The past year has brought ‘the future’ to the forefront of everyone’s minds. Phrases such as ‘the new normal’ have been well overused and frankly, we can all agree that Zoom quizzes can be left in 2020. Whilst we reminisce about the good ol’ days before ‘hands, space, face’ halted our social lives, technology innovators have been working tirelessly to create and develop impressive new gadgets. The pandemic may have rewired and contradicted our innate social behaviours, but thanks to the ever-growing and improving tech industry, we are still able to remain connected – albeit virtually!
Living in the 21st Century is centred around convenience, speed and effortlessness, even more so with schools remaining shut forcing teachers to hold virtual classrooms and home workers to connect via email or instant messaging. Unless you’ve been living under a rock – or live in the middle of nowhere – you will have heard of the rollout and controversies surrounding 5G. We are constantly connected and interact with some form of technology at least once a day. In fact, the average Brit checks their phone 27 times a day! From online shopping for Mum’s last-minute birthday present to binge-watching your favourite series on a video streaming platform, we are constantly plugged into the ever-expanding technological world.
The inaugural all-digital Consumer Technology Association (CES) event kicked off last Tuesday and we have seen a plethora of tech innovations, including tuneable prescription glasses and a stick on button that can tell you whether you have Covid-19. Below I have rounded up three of the top technology creatives I have seen so far:
Just roll with it
Electronic creator giants such as LG and TCL have showcased the newest in the series of mobile fads: foldable and rollout handsets. This latest trend transpires to flat screens, with roll-up screens having been in the works from LG since CES 2018, which impressed so much it won the ‘must see’ award. Since then, these TV show-stoppers haven’t yet made their way to the UK market, but they’re still pretty cool.
Robots aren’t taking over, yet
Whilst the future of technology – at least for the next 20 years or so – isn’t flying cars or robots to replace shopworkers, it is certainly exciting. Although, perhaps we’re not as far away from having our own personal WALL-E companion as we thought. Samsung showed off their new robo-assistant, Bot Handy, at CES 2021 and it impressively uses AI to complete tasks such as laying the table and pouring you a glass of wine. The handy robot is complete with digital eyes that change expression as it moves, however, it is still in development and likely to have a hefty price tag attached should it come to the market in the coming years. So, you’ll just have to make do with folding your own laundry and emptying the dishwasher the old fashioned way for now.
Cool Cars
Since 2012 when a self-driving Google car was granted its drivers license in Nevada, driverless cars have tried to steer away from criticism and plans for their rollout have been stalled by safety and regulation critics. Despite concerns, the development of automated technology has advanced, in fact, Apple has re-launched Project Titan straight into the driving seat. They plan to have a fully functional, self-driving car complete with their own battery by 2024. But hey Apple, maybe if we could get a battery that doesn’t compromise performance after a year or two? I doubt you’ll be offering an upgrade plan and the car is too big to bring into the store.
So there we are folks, the future of technology is nigh. There are lots of exciting developments on the horizon, but you’ll just have to wait and see what comes next.
