公司将可以投标工作，无论他们是在寻求建筑项目，电影制作还是广告宣传等等。不管是对想要外包工作的大公司，寻找新客户的企业，还是没有提供该项服务的公司，这个方法都会非常有效。”
现况：很多企业软件都非常注重社会层面，让用户可以接触到其他企业，展开对话，从而达成更大的项目。