10 Most Happening Technologies For A Promising 2014

2013 saw no short of innovatory products. Technology, refusing to be confined inside pockets and bags, got onto heads and wrists in the form of Google Glass and Galaxy Gear; the latest 4K televisions ridiculed HD and 3D TVs; Smartphones and tablets became thinner, smarter, and snappier than before–some even got curvy! But that was last year, time has now come to look into the crystal ball and see what 2014 has in store for us, as compiled by Yahoo!.

#1 Internet phone calls to take over

If we are to believe futuretimeline.net, using VoIP (Voice over IP) for calls through services like Skype is set to become the norm in 2014.

Verdict: Unlikely. As useful as Skype, Viber and other such services might be, especially for making international calls, the reliability isn’t quite there yet. Then there are issues like data charges and QoS (Quality of Service).

#2 Solar charging

Solar charging has been gathering steam at a steady pace over the last few years. With consumers preferring to go green, tech companies are coming out with eco-friendly ways to charge devices. Solar energy has already been harnessed to power houses, cars and also to cook food. So, can we expect to charge our phones and tablets by simply laying them under the sun this year?

Verdict: Not likely. Solar panels that are small enough to be carried around or integrated onto the devices themselves, all the while packing enough power to charge them are still a few years away. But something we can expect to see this year is a wider adoption of wireless charging. The standard Qi, developed by Wireless Power Consortium, combined with the newer brand Rezence is certain to make wireless charging an industry standard.

#3 Cloudy ahead

Every major company is shifting their focus to cloud technology; they have been for some time now, to be honest. This major technological shift, while having a few downsides, is largely beneficial to everyone. Users can save on hard drive space by storing all their files on cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox or iCloud among others. Cloud storage provides additional benefits to users such as being able to access all their files on any device that has an Internet connection and real time syncing.

Verdict: Our lives will all be online and further connected this year. Thanks to the Cloud.

#4 Self-parking cars

This technology has been in the works for some time now. Automakers Ford, Mercedes and Toyota among others have demonstrated this auto-parking technology to great success. People have been awed by how their cars can park themselves perfectly in a tight spot, something that would take an amateur driver days or even weeks to get right.

Verdict: Possible. While the technology might be ready for public use, there are legal hurdles to overcome. Certain country’s laws prevent such self-parking cars from being marketed, but negotiations are ongoing and maybe with more robust safety tests to pass we might see a few more of these cars hitting the road.

#5 3D print my life

In spite of 3D technology being used in a variety fields from medicine and media to cooking, it is yet to strike a home run with the public. Till date, accessibility has been its main drawback. But this year’s ongoing Consumer Electronics Show with a dedicated 3D printing zone seems to imply the technology is ready for another milestone.

Verdict: If the prices are considerate and if the industry is promoting its potential uses, it can go on to be a hit.

#6 Sign language for computers

The next-gen consoles that were released towards the end of last year were a huge step-up. Besides sporting AMD’s APUs (Accelerated Processing Units) at their hearts, their motion sensing technology was also improved. As both, Xbox One’s Kinect and PS4’s camera systems continue to evolve. We will increasingly be communicating with our TVs and consoles with nothing but gestures. So, having a standard set of gestures, similar to swiping and pinching on Smartphones, will definitely be useful.

Verdict: Yes. Though it might take a little while for such a standard to appear, it is something that will happen as other companies continue jump in on this bandwagon.

#7 Hire a virtual personal assistant

Companies like Accenture and Forbes are betting on us becoming even more dependent on technology, and using a digital assistant to handle chores. While we still will be lifting ourselves from chairs and making our food–remember, WALL-E is set in 2805–they predict we will be using a virtual assistant to handle our relationships, prepare agendas and monitor our health. Well, will we?

Verdict: Of course. Improved next generation services like Google Now and Apple’s Siri will be the digital assistant with a sensual voice aiding us with our chores.

#8 Wearable Tech

A survey revealed that about 91 percent of Americans are excited about wearable gadgets than anything else. Wearable tech is all the rage right now, and gadgets from this category has been making headlines at this year’s CES like there is no tomorrow.

Verdict: Definitely. Thanks to Google Glass–which will be available to everyone later this year–a slew of geeky Google Glass alternatives, wearable fitness trackers and even smarter smartwatches are set to hit the stores this year.

#9 Death of the password

According to Ericsson ConsumerLab, 2014 will mark the demise of the passwords. They anticipate passwords will be replaced by biometric data. With Apple already implementing a finger-print sensor technology into its iPhone 5S, maybe they are right.

Verdict: Yes. With passwords becoming increasingly fragile, expect many more companies to follow Apple’s footsteps. Besides device manufacturers, tech giants like Facebook and Google are also working on enhancing their security by using a combination of a cryptographic card and password to grant access to their services.

#10 IT support to come home

The industry analysts at Gartner say the European Union laws will bring about a 20 percent decline in offshoring. This could possibly force companies to depend less on cheap labor for customer support, meaning the tech support is likely to head back to its native country.

Verdict: The support team coming closer to home does not necessarily mean you can fix your plumbing and install an antivirus on your system at the same time in a single call.