Nine technology predictions for 2013
The world has failed to end. With that prophecy dealt with, we can get back to making some slightly more exciting prognostications. So, without further ado, here are ten technology predictions for 2013:
Smartphones and tablets will continue to challenge traditional desktop working. With the full-scale deployment of Windows 8 and the continued increase in cloud computing, 2013 is going to see a rapid evolution in the way work.
Touchscreen will get better. With the development of lighter and more flexible touchscreen technology, the possibilities are pretty exciting.
There will be a new Xbox and PlayStation released. “Consoles have been central in everything from the way we consume media to how we keep fit so the arrival of new hardware in this sector is going to be important,” says Kieran Alger, editor, T3.com.
NFC (near field communication) will come into it’s own. Gartner predicts that this technology could be critical for the integration of the internet with the physical world - a trend that they believe will continue to develop in 2013.
The big technology battleground will shift to the living room. “This key space is wide open and the potential prizes are huge,” says James Stables, associate editor at tech. Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft: all the heavyweights will weigh in on this gap in the market.
The voice of women will begin to ripple through the world of technology. Do a quick Google search for technology predictions for 2013 and you’ll be pushed to find one written by a woman. 2012, however, has sown the seeds of change: IBM, HP and Yahoo all have female CEO’s and Sheryl Sandberg has become Facebook’s first female board member: women in technology now have some footsteps to follow in.
Cybercrime and identity theft will focus on smartphones and tablets. If people are using them, criminals will follow. Britons are already at the most risk of falling victim to identity fraud than anywhere else in Europe, and as Get Safe Online explains, viruses and malware are posing a bigger and bigger threat for modern gadget lovers.
Solar flares will cause disruption to our technology-fuelled lives. Whilst it might sound far-fetched, the science seems to be there to back this one up. The sun is set to reach a peak of activity in 2013, which could impede our own communication-centred culture.
And finally…we will remain, as ever, addicted to social media, frustrated when technology, occasionally but inevitably, lets us down, and utterly charmed when it doesn’t because after all, when you think about it, technology really is quite a wondrous thing.
