Technology is the fastest-moving industry in the business world today. A company that may not have existed a decade ago can release a product so ingenious that it not only invents but also corners an entirely new market. Google, TiVo, and Roku are all modern examples of revolutionary concepts that have quickly become a key part of modern living. Many startups are creating amazing internet of things products that will astonish you.
Here are six tech trends that will become similarly ubiquitous in the coming year.
3D Printing
The ability to construct useful items in the convenience of one’s own home is mind-boggling. The potential of this field is limitless. Already, imaginative people have employed 3D printing for products as wide-ranging as foods, automotive parts, and medical supplies. Something that makes your dinner, fixes your brakes, and replaces your artificial limb is the breathing definition of revolutionary.
Alas, widespread adoption of 3D printing has been slow thus far. In 2015, the situation is poised to change, as low-end models are about to be released. Once 3D printers become a daily part of living, they will quickly become as natural and important as the microwave or Netflix.
Tablet-Like Smartphones
Fifty-eight percent of Americans own a smartphone, while 42 percent own a tablet computer. Incredible mobile devices such as Samsung’s Galaxy S6 are poised to blur the line between these concepts. The next iteration of the second best-selling smartphone in the world will feature a giant, curved screen that will maintain the tactile feeling of a regular phone while providing a much larger viewing area. Samsung has been a constant innovator in screen size, and that trend will continue in 2015.
Smart Wearables
Healthier living and digital omnipresence are merging in this nascent market that is poised to explode. Fitbit led the charge with its high-tech pedometer, but titans of industry are now prepared to take over this field.
2014 witnessed the debut of the Samsung Gear™ 2, and its marketing campaign was predicated upon past science fiction entertainment. Movies and television series of the 1950s and 1960s predicted a future where mankind could learn everything they need to know from a glance at their watch. That technology now exists, and the impending release of several high-profile wearables should transform society’s digital habits.
All eyes are focused on Apple as the Apple Watch is poised to debut. When the company introduced iTunes, the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad, all of those industries evolved from niche to financial heavyweights. The same should be true of the wearables market.
Amazon Echo
Another Apple invention that revolutionized technology was Siri, the digital personal assistant that provides ready answers for curious minds. Siri has since been mimicked by several other companies, most notably Microsoft with Cortana. As brilliant as devices like these are, they represent only a portion of the future.
The Amazon Echo is the first in-home device specifically designed to employ big data to answer user queries. Unlike Siri, you do not have to be in reach of the Echo to utilize it. Simply by uttering the trigger word, Alexa, the Echo will spring to life and respond to a question. It is also capable of performing daily functions such as to-do lists. If you realize that you are out of ketchup, you can instruct the Echo to add ketchup to your grocery list and then access the information from the Amazon app while at the store.
Home Integration
The seamless integration of home electronics such as lights, air conditioning, and heating are already being performed by intuitive devices that learn, such as Google’s Nest. It is a home automation system that automatically adjusts your thermostat depending upon your user behavior.
The Nest was the first major device introduced into the home of the future’s Internet of Things to create a local network of smart units that operate individually and as a unit. This field of smart devices is poised to explode in coming years.
Sling TV
The days of cable bundling are almost at an end. Dish Network announced a new Internet television service that will include packaging such as ESPN, TBS, and HGTV for a modest $19.95 per month. Similarly, HBO Go will become a standalone service in 2015. As more companies cater to cord cutters, cable television will go the way of print media.
The future of technology that has been predicted for 50 years now is finally at hand. This is an exciting time to be a tech geek.