3D Printing

A category that for all practical purposes was non-existent till last year is all set to make big waves in the tech industry this year. We’re talking about 3D printers. A bunch of 3D printer startups had already enlisted for crowdfunding on sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo in 2013. So, hopefully, this year their products will be set to hit our shelves. With the ability to print anything from jewellery to artificial limbs, 3D printers will pave the way for consumers becoming manufacturers. Developers have collaborated with various industries and without even having being introduced as a mainstream technology, 3D printing has already created fascinating stuff starting from a 3D-printed handguns, violins and a bionic ear to the downright bizarre such as half a human skull and a 3D-printed foetus keepsake in case you’re expecting. There’s clearly no limit to what we could probably create when this technology reaches our homes.

Smartwatches

Thinking of gifting your girlfriend a watch this year? How 2008 are you! Drop that wristwatch for a smartwatch. Last year alone, three companies launched their snazzy new smartwatches in India. Samsung got its colourful range of Galaxy Gear, Qualcomm got the 1.5-inch Toq and Sony released its Android-compatible SmartWatch. In 2014, not only are we going to see more companies launching smartwatches but hopefully more developers launching apps tailored to work on smartwatches. Right now, they serve as accessories to smartphones and tablets but hopefully they will transform to become more independent digital assistants.

Digital Fitness Gear

It’s not only smartwatches that are going to adorn your wrists next year. In 2013, fitness trackers made way into more people’s hands than ever. With the impending new year resolution of getting fit, it’s time to probably buy one for yourself. These nifty little things track how many steps you’ve taken, how many calories burnt, how much rest you get through the day and heck, even how many times you tossed and turned in bed. Apps work with these bands to make the experience more wholesome. Gear up for some more innovation to help you stick to your get-fit goals this year.

Cloud storage

Over a couple of years or so, apps such as Dropbox and Google Drive have slowly changed our attitude towards cloud storage. This means we will depend more and more on the Cloud in the coming months and will move away from physical storage on a personal computer or a laptop. This could bode well for devices such as the Chromebook which has been attempting to make inroads in the Indian consumer market without little success till now, despite being a very promising category of devices. With widespread internet connectivity, Chromebooks and similar cloud-based devices could potentially be the go-to gadget for a diverse range of consumers starting from high-flying businessmen to cash-strapped college students.

Improved Form Factors

With the innovation in materials and sensors, personal computing devices such as smartphones and tablets will become sleeker and more flexible. Companies such as LG have already introduced curved displays on a smarpthone and a smart TV this year. Hopefully, we’ll be seeing a lot of flex in the form factor of smart device, which frankly has been stagnant for a while now. Samsung, which had long ago showed off its proprietary flexible OLED display, will also hopefully have a trick up its sleeve this year.

Smarter Apps

Next year, we’re not just going to see more apps; they are going to be smarter apps. With contextual computing, the kinds you can now experience with Google Now, apps are going to know more about you so they can customise their offerings to suit every user profile. Hopefully, developers would also want to integrate augmented reality into more and more applications to make the line between the real and the virtual even more insignificant.

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