The new millennium was supposed to be about flying cars and teleportation. While those sci-fi dreams never quite got off the ground, more realistic technologies are coming along that promise to make our lives that bit easier.
For example, it's now possible to open the door to your house simply by touching the lock with your hand - or, if you prefer, your nose.
At last week's Gitex Technology Week in Dubai, two companies demonstrated how the human body can be used to transmit data through a simple touch.
Anders Lindblad, the president of Ericsson in the Middle East, demonstrated a concept called Connected Me. This uses the principle of capacitive coupling - the transfer of energy within an electrical network - to transmit data by exploiting the electrical properties of the human skin. You could, for example, hold a smartphone in one hand, and use the other to transmit information from it to a TV screen or printer.
As well, the digital-security company Gemalto demonstrated technology that allows humans to transmit data through touch. Xavier Larduinat, an executive at Gemalto, said its eGo technology could be used to unlock doors, access metro systems, or make payments in coffee shops.
Gemalto's eGo system, which is still in testing, requires the user to clip an electronic device onto their clothing. This allows them to make a connection with another eGo-enabled device by touching it with any part of their skin.
Mr Larduinat demonstrated how the system could be used to pay for a cup of coffee by touching his finger on a sensor. He even touched his nose on the sensor to prove it could make a connection, too.
Mr Larduinat says the wearable device is secure because it must be reactivated via a fingerprint scanner if it loses contact with the owner's body. Gemalto's vision for the technology is that it will be incorporated into clothing. So while it's not quite teleportation, such technology could certainly make the humble pair of jeans that bit smarter.
