The New Year has kicked in with full force, which means that it’s a perfect time to know what 2017 has in store for us when it comes to technology. 2016 was definitely rich in advancements on this field, as many tech companies decided to test the waters with brand new fancy technologies, and 2017 promises to bring them to mainstream, creating new trends. However, in a world where online and individual privacy and security may soon be relics of a not-so-distant past, concerns should be raised when thinking about getting your hands on these latest tech developments. After all, every IoT device can be a risk.
One of the trends that will most likely witness a boom in 2017 is surely virtual reality. In the last few years it has been steadily developed (remember Google’s Cardboard back in 2014?), and 2016 was the year in which VR applications started to get their place in stores and companies around the world. Facebook released Oculus Rift, Samsung stepped up with the Gear VR headset alongside with the infamous Galaxy Note 7, Sony brought PlayStation VR and, last but not least, Google kept the pace by unveiling the Cardboard successor: Daydream View. All these raise the expectation that the VR market will grow to a $30 billionbusiness by 2020.
However, some concerns were already raised about privacy issues. Oculus Rift for instance collects personal information such as emails, professions, birth dates and place of residence of its users, which is just a little too much for privacy advocates. Also, the same experts warned about the possibility of VR being used by the NSA as a new way to store records, now that the agency is changing hands.
Augmented reality (AR) has followed virtual reality’s footsteps almost identically. Expectations are also high for 2017 as Apple CEO Tim Cook already stated his belief that AR “has the potential to be even bigger than VR”. When mentioning Augmented reality it’s impossible not to bring up the massive hit that Pokémon Go was, enhancing our perception and interaction with the real and virtual worlds. In late November, rumors were whispered about Apple developing its own AR glasses. Furthermore, speculation towards an iOS update that could boost the camera skills of the iPhone 7 has also seen the light of day, possibly introducing AR features. Not to mention how likely it is that a brand new smartphone (most likely the iPhone 7S or iPhone 8) will be released already featuring these updates.
With AR, the major problem is the amount of data gathered, as apps tend to ask for too much permission when you visit the app stores. Following the example of Pokémon GO, between Android and iOS users the game accessed the precise and general location of the device as well as the camera, photos, users’ USB storage, contacts, network connections and more. In addition, usually the companies behind those apps might share that data with third parties for targeted advertising and/or law enforcement purposes.
Another hit of 2016 was wireless speakers. Originally developed by Amazon and fully compatible with the Music Unlimited streaming service, Echo devices promise to make 2017 a bit chiller by becoming a normal presence in homes, letting you interact with the Alexa voice assistant to request your favorite songs. Since we’re on Echo, Amazon already stated the plans to introduce a new top notch speaker featuring a small touch screen display. In the near future, it is expected that Sonos (an American company developing wireless speakers and home sound systems) will integrate with Alexa too in order to benefit from the voice assistant without major audio quality breaks.
Furthermore, General Electric Co. is expected to add Amazon’s assistant to household appliances (such as dishwashers, etc.) while Microsoft announced in late December 2016 that Cortana will follow the same steps of Alexa and boast a Harman/Kardon speaker.
The South Korean company LG also announced a fancy water-proof levitating speaker with up to 10 hours of battery life, although details are still short on this one. Unfortunately there are privacy concerns here too, since most of these speakers run via a Bluetooth signal, which is somewhat vulnerable.
This one is such an extensive topic that it has a dedicated article just to it. To tell a long story short, wearable IoT devices such as smartwatches, fitness bands and so on collect a bunch of information about you, including health details. Since the law that embraces this topic is more than dubious, wearable devices don’t require any previous consent from their users to collect that information and the way companies deal with personal data is also unknown. What is most certain though is that it will be used for targeted advertisementpurposes, going all the way up close and putting the best fitness product ad directly on your smartwatch for instance, with the profits benefiting mostly pharmaceutical companies.
If the latest developments are true, Google is expected to release the new Android Wear 2.0 in 2017, something that according to the company promises to renovate the entire Android Wear experience. These new gadgets will include, among other features, better support for the so-called third-party apps besides its compatibility with iPhone being renewed.
Besides all this, you can count on the usual suspects that are more or less a common presence each year. As mentioned earlier, we will most likely see a new iPhone being released, either the usual upgrade to iPhone 7S or even debuting iPhone 8 that could, among other features, ditch the home button and go all-screen mode. This is a feature that can be implemented in a new iPad too, as rumors were also heard on that. Samsung, for instance, is expected to release a new Galaxy Note and most likely a Galaxy S8 too, since its predecessor literally burned to ash. On the gaming department, it is pretty much public domain now that Microsoft is producing “the most powerful console ever” under Project Scorpio to compete with Sony’s just released PS4 Pro and its 4K gaming support, among other features. Last but not least, Nintendo is back in the game with its new hybrid gaming system called Switch, able to be played on a TV just like a regular console or assembled together and played like a tablet.
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