Ihde's discussion of horizon effects and dreams for technological totality towards the end of his Phenomenology of Technics chapter were interesting. He points out that due to the advancements of modern technology, we are encountering new horizons that blur the boundaries between technology and self in ways never before experienced. That's not to say that horizonal phenomena didn't always exist, but that as technology has evolved it has introduced new horizons previously incomprehensible to us. Idhe mentions birth control pills and genetic alteration as examples of modern technologies that are difficult to separate very easily into the I-technology-world fashion that he did earlier.
I was especially interested when he talked about humanity's dream of totalization of technology. He mentions that it is a curious dream, because often we would prefer a real world over something artificial, and will only accept the artificial if it becomes necessary. Also, we have a certain fear regarding our own technology, a fear of what it could become. For example, the advent of nuclear weapons introduced a frightening new era that made it a very real possibility that humanity could be obliterated should the weapons ever be used in a full exchange. This fear could also extend to AIs or robots, as it does in many sci-fi thrillers. In this case, our technological progeny outgrows us and enslaves or destroys us. Or, in the more intriguing cases that Isaac Asimov delves into, they learn to take care of us better than we could ourselves, even if it is against our will. I agree with Ihde that a realization of a totally technological existence is probably something we will stop short of, but I don't think that will prevent future generations from fantasizing about how such an advanced world could potentially solve all problems.
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