Entering 2016, the future has never felt more within reach. Science fiction will become science fact this year when you take virtual-reality vacations and your dishwasher reorders its own soap. Are you ready for a drone that follows you around like paparazzi?
When we gazed ahead at the devices, breakthroughs and ideas most likely to make waves, two themes emerged. One is liberation: we’re increasingly less shackled, be it to a phone charger or a cable subscription. The other is intelligence: as processing power and bandwidth increase, our machines, services and even messaging apps become more capable.
Here are our best picks for what’s coming, and what you can do to be ready for it.
Virtual reality gets real
It’s
marked on 2016 calendars everywhere: virtual reality finally gets real.
It begins with the arrival early next year of the long-anticipated
Oculus Rift headset, followed by HTC’s Vive and Sony’s PlayStation VR.
Unlike less expensive smartphone-based headsets like such as Samsung’s
Oculus-powered Gear VR, advanced sensors and imaging in dedicated
headsets promise immersive experiences that will make you feel like
you’re in a teleporter. (“Augmented reality”, a combined view of virtual
and real worlds, being developed by Magic Leap, Microsoft’s HoloLens
team and others, is still a way off.)
Games and other flights of
fantasy will be key to the appeal. But thanks to investments in
360-degree video and apps, you’ll also get closer to not-so-far-out
realities: front row at a sold-out concert … or a seat at that meeting
you’d otherwise miss.
How to get ready:
If you have a new Samsung Galaxy phone, get the Gear VR. If you have an
iPhone or another Android phone, try out the Google Cardboard. A swivel
chair makes it easier to spin through the 360-degree environments
without hurting yourself. You also may want some motion sickness
tablets.
Wiser messaging apps
Your
new robot BFF is just a message away. In 2016, messaging stops being
just a way to send texts and emojis to friends, but also becomes a way
to reach all-knowing bot assistants. Beta-testers in the San Francisco
area using Facebook’s Messenger app already can ask “M” to book
restaurant reservations, buy a gift for a friend or simply tell you
Mum’s birthday. Google reportedly is readying a similar app. Bots aside,
messaging software also will evolve to include more features. Just like
China’s popular messaging apps, you’ll be able to pay your friends or
bills, book appointments, play games, translate messages and more.
How to get ready:
A messaging app is only as good as the people using it. Gather your
friends and family and try to get them on the same one — best if it
works across all devices.
Safer, smarter drones
Everybody
loves the aerial look of drone photography, but let’s face it — not
everybody was born to be a drone pilot. We’ll soon think of drones more
like cameras than helicopters, as their technology evolves to compensate
for novice mistakes and foolhardy flyers. One maker, Lily, plans to
release a waterproof model that launches when flung into the air, then
follows you around as you kayak, ski or take a sunset selfie on the
beach. Action-camera giant GoPro also plans to deliver a drone called
Karma, though the company has been tight-lipped about how it’ll work.
How to get ready:
Unless you’re prepared to commit to flying lessons, don’t buy one of
today’s models. Beware, too, of great-sounding drones that appear on
crowd-funding sites such as Kickstarter. They may face significant
delivery delays — if they deliver at all. Also, get to know your rights
and obligations as a drone owner, such as where and when you can fly.
Happy new USB port!
The
USB port you have known — and probably hated — is in for a change. In
2015, the smaller, faster USB Type-C port appeared in laptops like
Apple’s new MacBook, and phones like Google’s Nexus 6P. This will be the
year it also turns up in monitors, hard drives and everything else. The
great news: USB Type-C is capable of two-way power, so one port on a
laptop could be used to charge the battery and connect an external
drive. This should result in fewer cords, plus faster charging. The bad
news: all the USB cords you’ve previously amassed will join the rat’s
nest in your garage.
How to get ready:
Be on the lookout for devices with USB Type-C. Dell and HP just joined
Apple with computers that have it. You also may want to buy some
USB-to-Type-C adaptors so you can keep older peripherals plugged in.
Voice-operated everything
No,
you’re not paranoid: The gadgets really are listening. Voice-operated
electronics are poised for a quantum leap in accuracy and intelligence
in 2016. Talking offers a more natural way to interact with devices that
need complex input but aren’t exactly keyboard-friendly, such as
televisions, sound systems and household electronics. Voice arrived in a
big way in 2015 when Microsoft’s Cortana virtual assistant came to
Windows 10, while Siri and Google Now turned up in cars and TVs. This
year, expect voice control on more computers and an even wider range of
gadgets, including the CogniToys Dino, a toy that uses IBM’s Watson to
help answer questions, and Jibo, a talking family robot.
How to get ready: Find
a platform and stick to it. Voice systems work better the more they get
to know you, and Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft don’t always play
well with each other. You’ll also need to learn the still-awkward lingo
of some systems, or else you’ll do a lot of yelling.
Chinese phones
Chinese
smartphones are big globally but little-known to shoppers obsessed with
Apple and Samsung. In 2016, expect Chinese brands that don’t just
undercut on price but bring features from China’s thriving mobile
culture. Huawei, the world’s third largest smartphone maker, made the
Nexus 6P and has declared its intention for a US launch of its flagship
Mate 8, which also has a metal body, fingerprint scanner and large
battery. LeTV, a brand created by Jia Yueting, known as “the Steve Jobs
of China”, also is poised for a big splash. Then the ball’s in the court
of the enormously valued start-up Xiaomi, which has downplayed its
launch plans.
How to get ready: If
you’re on the fence about buying a new Android phone right now, hold
off. At the very least, don’t sign a service contract that ties you to a
handset.
Cameras that see more
Smartphones
and point-and-shoots alike are sprouting multiple lenses and sensors to
improve image quality, capture depth and “see” in 3-D. Some laptops and
tablets already contain multi-sensor cameras — such as Intel’s
RealSense — to measure rooms and use facial ID at login. A slim camera
called the Light L16, due mid-year, goes all out, employing 16
lens-and-sensor modules of varying focal lengths to capture massive
52-megapixel scenes.
How to get ready:
Don’t invest in an expensive new DSLR camera just yet. With this new
multi-lens technology, you may soon be able to get better shots from a
device that’s a fraction of the size and weight.
Streaming channels galore
Television’s
metamorphosis has only just begun. In 2016, look for more streaming
versions of channels now found only on your cable box. Just don’t expect
cutting cable to save you a lot of money, as your credit card statement
floods with assorted subscription charges. Apps will evolve so that
it’s easier to find stuff to watch — and provide new interactive
experiences for your home’s biggest screen.
How to get ready:
Buy a streaming box or smart TV that runs most of the latest apps. Roku
remains the one to beat, but the new Apple TV is also a good option
given the iPhone maker’s sway with media companies. Decent home
broadband and a recent Wi-Fi router will ensure fewer streaming hiccups.
Wireless charging everywhere
Wireless
charging is the tech industry’s campaign promise: often discussed,
never quite delivered. This year, we may really stop plugging all our
gadgets into the wall. First, an ugly standards war is resolving, with
the two leading camps merging into one set of co-operating technologies.
(Samsung’s Galaxy S6 actually supports both.) Next, more countertops
will provide juice. Starbucks already has tables that charge devices
wirelessly, IKEA has started shipping furniture that does the same. GM,
Toyota and Audi have it in cars — or soon will. As more compatible
devices arrive, many will be capable of faster charging speeds than the
sluggish rates currently available.
How to get ready:
Keep an eye out for wireless charging stations in airports, coffee
shops, and so on. As for buying gear, it’s best to wait and see.
Definitely avoid the current wireless charging cases.
Independent wearables
Without
a nearby phone, the smartwatches of 2015 don’t do much more than track
steps and tell the time. The smartwatches of 2016, however, will begin
to show their independence with built-in wireless, including cellular
and GPS radios. It could make a big difference for fitness nuts who want
to leave their phone at home but still track routes and stay in touch.
LG and Samsung recently launched watches with built-in cellular
connectivity, and other popular models should gain enhanced wireless
capabilities, too.
How to get ready:
Hold off on purchasing a smartwatch for a few months. But once new
options are released, pay attention to battery life: Those new radios
could severely impact endurance.
Cutting the headphone cord
Bluetooth
headphones are far from new, but 2016 is the year you should buy a
pair. Improvements to their wireless technology mean no more muffled
sound or dropped connections. We’re expecting several truly wireless
earbuds in the coming year, including Bragi Dash and Alpha Skybuds —
they don’t even need a wire to connect between your ears. There’s even
talk of headphone jacks disappearing from smartphones, a casualty of the
quest for ever-thinner designs.
How to get ready:
You could buy yourself a comfortable pair of Bluetooth headphones,
such as Bose SoundLink, or the Jaybird X2 for exercising. For the next
wave, wait at least until after January’s Consumer Electronics Show in
Las Vegas.
A useful internet of things
Finally,
there’s a reason to connect household items to the internet, thanks to
programs such as Amazon’s Dash Replenishment Service. Using sensors
built into devices such as Brita water pitchers, Brother printers and
Whirlpool washers, it automatically orders more supplies when you’re
running low. In 2016, expect to hear credible ideas about how everyday
objects — from garage doors to air vents — can be connected to help run
your house and reduce your worries.
How to get ready: Choose
products that support capabilities like Amazon Dash, the first of which
are launching early in 2016. Also, look for connected devices that
speak a common language like Google’s Works with Nest.
FOR MORE UPDATES, CLICK HERE
No comments