The Hidden Prediction for 2015
Those crystal balls have to be getting tired.
It’s a New Year’s tradition that has become as commonplace as the midnight smooch: extravagant tech predictions for next year. It’s a time when analysts compete with meteorologists for the title of “most-mocked” when their predictions turn out to be incorrect and Nostradamus for “certified soothsayer” if they were right.
Just take a look at the forecast for 2014. The Washington Post famously wrote that we would all be wearing Google Glass and playing on VR headsets by now. While they are both fun to read and courageous, bold predictions that largely fail set you up for ridicule.Read more
Democratizing the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things. Just saying the words conjures up these amazing images of a Hollywood-esque future. Your car talks to your air conditioner, letting it know when you will be home so your house is at the perfect temperature at the perfect time. Your fridge talks to your bathroom scale and (annoyingly) tells you what you should and shouldn’t be eating.
But consumer products are only part of the picture. And, surprisingly, a relatively small part. According to a recent article in Business Insider, “The manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, and information sectors will invest the most in IoT systems and devices in the next five years, we estimate. Manufacturers are currently the leading industry to use IoT devices and we estimate there (sic) total investment will reach $140 billion over the next five years” (bolded type in original.)Read more