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"Do you really know what \"The Cloud\" means? What about \"Big Data\"?\nThe Global Language Monitor has released a list of the most confusing tech buzzwords of the decade, so far. The Cloud and Big Data top the list. \n\u201CHigh-tech terms have long spilled into popular culture,\u201D says Paul JJ Payack, president of the Global Language Monitor.  \"To a large and growing extent, high-tech buzzwords are fueling the growth of English, which now serves as the Earth's means of global communication.\"\nSEE ALSO: 25 Worst Passwords of 2011\n\nTo make its list, the Global Language Monitor tracked word frequencies in print and electronic media, the blogosphere, databases and the Internet. Below you'll find the complete list of most confusing tech buzzwords. Quiz your friends to see who can best \u2014 or worst \u2014 define them.\n\nBig Data\nThe Cloud\nThe Next Big Thing \nSocial Discovery\nWeb 2.0 (3.0, and so on)\nSolid State\nCERN\nSolar Max\nDe-dupe\n3G/4G/5G\nSoLoMo \n\nWhat tech buzzwords do you find the most confusing? Do you disagree with this list?\n\r\nBONUS: 10 Futuristic Sci-Fi Visions \r\n\n\n\n10 Awesome Sci-Fi Visions of the Future\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n1. Invisible Car\n\n\nTo promote its new fuel cell vehicle, which has zero exhaust emissions, Mercedes pulled a stunt that showed off an \"invisible\" car with incredibly low environmental impact.\nAlthough Mercedes says the hydrogen-powered drive system is \"ready for series production,\" it's speculated to not be in comercialization until 2014.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n2. Space Elevator\n\n\nJapan is progressing with its ambitious idea of creating a space elevator, which extends an extremely strong cable from a spaceport on the ground up to a space station in geosynchronous orbit, 22,000 miles above the earth.\nThe 30-passenger elevator car will travel from ground to space station at 125mph, delivering its human cargo to the space station eight days later. The elevator car will contain living quarters and other tourist attractions on board.\nThe Japanese say they'll be able to build this technological marvel by 2050, according to DVICE.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n3. Driverless Cars\n\n\nCars already have GPS, lane-departure warning systems and self-parking features, so it was only a matter of time before driverless cars became a real thing.\nGoogle received the patent for self-driving car technology and is already testing it out in Nevada.\nImage courtesy of Flickr Viernest.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n4. Robotic Assistants\r\n\n\nFrom simple tasks such as opening a door to helping paralyzed patients walk, robots have become far more advanced than ever before.\nIn fact, a new study predicts that every home will have a robotic assistant to perform common household tasks within the next 10 years.\nImage courtesy of thearmrobot.com/gallery.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n5. Flying Cars\n\nThe long-running joke of the future has almost always included a flying car reference -- and now it's really happening. Terrafugia developed the concept, which will be available for pre-sale at the 2012 New York auto show.\nImage courtesy of Terrafugia.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n6. Artificial Meat\n\n\nIn an attempt to protect the environment, Dutch scientists are looking into lab-grown meat production. Scientists say that artificial meat could improve efficiency by at least 35%.\nThe practice turns stem cells from animals into inch-long strips of muscle tissue, which can then be mashed together to create a patty. PETA hopes to do the same with chicken by the end of June.\nImage courtesy of Flickr, Another Pint Please.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n7. Moon Base\n\n\nTo further explore life on the moon, space agencies are already looking into constructing a permanent base. This would mean either establishing a base on the moon or launching a station to orbit it. \nImage courtesy of Flickr, wicho.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n8. Mind Reading\r\n\n\nOver the next five years, IBM hopes to develop a computer that responds via our thoughts. A person wears a headset, which can detect signals from the brain, and sends them to a computer which tells the machine what to do.\nThe computer then maps signals to diggerent actions, which teaches the machine to adapt specifically your thoughts.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n9. Drones\n\nPresident Obama has already signed legislation permitting the Federal Aviation Administration to allow law enforcement agencies to use remotely controlled drones.\nImage courtesy of Flickr, Illetirres.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n10. Wireless Electricity\n\nWired charging could be a thing of the past. Companies are already working to make cellphone charging wireless, and it's likely other devices will follow suit.\nImage courtesy of Flickr, romainguy.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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