In the beginning of January, we wrote this blog post: “Tech in 2013: What 13 things to Look Forward to This Year”. Now that 2013 is coming to an end, I think it’s time to stop and look back over the past year, and compare what we thought would happen to how the year really went.
First, if you haven’t already, you should read this blog post!
1. Mobile Optimization
This progressed pretty much the way we all expected it to. Mobile websites and apps became more and more common, and it is essential for any company these days to at the very least have their websites optimized for the mobile user. If you don’t have your website optimized for mobile use, chance are you are missing out on a lot of potential business.
2. The Mobile Office
This really went how we all expected it to go as well. Telecommuting has just become a really natural part of any business. It is expected now that you and your employees will be able to work from anywhere, be it the office, home, or a coffee shop. If you are not sure how to make this happen, check out this great blog post we have that explains the different ways to work remotely.
3. Touch screens
We predicted that the touch screen market would expand beyond just phones and tablets, and we are slowly starting to see that happen. There are now the touch screen-watches that are paired up with smartphones, allowing you to answer calls or follow GPS directions from a watch. The tablet and phone market continued to expand this year, especially with the emergence of Windows 8 and the Surface Pro tablet. We are really starting to see the tablet/laptop combination become a more common thing.
4. Motion Sensors
Okay, this one didn’t really take off…yet. While there are still great innovations being made in this progressive field, chances are it will be at least a few more years until we see this come into the workplace.
5. To The Cloud
Did your business move to the cloud this year? If not…there’s always 2014.
6. Everyone wants in
Well, the two big players in the tech market are still Apple and Microsoft, but they both had a pretty tough year. After the death of Steve Jobs Apple has been seen as losing their grip on the leader in innovation, and they haven’t really managed to scramble back to the top yet. And Microsoft pushed themselves too far, too fast with Windows 8, and had to take a step back (Windows 8.1). Amazon did come out with some great new Kindle products, but we haven’t seen a phone from them yet. For now, it’s still Apple and Microsoft.
7. Other parts of our lives get “smart”
While those self-parking cars are pretty great, the main players in the smart world are still the phones and tablets. But that’s not to say that this year didn’t produce some great results. There really is a way to have a car with apps displayed on your windshield. Personally though, I’m still holding out for that bright pink hoverboard.
8. Wireless charging
This is definitely an area that has moved forward a lot this year. There are now a bunch of great products available to help you charge all of your devices wirelessly, even multiple devices at one time. Check out this website to learn more.
9. Medical goes Mobile
There have been some great innovations made this past year to help make healthcare more efficient and yield better results. Including some really great apps to help doctors. To read about all the great steps forward in the medical technology industry, visit this website: www.medgadget.com .
10. 3-D printing
While this technology definitely became more widespread and developed throughout 2013, it really is no where near the point where it is affordable for small businesses or personal use yet. Chances are, it is going to take another 3-5 years at least before 3-D printing becomes more common and the prices start to go down.
11. Google Glass
This is definitely one area that has pushed forward at a fantastic rate over the past year. Now Google Glass is more than just some teasers on YouTube, but they are actually available for people to use and test out. You might even see people on the street these days wearing them!
12. Big Data takes over
Big data is still growing. While many businesses haven’t yet seemed to reach the point where their data has grown too big for them to handle, it is definitely something that all companies need to start thinking about and planning for over the next few years.
13. You!
Well…you tell me. How did you do this year? Do you think you are more tech-savvy? What new technologies did you learn about over 2013?
No doubt about it, 2013 was a good year for technology. I can’t wait to see what 2014 has in store for us.