I hope you're right. That kind of a future would be something good to look forward to in the midst of all the despair we see in the world today. Even in the U.S., most people live paycheck to paycheck and struggle just to survive.

Certainly the internet thus far has been a tremendous source of deflation. Even so, we're seeing inflation in things people need (such as food, housing, medical care) and deflation in things people don't need.

Lower costs in technology and transportation in the near term are very obvious to me. I also think over the medium-long term the bubble in higher education will pop. The Harvards and Yales will always be able to name their price, but private universities in lower tiers are going to be in for a world of hurt as students and their families become increasingly unwilling to pay their exhorbitant costs.

Beyond that, I see the potential you speak of in housing and medical care, but wonder how quickly society will be able to benefit from greater efficiencies and lower costs. Right now there are so many parties enriching themselves at the trough (hospitals, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, plaintiff's lawyers, doctors, etc.) that I really wonder what it's going to take to bring some sanity to our healthcare system. A hugely disproportionate amount of money in the U.S. is spent on medical care relative to the benefits we receive. That needs to change, but I'm not sure the change will occur before the system implodes due to out-of-control costs.

I hope technology can help bring positive change about.